She is LOVED, FREE and STRONG in East Village!

I spotted this uplifting, encouraging mural early this morning as I walked down J Street in San Diego’s East Village. The artwork is located on a wall between 16th Street and 17th Street.

I believe the mural was painted about a year ago. I don’t know by whom.

The three positive messages are: She is loved! She is free! She is strong!

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!

Knowledge, Love, Understanding and a Little Free Library!

Knowledge is power.

I spotted this cool Little Free Library “Of The Sea” during my walk around Del Mar yesterday!

This small neighborhood library has three separate boxes. Fun, very colorful artwork painted on different sides includes words of wisdom!

Love wins.
Understanding is a virtue.

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 story about one teacher’s strange lesson.

A mysterious reflection in the rippled water.

Readers who are new to Cool San Diego Sights probably don’t know that, when I’m not walking around the city taking photographs, I love to write fiction.

Well, I’ve completed another very short story. This one is about a school teacher and a very peculiar lesson taught to her students.

The lesson isn’t merely strange–it might be one of the most important lessons any person, young or old, could learn.

To read it, click here!

County ceremony at Day of the Dead altar.

This morning I walked down to the San Diego County Administration Building to view their Day of the Dead altar. Like the one last year, this new altar on some outdoor steps remembers those who’ve died from COVID-19.

When I arrived a gentleman was setting up additional luminarias and flowers.

Baltazar Hernandez, who is also Vice President of the City Heights Día de los Muertos, was busy making the altar more beautiful and meaningful.

He informed me there would be a special ceremony in the evening, so I returned to the County Administration Building after work.

The ceremony began with a blessing of the altar by Baltazar, who wore Danza Azteca garb. A few short speeches followed.

The most powerful words were spoken by someone who had tragically lost a loved one. She told everyone: “That empty place that you have in your heart–fill it with love.”

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!

Day of the Dead walk around Old Town.

Today many are celebrating Día de los Muertos–Mexico’s traditional Day of the Dead. It is a time when departed loved ones are remembered and honored.

Early this evening I took a short walk around Old Town San Diego to see what I might see.

Many are still cautious because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so there wasn’t the usual crowd and activities. But I did find music and colorful Catrinas at Fiesta de Reyes, and sugar skull face painting at a few spots in the State Park and along San Diego Avenue. I also came across a couple of Día de los Muertos altars.

These are my photos…

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!

You can help homeless people in San Diego.

Homeless man walks through life with his stuff.

Seven years ago I published 20 Ways To Help the Homeless in San Diego. This special page lists twenty organizations and initiatives that can use your help, to reach and assist homeless people all around San Diego.

This morning I revised the page. I’ve removed links to charitable operations and websites that no longer exist, added others.

If you find it in your heart, please visit this page again. There are many opportunities to volunteer, mentor, donate, provide hope.

Perhaps you’ll feel inspired to help out in your own way.

Have a great day!

Richard

New mural at 7-Eleven in Bankers Hill!

Just after sunrise this morning, I began a walk from Cortez Hill in downtown San Diego up through Bankers Hill.

As I came to the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Spruce Street, I suddenly noticed street art that I hadn’t seen before.

A wall of the 7-Eleven has been painted colorfully by Eva Struble of the Ladies Who Paint! According to her Instagram page, the mural was finished last week!

I also observed that an electrical box next to Jimmy Carter’s Mexican Café, on the south side of Spruce Street, is covered with love!

It appears the love was painted by Tali(?) in 2020.

If you want to see even more street art that was painted years ago next to the 7-Eleven parking lot, 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 Twitter!

Making Strides Hope Tree blooms.

The Making Strides Hope Tree was blooming in San Diego this morning.

I walked into Balboa Park after the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event had come to a close.

Workers had begun to disassemble canopies. A few remaining participants were trickling out of the park.

But the Hope Tree remained.

The Making Strides Hope Tree is an opportunity to dedicate a pink ribbon tribute in memory of a lost loved one or in honor of someone who has or is currently battling breast cancer.

If you’d like to make a donation to fight breast cancer, 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 Twitter!

Artist shows love in San Ysidro!

I was walking through San Ysidro today, on a mission to check out a new mural I’d been told about, when I spotted this colorfully painted fence at the corner of Cypress Drive and Blanche Street.

It’s by generous San Diego artist Erick Delarosa, aka ShoLove!

You can see other heart-filled works by ShoLove here and 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 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!

Take care of each other in East Village!

I spotted this mural for the first time this morning as I headed down Ninth Avenue, through downtown’s East Village neighborhood. I hadn’t walked that way in a long while.

The fun, very colorful mural has a positive message: take care of each other. It was painted by Hanna Gundrum (@littlehouseink).

The mural is located on G Street, on the east side of Bear Republic Crossfit.

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!