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.