Open House at the Luck Museum

This Saturday, October 10, 2015, the San Juan Bautista Historical Society will be holding an open house at the Carl Luck Memorial Park on the corner of Third and Monterey Streets in San Juan Bautista. The free event will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Here's the schedule for the day.

Character and Beauty

This old metal structure sits on the hill above Highway 25 across from Bolado Park.  Its character caught my eye, as well as the beauty of it alone on the hill.

A Tractor in Waiting

Dear John Deere, you are a handsome machine. One day, I'd like to drive one of your older, smaller versions.

This tractor sits on display at the San Benito County Fair, which is happening today and tomorrow.

Beautiful Clouds

Yesterday afternoon the clouds were very impressive and much expressive in the brilliant blue sky. They gave us quite a show.  This view is of the hill above Enterprise Road.

To see more cloud photos from yesterday, check out my "Clouds over Hollister" album at the Take 25 to Hollister Facebook page. You won't need to log on or even have an account to see it. 

Until tomorrow. 

Rain Delivered!

These grey clouds yesterday afternoon multiplied and intensified to give us rain last night! Whooo-hooo! 

It rained through the night. Yaaay!

We even had some rain this morning. Who knows, we may have more today. Hurrah!

The Diablo Range from Highway 25

The other afternoon, while driving back from Bolado Park, I managed to get a clear shot at Santa Ana Mountain and Three Sisters.

See you tomorrow.

The 2015 San Benito County Fair

Cowboy Boots and Local Roots! 

That's the theme of the 2015 San Benito County Fair, which is a four day affair this year. It starts this Thursday, October 1, and ends on Sunday, October 4. Thursday through Saturday, the fair's hours are from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 7.p.m. The carnival opens at noon on all four days. 

10 Things I Look Forward to at this Year's County Fair

1. Viewing the beautiful crafted and creative quilts.

2. Visiting the goats, baaaaa, and chickens, bwak, bwak, bwak.

3. Looking at the art entries by students from the various elementary schools.

4. Checking out the agricultural displays. 

5. Listening to Mr. O's Jazz Band in the patio.

6. Riding the free shuttle bus to the fair.

7. Guessing how much the rock weighs at Graniterock's booth.

8. Eating!

9. Cheering on the All-Alaskan racing pigs. 

10. Wandering around the fair with the Husband, simply enjoying ourselves.

Admission to the Fair

Daily gate admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children, 6 to 12, and $7 for seniors (60 and older). Children who are five or younger get in for free.  On Thursday, gate entry for children, ages 12 and younger, is free. On Friday, admission for Seniors is $6. And, on Saturday, admission for all active and military people is free with military I.D. 

Parking is $5 per car.  San Benito County Express offers a free shuttle on all four days of the fair. The shuttle drops off passengers at the fair is front of the Pavilion. The shuttle begins running at 3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. on Saturday, and 12 noon on Sunday. Click here to see the schedule and bus stops. 

I'm hooking up with Our World Tuesday today. To check out what's going on in other parts of the world, click here.

See you tomorrow.

Folklorico Juvenil de Lucy Rodriguez

Folklorico Juvenil de Lucy Rodriguez of Hollister is a dance troupe made up of girls and boys between the ages of 3 and 15. The dancers perform a variety of traditional Mexican folk dances, under the guidance and instruction of Lucy Rodriguez.

The group performs at various local events. The pictures here show them at last Saturday's Music in the Park at Dunne Park. They're slated to perform at the San Benito Olive Festival at Bolado Park on Saturday, October 17, 2015.

Ms. Rodriguez invites any child interested in becoming part of the dance troupe to come to its practice on Tuesday, from 4 to 5 p.m., at Mr. O's Academy of the Arts.

Another View of Hollister

Yesterday afternoon while rocking out to the Moondance Band with friends in Dunne Park, I turned and saw this sight.  For a moment, I thought I was in a Swiss Alps village or some place like that.

That's the church on the corner of Monterey and Sixth street. The peak? Santa Ana Mountain.

See you tomorrow.

September Music in the Park

This afternoon is another Music in the Park concert in Dunne Park, at the corner of Seventh and West Streets. The free event, sponsored by Mr. O's Academy of Music, is from 4 to 6 p.m. Bring your own low-back chairs or blankets. Snacks, too. No alcohol is permitted in the park.

The Moondance Band, a 60s rock & roll band featuring Rich Haggett, performs from 4 to 5 p.m. Folklorico Juvenil,  a children’s mariachi dance group featuring Lucy Rodriguez, performs from 5 to 6 p.m.

Look, San Benito!

It's not often when I come across a place or thing called San Benito outside of San Benito County. Same with Hollister, Tres Pinos, or Pinnacles. So, when I do see something, I automatically think of home. For instance, the other day, while wandering Main Street in Half Moon Bay, the Husband and I saw a San Benito Hotel, San Benito Deli, and San Benito Ale House.

See you tomorrow.

A Jumping Coffee Roaster

Have you ever seen the 1930s cartoons in which inanimate objects, such as tables, chairs, and coffee pots, are dancing to popping music, such as "Jumpin' Jive" from Cab Calloway? The coffee bean roaster at Vertigo Coffee reminds me of those cartoons.

See you tomorrow.

Pietra Santa

This is tasting room for the Pietra Santa Winery in the Cienega Valley above Hollister. I always forget how beautiful and magical it is up by the winery.

Pietra Santa is Italian for Sacred Stone. The sacred stone in this case is the amazing soil from which grape vines and olive trees grow to produce crops for award winning wines and olive oils. To learn more about Pietra Santa, check out its website or Facebook page.

A Hitching Post

On the north side of Hawkins Street, between Monterey and San Benito Streets, is this concrete hitching post from a long time ago. Perhaps as far back as the early 1900s. If anyone knows more about this hitching post, please leave a comment.

A Tree for a Tree

Lately, I've noticed the demise of long-time trees around town. That tree stump, for example, was on San Benito Street last week.  Neighbors on my street pulled out several handsome Italian cypress more than 20 years old because their roots were starting to disrupt the neighbors' water lines. The other day, I saw trees laying on their side in an orchard and wondered if the owners took them out because they couldn't water them.

Hopefully, the trees will be replaced with other types of trees or some kind of plant life that are drought resistant. We need plant life for the simple reason that they produce the oxygen we breathe.

A Few Rock Faces of the Pinnacles

See the faces in these rocks at the Pinnacles National Park. Happenstance of nature or did some people of long ago start carving the faces?  Interesting ponder, no?

Have a great Sunday. See you tomorrow.

Hacienda de Léal

The Husband and I experienced another first yesterday evening. We attended a function in the courtyard of the Hacienda de Léal in San Juan Bautista. It was quite pleasant, sitting beneath the Manzanillo olive trees as we talked with friends, ate pizza and desserts from The Grove Restaurant, and watched the night fall.

Under the Shade of Pinks

On the Husband's and my walk the other day, we stopped under a towering bush of pink flowers on Hawkins Street. Because the flowers were a brilliant pink and oh so pretty. Because the bush casted delightful shade to rest beneath for a bit. Because it was a nice view of Washington Street.

See you tomorrow.

Brewery Twenty Five

Yesterday morning, the Husband and I read on Facebook that Brewery Twenty Five delivered a freshly brewed keg of stout beer in Hollister. Our quest was on to get a taste of the beer handcrafted by local brewers Sean and Fran Fitzharris. We knew it could only be deliciously out of this world. And, if we didn't act fast, we would miss out yet again on tasting their brew.

Although the young couple established Brewery Twenty Five a couple of years ago, it has only been in the last few months that they have started selling their beer to retail outlets. Because the beer is brewed in small amounts, Brewery Twenty Five is not at the point yet to have a regular delivery schedule. When you hear that so-and-so has it on tap, be sure to get there tout de suite. It won't be available for long.

So, where can you find Brewery Twenty Five on tap from time to time? Running Rooster in Hollister and Bear's Hideaway in San Juan Bautista. And, soon, Vertigo Coffee in San Juan Bautista will be serving it.

Yesterday evening, the Husband and I did end up drinking a pint of the brewery's Many Moons Stout. It was absolutely amazing and very smooth. After a couple of sips, I was no longer in a grouchy mood. I think it tastes better than Guinness, and at one point the stout reminded me of Courvesier.

The delightful Sean and Fran happened to be at the Running Rooster bar last night. They told us that beer was made with an expresso blend from Vertigo Coffee and cacao nibs from TCHO, a chocolate company in the SF Bay area. I can imagine making an ice cream float with Many Moons Stout. Yummm!

Here Comes the Bus

Yesterday afternoon, the Husband and I opted to take the bus to Downtown to pick up our car from the shop. We had enough exercise from walking home earlier, after a yummy breakfast at Cozy Cup Cafe. The walk under the trees on Monterey and San Benito Streets was delightful, passing by a lot of cute old houses. We couldn't get over how big some of the lots were.

This was our fifth bus ride on the San Benito County Express. The other times were taking the bus to and from the county fair the last two years. For free, too. I keep digressing, don't I? The bus ride to downtown was short and sweet. And, because it our first time, we made it a fun adventure. Not that were rubes about taking buses. Both the Husband and I used the public transportation system regularly when we lived up in the Bay Area for many years, once upon a time.

The Blue Line runs about 35 minutes apart so it was important we got to the bus stop on time. An elementary school kid was doing his math homework when we got there. The sweet kid was obviously a regular bus rider. He took us old people under his wing. He assured us that we hadn't missed the bus. "It'll be here at 2:55." He also told us that without a discount, the fare is a dollar.

As we rode along, I wondered if more people will take to the buses as Hollister gets even more bigger.

2015 Mexican Independence Day Parade

Last Sunday was the Mexican Independence Day Parade in Downtown Hollister. It was a fun, lively parade that honored the anniversary of Mexico's independence from Spain. The parade featured Mexican brass bands, caballeros, señoritas, traditional Aztec dancers, cute children, and more.  Here are a few photos from Sunday's parade.

If you would like to see more photos, check out my Facebook album. You don't need to log on or be a member to access it.

Today I'm linking this post at Our World Tuesday. To see what bloggers from around the world are sharing, please click here.

Olives!

The olive trees in the parking lot at the corner of Sixth and East Streets are bearing fruit now.  Be careful where you walk. I wonder if anyone gathers the olives.

Speaking of olives, the third annual San Benito Olive Festival is a month away—Saturday, October 17, 2015 at Bolado Park. Our county's fun, foodie event features olive oils, chocolates, Blenheim apricots, wines, and other products that are grown  and produced in our area. To see the growing list of participants, check out this page at the San Benito Olive Festival website.