On Thursday April 3rd I went with my photo class to Lotus Land. Lotus Land is in Montecito California. Our teacher Theresa Barns organized the trip with two of her classes.  We got to walk around freely, take pictures, and didn’t have to pay the $35.00 dollar entree fee.

This was my forth trip to Lotus Land. It was so fun to look in the places where I hadn’t been before. For most of the 2 hours I was alone walking around the gardens. That was so awesome!

If you have never been to Lotus Land before I suggest you call and make a reservation. You will not be disappointed. There is an experience there that cannot be expressed in words. It’s a very magical place. I had a fabulous time, thanks Theresa.

I’ve know Marc since he was a little boy, and his mom Anne and I are good friends. We have been friends since 1978!  That’s a long time.  Anyway Marc and I went to Los Olivos to take pictures the other day. First we stopped at the Sunny Fields Playground in Solvang  to take some pics. Reminded me of days at the play ground with my two kids and Marc and Marc’s brother Nick.  And I wanted to see the boy inside the man. Then we headed for Los Olivos. The town had pretty much shut down since in was about 5:30. But we had a good time being able to take pictures with hardly anyone else around. After several pictures were taken we both began to relax and get what I call “in the grove”.  That’s where both the photographer and the model are comfortable with each other, and the shots become easier and more relaxed.

We left Los Olivos and headed towards Mt. Figueroa. There were many wild mustard seeds blooming and it was beautiful. There were 3 men looking for Neverland  Ranch. They were from San Diego and were driving  up the coast.  They wanted to see where Michael Jackson’s Ranch had been. They have taken down the Neverland gates so it’s not easy to find. There are a  a few writings on the rocks of the wall from fans wanted to make a connection somehow. Besides that you could just pass right by it. I gave them directions but then thought they came all the way to see this and they might miss it. So Marc and I got into the car and asked them to follow us to the gates. They were so excited taking pictures of each other in from of the gates. I took one of the three of them with there camera of course. We had a great day and it was nice seeing the man that Marc has become. Thanks Marc

Tony and I took a little road trip to Summerland and Santa Barbara Harbor today. It was our Valentines gift to each other. First we went to Summerland and took some images near the beach, and then we went to the  Mcleods Menagerie. Two sisters own the place and they have a store for bird stuff, food, treats, toys, cages, and just about anything else for birds. They make their own recipes and sell them.  Our birds love the Coconut Cookies. Today we bought them a  few toys and some food and treats. In the back of the store is a rescue for birds. They must have about 40 birds there that are up for adoption. It’s so hard to leave them because they all want so much attention. One Cockatoo says “I love you”. The rescue is funded only by donations. So if you need to unload some money they really need it.

Next stop was The Sacred Space also located in Summerland. This store is what they call “Treasures of heaven available on earth”. The store has so many “treasures” like, Buddha’s, crystals, beads, jewelry, music and so much more. When we got there the woman working offered us tea that “we could drink while walking around.”  Delicious green tree, and the stir sticks are made of bamboo…it was so cute. The owners of the store are Jack and Rose Herschorn. There are gardens in the back of the store where you can walk  around,  sit, write in the journal, listen to the waterfalls, rake the sand, or just be! When we leave we feel so relaxed. I bought a Buddha statue and Tony got a stone that had Sanskrit writing that says Om or Aum.

After that we went to lunch at Adama which is a vegan and vegetarian restaurant in Santa Barbara. Tony had the french dip, and I had the barbecued sandwich, and both came with a small salad.  Then we got some cookies to take home with us too. It’s a wonderful restaurant.

Our last stop was the Santa Barbara Harbor. This is where we took a lot of pictures. You will see them below. After that we left to come home. It was a great day.

Tony and I had our 11th year wedding anniversary on the 2nd of February, but we have been together a total of 16 years. We celebrated it yesterday by driving north to Morro Bay and Caycos. The weather was perfect. We walked on the Caycos pier and took pictures. There was these two dogs one black the other white playing with a tennis ball in the water. The owners two kids were in the water too playing with the dogs. You could tell those dogs were watching the kids and love those children. It was very cute and enduring.

Then we drove about 10-15 miles and stopped at the town of Harmony- population 18. It’s a very small town consisting of around 10 buildings. They have a glass shop there and we got to watch this artist making a glass object in the furnace, molding it with metal tools and gravity. Some very beautiful and interesting glass objects for sale and t-shirts that say Harmony. After Tony bought one of the t-shirts and I some handmade soap we were off to Cambria.

It was around 1:30 where we arrived in Cambria. We have been there many times before and always eat at Robin’s Restaurant. It’s a wonderfully delicious and healthy restaurant to eat at. After lunch we went into the store across the street called Heart’s Ease. They sell handmade soap, fragrances, potpourri, seeds, lotions, fairys, garden decor and fragrant and body oils. We bought a lot of handmade soap there. We love this store and shop there every time we go to Cambria. We were going to go to Moonstone Beach and the thrift store, but were too tired and knew we had the drive home still. I didn’t even take pictures while in Cambria, too busy enjoying the day with my husband.

I had a fantastic time and it was just what Tony and I needed to reconnect, relax, and enjoy life.  Thanks Tony.

Maria and I got together on x-mas day to take pictures once again. She wanted me to take this group of images so she could take them with her to her interview/photo shoot with Coast to Coast Ink in Anaheim California. Her photo shoot with one of their photographers went well, and she is going to be in the first issue which will be released in about 2 weeks. I don’t know if they are going to use any of my photos of her, but will find out shortly.