Some random fotos from the Poppy Archive you might enjoy.

Helms Olympic Bakery Now Culver City Furniture Nexus.

Then we spent the afternoon at LA's Armand Hammer Museum.

Santa Monica, nuestra Sta. Monica :-)

Barista at Peet's on Montana Street paints Spring Bean Fever promotion along the thoroughfare.

Check out this recumbent.  I ducked into an old artists' warren on Main Street, spied this beauty hanging from the rafters.

Santa Monica municipal tree crew member sweeps up branches and leaves with the plu-perfect broom au naturel.  As my new friend explained the palm frond is the most efficient, environtmentally responsible tool ever invented by God or man.

Nancy took this pic of me and the most impressive arborist crew membr on the S. Monica municipal staff.

Cute little restaurant and watering hole, as seen through back doorr of cute little boutique on Montana.

OMG. You should see the flowers in full bloom, at every turn.  Pina says anything grows, anything goes out here on the West Coast.

National Steinbeck Center, Salinas, California.

What a remarkable experience it was last week to visit the Steinbeck Center in Salinas.  One is reminded of the enormous impact the writer John Steinbeck had on our civilization  during one of the most difficult periods in America's history.

Steinbeck won the Nobel Prize for his last major novel, East of Eden in 1962.  Since then students from all over California, most of whom will not likely read his work, nonetheless visit the Center on a daily basis, become enthralled with Steinbeck's activism on behalf of " ... the common man, the poor, the down trodden, the desperate and destitute."  

Through study of Steinbeck's commitment to equality, fairness and justice, young people continue to gain a healthy perspective on life as it can still be.

Check out this place if you haven't been there lately.   

Poking Around San Fran.

So much to see and do in SF, no matter how many times you've been here.  We met a young peanut butter entrepreneur sampling some of his made-at-home-in-the-kitchen product.  Pretty yummy. We all think he's going to be a big successes.

Then a visit to the Exploratorium on the Embarcadero.  You can catch a view of Old Poppy taking a drink from a water fountain mounted on top of a white toidey.  We all know about driving the porcelain bus, but this is ridiculous.

Pedi cab ride from the best pedaler on the Embarcadero. $12.00 fare seemed fare (no pun) considering how hard our guy worked to deliver us safe and sound at our destination.

What else? Take a peek. See for yourselves.  I'll post more soon.

Pina's Garden Grows So Green.

My wife has the greenest thumb of all time. And she can nudge along cacti and other desert plants in the most exquisite kind of way.  Took these shots yesterday -- bright sunshine, deep blue sky, and you would have been blown away by the fragrance of the Jasmine.

Albuquerque's "la Jornada" - Amazing, stunning Public Art.

Some of the most stunning public art I've come across in my travels -- whether by bicycle, in a car, plane, boat, anything, anywhere -- has been in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This very exciting and progressive city prides itself on its art.  If I'm not mistaken City Fathers and Mothers fund a separate line item in the municipal budget so they can keep the public art investment going.

What you see in this post are fotos from an installation at the Albuquerque Museum.  It's part of the "la Jornada" cuatro centennario (4 centuries ) project by Reynaldo "Sonny" Rivera and Betty Sabo.

The City's Public Art program chief, Sherri Brueggermann, is a passionate, tireless advocate for the kind of work you see in these fotos. Somehow she finds to teach at the University of New Mexico, too.  

Sherri explained that public art benefits a city in any number of ways.  

For instance, "La Jornada" is a powerful tourist attraction. And that translates into revenue for ABQ. 

Great art pleases residents, as well, and generates a special, priceless civic pride.

And it's not hard to imagine that headline making public art serves as a magnet for creatives of all persuasions: writers, filmmakers, painters, sculptors, poets, photographers, performance artists, the gammut.

Hats off to Sherri and her city. Keep up the inspiring work.