The older I become, the more I understand that life is fleeting.
Because of that, I’ve come to a decision.
I will now dedicate my spare hours to writing fiction.
Why?
While I enjoy walking everywhere and taking photos of San Diego, I feel that my efforts in creative writing might be more important. Apparently some people think my works of fiction have merit.
It doesn’t seem possible, but my website Short Stories by Richard has received visitors from school classrooms in four different countries now. Most of the students are reading the story One Thousand Likes. Many people around the world have also begun to read An Unexpected Sunflower, which is my very first short story and still my favorite.
So now I’m really going to concentrate on writing. Which means Cool San Diego Sights and my other photography blogs will be put on pause.
I’m hoping a few more worthwhile stories will come to me!
If I’m lucky!
If you’d like to read and follow my writing, you can click here!
Thank you for sharing my journey!
UPDATE!
Well, obviously, that wasn’t much of a pause. As I type this update several months later I’m still walking, taking photos and blogging. I can’t seem to stop. Oh, well. Sorry about the misinformation! The best laid plans…
Balboa Park to me is a place like heaven. A place overflowing with joy and sunshine and smiles and wonder. A carefree place that is full of surprises.
Today I enjoyed a few delightful surprises during my walk–as you’ll see.
A huge crowd had gathered at the International Cottages. The House of Peru hosted a colorful lawn program today.
Peruvian born Mario Torero, internationally famous muralist and activist, greets the audience before receiving an honor.The brass ring might appear at any moment.
Balboa Park is one of the most wonderful places on Earth.
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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!
What’s did I see today in Balboa Park? There’s a car parked in the middle of Spanish Village Art Center’s patio and it’s decorated with all sorts of fun, colorful artwork!
According to a sign on the windshield, the Art Car was donated for this project by the San Diego Automotive Museum. It appears to be a cool work in progress during this Summer of Love!
Nobody was painting the car when I walked by, but I saw plenty of space for more creativity!
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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!
The largest women’s surfing competition in the world is taking place this weekend by the Oceanside Pier. It’s the 2019 Supergirl Surf Pro!
Over 100 amazing athletes from around the world are vying for glory in this very cool international surfing event. The competition is among the very best female surfers on the planet. Some of the participants will compete in the next Olympic Games!
Not only does the Supergirl Surf Pro provide great entertainment in its huge, bustling Festival Village and along the beach, but the event’s positive message of female empowerment is broadcast around the globe!
I spent a couple hours today watching the incredible surfing action from the Oceanside Pier.
My modest camera managed to get a few exciting 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!
This evening the San Diego Museum of Art held a free public event titled On the Steps At SDMA: The Golden Age Of Spain. The small outdoor festival, which was held in Balboa Park’s Plaza de Panama, celebrated the museum’s current exhibition, which features fine art produced in the Spanish Empire from about 1600 to 1750.
Local artists had booths near the museum’s front steps, as did Balboa Park’s House of Spain, but my favorite part of the event was the fantastic flamenco dancing.
I lingered for a good while and enjoyed performances by Flamenco Sur (Carlos Hernandez and Students), Olé Flamenco, and Luna Flamenca Dance Company.
Each dancer possessed fire, intensity, passion.
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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!
Rear view of Mourning Woman, 1966. This last sculpture by Donal Hord is now displayed inside the Coronado Public Library.
Displayed inside the Coronado Library are many beautiful works of art. Several of these works are important pieces by internationally famous artists.
The two world-renowned artists are Donal Hord and Alfredo Ramos Martinez.
Donal Hord’s iconic sculptures can be found in various places around San Diego. He was one of the artists who exhibited in the 3rd Sculpture International held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1949.
Alfredo Ramos Martínez is considered to be the Father of Mexican Modernism. He served as the Director of the National Academy of Fine Arts in Mexico City. He was founder of the Open Air (Aire Libre) School of Painting in Mexico. His students included Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueros, and Rufino Tamayo.
I took these photographs a couple weeks ago during a visit to Coronado.
You can learn more about the history of these amazing pieces and other artwork in the library here.
Donal Hord’s granite sculpture Mourning Woman stands in the Coronado Library’s Spreckels Reading Room. It took ten months to complete.Tapestry designed by Donal Hord titled Earth Mother or Fruits of the Earth. Woven by Marian Kendall, U. Kelley, and F. Manchester in 1939.Canasta de Flores, Alfredo Ramos Martínez, 1938. The mural, painted for the La Avenida Café, is now located inside the Coronado Public Library.El Dia del Mercado, Alfredo Ramos Martínez, 1938. Fresco originally located at the La Avenida Café, now behind the front desk of the Coronado Library.Section of fine art mural El Dia del Mercado by Alfredo Ramos Martínez.
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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!
It was unusually hot and humid today. So after work I headed down to the Embarcadero, to enjoy cooler air coming off San Diego Bay.
I boarded the beautiful, historic tall ship Star of India and, breathing in fresh air, watched changing clouds and the summer sun as it slowly descended. I saw many sailboats. It was a perfect day to be above the shining water.
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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!
Last Tuesday I headed to Liberty Station to check out a cool exhibition at IDW’s Comic Art Gallery before the start of Comic-Con. I arrived half an hour before the gallery opened, so I moseyed around Liberty Station’s beautiful park-like setting.
I walked by the Visions Art Museum and poked my nose inside.
There I discovered something inspiring! One of the museum’s walls featured a display of small quilts made by third grade students who attend Perkins Elementary School in Barrio Logan. (About a year ago I photographed part of this school’s outdoor mural.)
Their teacher, who was sitting at the Vision Art Museum’s front desk, briefly told me her students, some of whom are homeless, were super excited to create this artwork. They drew the design first, then cut out pieces of colorful fabric, which they assembled into expressive self-portraits!
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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!
Krypto the Superdog has entered South Park during 2019 Comic-Con.
It’s Sunday, the final day of 2019 San Diego Comic-Con.
This morning I took a leisurely walk around downtown, the Gaslamp Quarter and the convention center.
No suffocating crowds, and more relaxed…but less cosplay.
I saw lots of families out enjoying a fun day!
It’s Sunday morning at Comic-Con, and pop culture fans are heading toward the San Diego Convention Center.As I walked up MLK Promenade, these nice Amazon Prime Video ladies handed me literature concerning upcoming shows.I got into the Amazon activation with ease, but then discovered the attractions within had waits of up to two hours!I watched a mock fight up on the colorful central structure.People could don fairy wings and take flight for a Carnival Row photo.This structure contains the Carnival Row attraction. In an earlier blog post I surmised it was for The Boys.A cool area at the Amazon offsite where people can relax. I enjoyed my free water and churros.As I walked back down MLK Promenade, however, I politely turned down these peculiar jelly-filled donuts.I saw Dumbledore last year, too. I guess rumors of his demise are exaggerated.Wonder Woman cosplayer strikes a heroic pose.Everyone was photographing Batgirl up on the Harbor Drive pedestrian bridge!What we do in the shadows…or on our phones.Sunday morning 2019 Comic-Con. Walking behind the San Diego Convention Center.The Hot Wheels truck!Awesome Wonder Woman and Hawkman cosplay!Taking photos in the Dragon Ball Z activation.I observed examples of cosplay on Sunday, but not nearly as much as Saturday.Joker gives me an evil look.Here come some snacks.They were doing some sort of filming in the FX Fearless Forum.A banana posed for a photo.A fanatic demonstrates their unquestioned FAITH IN GODZILLA.Jack Skellington cosplay, from The Nightmare Before Christmas.Does this mean I’m NOT supposed to believe The Twilight Zone?These guys at the 91X radio table in the Interactive Zone smiled for some strange guy taking pictures.I spied Popeye nearby.This guy was singing his heart out doing Carpool Karaoke.Is this knight from Game of Thrones?An artist had spray paint art creations on the grass by a walkway.Lots of criminals are lining up at Brooklyn Nine-Nine.This fellow collects dolls it would seem.New employees of the Superstore get photographed.This particular Darth Maul doesn’t look so tough. Just saying.A relatively tranquil Sunday morning outside Comic-Con. Another beautiful San Diego day!Basketballs were flying madly at the FOX Fan Fair.As I headed up Fifth Avenue for home, I was lucky to get this cool cosplay shot.And some Ghostbusters, too.And this Angry Bird!
Tomorrow it’s back to normal, everyday, ordinary life.
Now it’s time for a nap!
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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!
Cool San Diego Sights! 