Here is the pumpkin patch at Victoria's Gardens. They had pony rides, hay rides, picnic areas, the lethargic chicken from yesterday's photo, and lots and lots of pumpkins.
We went to Victoria Gardens which is a farm where they have pumpkins in the fall, Christmas trees in the winter, strawberries to pick in the spring, and watermelons in the summer. It was such a hot day that the shade of the coop seemed like a cool place to hang out. One little chicken (the lump just outside the door and next to the tray) was lying down on its side and I thought it might be dead.
Jiminy is a San Diego resident, so I can kinda justify this photo. He is 13 years old and recently he has had some potty/anger/emotional issues and I have probably added to them by subjecting him to opossums and raccoons. Thanks to everyone for their concern for Jiminy and helpful suggestions on how to get rid of the cat food eating critters. Hope you are enjoying the weekend!
With Halloween just a few days away, it is superhero time...here is Taco Man! This place would do well to have someone get dressed up as Taco Man don't you think? Can you picture a guy dressed up as a nice crispy beef taco and a hot salsa cape? Might be a little cheesy.
Can you see why we buy cat food so often now? We are now feeding the whole neighborhood, first with the raccoons and now this opossum. It is a good thing I didn't scare him because I hear they hiss, show their teeth, and can let out a stinky smell. Anyone have some scary opossum stories to share? P.S.: Let me know if you are interested in seeing a photo of poopy neurotic starving Jiminy!
I showed raccoons on Monday and the rhino yesterday, so I thought I could keep this animal theme going! There are a few beaches in San Diego where dogs are allowed to be off the leash and go into the water. Click here to see a photo of the entrance to the dog beach in Ocean Beach.
Stu spotted and took this photo of this very funny advertisement for a company called Rhino Linings and said that I could post it here to share with you. I found out from their website that the company began in San Diego and that they produce a protectant that lines the back of your pickup truck. No wonder these animals are endangered! Just kidding...truly, no rhinos were harmed in the making of Rhino Linings.Click here for rhinoceros info from our Zoo.
This all started with a problem we were having with our cat Jiminy. Jiminy started peeing and pooping inside our house (not in the litter box), so we decided to put him outdoors. Since he has been outdoors, we noticed that we need to buy cat food a lot more often then before. In the last few nights three raccoon visitors stopped by with their mom for a bite to eat. Any suggestions for critter control or getting cats to not pee and poop inside the house?
The Lyceum is celebrating its 30th season this year. On their website the theatre is described as "a multicultural and multidisciplinary performing and visual arts center that empowers the multiple voices of our community". They also offer educational programs for students, seniors, and performers beginning their career in theatre. The theatre is located in downtown and is part of the Horton Plaza shopping center.
While driving by, what struck me about La Casa Maria on El Cajon Boulevard was that they offer both Mexican and Salvadorian food. I was interested in tasting some traditional Salvadorian dishes. The menu had a page of Salvadorian foods like pupusas, plantains, and pastelitos. The above is called pollo guisado which is chicken stewed in a tomato based sauce. The flavors were very different from the Mexican food I've had. One nice thing about this restaurant is the friendly family atmosphere. The owner, Maria, was our waitress and it felt like we were guests in her home. P.S.: Happy Birthday to my friend Jaine!
I bought a little gift in this shop at the Bazaar del Mundo. Everything on the table, in the cabinet, and on the walls is for sale. A feast for the eyes - who needs food with a table setting like this!
There are some fashion rules like: "your shoes and belt should be the same color" or "don't wear socks with sandals". Have you heard about the new rule - match your clothes to your Starbucks green tea frappaccino? Know any fashion rules you'd like to share?
I couldn't stay away from Balboa Park! The building to the left is the Natural History Museum and the building in the center is Casa del Prado. The Casa del Prado building is used by the San Diego Botanical Garden Foundation and the San Diego Floral Society as well as by music, dance, and dramatic groups. To the right you can see a little piece of one of the biggest trees I've ever seen, a ficus macrophylla also called a Moreton Bay Fig.
This photo was taken last week when we were still enjoying a little bit of sun. Colder weather (68 F / 20 C) and gray skies have rolled in. Sprinkled here and there are trees with fall colors - some red, yellow, and orange, but still mostly green year round.
Lost keys, earrings, necklaces, coins, gold nuggets, diamond rings - all decent bounty for a day treasure hunting at the beach. Do you think that Captain Jack Sparrow has a metal detector?
Kate from St Paul, Minnesota Daily Photo has a nice series of photos showing workers in her city. After seeing some of Kate's photos, I've wondered if others have this type of advertising in their city. This job seems to be a new old one. I guess the old style of this type of advertising is the "sandwich board". Today, the workers stand on a corner with a big sign, dance, twirl the sign, do tricks with the board, and try to attract attention. It is probably a good idea to wear all white clothes and bring your iPod. Do you have this in your city?
I thought I'd take a short break from my Mexican food posts on Fridays and Lisi of Hong Kong Daily Photo mentioned Kip's Cafe in El Cajon so I decided to check it out. Kip's is celebrating its 50th year in business. They have a huge menu offering both Chinese and Japanese food. Fast service and yummy food too. It is not in the best neighborhood, but that doesn't keep the customers from coming back...lots of rowdy locals at the Blarney Stone Pub next door.
I first showed you the sculpture La Tehuana by Donal Hord. Above is another fountain sculpture called Guardian of the Water by this San Diego artist and was dedicated to the city in 1939. Like La Tehuana, the above was made as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) / Federal Art Project, a program that provided jobs for unemployed artists during the Great Depression.The building in the background is the County Administration Building.
A sunset view from a neighborhood called Bay Park that overlooks Mission Bay Park. Mission Bay Park is the largest man made aquatic park in the US. The park was developed from the 1940's through the 1960's using a tidal marsh named "False Bay" by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542. Some things to do at the beaches and waterways at Mission Bay: walking, jogging, biking, sunbathing, having a picnic, enjoying the playground, playing volleyball or basketball, flying a kite, windsurfing, sailing, and jet skiing.
California is so sprawling that sometimes when you are driving around you are unsure where a city/town/neighborhood begins. Some of the older neighborhoods in San Diego have these big signs (that light up at night) to indicate the district.
This side street off of University Avenue has an interesting mix of offerings. Granada Avenue is in North Park and the area is an "up and coming" neighborhood. Starbucks has made a home there and just around the corner a big new parking garage was built. Luckily the area still holds its urban feel and hasn't gotten to be too upscale to price everyone out.
I took this photo in North Park which is one of the older communities in San Diego. The area is better known for having many Craftsman-style bungalow houses, but there are also a lot of Spanish Colonial Revival style houses in this area too. This side gate is from a house of the Spanish Colonial Revival style. I've watched as the owners have slowly renovated it and added some rustic charm along the way.
There are still old buildings downtown as you can see from my post a few days ago, but there are also a lot of new modern buildings and apartments that have sprouted up. This new building is used as offices and art space.
If you are thinking about cooking Mexican food at home, you will need to buy some chiles and spices. Here is a wall full - the larger packages and bins at the bottom are the chiles and the small packages on top are the spices. (Sorry, not the best pic - bad grocery store lighting or photographer error.) On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the hottest), how hot do you like it? I'm about a 7.
On my way back from the airport I came across this unexpected "parking lot" and view of the downtown area and harbor. This lone little dock is in a spot between downtown and the airport. Just looking across the street from here you can watch planes take off and land.
If you are looking for that special costume or need to accessorize with an unique hair piece, visit Granada Wigs at Park Blvd and "F" Street downtown. You can see from this photo that they have a wide selection in many colors and styles for men and women. Halloween is just around the corner. Any suggestions for a Halloween costume?
The San Diego Zoo was founded on this day 90 years ago in 1916. For this celebration, here's a zoo-pportunity - kids under 11 years old get in free all month! Come visit and bring your kids!
On the first of every month our Daily Photo group has a theme day and this time around we decided to show a photo of a taxi from our city. I thought I had a good chance of "catching" a taxi at the airport. I took this photo from a pedestrian overpass at Terminal 1. How does your city's rates compare to San Diego? Ride around to see different taxis of the world by clicking on a number. 1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -10 -11 -12 -13 -14 -15 -16 -17 -18 -19 -20 -21 -22 -23 -24 -25 -26 -27 -28 -29 -30 -31 -32 -33 -34 -35 -36 -37 -38 -39 -40 -41 -42 -43 -44 -45
We went to the Boo! Parade this weekend and caught these ghoulish girls as they danced to Michael Jackson's Thriller. Lots of people are in the Halloween spirit today - take the Halloween World Tour. Happy Halloween everyone!
