February 4 is Thank a Mailman Day

© B. Radisavljevic

Delivering mail today is much different than it used to be -- especially in urban areas. Mail carriers, who are often women now, usually drive rather than walk. They deliver mail to communal boxes about two blocks apart and everyone walks or drives to them to pick up their mail. The mail person puts the mail into the individual boxes from the backside just like postal employees in the post offices put mail into post office boxes. Those of us in neighborhoods are lucky if we  even see our mail carriers. 

This photo shows one of those older neighborhood mailboxes a couple of blocks from me. The individual boxes lock and each  resident gets a key. Larger packages are delivered to the door. I did, in fact, take a package from the hand of my mail carrier yesterday. I saw her park her truck in front of our house and met her on her way to the door.  I thanked her.

Thanking a mail carrier is a bit harder when you hardly ever see him or her. Many just do their jobs like any other person and go home at the end of the day. Others go above and beyond their jobs. I'm going to  tell you  about one of our rural mail carriers who did just that. He was our first mailman in Templeton. I would not have this mailbox were it not for him.

© B. Radisavljevic

We used to have an ordinary size mailbox here that was much smaller. I was in a business where I received many packages.  Many  were too small to fit in my mailbox  and the mailman had to drive up the hill to the house to deliver them. Then the powers that be changed something about the mail trucks that made it important for the boxes to be higher up for mail to be delivered. Neither my husband nor I could raise the mailbox onto a higher pole. My husband was disabled.

My mailman offered to install a new larger box at the right height if we would get one. So I got the one you see above. It holds a lot of mail and small packages. We don't get so many of those anymore since I stopped selling books, but we still appreciate this box and the mailman who made it possible for us to use it.

But that's not even the best thing he did for us. His alertness saved me from identity theft. A rural mail carrier pretty much knows if someone is living on the premises and getting mail. They see signs like cars at the house when they deliver packages and letters that need to be signed.  They often are putting mail in the box when you  are entering or leaving your driveway. They also can tell when someone appears to be moving. We weren't.

One day our mailman came up to the house with the mail and asked me if we were moving . He said someone had put in an internet order to have our mail forwarded to another address. He said he was pretty  sure we were still there and wanted to check before actually forwarding our mail. I think he suspected someone was trying to steal our identity. When we verified we were still there, he reversed the order and the crook did not get our mail. 

Our mailman retired many years ago. I don't know who carries our mail there now, because there is rarely an occasion to see him or her. I would like to think all mail carriers are as alert and concerned as my old one was. I know that all of them work hard.

It used to be easy to thank your mail carrier when he actually carried the mail  to your house every  day and dropped it in your box. During my childhood our mailman was someone we saw at church every Sunday, and his daugher was a friend of mine. Some days when he had a few extra minutes  he would chat with my mom or even come in for a cup of coffee.  It was easy  for Mom to give him some baked goodies. Now about all we can  do is leave a thank you note in the mailbox.

Did you do anything special for your mail carrier today? Or were you, like me, not even aware of this day in time to plan for it. 

Take a Walk Outdoors Day

According to the online calendars of unusual and little known holidays, January 20 is Take a Walk Outdoors Day. I'm sure glad it wasn't yesterday, since it was pouring rain for the first few hours of the day. I'm not a great one for walking in the rain. I do, however like to  walk outdoors. This photo shows one of my favorite country roads in Paso Robles for an outdoor walk -- Oak Lane. There are majestic oak trees everywhere, and lot of farm animals to photograph, many of which I have shared in previous posts.

















Most of my photos for my posts on this blog are taken on my outdoor photo walks. I am accompanied by my trusty point and shoot camera, which is a Nikon Coolpix S8200 with a 14x optical zoom. It's just the right size to carry wherever I go or slip in a pocket or fanny pack. I love this camera so much I wrote an entire article showing you what it can do.

I have written about three of my favorite short hikes in North San Luis Obispo County on HubPages. I guess you could call them long outdoor walks. Most of the pictures in the article were taken when I was still using my older camera - a Canon PowerShot A1100 IS, but you will still see the scenery. I take you on some of my other photo walks in the related links below.

If you have time today, celebrate. Put on your walking shoes, grab a camera, and take a walk outdoors. Look for something you've never noticed before. When is the last time you took a walk outdoors?

Cattle Anyone?

North San Luis Obispo County is home to many cattle. I decided to share some of my cattle photos so that my friend my friend Rhonda Albom will see that they are not really too scary.I'll admit, though, that the longhorns might be intimidating. Most of these cattle have been photographed in Paso Robles, but one is from Templeton. This first animal lives only a few blocks from me in Paso Robles. I saw it on a walk Near South River Road.

These cattle were living in wine country next door to the old Eagle Castle when I took their picture. I'm afraid some might think that longhorn is a bit frightening. I'd forgotten it was in this photo.

Cow Behind My Church

Maybe the last place you'd expect to find cattle would be at church. Maybe that's because your church isn't in a rural area. I was very surprised to climb the hill in back of our church one day to photograph the oak tree I knew was there, and find cattle. I decided this cow was a good subject, but she wasn't alone.

This cow was near the fence when I first tried to capture her with my camera. By the time I got to the fence, she had decided to play hard to get. I wanted to get her horns in the photo, but she kept turning her back and walking away from me. This is the best I could do. This cow lives in rural Templeton east of the river.

 Cattle Under Tree: iPad Mini Case "God causes grass to grow for the cattle. Will He not also feed you? Postcard: Cattle under Tree

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A Miniature Horse

North San Luis Obispo County is Horse Country

The North County is wine country, but it's also horse country. There are commercial horse farms, and then there are residents who have horses along with donkeys, mules, sheep, and goats. This is a miniature horse who lives in Templeton, south of Vineyard Drive, off Santa Rita Road. It lives with larger horses next to a rural home.

A Miniature Horse is Not a Pony

When I first saw this horse I thought it might be a pony, but later I met the owner, who set me straight. You can see how small this miniature horse is when one of the other horses is near. This isn't a very clear shot since the horses were at the back of the lot and I had to use my zoom.


I took a couple of other shots of the miniature horse to give you yet a different perspective.

This photo was taken looking straight at the front of the horse.

This shot was taken as I looked over the top of the fence. 

Does anyone have a caption you'd like to suggest for this one?

 Miniature Horse Manual for New Owners A Newly Revised and Updated Guide for the First Time Minature Horse Owner

Don't miss my friend Rhonda's travel blog, Albom Adventures

An Auto Repair Shop in Rural Atascadero

On June 3 I was called upon to drive my husband to an auto repair shop in Atascadero so he could pick up the Ford Galaxy, which had been in for a repair. He wanted me to wait until he was actually driving the car away before I left, so I had some time to wait while he talked to the mechanic. Naturally, I pulled out my camera so see what I could find to photograph.

Normally I expect auto shops to be surrounded by cement or asphalt. This one had some asphalt in the driveway, but the building had so many trees around it that it looked almost like it was in a park. Here is a closer view of the large oak between the road and the shop.

This shop was on Traffic Way, which runs east from El Camino Real, the main street in Atascadero, curves, and then runs north parallel to El Camino Real. The west side of Traffic Way is residential. Much of the west side is industrial, and there are many auto repair and body shops there. Behind these shops run the railroad tracks. Between the tracks and the Salinas River to the east are more rural residences. This gives you a view of the tracks behind the shop. That area, too, is almost park-like.

This is a part of Atascadero most tourists won't see -- unless their cars break down. The Zazzle canvas wrap print below shows another part of Atascadero that's off the beaten track. Click through to see it a bit larger. The trucks are in Atascadero Canyon.
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Q is for Quiet

As I thought about what "Q" would stand for tonight, my first thought was "quack." My neighbor has a pet duck (pictured here) and I hear it quacking quietly whenever it's near me. It's actually a pleasant sound. Certainly not like the annoying cuckoo I hear from morning till night when I'm living in Paso Robles. (You can make any photo larger by clicking it.)

There are many sounds when I live even in this small city, compared to when I'm home in Templeton surrounded by my neighbors' vines. There are loud cars coming and going even in the middle of the night. Noisy trucks park right under my window. We won't even mention the gardeners who seem to sync their schedules to make sure at least one of them is operating something noisy in a neighboring house daily. And then there is that cuckoo.

When I thought about that, I remembered why we moved to a rural area in the first place. It isn't always quiet. There is an occasional tractor or chain saw. But at dusk, when the workers have quit for the day, it becomes quiet. It becomes so quiet you can hear the quiet. Quiet is a rare sound in our world where we seem to be constantly bombarded by radios, TV, traffic sounds, piped in music in waiting rooms, and human cries and shouts.

When I'm surrounded with the cacophony of life, I love to retreat to a vineyard to walk where I can feel the peace that comes with quiet again. I usually  go to Doce Robles, Zenaida, or Peachy Canyon vineyards because they are close.  I like to walk there in the late afternoon as the sun is going down. That gives me added beauty in the sky.


On the particular day this was taken I was attending a meeting at the Steinbeck Vineyards, and I took advantage of the opportunity to grab this photo. It was quiet except for the song birds, whose music just seemed appropriate to the scene.

When I went out to photograph the truck beside my house, its engine was quiet. In fact the neighborhood itself was quiet on this Sunday evening as I said goodbye to the sun.  Only the distant noise of freeway traffic on the hill broke the silence. That quiet very much suited the peace of this sunset.

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Jack Creek Road in West Templeton

One of my favorite walking routes is along Jack Creek Road in West Templeton. It runs from Highway 46 West over Jack Creek, past Jack Creek Cellars, and around the bend until in places it parallels Highway 46 West until it ends at Vineyard Drive to the east. As you enter from 46 West you will pass a forested area. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you will actually see 46 west to the far right with trees on both sides.

I usually park near the entrance to the left along a frontage road. Then I walk across this bridge over Jack Creek. Sometimes it even has water in it.

You can already see that this walk will take you past some large oak trees. One of them is not too far along the road after you have crossed the bridge. It is draped with Spanish moss, as are many of our oak trees here

As you continue on your walk you will  soon pass Jack Creek Cellars and its vineyard and tasting room. Remember, you can click any photo to enlarge it.

Shortly after you pass the vineyards, the trees are farther apart and the road curves. You will then pass some fields and an occasional house. It is here you have the best view of the mountains on the other side of 46 West.


From here to Vineyard Drive there will not be much shade as the trees get more scarce by the road. The closer you get to Vineyard Drive, the more houses you will see. You know you will be getting into that section soon when you see these trees ahead. From a distance they look like one large tree, but this is what you see up close. We did this walk in late afternoon, so it appears my shadow left its mark.

Which part of the road do you like best?

Exploring the Spanish Camp Area of Paso Robles

I Discover Spanish Camp in Paso Robles

Although the Spanish Camp area is only five minutes from where I live, I've never explored it  before. I had heard there were some very large homes there on acreage, but until today I never saw them. I found the development quite by accident.

It's a Private Home - Not a Park

I was coming home from physical therapy and decided to stop somewhere for my photo walk on the way home. Instead of turning toward home, I just kept going south on Creston road until I saw what appeared to be part of a park -- the oasis you see in the photo above. It was on a corner, so I turned right and parked. Then I discovered this was in the yard of a private home. Each home had lots of land, and mature oak trees were scattered everywhere.

Up the Hill

 I decided to walk up the hill in front of me, and on the way I noticed some   goats at the very back of this lot. I had to catch them with my zoom lens, since they were far from the road. You can see the large oak right behind them.

Do You See the Goats Between the Fences?

I could see the crest of the hill only a couple of blocks away (if there had been blocks) so I decided to check out the view. Once at the top I could see a long way to the west and  south. This is the shot I will share with you. What appear to be large flat stones as you look down the hill are really rooftops of other homes.

Those are Rooftops -- Not Flat Rocks -- Below the Trees

This experience and the discovery of the Snead/Rambouillet Trail last week shows me that even when you live in an area a long time there are still discoveries to be made and much left to explore that you haven't seen.

Have you come across any surprises in your own town lately?