Room Service Coffee

First time sitting down in Room Service Coffee.

the most Italian chocolate

A lovely and exotic chocolate in honor of Birthday Month from my lovely and exotic wife.

Bob's Red Mill

Another trustworthy brand. In fact, this one received the highest possible score from the Environmental Working Group.

Jolly Time

For years this has been our mainstream popcorn of choice, produced by the American Pop Corn Company which is a relatively small, family run business out of Iowa and the oldest popcorn producer in the country (founded in 1914).

Mezcla

The healthy snack bar that made me wax poetic about my Zone Perfect days.

Aloha Steakhouse revisited

Apparently this time we got the salmon separately with a salad on the side. Also this time we sat in the room that looks out on the promenade and the ocean.

hummingbird feeder revival

The feeder was back, along with our buddy taking long, hard swigs.

Mr. Met

Ventura River estuary

There are days and times of day and times of year when the estuary looks especially alive, an impression that was enhanced this particular day by squadrons of pelicans. 

take your own advice

It's not just a line from a Neko Case song but also a fortune cookie fortune at Peking Restaurant. Had I taken my own advice, I might not have gone back here for dinner.

sweet thorn

A seemingly new plant in the African section of the Ventura Botanical Gardens. At least I don't recall seeing this one before. Looks a little bit like a silver wattle from Australia.

more B.M.B.

(= Birthday Month Booty) 

Agave Maria 2025

This turned out to be a good place to have an early dinner on their patio. It still may be the best traditional chili relleno in the area.

what does warm up

I also learned that in the short amount of time one sits by the pool that doesn't warm up, one's iPhone warms up so much that you can't use it.

Emerald Iguana pool

One might think that just about any swimming pool in brutally hot Ojai, even an unheated pool like this one, may warm up a bit. I learned that it doesn't. 

Emerald Iguana Inn

In celebration of Birthday Month we stayed at the famous Emerald Iguana Inn in Ojai for the very first time. The garden setting was nice and the design - the work of local architect Marc Whitman - very interesting. In business since the year 2000. Above, the emerald iguana.

Three Birds revisited

Gotta love those shortbread cookies.

Ojai micro gallery

Probably the first "micro gallery" we've ever seen, located at the entrance of Three Birds Coffee. At a glance it resembles a little free library, or a birdhouse.

lunch at El Roblar

In celebration of Birthday Month we had lunch at La Cocina, one of the dining venues at the Hotel El Roblar. The dining area was gorgeous and the cuisine was interesting. According to the records we had a chopped salad and an avo toast.

El Roblar Hotel

 

The beautifully restored Hotel El Roblar, centrally located in downtown Ojai, is a feast for the eyes. Granted that a fireplace seems a little out of place in such a warm place, the lobby exudes coziness and the attention to detail is apparent.

Nicoise salad

As the saying goes, when your wife suddenly goes through a Nicoise salad phase, sit back and enjoy the ride. They also say that as you get older, you should boost your protein intake.

marine blue

One day I found this beautiful but deceased butterfly on the patio. It urns out to be a marine blue (Lepotes marina). The striped black and white antennae are especially striking.

Soultrane

A John Coltrane CD that I tried to like, but in the end I gave away.

birthday month collage

A lovely and inspired birthday month collage by my lovely and inspired wife.

Bono

The olives, not the singer. 

Furikake

As is often the case with the Trader Joe's "snacks of the moment", they are here one day and gone the next. As I recall this one was pretty good. 

Mrs. tacos

more Bananagrams

Highly Likely outside

Under the shade of their big lacebark elm we enjoyed lunch and coffee.