Have a Happy Thanksgiving Day!

I wish you all the best on Thanksgiving Day and all the days to come. Do not forget to burn the extra calories by walking or jogging. I always save mine for the lean days that somehow never come LOL.

Here (Orange County) and there (San Francisco)

I spotted this name of a small restaurant in one of San Francisco's streets. For some reason, food was not the first thing that entered my mind LOL.

I thought of renting one of these bikes to pedal my way across the Golden Gate Bridge but I'm not used to biking in hilly San Francisco with its chaotic traffic. It was safer for me to just walk in the city and do my biking in the park.

This is the first single-family home I have seen in Orange County or anywhere else for that matter, with a functional clock planted at its lawn. I wonder what the owner was thinking when he installed this? Maybe he is a clock-maker or a watch repairer or just a friendly neighbor tired of being constantly ask the time of the day.

What about the owner of this house who has a drinking fountain in his front yard for passers-by? If you click on the pic to enlarge, you'll see a small basin full of water near the foot of the fountain for animals. In fact, I caught with my camera a squirrel scampering away after taking a quick drink.

I was headed to the Huntington Beach pier when I spotted these black-clad ladies and a gent offering free hugs! I took this picture and kept walking but near the end of the pier, I ran into another group of "huggers" and when one of the girls peeled off from the group to offer me a hug, I offered no resistance. I don't know what the deal was with these free hugs but that gave me an idea. When I got home I told my wife I'm going to make a sign similar to what they have but I'll offer more...not just free hugs but kisses, as well. I'll go to the beach and approach those bikini-clad sunbathers with my placard and I am not going to take "no" for an answer. My wife said if my behind gets hauled off to jail, she is not bailing me out LOL.

My wife and I went for lunch at our favorite Japanese restaurant (not the one with the amusing name LOL) located just a mile from our home. I noticed that the owner increased the price of their lunch combo by a dollar more and correspondingly reduced the serving by about 10%. It is still cheap if I compare the price I have to pay for a similar meal when I am eating out of town or on the road.

Even in affluent US of A, there are still people who are homeless and live at the mercy of others. Very sad.

I usually do not catch anything when I fish at this lake but I never get tired of trying.

This photographer is an amateur photographer's delight....either he is a showboat or he knows his craft better than most.

I took this pic at a political rally in a neighboring city. Clinton came to bolster the candidacy of Congresswoman Sanchez who is running for reelection against a surprisingly strong opponent. We are outside of Sanchez's district but my wife and I went to the rally to see, for the first time in our lives, a US president or Ex-President in person. This guy is charismatic!

Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

This garden is an oasis of calm in an oasis of calm. There is nothing extraordinary about the place but there is an IT about it that I cannot explain.

This is where they serve the tea and the rest is the garden...

I chanced upon these European kids pictorially documenting their visit to the garden.

Conservatory of Flowers, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

I was walking inside the Golden Gate Park when a motorist slowed down and asked me for the direction to the Conservatory of Flowers. Although I am a frequent visitor to the park, this is the first time I heard of this place. I later referred to a map of the park to pinpoint its location
and the following day I went to check it out for myself. It is an OK place to visit but it pales in comparison to the nearby De Young Museum, the California Academy of Science or even the Botanical Garden for the admission fee it charges.

This dahlia garden is a stone's throw from the observatory and equally interesting.

View in front of the observatory

2010 Orange International Street Fair

The International Street Fair at the City of Orange has been going on every Labor Day weekend for more than 30 years now. My first visit was 25 years ago but for some reason, I have not revisited till this year. It is not a question of time or distance, there are just so many attractions and events in Southern California this one slipped by me for a quarter of a century without even realizing it! When they say Time flies, it really does LOL.

I came early, just half an hour after they opened, things were just stirring up but the temperature was already at 85 deg. F (29.4 deg. C) and for a Southern Californian that is already outside the range of comfort unless you are at the beach. They conveniently set up a cooling station (shown below) where you can walk in and cool down a bit before moving on.

It is best to come at night when there are more music and dancing from various ethnic groups and the crowd is livelier. However, I came to check out the various ethnic food available - they were there alright but I find them overpriced and so-so in taste. There are just so many ethnic restaurants and food venues in LA and Orange counties you developed a sophisticated and discriminating taste after some time - you know when it is good, in taste and in value LOL. The fair is still worth a visit, it is free and you can find free street parkings a short distance away, if you do not want to shell out 10-12 bucks to park near the entrance.

Four dollars for an ear of roasted corn! You can get six of them for a dollar at your local grocery! The Fair is held to raise fund for various charities. The people manning the food booths are volunteers, quit belly-aching and loosen your wallet LOL.

ATMs available in case you run out of cash

Is that enough toilets for you?