As I Was Chasing the Clouds I Caught the Train

Amtrak Train in Paso Robles, ©B. Radisavljevic

It's not always easy to find a good place to take sky pictures when the clouds are just right. I have discovered a few spots where I can get clear of buildings and tall trees, and one of those places is the end of Pine Street near Derby Estates. It is there I went to chase the clouds on October 25, 2014. What I did not expect was that the Amtrak train would go by just as I was getting out of my car. For an enlarged view of this or any photo on this page, just click it.

I have a thing about trying to catch trains with my camera, and that sometimes means that I have to run in the direction they are headed. Fortunately, I saw this train before I had my neck surgery, so I could still chase it. This train is not far out of the depot and it's still going slow. You can see the Superliner sleeper cars well in this photo.

Since I was running to catch the train, I wasn't focusing too well on the clouds I originally had come to capture. In this last photo, though, as the train was heading south around the bend at the end of Pine and was almost out of sight, I caught a bit of the clouds above it. It's unfortunate I could not get past the power lines and wires before the train got to this place. One of these days I may have to look up the schedule so I can get in position at the right time.

Related articles

• T is for Trains
• Amtrak will run dome car from Albany to Montreal this fall

The Sun Has Gone to Bed and So Must I

A Paso Robles Sunset in Winter, © B. Radisavljevic

Yes. It's a cop-out. I'm just too tired to write anymore tonight and I usually post at midnight. The sun is going to bed earlier these nights, and I begin to feel sleepy earlier, too. It's supposed to get down to almost freezing tonight for the first time this season.  I'm bundled up and the cold and dark combine to tempt me under the covers.

Do the time change and cold make you want to go to bed earlier, too?

If you're sleepy when you read this, take a catnap, or, if it's night for you, head for your pillow. It's flu season, and it doesn't pay to get too  tired.

Goodnight.

Sleeping Orange Tabby Cat

Unusual Oak Tree Trunk Shapes

Unusual Trees Seen at Peachy Canyon, Isolated, ©B. Radisavljevic

Wine country in the Paso Robles / Templeton area has more than grapes. It's also full of trees, especially oak trees. On just one vineyard property you may see many varieties of oak tree. Drive Highway 46 West from 101 to Jack Creek Road and you will see deciduous oaks, evergreen oaks, oaks with canopies, and oaks that reach high into the sky. I won't even attempt to name them, since many are also hybrids. They come in  all shapes and sizes.

Unusual Trees Seen at Peachy Canyon Surrounded by Other Trees

You can find many of these varieties near the corner of Bethel Road and 46 West, and most especially on the grounds of Peachy Canyon Tasting Room, the old Veris Cellars property, and Zenaida Cellars. I have featured many of these in past posts. Today I will show you a couple of trees with interesting trunk shapes I found at Peachy Canyon in January,  2014.  I show you just the trunks near the ground in the top picture of this post. I show you the entire trees in their place among the others near them in this photo.

When I enlarged the top portions in my photo editor, it does appear the two trees with the oddly shaped trunks are oaks, but judging from the bark they may be different species. One seems to have smoother back than the other. See some of the other oaks I have photographed in the North County in the related articles at the bottom of this post.

If you love oak trees as much as I do,  you might want to own one or more of the books below. I own the first one, and it devotes about five pages to oaks common in California. It also has photos of the bark, leaves,  and fruits  of many of the other trees we see on our streets and in our parks. I bought my copy after the author led a nature walk to identify the trees in the Paso Robles City  Park, and it's been a great help to me. After reading the reviews of Oaks of California,  I'd like to  buy that book,  too, so that I can learn more about the oaks I see every day.

 Californian's Guide to the Trees among Us, A Oaks of North America Oaks of California

Related articles

• Oaks and Wires
• What I'd Miss Most If I Ever Had to Leave Paso Robles Forever
• Large Oaks Near the Old Carnegie Library in the Paso Robles City Park
• Would You Like a Room With An Oak View?
• Jack Creek Road in West Templeton
• A Photo Walk Through the Vineyards of Zenaida Cellers

Looking Back at Sycamore Farms and Fat Cat Farm

Part of Sycamore Herb Farm Herb Garden after the fire before it reopened,

Fat Cat Farm used to be Sycamore Herb Farm, owned by Bruce and Sandy Shomler. When I first moved to Templeton, California in 1993, it was one of my first discoveries, only a mile east of my new home. I started my first garden with the herbs I bought from them. I loved the herb farm. There were animals to look at, a lush herb garden that let you know what the herbs you bought might grow into, and a marvelous gift shop full of fresh herbs, herbal gifts, books about herbs, and other wonderful things. There was also an antique car right in the gift shop. It was the kind of place I could easily get lost in. I often would go there on Sunday afternoons just to look around and relax because they had made it a beautiful place.

Then, in 2004, a terrible thing happened. A fire burned down the main building and I'm not sure what else, but Sycamore Farm closed. When it reopened, it had become a tasting room for Lone Madrone Winery, which radically changed the atmosphere of what used to be the old gift shop, but the herb farm also reopened in 2007. I was glad to see it back and continued my herb-buying trips. Then one day when I went in, I found that the herb farm had closed once again. I bought a couple of left-over plants for half price, sorry that they were no longer loved and cared for. In 2009 I returned to Lone Madrome to take pictures of what remained of the old Sycamore Herb Farm. 

I was delighted when Rhoda Chute revived the herb farm and renamed it Fat Cat Farm in 2010. Unfortunately, it, too, is now gone, but it was a beautiful place that deserves to be remembered as a part of Paso Robles history. We will tour it was it was in 2010.

Let's begin our tour of Fat Cat Farm

Entrance to Fat Cat Farm, 2010, ©B. Radisavljevic

Isn't this entrance inviting? My real tours of Fat Cat Farm will be in video a bit farther down, but here's an idea of what's ahead. As we enter, we will pass the goats to our right. You will probably hear them before you will see them. Then the restrooms are just a bit farther on. Look ahead and to the left and you will see the herb gardens and a picnic area nestled under the trees. Continue straight ahead past the tasting room and you will find the herb farm. Its long tables were beginning to fill up again with herbs of all kinds.

Fat Cat Farm did not just offer the usual herbs you might find at a regular nursery or large garden center. In those places you normally find the most common varieties of the most common herbs. You are able to come home with a lavender, a sage or two, oregano, curly parsley, flat leaf parsley, dill, basil, chives, thyme, basil, and maybe a couple of others I may have forgotten.

Pink Grapefruit Yarrow from Fat Cat Farm, ©B. Radisavljevic

At Fat Cat Farm you could find many varieties of lavender, sage, oregano, mint, thyme, basil, scented geraniums, and maybe some I've forgotten. On this visit I came home with tansy, which I had wanted for years. I got some pink grapefruit yarrow and some bronze fennel. Rhoda Chute, the owner of Fat Cat Farm, also recommended some plants I'd never heard of before to meet some of my needs. These were a silver germander and variegated sweet myrtle. I was also able to get some German chamomile that I needed. 

Herb Shoppe at Fat Cat Farm, ©B. Radisavljevic

Rhoda herself is a treasure. When I go to places like Home Depot and other garden centers, I'm on my own. They have few people who can make recommendations on what will meet your needs. Rhoda knows her stuff and can answer questions even about what she doesn't have yet. She patiently helped me find what I needed. She was planning big things for the future of Fat Cat Farm. Once all the herb beds were full again, she planned to move on to providing fresh-cut flowers and newly harvested herbs. She also planned to have heirloom cottage flowers and vegetables and plants that are hard to find anywhere else.

Just as Sycamore Herb Farm before it, Fat Cat used organic methods. I knew that the plants I bought would not have seen chemicals or poisons. Since I also avoid those things, I was very pleased to buy anything I could at Fat Cat Farm. I really miss having it a mile east of me. 

Now let's move right into the video tours.

Trois Chats Poster

The Grand Tour of Fat Cat Farm, June 15, 2010

That's Rhoda you see walking across the screen as we enter Fat Cat Farm. We'll pay a brief visit to the goat and her kid and then look around the herbs near the entrance for a bit. As we approach the Lone Madrone Tasting Room on the way to the Fat Cat Farm, Rhoda walks by again and I threaten to come back and interview her someday soon.  We walk past the tasting room and out to the area where the herbs are sold and take a brief look at the butterfly garden behind that area, the growing beds for the herbs, and a new planting area. Another video will take a closer look at the butterfly garden.

A closer look at the Butterfly Garden at Fat Cat Farm, June 15, 2010

This video focuses on just the Butterfly Garden and a more extensive look at the herb store area as they were in 2010.

A Closer Look at Fat Cat Farm's Growing Beds

This very short video records my conversation with Rhoda, the owner, about the plants in this bed and her history with the farm.

Herbs Spices Peppers Home Garden Classic White Coffee Mug

The Goat and Her Kid at Fat Cat Farm

Ok. I like to watch animals because I don't have any. This video is just goats talking to each other and me talking to the goats. These are the animals your children might like to watch if you visit. You met them briefly on the way in on the first video.

Funny Sayings on Goat T-shirt 

Fat Cat Farm Had Chickens, Too

We all know that an organic farm needs a lot of manure, and it has to come from somewhere. I suspect that the chickens and goats helped provide it. So let's meet the chickens that lived at Fat Cat Farm. Your children might also like to watch them.

I dream of the day... CHICKENS (on dark) Tshirt

Photos from June 7, 2013

These photos were taken shortly before Fat Cat Farm closed. What a contrast to what remains in that space now. 

Bird Bath in Fat Cat Farm Herb Garden Bed, ©B. Radisavljevic, 2013

Sculpture in Fat Cat Farm Herb Garden Bed, ©B. Radisavljevic, 2013

Fat Cat Farm Herb Display Tables, ©B. Radisavljevic, 2013

Fat Cat Farm Butterfly Garden Entrance, ©B. Radisavljevic, 2013

What Was  Left of Fat Cat Farm Butterfly Garden Area in January, 2014, ©B. Radisavljevic 

It breaks my heart that the gardens are gone. You can click any photo to make it larger for a more detailed view. 

Since Fat Cat Farm closed, I now rely on Serena Wyatt at Grown from the Heart to supply me with herb and  vegetable seedlings. She is very helpful and I like doing business with her at the Templeton Farmers Market. 

Do you remember Sycamore Herb Farm or Fat Cat Farm? Do you miss having a local herb farm as much as I do? Do you have a local herb farm where you live?

Related articles

• An Unexpected Visit from a Praying Mantis
• The Growth of Clary Sage
• Yes, You CAN Grow Plants!

Rain from Heaven

Rain is a gift we've badly needed and it finally arrived Monday. Such a pleasure it was to hear the rain on the roof, but to make sure I wasn't imagining it, I took a peak out over the back yard. Yup! The patio and grass and trees were wet.

Naturally I had to get my camera out to document this rare event. After shooting this picture, I decided to see what the front yard looked like.  I didn't want it to rain on my  camera, so I stood on my front porch and looked out between the wall and the pillar to see over my flowerbed toward the street.

It's Raining in My Back  Yard, © B. Radisavljevic

Those streaks you see in the photo are the streams of rain coming from the roof. They are forming a puddle that runs through the middle of the flowerbed. For a closer look at either photo, just click on it.

Here's a celebration  of the blessings of rain in music and photos. Enjoy.

Remembering Veris Cellars in Photos

Blocked Driveway to What Was Veris Cellars, 

I've been living in Paso Robles / Templeton wine country for over twenty years now, and in that time I've seen many wineries change hands. Some just keep going with a name change and a remodel. Only two that I am aware of in Highway 46 West wine country have stayed closed and empty for very long. One  that languished for quite a while was Eagle Castle, which finally reopened as Tooth and Nail Winery. The other is Veris Cellars. The driveway that leads to the old Veris Cellars Tasting Room is now blocked while the property is in the process of being transformed.

Veris Cellars Tasting Room, September, 2011, ©B. Radisavljevic

Veris Cellars, which had beautiful vineyards and scenic gardens, has been closed to the public for several months now. I have taken a look around every now and then and I feel sad that so much of the beauty of the grounds is gone. I hope when the new business moves in and opens to the public, the gardens will once again be blooming.

The following photos show some of the views of Veris Cellars tasting room and grounds I liked best.

Veris Cellars Tasting Room, June, 2013, ©B. Radisavljevic

Veris Cellars Rose Garden, June, 2013, ©B. Radisavljevic

Sign on Arbor: " Wine is Cheaper than Therapy"

Veris Cellars Tasting Room Dressed Up for Holidays, December, 2011

Here are the photos since the tasting room has been vacant.

Tasting Room, February, 2015, ©B. Radisavljevic

Rose Garden, February, 2015, ©B. Radisavljevic

Vacant Tasting Room ,September 27, 2015, ©B. Radisavljevic

I have just spoken to someone at Castoro Cellars, the new owners of this property, as to when it might reopen again and what they plan to do with it. Due to unexpected repairs they have to make to the property, they do not have a definite reopening date, but it isn't likely to be open in time for the holidays this year. I'm also told the gardens will be even better than they were. The tasting room will be more or a hang-out place than just a tasting room, and food will also be available. I can hardly wait for the reopening.

Wine Is Cheaper Than Therapy Coaster

A Paso Robles Prank for Theme Day

This is Theme Day for members of the City Daily Photo blogging network. This month's theme is Ephemeral. Something ephemeral is temporary by nature. It isn't expected to last. Such was the case of the marque sign on this unoccupied old theater. The empty building has been bought and sold a few times,  but no one has yet transformed it into a new business. Someone added the colorful letters to the marque one night for the city to wake up to the next morning.

In my photo here, you only get part of the story of what the out-of-town owner declared was vandalism. The barricades to keep people out of the vacant building were also decorated with political slogans. You can read the full story and see the photo I was too late on the scene to get in this article from the Paso Robles Daily News. Slogan, posters, and and sign disappeared quickly. They were, after all, ephemeral.

See what ephemeral photos others posted from around the world here. 

Here some ephemeral sights people have captured captured on Zazzle products. most designs are available on a multitude of products. Just click through to find them.

 iPad Mini Case: Seaweed on the Sand in Cayucos iPad Mini Cases Dog Wolf Animal Paw Prints Sand Desert Tracks Poster Footprints At Hug Point Greeting Card Rainbow and Trees Paper Plate 7 Inch Paper Plate