I’ve polished many of the stories (and now two poems) to such an extent that I feel comfortable launching a new domain and website.
Are you curious?
Many of these short stories might seem a bit different. Some are happy, some are sad . . . most are a shifting mixture. I try to arrive at essential truths in surprising and creative ways. Human life is illuminated using sudden revelations. All of these works of fiction are very quick reads.
The poem I just published, A Brief Note, sounds dire as you read it. But read to the final two lines.
Anyway, I truly appreciate all of you who follow my adventures in photography–and creative writing! Life is a continuing journey . . .
Energetic elves run about the colonnade of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion during 2017 Christmas on the Prado in Balboa Park!
Look at all these fun photos! I took them today in Balboa Park, where the 2017 Community Christmas Center’s “Christmas on the Prado” is being held, even as I type this.
I caught the very beginning of the annual family-friendly event. Various activities and musical entertainment on the stage of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion emphasize the religious importance and meaning of Christmas. The central feature is an extensive life-size nativity display showing Biblical events leading up to the birth of Christ.
When I walked around Balboa Park during the afternoon, I noticed other holiday decorations are going up all throughout the park. Next weekend the big December Nights event will be held, which is one of the nation’s most popular and spectacular holiday festivals!
Even with that smile, you can’t fool me Mrs. Claus! That’s not a real Santa!A bunch of folk from the North Pole were getting ready among toys as Christmas on the Prado was almost set to open.These outstanding U.S. Marines were collecting Toys for Tots during the annual family-friendly event.I learned kids would be playing pin-the-carrot-on-the-snowman!First up to sing were those elves. They attend Dailard Elementary School. Funny songs included Silly Humans and Elfie Selfie.Lots of parents were in the large crowd waving.This elf probably thought I was a silly human, who asked her to smile for my camera!Christmas on the Prado emphasizes the religious importance of the holiday. Scenes in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion show Biblical events leading up to the birth of Christ.I spy four smiling faces in this photo. Can you count them?As the evening becomes chilly, a line will form at the Gingerbread House for cookies, cocoa and coffee.
Here are some additional photos from around Balboa Park today. The first two I took at the International Cottages…
A beautiful small Christmas tree inside the House of Sweden cottage.Visitors to the House of Norway cottage were making all sorts of holiday crafts.Artists were selling their work on some grass near the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. I spied some truly amazing Christmas artwork created by Katrina Bittar. I learned that the core of each delicate piece is papier-mâché.All sorts of fun holiday stuff can be found in Balboa Park’s Spanish Village Art Center. Appears it’s going to be a Meowy Christmas!I bought 3 bags of cookies from this happy elf in front of the Casa del Prado. I believe funds were being raised for the San Diego Junior Theatre.A bunch of elves are running loose in Balboa Park!
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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!
A slow, lazy day. One last November day of unseasonably warm weather. Like many, I had the day off from work.
A quiet stroll along San Diego Bay.
A day for dreaming by the water.
Sitting in sunshine above the water. A dream of light flows from the hand of the always friendly painter Paul Strahm.The undefinable essence of dreams.A vision beyond the reach of a pier.A firm foundation and quiet moment. Light on water invites meditation.Time vanishes near the water.Ripples in a strange reality.Moving together in the walk of life, past a burst of beauty.Almost like a dream within a dream.Enjoying this magic, wonderful life together.Reading words by tranquil water. Perhaps sensing deeper truths.Another day of dreaming by the shining water.
Today two ideas for short stories came to me like a dream. As I sat on a bench by beautiful San Diego Bay, I penned a few passing words.
I believe the titles will be The Failed Heart and A Dangerous Noise. When these stories feel finished–if that feeling ever comes–I’ll publish them on my writing blog Short Stories by Richard.
A well-dressed gorilla on a plate in a funny San Diego shop window. I also see some wind-up chattering teeth.
Here comes another generous helping of funny photos! All of these pics are from past walks.
Enjoy a laugh or two!
A silly bee made of a potted plant and old metal stuff. I spotted this in front of the Hive Sushi Lounge on Golden Hill.Marshmallow Madness in the window of IT’SUGAR in the Gaslamp. This cereal has Absolutely No Nutritional Value Added!So lazy can’t move. Must be the sugar crash.World leaders on socks! Funny gifts on display in the window of the Find Your Feet store.In the middle of the day, a neon sign hopefully proclaims It’s 5:00 Somewhere.Education is important but beer is importanter, according to a sign in front of Coin Haus in La Mesa.A tiny gull stands atop the hat of a Navy sailor! (Actually it’s just an ordinary gull atop Seward Johnson’s enormous Embracing Peace statue on the Embarcadero.)Someone from Park City, Utah with a yacht is bored of the snow, or snowboarding, apparently.Perhaps Santa is tired of the snow, too. I think I spotted his beard in Seaport Village. That heavy beard is great for the North Pole, but too warm in sunny San Diego!A banner for your spoiled rotten cat.Another elegantly dressed animal–a cow! Plus a bonus funny face.These two dogs in the Michael J Wolf Fine Arts gallery must like to wine.
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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!
Holiday by the Bay in front of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront opened on Thanksgiving. There is an ice rink, Christmas-themed miniature golf and many colorful lights.
During my walk this evening I noticed that Holiday by the Bay has opened. It’s Thanksgiving Day.
Cheerful lights surround a small ice rink and a fun Christmas-themed miniature golf course in front of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. While just one person was skating as I walked by, it looks like a wonderful place to spend some time!
Holiday by the Bay is open until New Year’s Day. With every ticket purchased, Hilton will give $1 to USO San Diego. According to the Hilton website, one can eat breakfast outside here with Santa!
Best of all, it’s a place of innocent joy and peace. On beautiful San Diego Bay.
It’s early evening. Someone enjoys the ice rink on San Diego’s beautiful waterfront.It’s almost sunset on Thanksgiving Day. Some cheerful Christmas trees are lit.Lights, fun and good cheer await visitors to Holiday by the 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!
The sky turns red and yellow just before sunrise on Mount Laguna. Photo taken at the Storm Canyon Overlook on the Sunrise Highway.
This morning I left downtown San Diego very early and drove an hour east to Mount Laguna. I wanted to see sunrise from a mountaintop.
I began taking photos from the Storm Canyon Overlook a bit north of the Laguna Mountain Lodge and Store. Breathtaking views of the desert below can be enjoyed at various points along the Sunrise Highway.
I then drove a short distance farther north to the Penny Pines Trailhead, parked, and hiked about a mile and a half northward along the Pacific Crest Trail. I didn’t go all the way to Garnet Peak, because the sun came to me!
Looking down toward a section of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park northeast of the beautiful Laguna Mountains, which rise to around 6000 feet in San Diego County.Sign at the overlook explains Trails Through the Ages. Storm Canyon below was used by the Native American Kumeyaay for thousands of years for seasonal migrations. (Click photo to enlarge for easy reading.)Trees west of the Storm Canyon Overlook are still a bit dark before sunrise.I’ve started hiking toward the Pacific Crest Trail from the Penny Pines Trailhead. The eastern sky is slowly brightening.A slightly chilly early November morning in the Cleveland National Forest near the top of Mount Laguna.I’m now heading north along the Pacific Crest Trail, which stretches 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada. I’ll go about a mile and a half toward Garnet Peak before turning around. Sunrise is imminent.Many of the trees in the Penny Pines grove have died due to an ongoing bark beetle infestation. The recent drought caused many trees in the Cleveland National Forest to struggle, too.Looking roughly northeast as color creeps over the desert contours below.Miles of beauty, to the horizon.The trail here is still in shadow. Not for long…Early sunlight touches a rocky rise.That shiny strip in the distance is light reflecting from the inland Salton Sea.The sun is about to clear a rocky desert mountain.The sun appears.Sudden morning light brightens vegetation beside the rough trail.The sunshine is warm. I will soon have to remove my light jacket. Even though it is late November, the dry air from the desert is very pleasant.Slanting sunlight on small leaves.Looking down into a small canyon beneath the trail that descends toward the desert.I’m rounding a corner, approaching a light-splashed peak.Garnet Peak, on the left, rises into the morning sunlight. A short trail leads to its summit from the Pacific Crest Trail.Light on one side of a boulder above me.A beautiful view. I encountered nobody else on the trail this morning. Perhaps because today is Thanksgiving.I am thankful that I could pause for a moment and enjoy this.New light all around.The dry contours of one section of Anza-Borrego State Park become more apparent. I believe the bulky mountain on the left is Whale Peak.Looking east, shadows are retreating from fresh mountain green.Looking south, bright light on a broken boulder.Leaves feed on sunshine.I’m now headed back south toward the Penny Pines Trailhead. One last look north at Garnet Peak in full daylight.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! Occasionally, when I get the itch, I travel to more distant parts of San Diego County. 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!
Visitors to the San Diego Automotive Museum in Balboa Park walk under four large temporary murals recently installed above the 1935 California State Building’s entrance.
The 1935 California State Building in Balboa Park, home to the San Diego Automotive Museum, is slowly being restored to its former glory. Four temporary murals were installed above the entrance several weeks ago. They are based on murals that decorated the building during the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition.
Much of the California State Building’s original ornamentation no longer exists, including the four original murals. They were created for the exposition by Hollywood set designer Juan Larrinaga. Painted on fiberboard to appear like tilework, they depicted California’s commerce, scenic beauty, agriculture and industry.
Balboa Park’s Committee of 100 will be raising funds to recreate the historic murals with beautiful ceramic tiles. Meanwhile, these four amazing temporary murals will welcome visitors to Balboa Park’s San Diego Automotive Museum.
To learn more about this project, and other work being undertaken by the Committee of 100 to restore and enhance Balboa Park, including the Palisades area where the 1935 California State Building is located, visit their website here.
A depiction of California’s commerce originally created for the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition.California’s abundant natural beauty is depicted.A depiction of California’s agriculture, which feeds many around the world.The fourth mural from 1935 depicts California’s industrial activity.
UPDATE!
On a later walk I noticed a new sign on the building. It provides a detailed explanation of these four murals…
Sign near entrance to the San Diego Automotive Museum explains the murals.
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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!
Today I watched some of the world’s best athletes compete. I headed up to Balboa Park to experience the 28th Annual Best of the West Quad Rugby Tournament in the Municipal Gymnasium. Most people know the sport as wheelchair rugby, or murderball. That last name sounds rather tough, but it’s for a good reason.
The quad rugby players that participated in this tournament are among the best in the world. Some have competed in the Paralympic Games. There were teams from California, Arizona, Texas and Minnesota, and even from London and Australia. The amazing team from Australia was this year’s Best of the West champion.
At the very top level, wheelchair rugby players are unbelievable athletes. They are strong, fast, agile, and can turn and accelerate on a dime. To block opposing players, trap them defensively, or upset an unfolding strategy, players will literally smash their chairs into one another. As if in some sort of crazy demolition derby, the bashing wheelchairs sometimes tip sideways, even turn over. And the players don’t seem fazed in the least. Each is an irresistible force, determined to assist their teammates and find a way through the opposition to score, no matter how.
Here are a few photos that capture a bit of the action.
The composition of one photograph turned out to be exceptionally dynamic, but the image was completely unfocused, so I altered it to appear like a cool oil painting.
You really have to see quad rugby in person to appreciate the heart of these players.
Raw human determination can be unstoppable.
Watching quad rugby is inspirational.
For an explanation of quad rugby, click this photo and it will expand for easy reading.
The Australian quad rugby team celebrated their championship by forming a circle, joining hands and rocking the gymnasium with a spirited, victorious shout!
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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!
I’ve made a couple of cool changes to my website! Now it’s easy to enjoy Cool San Diego Sights (plus my other blog Beautiful Balboa Park) in dozens of languages!
If you’re viewing this page on a computer screen or large tablet, you will see a Google Translate button near the top of the sidebar, on the left side of your screen. Select your preferred language and everything on the website will be instantly translated!
If you’re using a smaller device, like a smartphone, click those three parallel lines up at the top of this page and the sidebar will open up. Google Translate should be the first thing you see.
What else is new?
I’ve added buttons to my sidebar which make it easy to follow Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr! I only update my Pinterest and Tumblr pages every few months, but if you’re on those social media platforms, you might want to check it out!
As always, please feel free to share anything you happen to find on any of my blogs. It’s all for fun!
By the way, I just finished writing a new short story for my Short Stories by Richard blog. It’s called The Silver of Ice. It’s based a bit on my own personal experience, when I lived on the high plains many years ago.
I’m going to Balboa Park in a few minutes to check out something that should be really cool. I’ll post photos when I get home!
Hard-working volunteers remove invasive vegetation in a small area of the San Dieguito River Valley.
Today I happened upon a bunch of energetic volunteers working to restore habitat in the San Dieguito River Valley! They were removing non-native vegetation near the Sikes Adobe Historic Farmstead!
Lots of invasive, rapidly growing wild mustard appeared to be the main problem. I also learned from a friendly San Dieguito River Park ranger that mustard is highly flammable, much more so than California coastal sage and chaparral plants that are native to our arid region.
Today’s work, coinciding with Family Volunteer Day, was an effort of several organizations, including the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy. Their mission is to implement the vision of the San Dieguito River Park, a greenway that stretches all the way from Volcan Mountain near Julian to Dog Beach in Del Mar! Their conservation and educational programs, along with their purchases of land in the River Park planning area, will ensure that the beautiful San Dieguito River Valley will be a rich and healthy natural treasure for many lifetimes to come!
Want to learn more? Or maybe get involved? Here’s their website!
This Saturday event was part of Family Volunteer Day, a worldwide day of service promoted by generationOn.Youth have fun while they work to make the Earth a healthier place.A San Dieguito River Park ranger had brought many pots of native lemonade berry to plant.Another perfect day to work outdoors and help the environment!
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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!
Cool San Diego Sights! 