A Measure of Distance

On our way to the Burger Factory, the Husband's and my favorite mom-and-pop hamburger joint in Hollister, we drive by Furlong Alley. It's one of several one-block alleys in the downtown area. Furlong is hidden between San Benito and East Streets, running parallel with Second Street.

Until recently, whenever I saw the sign for Furlong Alley, I'd wonder what used to be there for the Navy guys who were stationed at the Naval Auxiliary Air Station during the 1940s. Was it a bar at which they hung out when they were in town? I asked the Husband if he thought that was the case. His answer: "You're thinking of furlough. Furlong is a measure of distance."

Oh.

Furlong is one-eighth of a mile. 220 yards. I wonder why someone decided to name that stretch of road Furlong Alley? Could it be that once upon-a-time drivers needed that much of a running start to get their cars up Hill Street to Vista Park Hill, the highest point (about 380 feet high) in Downtown Hollister.

Today is all about the letter M at Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday. That's where I'm hanging out. Come join me by clicking here.

Furlong Alley ends at San Benito Street.
Cross the street and you climb up Hill Street.

The Second Annual San Benito Olive Festival

This Saturday, October 11, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., is the second annual San Benito Olive Festival, which celebrates the natural beauty and agricultural bounty of our county. I have no doubt that it will be another successful fun and joyful affair that will be attended by hundreds of people from near and far.

San Benito Olive Festival is both the gourmet event and the not-for-profit organization that plans, organizes, and brings the event together. The group's mission is to promote awareness and appreciation of the region's world-class culinary agriculture and premier artisans who make award-winning olive oils, wines, chocolates, Blenheim apricot products, and more. All net profits made from the event are donated to service, educational, and other community groups in San Benito County.

This year, the gourmet celebration is going to be at the gorgeous, historic Bolado Park, which is 8 miles south of Hollister. It's easy to find and reach on Highway 25, whether driving from the north or south.

There will be lots to eat, to drink, to purchase, and to enjoy at the festival. General admission tickets -- $20/adults and $10/children, ages 5-12 -- include the cost of entry to the festival, parking, cooking demonstrations, and entertainment. The $35 VIP ticket grants guests access to the wine tasting tent and five tastings of wine and craft beer from wineries in San Benito, Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara counties. I'm a beer drinker myself, but I would be tempted to taste samples from places with such great names as Alicats Winery, Wild Eye Winery, Lightheart Cellars, and Graveyard Vineyards.

Six celebrity chefs are scheduled to conduct live cooking demonstrations of dishes using olives or olive oil. Starting off will be Chef Eric Carter, Director of the Culinary Arts at Cabrillo College in Aptos, at which the students run the popular Pino Alto Restaurant on campus. Following him will be Chef Dorothy McNett, the popular foodie legend of the California Central Coast, after which the chef duo Gene Sakahara and Sam Bozzo, also known as SakaBozzo, the twins separated at birth, from the Gilroy Garlic Festival will take the cooking stage. Next up will be Chef Mike Fisher, a Hollister native and local caterer who was trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and ending the day will be Chef David Boswell who is the Chef de Cuisine at Yahoo!

It's going to be a toss up for me -- watching the cooking demonstrations or listening to the live bands. I've heard three out of the four that will be performing Saturday, and just the music alone makes me realize what a bargain the festival tickets are for a great afternoon of fun. Festival guests will be hearing a range of music from jazz and big band by Mr. O's Jazz Band, doo-wop by The Flashbacks, and popular rock by Shiloh and The Retrospect.

I could go on and on about the San Benito Olive Festival, but I shall stop here. To learn more, check out the festival's website and read this article that the festival posted at BenitoLink.com.

Today, I shall be hanging out at Our World Tuesday. Come join me by clicking here.

Out the Other Window

The bus turned from the San Benito County Fairgrounds to Airline Highway and I realized that I should've sat on the other side of the bus. Too tired to move, and not wanting to bother the Husband,  I snapped photos out the window across the aisle anyway. (That hair, by the way, belongs to the Husband.)

I'm hanging out at Smiling Sally's Blue Monday. The theme is the color blue. See what blues bloggers from around the world have posted by clicking here.

The 2014 San Benito County Fair!

After a week of posting photos of our county fair from past years,  I now bring you a few photos of some of the neat things that the Husband and I saw yesterday at this year's fair. I'll eventually post an album of more photos at Facebook.

Today is the last day of the fair. It's on until 7 p.m. at Bolado Park, about 8 miles south of Hollister. Click here for the entertainment schedule.

By the way, I'm linking up with Sundays in My City, hosted by Unknown Mami. Click here to check out what's happening in other cities on this fine Sunday.

The San Benito County Historical Society display.

The 4-H member who raised this beauty sure knew what she or he was doing.

The gorgeous quilting corner.

Future Farmers of America and 4-H members sold the cows, sheep,
pigs, and goats they raised at the livestock auction at the fair.

The ever familiar Future Farmers of America jacket.

Pigs can so fly? At least over these hurdles.
Who knew they could move so quickly!

Board of Supervisor Anthony Bothelo was one of several officials
who read to the children in the storybook corner.

Check out the handcrafted guitar made from a cigar box!

Funnel cakes, droooooool.

Best of Show for Decorated Cakes

First place entry in the Humor Category for Senior Photography Department:
Deranged — Upon arriving at yet another tour,  the husband became deranged.

Reach for the StarsKindergarten/First Grade entries from Tres Pinos School

The Quiet Before the Fair

In a couple hours, the Husband and I will catch the free County Express bus shuttle to the San Benito County Fair. I think I will be an adult and not race over to the floral, photography, and home arts departments to see how my entries did. Maybe.

For more info about the fair, check out the San Benito County Fair website. This past week, I've been posting photos of past several years of the fair: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Today, I'm hooking up at The Weekend in Black and White.

The 91st Annual San Benito County Fair

The San Benito County Fair is on!

Over the next three days, folks will travel south and north on Highway 25 to Bolado Park to enjoy the 91st annual traditional event. Eat, drink, and be merry.  Oooh over 4-H and children displays and livestock exhibits, drool over the baked good entries, and appreciate the various splendid quilt, art, craft, and photography work.  Best of all, hang out and catch up with family and friends.

Here's where to find information online:

• Hours of the Fair
• Cost of Tickets 
• Fair & Entertainment Schedule
• Free County Express Shuttle Schedule from Hollister and San Juan Bautista

This week has been all about the San Benito County Fair. To check out posts from the last few days, please click here.

Tootling Around the County Fair

Only one more day before the 91st Annual San Benito County Fair opens at Bolado Park for the weekend. Whooo-hooo!

Yesterday evening, I noticed that a few of the carnival rides were up. That took me back to being 8 or 9 years old when I went to the fair (the San Benito County Fair, in fact) for the first time and I rode the crazy spinning ride for the first time and I experienced vertigo for the first time. Oh, joy! It took a few more times before I was cured from going on any kind of spinning rides again.

There are so many things to check out at the fair—the livestock, 4-H displays, and the quilting, crafts, baking, arts, and other fair entries. There are also the community group booths, the vendors, the model train exhibit, and more. One year, the Husband and I plunked down a dollar each to see The Strange Thing. After reading all the signs outside of the booth, who wouldn't want to know what The Strange Thing was.  So, what was it? An old beat-up, dried lizard-looking body that we were told was the legendary chupacabra monster. Uh-huh.

And, when your tootsies are tired from tootling around the displays and exhibits, you can park yourself in front of the one stages and listen to a live band or watch dance troupes, jugglers, a magician, or, perhaps, a hypnotist put willing fair guests under his spell. I did that one year. Yup, I did. If you'd like to read my hypnosis experience, please click here.

For a schedule of events, including All Alaskan racing pigs, truck pulls, and kid tractor pulls, click here.

Today I'm taking part in Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday. To check out what other bloggers are featuring about the letter T, please click here.

All this week I'm writing about the San Benito County Fair. If you want to see a few more photos of our fair, here are Monday's post, Tuesday's post, and Wednesday's post.