Dahlias showed up at the flower stands of the Santa Barbara Farmers Market yesterday. There are numerous varieties of this lovely flower, which has been designated as the national flower of Mexico. The white one pictured above is known as "Miniette Bride".I was enchanted by the color of this on
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05/31/2015
It has been a while since we went on a beach walk. There have been long working trips, reports to write, brands to create which culminate into websites and other work. So here we were enjoying our walk on Sandyland beach yesterday afternoon on an overcast day, when we noticed pods of dolphins d
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05/31/2015
We are having a cool gray day, the marine layer has been relentless this week! These sunflowers lit up the day with their beautiful faces.White nectarines are showing up. Our favorites "Arctic Star" are pictured above. They are crunchy and sweet, and we think they are beautiful too.There was a
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05/30/2015
Last Saturday, at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market, there was a crowd around these plums. Why? Because they are Santa Rosa plums, and their season is very short. They are sweet and juicy, with a hint of tartness in their skin. Wishing you Saturday Smiles, we are off to this morning's market to
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05/30/2015
In a post last Saturday, we mentioned our trip to the Santa Barbara Mission to view the chalk drawings. Most of them were just lines. Here is the before version.Here is the after. Creativity is alive and well both in the picture, and in the artist who created it. We are reminded of a quote by
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05/28/2015
Yesterday as Ron was filling up our car with gas, I noticed a gentleman lifting the rear light flap on his car (52 Cadillac) unscrewing a cap, and placing the fuel nozzle in there. Neither one of us had ever seen that.That led to a conversation with this very nice man. He told us that his mento
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05/27/2015
Many luxury real estate markets around the world are also vacation destinations, which means that the local economy is dependent on visitors to a significant extent. Interestingly, the media can help bring more tourists or help keep them away.We are delighted to report that, despite the media h
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05/26/2015
The Santa Barbara Mission founded in 1786 in hosts the annual I Madonnari festival, where artists create art works sponsored by Santa Barbara businesses and individuals. The Old Mission is one of the iconic places to visit. It is home to the community of Franciscan Friars, a church, museum, ce
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05/25/2015
We stopped on Saturday at the Santa Barbara Mission to view the annual I Madonari, the Italian Street painting festival which benefits the arts in two counties, and very little progress had been made. What are you seeing is an outline. We are going back this morning after breakfast to check it
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05/25/2015
These beautiful flowers are part of the same genus as sunflowers, asters and daisies. These perennials are easy to care for and grow well from seeds. They are drought and poor soil tolerant, love sun and can even thrive in afternoon shade. They are lovely for meadow planting for a naturalized
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05/24/2015
