Laguna de la Concepcion*

Agave at the Santa Barbara Mission

I have had a few friends and readers contact me recently, to ask me if everything was okay, after all, the blog has been awful quiet of late.

Truth be told, I have been away at an antique show and don't really like to broadcast my absences for a variety of reasons.

The show was held in Santa Barbara, it went pretty well, keep the wolves from the door and all that. I barely made it home last night, I was dead tired, screaming at myself to stay awake and slightly delirious on the long ride home.

But I wanted to make it back in time for my wedding anniversary, which happened to be yesterday, Twenty second, twenty six years together if you are scoring at home. I did and it is wonderful to be back with my sweetheart.

It was beautiful up there, and the trip went pretty swimmingly if you don't factor in a mild case of food poisoning, which I will talk about in a second. And some family stuff, which I will get into another time.

My routine at these shows is pretty much the same after all this time. Hang the lights, electrical and paper the first day, then go play. Second day, hang paintings, fill case with objects, clean silver and apply requisite labels. Then go find another diversion.

The first day I did my thing and then bugged over to Los Agaves for one of their astounding mojado burritos. The second day I setup and then went and visited some bookseller friends, ate one of Angela's wonderful homemade cookies and appreciated a fine Santa Barbara succulent garden. Afterwards I drove up Mission Canyon and walked the loop at the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, which has been around for about 90 years and has a great selection of native flora and redwoods.

Matilija poppies

I can't believe that I had never visited before but I hadn't. Everything in its time.

Santa Barbara has some of the best landscaping and gardens in the whole state if not country and I got a few ideas for my own place.

I climbed the hill across from the entrance and caught nice views of the mountains and ocean. Walked to the old reservoir, which reaches back into the 17th century and the padres. 

Afterwards I went to the lovely Santa Barbara Mission and snapped a couple shots before I was to meet Bill, Kat and Cam at Super Rica for a lovely feast, never complete without their pulpy agua de sandia, watermelon juice for you gringos.

Friday was the show opening. I stopped at Garret's for breakfast and then proceeded to get down to business. Only had a few sales but they were good sales and I am grateful. Thank you, people.

That night I accompanied three nice young ladies to the Lark, one of the hippest new spots in the City's "Funk Zone."

I don't have time for a full review but will tell you that three out of four of us came down with food poisoning. Not sure if it was the lamb or the octopus.

Weird night, our server was injured during her shift and we never saw her again. Food a serious disappointment, would never go back. Will maybe go into it later if I have to.

We called the manager, have yet to hear back. If you go to the Lark have the Brussels sprouts with the medjool dates. Everything else was a disaster.

I drove down to the Carpenteria Bluffs Preserve the second morning and walked around, enjoyed the view and the fog.

Second day of the show was kind of dead, third picked up and I managed to move a couple choice items. Drove through Hope Ranch, one of the finest neighborhoods in the whole world. Indescribably nice.

Now I'm back.

*Portola and Crespi's later name for Santa Barbara, circa 1769.