business class

Unlike some trains, the Pacific Surfliner offers business class.

another fine sunset

a new flavor

It worked.

Jovita Idar quarter

The Jovita Idar quarter is so unusual looking that I had to confirm that it's actual U.S. currency. Our coins have gotten very creative in recent years, but this is new territory. Whereas the front of the coin, below, is quite "normal".

the perfect sunset

The way it looked from Lyon Park.

the perfect lunch

The perfect lunch, the way it looked in 2024.

Godmothers

 

A gorgeous new bookstore and cafe in Summerland. It's an interesting space and I love the way the outdoor cafe runs along the side of the building.

Namaste Indian Bistro

This may or may not have been our first time there.

Poptical Illusion

Another year, another John Cale CD... 

wall of smoke

Sometimes you make a phone call in the parking lot of a Walmart and a massive wall of smoke appears. Turns out it was the Mountain Fire out of Camarillo. 

The Cigarette Surfboard

A huge highlight of the Ojai Film Festival for me was this screening of the documentary "The Cigarette Surfboard". It was great to see this important environmental issue powerfully presented with intelligence, creativity and even a touch of humor. The creativity of actually producing a cigarette surfboard is amazing enough; outside the screening we were greeted by the director and one of the boards. In my world this documentary would be mandatory viewing for every living human being.

Kokoro

Not just a sushi restaurant in Salinas, but also a great, overlooked piece of Japanese lit.

crazy hair

 

There is beauty in the "crazy hair" of eucalyptus trees.

Halloween 2024

thrift store find

As seen from two slightly different angles...

Dom's

First time at this Carpinteria restaurant. I liked the pizza and would definitely go back.

ducks and turtles

To all appearances, these ducks and turtles in the Keck Garden get along like peas and carrots. 

S.B. Courthouse murals

I never tire of this amazing room, no matter how many times I see it. The murals show the history of California and Santa Barbara. At bottom, the mural in the clock tower about timekeeping.

tour de S.B.

The weather couldn't have been better to give my cousins a tour of Santa Barbara. Among the stops were the harbor and the courthouse. Their visit was well timed, just before the fire season acted up.

Stumptown

Another piece of Portland...

difficult to photograph a hawk...

...when it's perched high up on a pole. Even a massive, well-fed hawk.

Hotel San Buena

Just a few more views of the Hotel San Buena as the sun sets...