Design in Wood Exhibit

Offers the expected.

And the unexpected. This outfit can’t be comfortable.

Craftspeople are on site, making chairs.

And spinning tops.

This exhibitor, motivated by the ‘Race to the Fair’ theme, built a barstool.

With tracks for displaying metal toy cars.

Clever.

Flower and Garden Show Exhibit

In keeping with the theme ‘Race to the Fair’, vehicles were incorporated into the landscape designs.

Most entries featured a xeriscape approach. Even the afternoon speaker described drip irrigation and the high cost of water bills.

So the exhibits seemed a little more subdued this year.

Instead of lush greenery and colorful blooms, there were succulents, rocks and gravel.

There were touches of whimsy, however, like this chair and bolster.

And the drive-in diner with flowering swivel seats.

Fair Food

Attracts large crowds.

There is the novelty of trying the latest concoction:

Deep-Fried Baby-Ruth-Filled Jalapenos (would that constitute an appetizer or dessert?)

Deep-Fried Kool-Aid (how is that even possible?)

Deep-Fried Beer-Battered Bacon Bliss (cuz there’s just not enough fat in plain old bacon).

Or eating food presented in a different way, like the Texas Twist.

Or searching for a vegetable like corn on the grill.

BBQ turkey legs are popular with the carnivores.

There is something for everyone.

For me it is Australian Battered Potatoes. A plate of crispy tater slices, topped with cheese and ranch dressing.

By the second piece, I usually feel a little bit ill.

Isn't that part of the fair food experience?

Thanks Joey.

See ya next year.

Rides at the Fair

I prefer rides that spin.

Around and around.  

Like this.

I don’t need to go upside down.

Like this.

As a rule I avoid rides that have you remove your sandals because they will come flying off during the spinning portion.

Even with shoes on, this looks scary.

Roller coasters are a simpler option to make your stomach drop.

Or start out slow with a slide.

And scream the whole way down.

Race to the Fair

Is the theme this year.

Aptly named since the San Diego County Fair takes place at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and Race Track.

But first you have to get there.

Skip the freeway congestion and head straight to one of these nearby locations that offer free parking and shuttle service:

Horse Park Equestrian Center (available every day)

Torrey Pines High School (weekends plus July 1 & 4)

Mira Costa College San Elijo Campus (weekends plus July 1 & 4)

Torrey Pines High School parking lot

Once inside the fair gates it is all about cars.

Old cars.

Old convertibles.

All the way to the present.

And the narrowest car I’ve ever seen, Tango, a high-performance electric commuter car.

So embrace transportation choices.

Take advantage of the free shuttle service to the fair.

And don't be scared by the kits onboard.

I doubt the Body Fluid Cleanup Kit is used that often...

The Forum at Carlsbad

Has quite a few shops including Ann Taylor Loft, Victoria’s Secret, Free People and my favorite – Anthropologie.

The White House Black Market is expanding this summer.

Urban Outfitters recently opened.

That is where I found this pair of zip-up-the-back ankle wrap sandals ($39). 

And a pair of printed cloth Mary Janes (2 pairs for $20). Youthful but couldn’t resist.

Next week, on June 30^th, the popular discount retailer H&M is opening.

I remember seeing these stores all over London last year.

Looks like they better hustle if they are going to be ready for the grand opening!

Spring Cleaning

Today is the official start of summer.

Which means I have missed my window of opportunity.

Or is it passé?

My maternal Grandmother was quite serious about the yearly ritual. Even going so far as washing the walls.

I don’t think I have ever washed a wall.

Unless you count shower tiles.

Anyhoo, I had a plan last week to pick a small manageable area to Spring clean.

The balcony.

Which hasn’t seen a broom in well over a year.

Certainly this would make the Before & After pictures especially dramatic.

And isn't that the point - to have startling results?

  

Here is the BEFORE.

On a gloomy June morning.

Along with the camera, I should have brought a broom, scrub brush, some Simple Green, a garden hose, shears to trim the bougainvillea, additional potting soil and a few odds and ends to spruce things up.

But I didn't.

Yet.

Still debating whether I should wait till next year or just go ahead and clean out-of-season.

Bolting Lettuce

We have been picking and washing and dressing and eating and giving away our lettuce from the garden for quite some time.

But then it decided to bolt.

Which suggests that it went running out of the garden, away from the suburbs, to try its luck in the big city.

That would be incorrect.

As I am referring to the horticultural definition.

Bolting is the growth of an elongated stalk with flowers grown from within the stem of a plant. This condition occurs in plants that are grown for their leaves, such as lettuce. This behavior (moving from leaf growth to the production of flowers and seeds) is usually undesired. It is, however, a natural and inevitable outcome.

The remaining leaves are bitter so it was time to uproot and discard in the compost bin.

And we wait patiently.

For our newly planted red leaf varietal to take off.

I mean that in the sprouting-sense, not the bolting-sense.

Torrey Pines Gliderport

This afternoon we watched people fly.

It was incredible.

Ok, technically it is called paragliding.

But really, it is stepping off a cliff and then flying, in a bucket seat with feet outstretched.

Soaring.

Click here to:  WATCH VIDEO

The equipment can be wrapped up and transported in a backpack. So simple.

All it takes is a little wind and a bit of courage.

Lifeguard Stations

Tall imposing structures line the coast at our local Torrey Pines State Beach and can be seen from a distance.

So the ones at Mission Bay seem quite modest by comparison.

Especially the apparent BYOL policy.

Bring your own ladder.

Further south, the ‘tower’ seemed downright rickety.

I guess lifeguard stations at the Bay can be a little more low-key since the water is shallow, waves are non-existent and shark sightings aren’t a concern.