Mission Burial Ground

The Mission San Juan Bautista cemetery overlooks the San Andreas Fault and the San Juan Valley. This burial ground is accessed through the mission. Historians say that over 4,000 people of the Mutsun tribe were buried in the cemetery during the mission period. The last Mutsun was buried there in 1930.

Time for Another Fun Parade

Tomorrow is the Mexican Independence Day Parade in Downtown Hollister. The parade celebrates the day—September 16, 1810—that Mexico declared independence from Spain.  The parade will start at 11:30 a.m., according to online sources. It will march down San Benito Street, turning at Fifth Street.

Red Fireplug

I couldn't help taking a photo of this vintage fire hydrant in Tres Pinos. It's so darn cute in its redness.

It's going to be another hot day. Be sure to drink enough water and stick to the shady part of the street.  See you tomorrow.

Shop Locally: Market 25 on the Bolsa

Traffic karma was on our side and the Husband and I were able to safely pull into the parking lot of Market 25 on Bolsa Road (aka Highway 25) yesterday. Our first time there.  It was at the end of the day, so there wasn't much produce left. But, we did buy six ears of corn for a buck, as the sign along the highway stated. The corn was yummily sweet.

Market 25 is one of three produce stands owned by Uesugi Farms, of which the other two are in Morgan Hill and Saratoga. (By the way, Market 25 is located on the Gilroy portion of Highway 25.) The owners are not kidding when they say they sell local fruits and vegetables. Some produce, such as strawberries, corn, and peppers, are grown by Uesugi Farms. Others are from local farmers in Hollister, Gilroy, Castroville, and other nearby areas.

The stand also sells jams and juices from Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville. We learned that every Thursday, around noon, Gizdich Ranch delivers a frozen assortment of their delicious pies. Whoo-hooo! Guess who will be stopping at Market 25 one of these Thursday afternoons.

To learn more about Market 25, check out its website.

Old Courthouse Sentinel

The old magnolia trees on Monterey Street next to the old courthouse make wonderful shade—delightful on very hot days like today. Look closely at the sturdy trunks of these handsome living things. See anything? This one, for example, looks like it might be a guard in stealth mode.

The Big Fish of Aromas

The next time you're in Aromas, about 18 miles to the west of Hollister, check out the huge, cheerful, colorful fish hanging out in the Aromas Town Square Park. It's bound to put a smile on your face. 

The mosaic fish made up of smaller fishes was created by over 200 Aromas residents and friends. The story goes that the Aromas Fraternal Order of Eagles thought it would be a great idea to have public art on display in the community park. So, naturally, the Eagles approached the Aromas Hills Artisans.  They brainstormed and brainstormed. Then, pop! Big Fish in a Small Town. 

The perfect idea was inspired from a trip Aromas artist and resident Tina Baine took to the Camcheon Culture Village in Busan, Korea where she saw an art display of a big fish made up of smaller fishes that looked like the big fish's scales.  The art project began in November, 2014. 

Residents gathered at community events, such as the Aromas Grange Breakfast, and at community venues, such as Aromas School, as well as at homes to paint little fishes. On April 12, 2015, the gorgeous Big Fish was installed in the Aromas Town Square Park, across from Aromas Library.

Very cool!

To see more photos of the Big Fish in a Small Town, check out this page at the Aromas Hills Artisans website.  Also, check out this interesting article by Tina Baine about the Big Fish project and the inspiration behind it.

Today, I'm linking up at Our World Tuesday. Come check out what bloggers are posting about their part of the world, by clicking here. 

Enjoy the Day!

Hope you're all having a great three days off from work! You deserve it.

See you tomorrow.

Shona Sculpture in Paicines

The beautiful sculptures shown today on this post are known as Shona Sculpture. They were created by artists of the Shona tribe in Zimbabwe.  And, these sculptures are three of several that are displayed at Paicines Ranch.

I took the photos at last year's Kinship Center fundraiser, which the ranch hosts every year.

By the way, the Kinship Center will hold its annual Gabilan Wine & Food Tasting on September 12, 2015 at Paicines Ranch. It'll run from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. For more information, click here.

2015 San Benito Olive Festival

2014

The Third Annual San Benito Olive Festival is only six Saturdays away! Saturday, October 17, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., to be precise. The place—Bolado Park in Tres Pinos, right off Highway 25, about eight miles south of Hollister.  

2013

This foodie celebration honors the rich agricultural bounty and heritage of San Benito County, showcasing many of the local olive oil producers, winemakers, food artisans, fine artists, craftspeople, restaurants, and chefs.  All net proceeds from the event are donated to nonprofit organizations in San Benito County.

2014

We will be tasting award-winning olive oils from such producers as Oils of Paicines and Brigantino Olio de Oliva as well as various types of olives from Papa Joe's Spicy Products and The Farm Bertuccio's.

2014

We will be checking out Blenheim apricots, balsamic vinegars, chocolates, and other culinary treats from Apricot King, Marich Premium Chocolates, Tantalizing Toffee, Vertigo Coffee, and California Balsamic.

2013

We will be trying out wines and handcrafted beers from Calera Wine, Guerra Cellars, Aimee June Winery, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Grillin & Chillin Alehouse, and others.

2014

We will be having a hard time deciding from which restaurant or food truck to buy lunch—Fired Up Fresh, Kuki's Bowl, Paine's Restaurant, or another.

2014

We will be listening—and maybe dancing—to local bands of different styles, from jazz (Mr. O's Jazz Band) to doo-wop (The Flashbacks) and more. 

2014

We will be meandering up and down aisles, checking out amazing art, crafts, jewelry, kitchenware, gift products by Italian artisans, garden items, and other lovely things from such merchants as  the Gioia Company, Artistic Woodcrafts, McAbee Feed, and M & M Plant Sales Inc.

2014

We will be venturing into booths of the San Benito County Historical Society and other nonprofit groups to learn more about the history, organic agricultural bounty, and the world in general about San Benito County. 

2013

We will be enjoying the cooking demonstrations with olive oil by talented chefs, such as the ever popular Chef and Cooking Instructor Dorothy McNett and Executive Chef Cal Stamenov from the Bernardus Lodge & Spa in Carmel Valley.

2014

We will be tired, happy, and full by the end of the day. 

For the latest information about the San Benito Olive Festival, go to its website and/or Facebook page.  To purchase tickets online, check out its Eventbrite page.

100+ Year Old Palm Trees in Tres Pinos

These very, very tall palm trees stand in front of the old Tres Pinos School, which today is a private residence. Designed by Frank Delos Wolfe, the building is a beautifully crafted example of California prairie architecture. The trees were planted when the school was built around 1915. Click here to see a photo of the old school 100 years ago.

By the way, generations of Tres Pinos School children left their marks on the trunks on the old palms. Some of them are still visible.

The Dunne Park Rose Garden

Many communities throughout the United States have a public rose garden. Hollister is no different. Our rose garden is located in Dunne Park, at the east end near West Street. It's small, but beautiful, whether tended or not.

The garden has nice paths to walk among the roses. And, if you feel like relaxing in the garden, you can sit on one of the two benches there. Both benches are dedicated to special people in the community.

The rock bench is a memorial to Philip Paz (1913–1991) who helped in the design of the rose garden.  I like the last line of the dedication in particular, ". . . May the perpetual blooms of this garden remind us of those who have given so much and taken so little."

Friends of Janet Graham put in the other bench to honor the late public health nurse and community activist who was very involved in advocating the safety, health, and fitness of the children of San Benito County. Ms. Graham's work continues today through The Janet Graham Memorial Fund.

All Things Vertigo in San Juan Bautista

In this instance, not Vertigo Coffee, but Vertigo, the 1958 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak. And, that is what Vertigo Day at the San Juan Bautista State Historic Park on September 26, 2015 will be all about.

The event is sponsored by San Juan Bautista State Historic Park and the Plaza History Association and features a tour, a lecture, and a showing of Vertigo.

• 3:00 p.m. — a 1.5 hour guide tour of the mission and park, highlighting Vertigo stories and film locations.
• 4:30 p.m. — "Mastery of Hitchcock," a talk by Luis Camara, CSU Monterey Bay film professor, at the Plaza Saloon.
• 8:10 p.m — Vertigo on the Plaza lawn. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. It may be chilly, so bring jackets or extra blankets. 

The movie is free. The tour is $15/person and Professor Camara's lecture is $10/person. You can do both the tour and lecture for $20/per person. For more information about Vertigo Day, click here.

Wondering where to eat before the movie? San Juan Bautista has several restaurants, including Vertigo Coffee which serves awesome handcrafted, oven baked pizza. For info about places to eat and drink in San Juan Bautista, check out this link.

I can't leave you without a clip from Vertigo. This scene is from the imaginary bell tower of Mission San Juan Bautista. By the time Hitchcock came to San Juan to shoot, the mission no longer had a bell tower, so he built one for the movie. And, a taller one at that.

2015 Aromas Day Parade

The Aromas Day Parade is the narrowest of all the parades that take place in San Benito County. Hands down. The parade, which took place last Sunday—Aromas Day, gracefully marched up Carpenteria Street that was lined with booths on both sides. I loved the joyful cheers and happy faces of the parade participants and us, parade viewers.

The Husband and I were getting corn dogs when the parade started so we missed the first few floats and also a good spot from where short me could see. No problem. I simply held the camera up high, clicked, and hoped for the best. Here are four of my favorite parade entries.

North Monterey County High School Marching Band

Former Aromas 4-H members

Women's Club of Hollister

Transition Aromas

To see more photos of the Aromas Day Parade, check out my album at Take 25 to Hollister Facbook page. You ought be able to see the photos without logging on or having a Facebook account.

Aromas Day!

Aromas Day was a blast! I could not ever have imagined what it would be like. It had a little of everything for everyone—live music, fine arts and crafts, food, fresh produce, classic cars, and pony and carnival rides for the kids. And, many of the residents held yard sales. 

Too bad the Husband and I got there towards the end of the day. Next time, we'll be there earlier to see all the booths as well as hear the various bands and check out the many, many yard sales. Well, I'll do the sales, while the Husband enjoys the bands under the shade.

One of my favorite things of the day was riding the shuttle from the big field of a parking lot by the school to the center of town. We could've easily walked the short distance, but once we saw the shuttle, we hopped on. It was a trailer hooked up to a tractor. We slowly rumbled our way up the street amidst the walkers who were stopping now and then to look at stuff for sale in people's front yards.

I noticed golf carts and a hay wagon pulled by a tractor were also used as shuttles. I liked ours the best because it reminded us of a San Francisco cable car. I also liked that I sat next to a woman  with a lovely English accent who reminded me of Kate Winslet. She was quite friendly and magical. Talking with her and waving at the walkers got me into the spirit of fun. 

I loved the whimsy of the amazing handcrafted items that the artists had on display and for sale, which was another favorite aspect about Aromas Day for me. That art piece of a garment in the above photo was made by Aromas artist Susan Shirley of Mosshollow. The dress, made of natural fibers, including wool that she spun, also has a bustle.  Very cool!

Until last year, I had driven through Aromas a few times while meandering the back roads. When a friend and I checked out several of the artists during last year's Open Studios Art Tour, I kinda fell in love with the town. Aromas is a non-incorporated city with nearly 2,700 residents. The town has the distinction of sitting on the border between San Benito and Monterey counties, which means some residents technically live in San Benito County and others in Monterey County. 

One more favorite thing of mine about Aromas Day: We purchased three fresh ears of corn for $1 from the Aromas 4-H booth. Here are a few more random photos of Aromas Day. Come back tomorrow for photos of the Aromas Day Parade.