Thistles of Santa Ana Valley

Here's another view from my wandering the other day through Santa Ana Valley. Yes, it's a photo that I cropped and enhanced then dipped into the artistic features of Photoshop. 

Tasty Meals at Dunneville Corners

Crrrrrrussssssh! 

From behind the windows at Dunneville Cafe and Market, I watched a repetitive scene going on across the street at Clean Green Recycling. Humongous yellow mechanical jaws mangled, pounded, and chewed away at the huge piles of forsaken wood, which would eventually become wood chips for landscaping. The wood must've tasted pretty good to that machine, just as the broaster chicken and tri-tip meal that we bought at Dunneville tasted to us. Yummmmm.

Morning After Rainfall

Yesterday marked a full day and night of rainfall. One weather caster called it a storm. Perhaps in some areas. To me, it was a delightful, gentle, steady Spring rain that gave joyful reprieve to the parched hillsides.

From the Archives -- Resting Places

Another post from the archives. Enjoy!

Now We Lay Ourselves Down to Rest

(originally published November 13, 2008)

It was bound to happen. I would take a photograph or two of one of my favorite local haunts as a kid—the Calvary Cemetery.

We moved next to the cemetery when I was a fourth grader. We lived on El Camino Paraiso. The English translation: The Heavenly Road or The Road to Paradise. I always thought whoever named the street had a wonderful sense of humor. Or, he was just perverse.

Since my deceased sisters were buried in the cemetery, my family visited it often. As I got older, I found myself pedaling my bike through the cemetery on my own. Where else could I find peace and quiet to think? Today, the remains of my dad and a few other relatives and friends of the family are also there. So, I continue to pop over now and then. I no longer live next to the cemetery, but it’s still only a few minutes away.

San Benito County has several cemeteries. Not such a big deal until I consider that the population was about 18,000 when I was a teenager, many years ago. Currently the population is around 56,000. Only three cemeteries may actually be in use, but what do I know. If you want to know more about some of the other cemeteries in this county, check out these links. Those interested in genealogy will be happy to know that some of these web sites provide a listing or database of the deceased.

• Calvary Cemetery serves the local Catholic Church parishes in Hollister and Tres Pinos.
• I.O.O.F. Cemetery belongs to the Oddfellows Lodge. I understand that many of the old-time county movers and shakers are buried there.
• San Juan Bautista (or Larios) Cemetery is up on a hillside, just outside of the village.
• Mission Cemetery at San Juan Bautista Mission is said to have over 4,000 remains of local natives (like in Indians) and Europeans buried there.
• San Benito County Cemetery is described as being a potter's field.

• Cherry Hill Cemetery is between Paicines and Mercey Hot Springs.
• Pinehill Cemetery is way down in the southern part of the county, in the Bitterwater area.

Check out these sites for a list of cemeteries in San Benito County, including some not mentioned above.

• Epodunk.com: San Benito County Cemeteries 
• Cagenweb: San Benito County Cemeteries, Historical Society, Libraries, Newspapers
• California Genealogy and Historical Archives: San Benito County: County List for Cemeteries

From the Archives -- The Downtown Hollister Parking Garage

Today's archival piece is about the gorgeous downtown parking garage on Fourth Street, which you enter via the parking lot on Fifth Street. FYI: I edited the story just a bit.

An Art Museum? A Vista Point?
It's Both and More!

(originally published September 29, 2008)

We have million-dollar art to check out for free in Hollister. Head over to the Briggs Building, which is near the corner of San Benito Street & Fourth Street. That’s the parking garage.

That’s right, I wrote parking garage. You can't miss it. It’s a four-story structure, the tallest one in town. It was built in the 1990s for about $6 million with RDA funds. At full capacity, it can hold about 140 vehicles, so I’ve read. I know, that’s a lot of taxpayers' pennies.

Few people use the parking garage. Maybe the building is just too beautiful to park in. Seriously, the building itself is a piece of art. If I didn’t know it was a parking lot, I would say it was a school (Gavilan College does hold classes on the first floor). Maybe a government building or a fancy department store. Maybe even an art museum, which brings me back to the topic of seeing some fine art there.

Start your tour by the stairway next to the elevator on the southeast corner of the building. First, admire the aesthetics of the stairway design.

Now, start walking up the stairs. Sure, you can take the elevator but there’s more joy in suddenly coming upon each piece of art as you gaspingly reach the top of a floor.

Pause at the top of each floor for your breath. Also, take note of the beauty of the art piece telling you what floor you’re on.

On the rooftop, I noticed a few more of these art pieces telling me I’m on the fourth floor. So I assume that’s the case on the other floors.

To tell you the truth, I no longer was interested in seeing and viewing man-made art when I came out on the rooftop. I was immediately astounded by the view of Hollister and the mountain ranges that surround it. The almost 360-degree view of Hollister is worth an occasional trip to the top of the roof of Hollister’s multi-million dollar parking garage.

There you have it: an arts museum and a vista point. Plus, you can park there.

From the Archives -- Smelling of Home

Here's more from the Take 25 to Hollister archives. . . .

Ten Smells of Hollister, California

(originally published March 1, 2009)

I have yet to sniff the Hollister California line of bottled fragrances. But, it intrigues me that some people are willing to buy and apply a smell that would make others (and themselves) think they are living a fabricated Hollister California life.

It also got me thinking about the aromas of my hometown. What could I bottle and sell as Sigh, I’m Feeling Nostalgic for the real Hollister California? These are my top 10 smells (past and present). They are not in any particular odor. Hee-hee, I couldn’t resist the pun.

1. The wild mustard that bloom in spring
2. The tons of tomatoes as they are being canned on a hot summer evening
3. Freshly-mowed grass on a Saturday morning
4. Morning fog that clings to rows upon rows of tomato plants
5. The heaps of fresh compost on Highway 25
6. Manure just laid on newly-prepared vegetable fields
7. Meat being barbequed on charcoal by next-door neighbors
8. Gas, oil, and/or burning rubber fumes of a beyond-vintage truck or car passing by
9. The livestock stalls at the county fair
10. Approaching rain

What aromas get you thinking of home?

From the Archives -- Driving the Bolsa

Here's another post from the Take 25 to Hollister archives. Imagine what Bolsa Road, aka Highway 25, would be like today if the casino, Sun City, and El Rancho San Benito had been built.

The 25, The Bolsa—Same Difference

(originally published October 14, 2008) 

The route into Hollister from the north is via the two-lane Bolsa Road. California State Highway 25, to be more precise, says the Husband. That, I suppose, is a difference between having lived here as a kid and now as an adult. Also the difference between being an old-timer and one fresh-off-the-highway. You say "Highway 25," I say "Bolsa Road." Potay-toe, po-ta-tah. Toe-may-toe, toe-mah-tah. By the way, there are tomato fields on the Bolsa. Not the road, but the area.

Bolsa is the Spanish word for pocket. No doubt it comes from Rancho Bolsa de San Felipe, of which the route and surrounding land were part during the once-upon-the-time of Spanish and Mexican dons. I've read that this pocket of land was known for its swamp, willow grove, and ravine. During heavy rains (remember those?), Bolsa Road can get so flooded that it has to be closed. That can be maddening when you need to get in and out of town, but still the flooded plain is a beautiful sight to behold.

It's 12 miles between Hollister and Highway 101 by way of the Bolsa. Twelve miles out to the real world. Twelve miles back to living far, far away. I’m not kidding. When movers from the Bay Area drove our belongings here, they panicked at the instant sight of no buildings, no freeway exchanges, and no sound walls as they turned onto the Bolsa. One mover called his honey and said he was half-way to Los Angeles.

On the Bolsa, you drive 12 miles of flat land, first viewing row crops, next cows out standing in their fields, and then row crops again. As you get closer to Hollister, you see a few orchards too. And, yes, there used to be a lot more orchards and on both sides of the road.

Being older and having lived for many years of adulthood out in the real world of freeways and noise, tall buildings and noise, urban crowdedness and noise, I appreciate the drive through space that is the Bolsa to seemingly far, far away of Hollister. Who knows how much longer this luxury of nothingness will last. Just within the past five years different developers tried putting up an Indian casino and a Sun City along the Bolsa. There’s still talk about building a brand-new town on the Bolsa, nearer to highway 101. I don’t even want to try to imagine it.

From the Archives -- The Pinnacles

Today is another post from the Take 25 to Hollister archives. It's the first one I wrote about the Pinnacles before it became the Pinnacles National Park.  FYI: The post is slightly edited for today.

Pinnacles National Monument

(originally published September 17, 2008)

 

My mom loves to visit the Pinnacles. It reminds her of the Philippines. I don’t know if it’s the starkness of the mountains, the smell of the air, the feel of the breeze, or the way the sun warms your body as you trample along the trails. She’s never said. I just know that besides her gardens, the Pinnacles National Monument provides her with a sense of calm.

The Pinnacles is about 30 miles south of Hollister. It generally takes us (the Husband and I) about 45 minutes, but that’s because we are old farts who like to rubberneck the scenery. Not to worry. The traffic is sparse, but you do need to pay attention to curves the nearer you get to the park. You head south out of town on Highway 25. Depending on the time of day, we may stop at Flapjack's Country Café in Tres Pinos for breakfast. That’ll be a story for another day.

According to the scientists, the Pinnacles is actually part of the Neenach Volcano that erupted waaaaay down south near Lancaster, California. The volcano was split by, yes, the San Andreas Fault. Over 23 million years, more or less, the Pinnacles was slowwwwwwwwly carried northwesterly to where it stands today. At the same time that it was inching up, wind and water carved out the spires and crags that someone in modern-day history decided to call the Pinnacles. Then President Theodore Roosevelt came along and established it as a national monument.

This year, the U.S. National Park Service celebrated the monument’s 100th anniversary. Since 1908, it has grown from 5,000 acres to approximately 26,000 acres. (Thank you ranchers and rancher descendents.) The park service is currently developing a general management plan for the next 15 to 20 years. Public input is appreciated.

You can do a lot of things at the Pinnacles. Depending on the time of year, you can scramble through talus caves, which are home to Townsend’s big-eared bats. But you can't go through 'em if the bats are there. You can bring your ropes and things and climb on the spires themselves. And of course you can hike easy paths and not-so-easy ones, which may make your hands sweat at certain HIGH points. If you’re lucky, you can see a California Condor or two circling above you. You can also hang out at a picnic table and enjoy the day, while the rest of your party are getting sweaty and tired.

There are actually two entrances to the Pinnacles National Monument. The west gate is off Highway 101, near Soledad. You can’t drive west to east through the park. But you can easily hike through it. Camping is on the Hollister side only.

Hmm, I think it's time to take out the hiking shoes.

From the Archives -- The Organic Farm Stand

I'm posting articles from my archives for the next few days. This one is about purchasing fresh organic vegetables from the Pinnacle Organic Farm on Saturdays in 2008, which we still do today. FYI: I edited the original piece.

 If It's Saturday, It Must Be Farm Day

(originally published on October 25, 2008)

We live in an agricultural area where some organic produce is grown. Yet, when the Husband and I moved to Hollister five years ago, one of the things I really missed about living in the big city area was being able to buy organic produce year round. Ironic, isn't it?

Between May and late August, we are fine. The local farmers market comes to downtown Hollister every Wednesday afternoon. It’s a small market, which seems to get smaller each year. The unfortunate thing about farmers markets is that the cost of fruits and vegetables are higher than in the stores. I think it’s worth paying the extra pennies for lettuce, tomatoes, squash, onions, potatoes, apples, artichokes, and so forth to feel, smell, and taste them the way that they are created to be.

A couple of winters ago, we learned that the Pinnacle Organic Farm(part of the Phil Foster Ranches) in San Juan Valley opens it farm stand every Saturday morning. FYI: Phil Foster Ranches sells its certified organic produce to Whole Foods Markets and other grocery shops. The farm stand is open year round, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. It's located on Duncan Avenue, between Bixby Road and Lucy Brown Road.

We go to this farm stand almost every Saturday. Early or late, it doesn’t matter. The produce is fresh. If some things are low, just ask, and they’ll replenish the stock if they have more on hand.

I wrote a note back in September that we had bought potatoes, onions, garlic, yellow cauliflower, watermelon, cilantro, carrots, apples, zucchinis, and a few other things for just over $20. I would've spent much more for the same amount, if I bought the food at a Whole Foods Market.

Other farm stands in the area are Bertuccio's Market/The Farm and Casa de Fruta. Along with produce, which may or may not be certified organic, they sell other food products. Casa de Fruta also offers fun activities for kids and adults.

Today is Saturday. We’re off to the farm.

From the Archives -- Drought!

My blogging brain is spent from participating in last month's Blogging from A to Z April Challenge with both Take 25 to Hollister and The View from the Top of the Ladder.  So, for the next several days, I shall post past stories from my archives. 

Do you recall that we were going through a "significant" drought throughout California from 2007 to 2009? Significant is in quotes because that's how the California Department of Water Resources described it. I'm wondering if we even got out of that drought condition from back then. What do you think?

A little bit of thunder and rain. Yippyy!!

(originally published October 19,2008)

A loud Ka-POW! woke me up early yesterday morning.

“Is that thunder?”

The Husband reassured me it was. I was happy. It has been a long while since I had heard something like that.

A few seconds later, I heard a steady beat on the roof. “Is that rain?”

“Yes,” said the Husband. “Rain.” Deliriously joyed, I fell back to sleep.

Unfortunately, the next time I woke up, the day was brightly shining. The ground and pavement were wet so that was good. Needless to say, the plants were happy, happy.

You bet rain is a big thing. We're going through a d-r-o-u-g-h-t, again. Normally, the rain would’ve stayed throughout the whole weekend and maybe even into the following week. For now, we look at the billowy clouds with hope.

Z is for. . .

Zip! Zap! Zee!

The challenge is done. No more thinking in ABC. Hooray!

Tomorrow, we shall be back to regular programming. Which is uhm I dunno.

By the way, there are still a few windmills around Hollister. This one is at the Suncoast Organic Farm on Southside Road, where the Husband and I stopped to buy a pint of yummy lemon gelato. Talk about a zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay taste!

Click here to find other A to Z challenge participants.

Y is for. . .

Year.  And, that year was 1965!

Why 1965? Because I found the Polk's Hollister City Directory on the reference shelf at the local library.  So, here we go into the way back machine.

The estimated population in April, 1965
Hollister: 8,000
San Benito County: 19,700

Weather in April, 1965
Average temperature: 58.7 degrees    Range: 44.7 degrees to 72.5 degrees
Rainfall: 1 inch

Protective Services
• Hollister Police Department employed 11 policemen and 1 matron.
• Hollister Fire Department employed 5 full-time firefighters and had 19 volunteer firefighters and 5 fire trucks.

Churches: 13 of them

Schools: 1 junior college, 1 high school, and 3 public K-12 schools (within Hollister)

Public Transportation: Greyhound station and Southern Pacific depot

Health Services
• 12 physicians
• 4 pharmacies
• 2 hospitals
• 1 veterinary hospital

Businesses
• Bank of America was the only bank in town.
• 2 loan companies
• 17 grocery stores
• 14 restaurants
• 10 taverns
• 16 gas stations
• 2 jewelers
• 9 clothing shops
• 3 department stores (J.C. Penney, Baughman Department Store, and Schulze's Department Store)
• 3 furniture dealers and 2 used furniture stores
• 11 apartment buildings

Personal Services
• 10 barbershops
• 11 beauty shops 

Entertainment: 2 movie theaters, 2 parks, 1 bowling alley, and 1 family billiard room

Lodging: 5 hotels and 3 motels

Click here to find other A to Z challenge participants.

X is for. . .

Xeriscaping. This is a type of landscaping that conserves the use of water. A good example of xeriscaping is the grounds of the new county courthouse on Fourth Street.

Click here to find other A to Z challenge participants.

W is for. . .

April 2015, Cienega Road

Water. More specifically, the lack of water.  Essentially, drought!

California officials mark the beginning of our drought as 2012. They report that Winter 2015 has been the driest year in the state's recorded history.  It's very evident when you see the hills and mountains surrounding Hollister. If it weren't for the cooler temperatures, I'd think it was August.

Check out how Hollister has looked in April over the past few years.

April 2014, Southside Road

 

 

April 2013, Brigantino Park

April 2012, intersection of Highway 25 and Highway 156

April 2011, San Benito River by Nash Road

April 2010, Cienega Road

For information about water conservation tips, visit the Water Resources Association of San Benito County website.

Click here to find other A to Z challenge participants.

A Sunday at the Pinnacles National Park

We are so fortunate to have a national park in our backyard. The Husband and I met up with friends last Sunday at the Pinnacles National Park. The east side, of course. By 10 a.m., the parking lot at the Bear Gulch Nature Center was full, so we took the free shuttle from the Visitor's Center. Too bad, there isn't a shuttle or a bus from Hollister. It would be a great way to enjoy the gorgeous scenery to and from the park.

Here are a few photos of Pinnacles National Park from our hike. Enjoy!

V is for. . .

Veterans!

Veterans Memorial Building

Veterans Day Parade

Veterans' Mural

Click here to find other A to Z challenge participants.

U is for. . .

Utility boxes.

Last December, the City of Hollister funded a project to paint murals on five plain utility boxes throughout Downtown Hollister. The murals, painted by Joel Esqueda and Rolan Resendiz, local artists, depict various cultural aspects of Hollister and San Benito County.

The mural on the utility box at the northwest corner of South and San Benito Streets celebrates cowboys and the annual rodeo.

At the northwest corner of North and San Felipe Streets is another utility box with a colorful mural. It honors the Ballet Folklorico, a traditional Mexican dance performed at local festivities.

On this utility box is a poem by local award-winning poet Rachelle Linda Escamilla. It reads:

"Our hands, like water, 

shape the land. 

Our bodies split 

the grassland; 

this valley 

a labor of love."

~ Rachelle Escamilla 

Click here to find other A to Z challenge participants.

T is for. . .

Tractors. Vintage ones, too.

The tractors on this page can be seen around the grounds of Casa de Fruta, a roadside orchard resort several miles northeast of Downtown Hollister. Along with having an amazing display of old-time tractors and other farm equipment, Casa de Fruta has a great produce stand, wine tasting, restaurant, carousel, mini-train, and more.

Click here to find other A to Z challenge participants.

S is for. . .

The former home of John and Almira Steinbeck on Monterey Street

The Steinbecks. 

John and Almira Steinbeck, to be precise. They were the grandparents of author John Steinbeck, who was born in Salinas and lived there until he graduated from Stanford. 

John and Almira Steinbeck were originally from Prussia. They first moved to Palestine before migrating to the United States. They settled in Hollister around 1874. They owned a dairy on  Line Street, which back then was in the country. When they retired from farming, they moved into town, purchasing a house on Monterey Street. 

As a child, John Steinbeck and his family, from what I understand, visited their grandparents in Hollister by driving a surrey over the Gabilan foothills via the Old Stage Coach Road. Part of the road is known today as the Anza Trail. Something to think about the next time you hike that trail. 

Click here to find other A to Z challenge participants.