Pacific View mural

As far as malls go, Pacific View isn't bad. For one, it has a view of the Pacific. For another thing, it has this really cool mural.

Lucky Sushi revisited

 

First time sitting next to this mural. Not the first time we enjoyed the shrimp tempura roll - one thing they definitely know how to make sing, and possibly the best thing on the menu.

the beach looked bigger

 

The beach appeared huge due to a mix of lunar, weather and climate factors. I don't ever remember the surf being so far away from the parking at the harbor!

Home Kitchen revisited

 

In Ojai businesses tend to start with either a "B" or an "H". Because Highly Likely turned out to be closed that day, the inevitable backup choice was Home Kitchen.

backgammon revisited

 

...after a long hiatus.

new Starby revisited

Actually we revisited many times due to the waves of heatwaves that made this uncrowded, air conditioned sanctuary a sanctuary for us.

Zaidee's 2026

 

I guess you could say we were too busy enjoying food from their new menu to get a good picture of it. The spinach & artichoke dip was a novelty for us, as were the Baja Tacos (crispy cauliflower).

Meditation Mount, part 2

 

Driving down the freshly paved mountain road...

Meditation Mount 2026

The beautiful grounds here continue to improve post Thomas Fire damage.

 

Suburbanoid revisited

 

A beautiful Sound Meditation by Suburbanoid, who presents them regularly at Meditation Mount. I also just learned that Suburbanoid collaborated with Hans-Joachim Roedelius here in Ojai, at the Roedelius Festival hosted by the Beatrice Woods Center for the Arts in 2017.

Sips revisited

 

Just a few steps away from Seed Ranger, this place serves excellent coffee in good mugs.

Seed Ranger revisited

This time we tried the fish and chips. It was good but to me the faux shrimp were too faux. The amount of slaw was ridiculously tiny and the fries - which I had hoped to avoid - were delicious. If this vegan venue is serious about promoting health, they would increase the amount of slaw and reduce the amount of fries.

Hip Vgn 2026

In Ojai businesses tend to begin with either a "B" or and "H". Because Highly Likely looked very busy when I popped in after Bart's, we decided to give Hip Vgn a chance. To its credit we were met with wide open spaces and delicious food.

Seaward Beach revisited

This time just to briefly say "hello". 

Banzai Marina revisited

Hadn't been here in a while...

lemons and ships

 

From the golden age of agricultural packaging. It's nice to see lemons paired with ships, since the former famously was discovered to prevent scurvy in the great era of sailing ships. Seen at the gift shop at VBG.

Day of the Dead at VBG

 

This was a nice follow up to the hummingbird exhibit, with a few of them getting incorporated into the new exhibit. Not too surprisingly some of the plants in the garden looked stressed from the summer heatwaves.

indoor-outdoor phenomenon

This was the beginning of a trend wherein I would sit outside while Mrs. sat inside, with a mere pane of glass between us. It had something to do with temperature and comfort.

Italian ticket stub

The ticket stub from a visit to Vicenza, Italy in the 1980s. While there are clear memories of touring the Teatro Olimpico (said to be the oldest indoor theater in Europe), it's still not clear if we also visited the Villa La Rotunda - pictured here on the ticket stub.

Birthday "Cake"

My birthday "cake" was actually an apple fritter muffin from Brass Bird, purchased to go and enjoyed at home. It was actually quite good and very much in line with my taste and life philosophy. Wishes were maximized while calories were minimized.