Nine short stories during Comic-Con.

Comic-Con is magic.

Dreams gather, take shape, become tangible. Fantasies launch into the world as seeds in the wind.

Comic-Con is also a hotbed of self-promotion. So please excuse me. Here I go…

Do you love to read works of fiction that contain unexpected twists?

Here are nine very short stories I’ve written over the years. You can find them on my website Short Stories by Richard.

These seeds in the wind await your click:

One Strange, Shimmering Dream

Father’s Paintbrush

A Distant Place

Their Dream

Unheard Words

One Magic Bubble

The Bone Artists

A Secret Junkyard

Final Real Magic

If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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

Feel free to share!

Wishing you Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Christmas is three days away.

It’s hard to believe another year has sped by. We’re almost a quarter of a century into the 2000s! How did that happen so quickly?

I think I’ll take the next couple weeks off from blogging. To relax a bit, recharge. After the New Year, Cool San Diego Sights should be back–in its 12th year–with more cool photographs from more walks! That’s the plan!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! May our adventures next year be better than ever!

I was considering what photographs to post here, and I decided to share old Christmas photographs taken about ten years ago with a lesser camera. But these half dozen photographs somehow made it into a great book written by historian Bill Swank: Christmas in San Diego!

Bill Swank for many years played Santa Claus at Balboa Park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion during Christmas on the Prado and December Nights. He’s an award-winning author and leading authority when it comes to the history of the San Diego Padres. Learn a little more about him and his many merry endeavors here!

Anyway, the six photographs you see in this blog post appear in the pages of Bill’s 2015 book Christmas in San Diego. I feel very honored that they were selected.

San Diego is a city full of surprises. Here’s to more great memories!

Richard

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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

Thank you for sharing!

Cool photo memories from November 2019.

New month–time to enjoy a little history!

Five years ago, during November 2019, Cool San Diego Sights featured photographs from a variety of interesting places and events. My favorite event by far was the San Diego and Arizona Railway centennial that was held out in Campo.

If you have a curious mind, and if you’d like to take a time machine back five years and look at some of those old photographs, click the links that are coming up!

To see many fascinating photographs, click the following links:

Colorful photos of Escondido Tamale Festival!

Public art in Escondido: two female bronzes.

Amazing exhibition of Japanese washi fiber art.

Marigolds add meaning to El Campo Santo.

A walk around the Escondido History Center.

Vintage postcards remember old San Diego.

Community volunteers beautify City Heights!

Painting cool new murals in City Heights!

Amazing walk up the historic Helix Flume Trail!

A ride on the San Diego and Arizona Railway!

Photos of San Diego and Arizona Railway centennial!

Concert celebrates organist Jared Jacobsen.

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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

Cool photo memories from October 2019.

Whenever a new month comes around, it’s my custom to revisit interesting blog posts from five years ago.

Cool San Diego Sights, back in October 2019, featured a variety of photographs from around San Diego County. I shared photos taken in Leucadia, Escondido, Poway, Normal Heights, South Park, downtown . . . from a mountain man rendezvous to a tree climbing competition to the hidden treasures of the San Diego City Clerk Archives!

You might enjoy clicking on the following links!

To see lots of fun photographs, click the following links…

Cool photos of Portside Pier construction.

A colorful walk through nerdy, artsy Leucadia.

Niki de Saint Phalle’s Grande Step Totem.

Photos of the annual Rendezvous in Poway!

More cool street art in South Park!

The Pioneers sculpture at Old Poway Park.

City Clerk’s Archives Month: Hidden Treasures!

Behind the scenes look at the City Archives!

North American Tree Climbing Championship!

Scenes from Without Walls Festival 2019!

Public art at Liberty Station invites interaction.

Fun photos of CicloSDias San Diego!

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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

Cool photo memories from September 2019.

Cool San Diego Sights now features tens of thousands of photographs from walks all over San Diego. We’ve started a new month, so it’s time to revisit a few blog posts from five years ago. What was going on in September 2019?

Looking back, I see there were several great experiences in North County, including a hike along a beautiful trail at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve’s lesser-known Northeastern Extension. Makes me want to go on another hike this Labor Day weekend!

To learn about some interesting places and past events, and to see all sorts of colorful photos, check out the following collection of links…

Click the following links for a dozen fun adventures!

Folk dance and smiles at House of Ukraine!

Balboa Park’s fantastic Toy Train Gallery!

Historic Highway 80 mural on El Cajon Boulevard.

Black life and civil rights in Southern California.

Colorful photos of Founders Day in Old Town.

Torrey Pines Extension hike to the DAR plaque.

Late summer beauty in my favorite garden.

The Art of Shag at the Comic-Con Museum!

Amazing walk from Swami’s to the Cardiff Kook.

A walk down Solana Beach’s Coastal Rail Trail.

Art inside the Balboa Park Activity Center.

Cool murals at Priority Public House!

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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

Cool photo memories from August 2019.

Summer in San Diego is moving along. August has arrived!

As usual, a new month means it’s time to revisit blog posts from five years ago. During August 2019, Cool San Diego Sights featured some very unique and amazing stuff.

My photographs from back then include an epic mural depicting San Diego that few people see, an exhibition of very weird architecture inspired by UFOs, and jaw-dropping sand sculptures created by world-class artists!

Here come eight links to past blog posts that you might explore.

Click the following links to view photographs from five years ago:

Student posters celebrate Freedom of Speech.

Mural at Civita celebrates San Diego!

Great writing, reading celebrated at TwainFest!

Architecture inspired by nature . . . and UFOs!

Readers, writers gather for Festival of Books!

Cool new mural at 7-Eleven in City Heights!

Photos of 2019 Labor Day Stickball Tournament!

Amazing art at U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge!

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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

Cool photo memories from July 2019.

Five years ago, during the month of July, there was a whole lot of excitement in San Diego!

The two biggest, most exciting events that Cool San Diego Sights documented back in July 2019 were the 250th Anniversary of San Diego and, of course, San Diego Comic-Con!

I shared hundreds of photographs that month. Please enjoy links to just a few of those past blog posts.

I’ll be covering Comic-Con again this year. I live in downtown San Diego and will take the week off from work. So stay tuned for more adventures!

Click the following links for loads of fun photographs…

Huge banner celebrates San Diego’s birthday!

A colorful 19th century Fourth of July!

PAWmicon takes over the Comic-Con Museum!

Photos of Tanabata Festival in Balboa Park!

A warm tribute to Stan Lee at Comic-Con.

More cool activity before 2019 Comic-Con!

More fun (and funny) stuff for 2019 Comic-Con!

History of IDW at San Diego Comic Art Gallery.

A new flag is raised for San Diego’s 250th Anniversary!

Starfleet Museum’s future Picard exhibit in San Diego!

Batman takes over the Comic-Con Museum!

A fun, easy walk outside 2019 Comic-Con!

Strange, bizarre cars of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

More super cool cosplay at Comic-Con!

A quick look inside The Orville Experience.

Amusing photographs from Comic-Con!

Snoopy soars with NASA on Moon Landing Anniversary!

Third grade students create self-portrait quilts!

Flamenco dancing at San Diego Museum of Art!

Action photos from 2019 Supergirl Surf Pro!

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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

12 Short Stories inspired by Balboa Park.

Gigantic bubbles form like magic in the Plaza de Balboa.

A pleasant day in Balboa Park, sitting, walking, daydreaming. Sudden inspiration.

That’s how certain stories were born in my mind before taking life on paper.

As a writer of short fiction, I occasionally share some of these stories. If you’re a reader, you might enjoy clicking the following links:

The Highest Seat was inspired by my friend Mitchell who plays didgeridoo in Balboa Park. He once worked in the planetarium at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center.

A Heart That Would Not End is a short story also inspired by Mitchell and his didgeridoo.

A Song for Old Warriors came directly from a Memorial Day ceremony that I observed outside The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park.

A Wise Man was inspired while attending a December Nights concert at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.

Here We Go is based in part on families riding the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad.

A Crown Above All came to me as I sat on a bench watching people near the Bea Evenson Fountain.

A Dog’s Tail also came to me as I sat on a bench in the park.

A Short Bloom flowered in my mind during a Cherry Blossom Festival at the Japanese Friendship Garden.

The Child and the Koi came to me while peering into the Japanese Friendship Garden’s koi pond.

Waterfall Tears is a third short story whose setting was inspired by the beautiful Japanese Friendship Garden.

A Small Fountain in Green Park is loosely based on Balboa Park and other similar places I’ve known.

One Magic Bubble rose in my mind on a breezy day in Balboa Park as I watched a street performer with his looping string and bucket of soapy water.

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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

Cool photo memories from June 2019.

Do you have a curious mind? Five years ago, during the month of June, Cool San Diego Sights featured a whole universe of photographs. Perhaps you might enjoy viewing colorful moments from the past!

From Escondido to La Jolla, from North Park to City Heights, from Barrio Logan to National City to Chula Vista, my camera recorded many places and events. I took so many photos, in fact, that I’ve had a hard time choosing which posts to share!

The upcoming links will take you back to June 2019. It was a fine time to take a walk. Summer events were underway. San Diego Comic-Con was on the way. Human creativity, activity and possibilities could be discovered everywhere!

To see many photographs, click the following links!

Neighbors gather to beautify a city park!

Exhibit shows Kumeyaay history in the South Bay.

Art and history around the Chula Vista Library.

Art by Canyon Crest Academy seniors in Balboa Park!

More cool art seen during a National City walk!

Lots of street art on Logan east of Chicano Park!

Here come the 2019 Comic-Con trolleys!

Dance, food and fun at the Greek Festival!

Cool new bird mural at Red Crow tattoo studio!

Wearable art at San Diego Pin and Patch Con!

Learning to dance on a ferry.

Good times at City Heights’ colorful Fair @ 44.

Walking up the Snake Path at UCSD.

Beautiful complexity at La Jolla’s Athenaeum.

Amazing walk at Scripps Institution of Oceanography!

The gigantic bronze leaves of Kit Carson Park.

Photos of Queen Califia’s Magical Circle!

Naoko creates a flower.

Creativity at a museum helps to mend lives.

A summer whale watching trip in San Diego!

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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

Cool photo memories from May 2019.

As many of you know, when a new month comes along I like to revisit interesting blog posts from five years ago. It’s time to check out what Cool San Diego Sights was featuring back in May of 2019!

The upcoming links will take you to photographs of dragon boats races in Mission Bay, Cinco de Mayo in Old Town, a Balboa Park Pow Wow, an arts festival in North Park, and the Manzanita Mountain Man Rendezvous.

And there are photos of murals, monuments, the historic El Cuervo adobe ruins (which few people know about) and a super cool stellarium. What’s a stellarium? Aren’t you curious?

Click the following links to see many photos!

An amazing cube, like real Space: full of stars!

Photos of dragon boat races on Mission Bay!

Fun photos of Cinco de Mayo in Old Town!

Natural habitat for birds, wildlife near SeaWorld.

Colorful nature painted near Fiesta Island.

Intertribal dancing at Balboa Park Pow Wow.

Street art painted live at North Park festival!

Freedom Bell at Balboa Park’s Veterans Museum.

Photos of the historic El Cuervo adobe ruins.

Photos of Manzanita Mountain Man Rendezvous!

Art from San Diego’s skateboarding underground.

New mural in San Diego’s drive-through art gallery!

Wreath ceremony on USS Midway honors heroes.

Memorial Day weekend at Festival of the Sea!

POW/MIA monument unveiled at Veterans Museum.

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

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