One of my favorite and long time friends, Ariana, has made a pilgrimage to North Dakota to stand alongside many who oppose the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline on Native American territory. Please consider a donation, no matter how small, help fund the need for supplies, medical aid, food, and cold weather gear.
Click here to read more about it.
I first moved to Santa Barbara in 1991. I went to my first Solstice Parade in 1992. In all that time I only missed 3 parades. Now that I am older, less tolerant of noise and even less tolerant of belligerent drunks and misbehaving children (is there a difference?) the parade has lost much of its appeal—at least for me. I will say one thing, with all the above negativity aside, that the work that the Solstice Workshop, it volunteers and the SBPD puts into making this event a success, makes the parade well worth sitting in the hot sun for an hour and a 1/2. I had been thinking about finding someone who would let me take pictures from their 2nd floor office this year in order to get a new perspective on the parade. That fell through, and when I decided to find a spot on the upper level of Parking Lot 9, I came across a sign that all but ruined my day and forced me on to the streets.
The parade seemed a little longer than usual…due in part to the fact I was sitting on my ass on the curb for the whole parade next to a moody tween and her mother that fought for most of the parade.
I am thinking now about this time next year…what it might be like to be at Stonehenge-spending the night outside under the stars with 1000+ people celebrating the Summer Solstice in quite a different way…and I began to smile, and the thoughts of noisy neighbors, drunks running amok in the street and confetti littered streets disappeared from my mind.
Enjoy my favorite shots taken yesterday. Happy Solstice all!
Today…another beautiful day! Making good on my commitment to embrace the bits of Santa Barbara that made it such a unique town.
I always wanted to be in the Solstice Parade but just never made the time.
Anyone interested in helping?
http://www.solsticeparade.com/index.php/workshop_about
Today I took an opportunity, thanks to my friend Tracy Jackson (in charge of costumes) and came down to the Solstice workshop to see the hard work that goes into creating one of the most well-attended parades in the US. Keep in mind, our little town is populated by about 90,000…and at least that many pack the streets each and every year to see a completely people-powered parade (no animals or motors of any kind allowed!).
I know, I know…its a bit of a spoiler to see things like this pre-parade, but I wanted to see this event take shape, before the warm summer day of June 23.
Thank yous go out to all the volunteers, staff and workers that permitted my visit today.
http://www.solsticeparade.com/index.php/staff
Your work is appreciated by thousands of people! 🙂
I decided I would do my best to take in my favorite things about my in Santa Barbara before moving. The chalk art fest organized by the Children’s Creative Project has always been at the top of my list. Not only for the vivid colors and masterpieces that adorn the black top in the front of the Santa Barbara Mission, but for the grilled chicken 🙂
I go early to avoid the larger crowds and before it gets too hot. Today was exceptionally beautiful, a tad on the windy side…but I can deal with a little wind on a holiday weekend.
It’s a great event to bring your out-of-town friends and family, children are welcome too, no boozy drinking crowd like Fiesta..just a nice civilized day, good food and people who get on their hands & knees to bring the sidewalk alive.
Enjoy the pictures and have a wonderful weekend.
For more information about I Madonnari:
http://www.imadonnarifestival.com/
First things first…kind thoughts and prayers go out to anyone touched by the horrendous weather in the midwest. I cannot hardly watch and hear about the pain and loss being felt there.
Today was my grandmother’s 90th birthday…and her recent fall, which I can only imagine was a plot engineered solely by a deranged Pomeranian named Dandy (why?) who must be possessed by the spirit of my dead mother! My grandma broke her knee cap, and has already had two surgeries in a week. Prior to the fall, my auntie was going to have people come for a family get-together for the big birthday. Ooohhhh well…she would have hated the attention. Bygones.
Oh yeah, my birthday is Tuesday and I’ll be 45, NOW am I a grown-up?
Speaking of weather, it was unseasonably warm in Santa Barbara this weekend, going over 80 in most areas and seemed like everyone in town (locals) was at the beach. I took the path to Arroyo Burro Beach and I was enchanted! People who were perfect strangers engaged in conversation, “we are so blessed…” and “yes, my dog is crazy!” and just staring at the water, waveless and sapphire blue and then out towards the Channel Islands. I met a dog being looked after named Lancelot, this wonderful Labrador who had quite an obsession with his stick, burying it and unburying it for some odd unknown reason. The charming mix lab is Florence, named after the city. She was a rescue from Greece!..and 14 years young!
Some of these shots have some incredible fallen trees from the cliffs above on the Mesa. You can judge their enormity by the people below, must have been a sight to see when then came down!
Long story short, lovely, beautiful day. Enjoy the shots 😀
Huzzah! It’s Tuesday once again in Santa Barbara 🙂 And in case I forgot to mention how great the farmer’s market here in town… IT IS!
Today I got sooo lucky…the sweet man from Spring Hill Cheese treated me to an extra package of veggie cheese, which by the way is fantastic! I think it’s because the cows actually see the light of day and enjoy being milked so much. I would too if I was walking all over the green hills of Petaluma in the sun.
The egg people had some beautiful eggs today, and you gotta know these chickens are free-range by the size of the eggs that barely fit in the carry-out carton. Finally, some lavender for the bath from Fairview Gardens. They have every herb under the sun, always have a good tip for something…like how to brew fresh nettle for tea & to beware of the thorns!
I make my own bath salt from this lavender-just epsom or sea salt salt & cut up fresh lavender in a bowl…add some essential oil if you like and toss it into a jar!
So I made a fabulous omelette with the eggs, cheese and shallots, ready to ease into the last 1/2 of the week with a steaming hot lavender bath and then off to dream about my pond-hopping adventure to England.
Peace, love and happiness to all!
Oh!! By the way, here’s some links for the Farmer’s Market, and my mentioned favorites:
http://www.springhillcheese.com/index.html
http://www.fairviewgardens.org/
http://www.sbfarmersmarket.org/index.php
Jumping Puddles 