Public art in Escondido: two female bronzes.

Lorelei, Gale Pruitt, 2005.
Lorelei, Gale Pruitt, 2005.

Two female bronze sculptures welcome visitors to the Plaza Civic Center shopping mall in Escondido. I saw them yesterday as I walked to the California Center for the Arts. The sculptures can be found on North Escondido Boulevard, directly across from the regional cultural complex.

Both fine pieces of public art were created by local sculptor Gale Pruitt. Lorelei depicts a woman summoning with her outstretched arm as she lies on a rock, just as the siren-like figure in German lore. Elation depicts a girl with her head bent skyward in joyful ecstasy.

I took several photos!

Lorelei, Gale Pruitt, 2005.
Lorelei, Gale Pruitt, 2005.
Lorelei, Gale Pruitt, 2005.
Lorelei, Gale Pruitt, 2005.
Elation, Gale Pruitt, 2006.
Elation, Gale Pruitt, 2006.
Elation, Gale Pruitt, 2006.
Elation, Gale Pruitt, 2006.
Elation, Gale Pruitt, 2006.
Elation, Gale Pruitt, 2006.

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Colorful photos of Escondido Tamale Festival!

Here are a few colorful photos taken today during the Escondido Tamale Festival!

This very popular free event is held every year in Grape Day Park, right next to Escondido City Hall and the California Center for the Arts. Tamale making champions from around the region come together to compete for a prized trophy!

A crowd of tamale lovers had lined up on the grass anticipating a treat, and many were at outdoor tables feasting.

There were mariachis and other entertainers performing on the Grande Stage, a big kids zone, and all sorts of vendors. I noticed a few people were dressed up for Día De Los Muertos.

Because I walked about in a zigzag, looking at a wide variety of things in and around the park, I missed the Chihuahua Costume Contest and some cool lowriders that were parked nearby.

Maybe next year!

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Creepy creatures appear downtown!

Securely shutter your windows and lock every door! Creepy creatures have materialized throughout downtown San Diego!

As I walked about this morning, I suddenly realized that I was hopelessly surrounded. Closing in around me were witches, spiders, ghosts and an army of skeletons! Not to mention a few terrifying clowns!

The dark forces of Halloween were unstoppable! They had even caused the mighty Zoltar to retreat!

There was no escape from the madness!

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Fascination, reflection, and a Recovered Stream.

I was getting ready to board a trolley this evening at America Plaza when activity in a window caught my eye.

A person inside the nearby Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego gallery was working above a small planet amid water-like artwork!

The title of the coming exhibition is Oscar Romo: Recovered Stream. According to the museum website: This fall and winter MCASD will present multiple talks by distinguished scientists who will share their knowledge about climate change in conjunction with the participatory exhibition Oscar Romo: Recovered Stream.

With some searching on the internet, I learned environmentalist Oscar Romo is a professor at UC San Diego. His area of expertise is coastal and marine ecosystem conservation, using a natural systems design perspective. He has a special interest in the San Diego-Tijuana border region.

The upcoming talks should be very interesting!

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Morning walk by the San Diego River estuary.

Early this morning, light and life were both rising along the San Diego River estuary.

I didn’t walk far along the water–perhaps a quarter mile west from the Interstate 5 bridge.

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

A sidewalk poem expresses gratitude.

Grateful words. A chalk poem on a sidewalk.
Grateful words. A chalk poem on a sidewalk.

I discovered a poem that was written on the sidewalk yesterday. Chalk words express gratitude.

You might enjoy reading this simple, heartfelt poetry:

I fell a far distance –
You caught me many, many
Times – Awoken revived thankful
to be alive – Living is a privilege
Take care – See the life you’ve
been given – Cherish it

Cool new mural at Humphrey Appliance!

A cool new mural has been painted on the east side of Humphrey Appliance in Normal Heights! I noticed it while walking down Adams Avenue yesterday.

The artist is Jonathan Wenner (Unity21). I did my best to get good photos, but various boxes and pieces of furniture in the small parking lot block the lower part of the artwork.

Enjoy!

UPDATE!

I got an unobstructed photo on a later walk…

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!

Fun photos of CicloSDias San Diego!

This afternoon I checked out CicloSDias San Diego!

During this popular annual event, several streets are closed to cars in North Park, Normal Heights, Kensington and City Heights so that bicyclists, skaters, scooters and walkers can explore these neighborhoods and enjoy a fun day without dodging automobiles.

The main purpose of CicloSDias, which is supported by a variety of organizations, is to promote bicycling as an urban transportation alternative.

Lots of families were out for a Sunday ride, and some of the participants wore costumes. (Yes, it’s almost Halloween!) There were easily thousands of people participating in or watching the colorful activity.

Bands were playing along the streets, people were proudly showing off their decorated and custom bikes, and hundreds of bicycles were parked in front of sidewalk cafes.

I walked north up 30th Street from El Cajon Boulevard, where some people were playing bike polo, then turned east at Adams Avenue. After passing the Kensington landmark sign, I headed back west.

Here come the photos!

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!

Beauty by a street artist who vanished.

It has been nearly three years since I’ve seen the street artist who calls herself Tree. I wonder where she is.

Our lives are all in motion. We tumble along down intersecting sidewalks and Time is our wind.

Like colorful leaves, the small, beautiful works of Tree remain scattered about the world.

Oil paintings of the Embarcadero at night.

These aren’t actual oil paintings. They’re photographs that I took last night along the Embarcadero, made to look like impressionistic oil paintings with GIMP graphic software.

Can you recognize many of these beautiful nighttime sights on San Diego Bay?

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!