Gibson Beach, After & Before

After

Before

 

Happy I.T.L.A.P.* Day!

*International Talk Like A Pirate

Helping with the festivities this year is our special guest celebrity pirate, Mr. Burt Lancaster 

Things You Might See @ The 17th Goombah's Classic Car Show

The yearly Willow Glen event started off with a few dozen cars in one parking lot. To say it has grown would be an understatement. Last weekend there were over 200 vehicles on display...the lots were overflowing with custom/classic cars and those that couldn't find a place to park were cruising up and down Lincoln Avenue.

Cavalcade Of AI Rock

Randomly cool/funny/weird compilation using Veo "image to video" generation tool and AI online music generator.

Wildfire Claims A Favorite CA 120 Stop (See Update)

We were saddened today to learn the Historic Gold Rush town Chinese Camp has fallen victim to the lightning-caused TCU wildfire. The Kiwi Tavern there was a regular stop when we wanted to pick up a drink or snack on the way to or from Yosemite.

September 2024 (TSG) / September 2025 (CNN)

 

 

 

 

 

Update: latest news reports indicate firefighters were able to save the property

 surrounding the store and the community is rallying in support of the owners. 

Not The Roly-Poly (Or Eat Them Up, Yum) Kind

 The piscatorial fence display across the street from the San Gregorio General Store has been around for awhile--there are mentions of it going back to 2009. No-one seems to know why the fish heads have been hanging around all these years (We probably should've asked the folks at the store...oh well, maybe next time) 

Have You Seen Me?

Whereabouts unknown

Giant Skeleton & Skinless Pup

Last seen in the vicinity of Westwood & Willow 

Could be in some boxes in a storage shed

  

Better Than The Turd

It's fair to say locals have mixed feelings about the
Quetzalcóatl (plumed serpent) sculpture that graces(?) the southern corner of Plaza de César Chávez in downtown San Jose. It is often referred to as "The Turd" and it's easy to see why.

The giant poop has recently acquired some artistic (but sadly only temporary) competition. For the next month or so visitors will be able to enjoy Alebrijes en San José, a collection of 20+ foot tall mythical creatures created by artists from Oaxaca Mexico. 

TSG realizes that beauty/art is in the eye of the beholder. Having said that, we think it's safe to say these imaginative, vibrantly-colored jumbo-sized folk art pieces are definitely better than "The Turd". 

The Old Blue Oak, It Ain't What It Used To Be

TSG recently visited an old friend and discovered the tree has gone through some changes since it last appeared in a post back in 2017. 

We suppose it's a good thing the powers that be at West Valley College decided to use the fallen trunk as a canvas or sorts rather than hauling it off to the woodpile (so to speak).

Camera Obscuras Of The North Island (One More Obscure Than The Other)

 Whenever a Camera Obscura shows up on a "things to do" map search, you can be sure TSG will be heading in that direction.

 Whangārei's Timatatanga Hou ("new beginning") Camera Obscura is a recent example. Other versions we've visited had the "eye" on top of the building with a control that rotated the lens for a 360 degree view.This one had it's "eye" on the side wall with a control that only seemed to close the lens. 

In the "more obscure" category, we encountered this derelict/defunct example on the road to Wairere Boulders Nature Reserve. According to a local gentleman who happened by, it was supposed to be an attraction for an adventure park project that never got off the ground.

Spoiler Alert

At the Canepa Motorsport Museum in Scotts Valley. Some of these automobile aerodynamic accoutrements might more accurately be called wings or air dams, but "Wing/Air Dam Alert" lacked a certain je ne sais quoi.

Birthday Greetings From Our Big Boney Buddies

Looks like a b-day celebration is on tap for a lucky someone on Westwood Drive. TSG joins the skeleton crew in wishing the honoree congrats on another solar orbit.

We Have Reservations

The latest additions to to the TSG Hotel/Motel postcard collection. Namesake-wise, our favorite here wasn't actually a hotel or motel, but a fine(?) dining establishment. Also of interest is the card sent from the Casa Munras Garden Inn to SF television station KRON in 1967.

ps: oops, this one didn't make it into the slideshow (the slideshow editor was not paying attention--sadly not an uncommon occurance when dealing with dozens of similarly-named image files. Oh Well.)

Fourth Of July Fairgasm

"I live in America. Right here, dig my mess."  

-- James Brown

 

This quote could be applied equally to this somewhat slapdash video as well as to other things. But we won't get into that...

 

 (Editors note: readers may have adjust their youtube player setting 
to "1080p/HD" for the best viewing experience.)

Operation! Wētā-Style

Visitors on the Wētā* Workshop Unleashed! tour try their hand at alien organ removal.

*Wētā (aka Wētā FX) is a New Zealand-based 

special effects house founded in the 1980s.

 Their work has been featured in Peter Jackson' films

going back to the The Frighteners  

(starring Michael J. Fox and R. Lee Ermy)