Every Bit of Rain Helps

It rained, I was told. It was short but a very heavy pour.

I may not have heard or seen it, but I saw signs of rain on the flowers and on the cement and ground in our backyard this morning.  And, the clouds  almost looked like they were asking, "So, how'd you like that rain?"

I liked it a lot, thank you very much.

Train from Hollister

Yesterday afternoon, we waited for a train to cross Bolsa Road (aka Highway 25) on the track near the county line. Usually I see a train leave or enter Hollister by Burger Factory on San Benito Street. I can't recall the last time I saw a train anywhere else on that track to and from Hollister. What a treat!

Our Own Foodie Festival

Gilroy has the Garlic Festival, Castroville, the Artichoke Festival, and Half Moon Bay, the Pumpkin Festival. 

And, in our backyard, is the San Benito Olive Festival! Whooo-hooo! It's this Saturday, October 17, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Bolado Park in Tres Pinos.

In its third year, this gourmet event celebrates the agricultural bounty and natural beauty of Hollister, San Juan Bautista, Tres Pinos, Aromas, and all that make up San Benito County. It features many of the award-winning olive oils, wines, and other artisanal foods made by farmers, growers, and food companies of San Benito County, as well as from other parts of California. 

All net proceeds earned by the San Benito Olive Festival, a non-profit organization, are donated to community and service organizations. One of the coolest things about the festival, in my book. 

The olive festival offers visitors samplings of olives, olive oils, Blenheim apricots, chocolates, and other foods. A variety of food trucks and restaurants shall be on hand, as well be various wineries and breweries. In addition, patrons can purchase a VIP admission ticket to access a wine and craft beer tasting area.

Scheduled are cooking demonstrations by culinary instructors and professional chefs, featuring dishes using, of course, olives and/or olive oil. Two of the guest chefs are Chef Dorothy McNett, popular culinary instructor of the Central Coast, and Executive Chef Cal Stamenov of the Bernardus Lodge and Spa in Carmel Valley.

Like every foodie event, festival-goers can peruse the merchants' booths for jewelry, fine art and crafts, green plants, packaged food, and other items.  This year, the olive festival offers hands-on activities for the young and old, including a morning and an afternoon paint party hosted by artist Paul Loughridge.

This gourmet celebration has a line-up of live entertainment for the whole day. It begins with the singing of the National Anthem by young singer Joe Fata, who recently competed on La Voz Kids, and ends with the ever popular Mr. O's Jazz Band. Also scheduled to perform are Change in the Weather, Shiloh, The Flashbacks, Folklorico Juvenil, Kaleb Askew, and Zack Freitas.

To learn more about the participants, schedule of festivities, and other information about the San Benito Olive Festival, go to its website or Facebook page.

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The Soon-to-Be Memory of a Fair View

The first of the 1,100 houses are going up in the Santana Ranch above Fairview Road, between Hillcrest and Sunnyslope. Enjoy the open-space view while you can.

The View from Ridgemark

In 2010, Ridgemark had a population of 3,016, according to the U.S. census. I had no idea that this private, gated community, a few miles south of Hollister, is a census-designated place until I read Wikipedia. Never too late to learn something.

See you tomorrow.