One Word Sunday: Steps

The host of One Word Sunday is Travel with Intent, and the theme today is STEPS.

Self picked three pictures with steps from a road trip she took, the summer of 2021. Gov. Newsom had just lifted the pandemic ban on travel. You can bet she took off (so did the neighbors: the 90+ woman across the street went on a road trip to Seattle, a few days before self took off).

First: steps to Cal Shakes’ Theater-in-the-Round, One Shakespeare’s Way, Orinda. Self was waiting for the start of The Winter’s Tale.

Next: steps in Growing Grounds, a wee plant nursery, across the street from the San Luis Obispo Mission (Son graduated from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, years ago. Self hadn’t been back to San Luis Obispo in a long, long time) Proceeds go to a local mental health organization:

Finally: Steps from Ocean Drive to Ocean Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea:

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge # 199: Mechanical/Industrial Past

Railroads opened up the American west. They were built by cheap labor, imported from China.

For this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, hosted by Journeys with Johnbo, self is sharing photos of a memorial to these laborers, at the train station in San Luis Obispo, a small town on California’s central coast. The memorial is by artist Elizabeth MacQueen.

Self knows San Luis Obispo, as son attended Cal Poly there. Last summer, when California opened up again after over a year of lockdown, she drove there to see if it had changed. It hadn’t.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC): Garden Ornaments

Cee Neuner: This week our topic is celebrating Metal of any type.

Since it is such a beautiful day, more like summer, self went around her backyard, taking pictures of metal garden ornaments. Without further ado:

Her newest garden ornament: Tibetan wind chimes, purchased last summer from Growing Grounds in downtown San Luis Obispo, right across from the San Luis Obispo mission.

Her oldest: the pig watering can, which has seen better days.

In her hanging planter, a bird built a nest.

The metal crocodile on the wall of the shed reminds her of Bacolod, Dear Departed Dad’s hometown. Her grandfather opened the first zoo in the Visayas, and one of the zoo animals was a crocodile that lived to a very great age. When it finally died, her cousins had it stuffed. Don’t know which cousin kept the stuffed crocodile. She should find out.

Stay tuned, dear blog readers. Stay tuned.

citysonnet’s March Colors and Letters: ‘K’

March 12 is a Letter, the Letter K.

Here’s the full list of March Colors and Letters.

Self’s letter K is KRAKEN.

Specifically, KRAKEN COFFEE COMPANY, which has a store on Avila Beach, in Central California.

Avila Beach, which she remembers from when son was in college in San Luis Obispo. She visited again last summer, her first stop when California’s mandatory lockdown ended. (And already, last summer feels sooooo long ago)

Avila Beach was a little more crowded, a little more commercial than she remembered from 15 years ago. But she went early, and found parking right in front of the beach. She entered the coffeeshop and asked the young woman behind the counter, “Is it too early for ice cream?” The young woman responded, “It’s never too early for ice cream.”

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Four Colors or More

Thank you, Cee Neuner, for another great CFFC!

For her “four colors or more” post, she will focus on food presentation! Maybe that’s because in her current read, A Woman in Berlin, food is front and center on every page. It’s April 1945, and the citizens of Berlin are starving.

As she reads, self is constantly reminded how lucky she is, despite everything.

During her most recent visit to San Luis Obispo, a few months ago, she decided to look for an old favorite: Thai–rrific on Higuera. She was so happy to find that it had survived!

Summer concerts in Stafford Park were a quintessential part of self’s summer for over 30 years. Then, the pandemic happened. This year, the concerts came back! YES! And with them, a taco truck. Self tried the lengua taco. Dee-lish!

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC): Colors of Your Flag

Cee Neuner explains:

• This week the topic is Colors of Your Flag. Your flag can include: Country, State, or Providence colors. If you feel comfortable, please say which flag you are showing,

Self’s flag is red, white, and blue. She is a dual citizen of America and the Philippines.

Joan Mitchell at SFMOMA, October 2021

Below: red and blue parasols, white walls, and yellow napkins — red, white, blue and yellow are the colors of the Philippine flag.

Luna Red, Chorro St., San Luis Obispo

Water, Water Everywhere (WWE) Challenge: Pismo Beach, August 2021

The host of the Water, Water Everywhere Challenge is Jez.

Pismo Beach was the emptiest she’d ever seen it, one day in mid-August.

Pismo Beach is important to self’s emotional life, not just because son attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and was here a lot: because Carlos Bulosan wrote a harrowing story about being a migrant worker here (in the 1940s) and feeling cold and isolated and weary.

Stay tuned, dear blog readers. Stay tuned.

Sea of Images 2021

Past Squares 17: Road Trip, San Luis Obispo, June 2021

The minute California started coming out of lockdown, self threw a few clothes into her car and drove south, listening to The Bangles and Wilson Phillips on her car radio. (“Someday somebody’s going to make you want to turn around and say goodbyeeeee!”). She passed all the old, familiar sights: Paso Robles, Atascadero, San Miguel, San Luis Obispo!

Posting this for the Past Squares challenge, hosted by Becky at Life of B.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Horizontal Lines

Self didn’t realize how long it’s been since she joined Nancy Merrill’s Photo a Week Challenge! She’s glad she can correct the situation today. The theme: HORIZONTAL LINES.

Living Room

San Luis Obispo

Fourth of July 2021