Madame de Maintenon

A book that belonged to my mom, which she got from the public library, and which I eventually read. I definitely learned more about this exceptional lady who rose to the top of the social pyramid (spouse of King Louis XIV) and that whole period of history. Despite her Huguenot background, she was complicit in the persecution of the Huguenots and therefore also a controversial figure.

 

Sips

Not to be confused with Sip! in Wimberly, TX - where I picked up a coffee in 2012 - Sips is a new coffee-beer-wine-craft artisanal beverage spot on the east side of Ventura. They also serve pastries from Ficelle, which are always of good quality.

Kuu Sushi

My first time here. A perfectly adequate lunch.

strawberry tree strawberries

We were stunned at how fluorescent these "strawberries" from a strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) were. This photo has not been enhanced in any way.

top o' Seneca revisited

If you look closely you can see the vultures.

hawk encounter

 

Away from the beach I walked along the fence to the settling ponds and encountered a large hawk perched on the barbed wire. By the time I got my camera ready, it was already in flight.

pelican fest

We returned to the harbor on a whim and ran into this pelican fest.

Zaytouna Bites

Call it a manakish all you want, to me it resembles pizza. We couldn't resist trying this new restaurant where Lebanese Oven used to be. The space was slightly modified and the food was slightly different.

peaceful and placid

Across the beach from the turbulent surf, a peaceful and placid pond.

King Tide big waves

It was all over the news that due to the King Tides, the waves were bigger than usual. So we went down to the harbor and saw that they were around maybe five feet and more turbulent than usual. Nothing too extreme, but still a touch dangerous and exciting.

green meadows

Even before the big rains, the Ojai Meadows magically turned green.

island sunset

That point where attention shifts from the islands to the sunset.

 

island clarity

torta revival

It had been a long time since I'd had the jackfruit torta at Hip VGN. Delicious!

great American cheese

More proof that great American cheese exists, with thanks to Paradise Pantry for introducing me to this lovely one from Iowa. I asked for something reminiscent of gruyère.

cowgirl hat goes to Rori's

cowgirl hat goes to F.M.

F.M. = Findings Market

cowgirl hat goes to P.P.

P.P. = Paradise Pantry

a memorable beverage

A memorably pleasant beverage in Fillmore, CA.

Fillmore Library

To the credit of Roan Mills, they suggested that the public library a few blocks down would be a nice place to have our lunch. They were 100% correct. Shady tables, squeaky clean restrooms, perfect weather - what more could we ask for?

Historic Downtown Fillmore

Our purpose was the check out Roan Mills Bakery but since there was nowhere to sit it turned into a mini tour of the downtown. Both the bakery and the historic downtown were great.

some Finney's beverages