Mon.-Weds., April 18-20, 2022
After a couple of quiet days, Laurie and I opted to drive an hour north on Wednesday to the lovely city of Santa Barbara for a nice break in our routine.
We were about to leave and wanted to put a couple of light coats into the trunk of our car when we unwittingly interrupted . . .
. . . these two lizards doing
their business in our garage!
We tried to scare them off but they were so enraptured that it took awhile for them to finally react to our shouts and stomping.
Finally, we were off.
Santa Barbara was not busy
at all on this fine day
Santa Barbara has a fine sense
of its roots as it was at one time, a
far flung outpost of the Spanish Empire
as these tiles attest
One of the many funky shops
and/or restaurants that make
Santa Barbara such a fun spot
A fine, red leafed tree
A delicious Birria Quesotaco and
a Diet Coke at this spot made
for a perfect hors d'oeuvre
We continued our window shopping as we strolled up and down Santa Barbara's main drag, State Street.
We finally decided to nourish our bodies at one of our favorite spots for lunch in this city.
The Chase is always a great
spot for a meal
Again, it was quiet today all
over Santa Barbara up to and
including inside The Chase
One of the sad things to see today was the number of stores that stood empty due to, I'm sure, a combination of the after-effects of the pandemic and Santa Barbara's notoriously exorbitant rents.
The Chase prides itself as being one of Santa Barbara's best Italian restaurants.
My Eggplant Parmesan with Spaghetti and Meatballs was cooked to perfection, so I concur with The Chases' well founded boast.
After our sumptuous dining experience, we walked some more but knew a good thing when we saw it.
We shared a fabulous combination of
cappuccino and salted caramel gelatos
It was the perfect ending to our morning trek.
On Tuesday night, we had hosted dinner for Vanessa, Michael, Mary and Jacob. That is how we found out that California's traditional Fourth Grade assignment had finally been assigned this week to Jacob and his classmates.
Yes, it was time for the California Mission Project where each student is assigned one of California's 21 original Catholic Missions to report on as well as build some sort of a model of said Mission.
What Mission was Jacob assigned, you ask?
Well, wouldn't you know it, it was the Mission Santa Barbara.
We decided to reconnoiter the Mission for young Jacob while we so nearby.
A guardian bear, or perhaps
mountain lion, as you enter the
Santa Barbara Mission grounds
A nice old fountain with the
Mission's church in the background
This one is definitely a bear
Well, last Sunday was
Easter after all
A nice veranda fronts the Mission
I wonder, exactly how old is this Mission.
AHA!
The Mission was founded in 1786 as the tenth of the 21 Missions that would eventually unite California from San Diego in the south to San Francisco Bay in the north.
In theory, each Mission was a day's horseback ride from its nearest neighbors both north and south, thus serving as a good, safe stopping point for travelers.
The Mission's church was completed in 1820.
Unfortunately, an earthquake completely destroyed the church in 1925. Major renovations to the church were completed in 1927 and again in 1953.
Mission Santa Barbara
"The Queen of the Missions"
This beautiful Mission was founded, not by Father Junípero Serra as you might imagine, but by his successor as Head of the California Missions, Franciscan Father Fermin Lasuén.
It was a good day indeed!
On the drive home I received a message from Buena High School's Head Football and good friend Coach Ryan Bolland.
He had a gaggle of old game pants that I could have for any and all needy clubs overseas.
We were only about ten minutes from Buena H.S., so what the heck . . .
. . . of course I said,
"YES!"
As you can see, my trunk was now overflowing.
If anybody out there needs some quality, used game pants for FREE, please contact me. All that I ask is to be reimbursed for the shipping costs.
What a day.
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