I haven't been to a dance since I started dating my husband of now over fifty years, so I don't see much rock and roll anymore. Coming up with a photo for this month's "Rock' n' Roll City Daily Photo Bloggers theme seemed almost impossible until I remembered my nephew's wedding reception in October, 2014. During the reception, my nephew's new wife was dancing with a young relative and they stole the show.
Here's the video version of part of the dance. Try to ignore everyone but the bride and her partner.
Templeton History: Day in the Shade, 2010
I don't get many still photos of dancing, but there was some rocking and rolling going on at Day in the Shade in Templeton, May 8, 2010. I share it with you here in video.
Day in the Shade, which used to be an annual art exhibit in Templeton City Park the Saturday before Mother's Day, seems to have been discontinued, but I have preserved some of the highlights from Day in the Shade 2012 here.
Not everyone considers it heavenly. It's not really an ugly tree. It just loves that God made it to bear seeds to reproduce itself and the Tree of Heaven does it with enthusiasm. A remarkable number of those seeds sprout and become new trees. Most of those trees aren't welcomed. They tend to move in and take over. If you try to chop down or cut off a small tree, it will multiply even more by producing a multitude of suckers.
What you see above are just a few branches hanging over a shed in the Templeton Community Garden. I'm afraid if someone doesn't so something soon, there will be a forest of Trees of Heaven. The babies are already popping up all over where they aren't wanted.
Here's an example. The fence you see below separates the Templeton Community Garden from the property around it. There is a majestic oak on the other side of that fence. Do you see what's growing under the oak and on both sides of it? Yep! That's a Tree of Heaven forest waiting to grow up. The Tree of Heaven seemingly can exist and grow without much sunlight, so the shade of the oak won't do much to thwart it. It hardly even needs soil.
The Tree of Heaven Is Far from Heavenly
For one thing, it smells. That's right. The base of the leaves have oil-bearing glands. If you rub them, you probably won't like the odor. The flowers have the same "fragrance."
The tree is also destructive. It can grow from a crack in a sidewalk and destroy the foundations of buildings. It is so invasive that it threatens native plants and agricultural crops. The seedling below is very close to the raised bed where the tomatoes are growing.
You don't want Tree of Heaven growing anywhere near your garden is because it has a toxin in its bark and leaves that will kill other plants around it. I wouldn't put the leaves in your compost pile.
These Videos Will Give You More Information
This video explains how to identify the Tree of Heaven, also known as ailanthus, Chinese sumac, and stinking sumac. It also suggests some ways of getting rid of even mature trees.
Here's how to kill this invasive tree.
Get the product used in the video above by clicking the ad below.
Are you an organic gardener? Here's an organic way to kill a Tree of Heaven. It just takes longer.
Get the product used in the video above by clicking the ad below.
What Does the Future Have in Store for This Raised Bed in the Community Garden?
We have seen how quickly Tree of Heaven can spread. We also know the toxins in its bark and leaves can kill surrounding plants. It would appear the Templeton Community Services District needs to pay more attention to the maintenance of this garden area. Not only does it play host to the Tree of Heaven, but we've seen in a previous post that poison oak is also growing just inside of its fence on the south side.
Christmas decorations are going up all over the neighborhood now. The Cullen Family always puts on a spectacular display with lights, moving objects, and sound. Today I walked by a little after noon and took a few pictures. The display was not completely set up yet. I happened to notice the nativity set, but there seems to be a problem with the wise man and his camel. They appear to be down.
I couldn't help but wonder what happened here. A roaming neighborhood dog? A child? I didn't notice much wind, but we did have some rain this week. Curious minds want to know how this happened.
Here's another daytime view of the set-up.
This display changes every year as the family adds more to it. Here's how it looked in 2010 when I made this video.
Here is a more professional version from 2009 produced by the Cullen family who created this display.
Things are arranged a bit differently this year, and I anticipate seeing how it all comes together. Stay tuned.
One can approach the ocean from Paso Robles in many ways. Probably the closest beaches to Paso Robles are Cambria, San Simeon State Beach, and Cayucos. Continue south on Highway 1 or take 101 to Highway 41 to reach Morro Bay. Just a bit farther south and you will be at Avila Beach and Pismo Beach.Each beach and coastal city has its own unique character, and most locals have a preferred beach where they like to access the ocean. My personal favorite is Moonstone Beach, and next would be Avila Beach. The photo essays I just linked to will show you an extensive look at each beach in photos and videos as I experienced them. I will introduce some different and more recent photos here. I'm glad the ocean is only a short distance from Paso Robles, and I can get to any of my favorite beaches quickly. One of my favorite places to access the ocean in Cambria is Leffingwell Landing. Below are some of the reasons why.
Leffingwell Landing is one place where I can go with Hubby, who has difficulty walking very far, where he can sit and watch the ocean while I walk the boardwalk and we are both happy. There are also restrooms easily accessible. I think the sun is in his eyes in this photo.
Leffingwell Landing is a place where children can be active while getting their own personal taste of nature. I remember how my own children loved to climb on the rocks when we went to a beach that had them. They would have loved the Cambria coastline.
If you watch my video, you can hear the ocean at San Simeon, as well as see it.
Now we will move south to Cayucos. When I think of Cayucos I think of not only the ocean and the beach, but also the seaweed and the patterns formed by the waves on the sand.
Time to move south to Morro Bay now. Morro Bay's most famous landmarks are its smokestacks and Morro Rock. Since I'm focused on the ocean, I'll show you the rock. Since Morro Bay is a fishing village, it is usually surrounded by boats.
It's time to move on to Avila Beach, which actually is two beaches. There's the one near town with a more typical sandy beach, and there is also Port San Luis. These photos were taken at Port San Luis because there is more wildlife to look at. Below is a gull on the rocks deciding whether to go fishing.
Our last stop will be Pismo Beach. It's a popular beach with people and seagulls. Don't leave your picnic food unattended. It will soon be surrounded. This is what happened to one ice chest left by itself on the beach. It's like an airport restaurant for seagulls.
Here's a glimpse of people enjoying Pismo Beach near the pier.
Here are some of my more popular Zazzle products made from photos taken at Pismo Beach, in case you missed picking up a souvenir last time you were there.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it. The sharing buttons are just above the comment box at the end of this post. The photo below is especially designed for pinning.
This is my fifteenth post for the 2016 AtoZchallenge, a Blogging Challenge for the month of April, 2016. My theme is Things You Can See or Experience in North San Luis Obispo County. Here are links to the other posts if you missed them.
