Mission Santa Barbara, 2001

Many moons ago, circa January of 2001, we had trekked up to Santa Barbara and, along the way, stopped by the Mission, the Andree Clark Bird Refuge and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. Back in the day, I wasn't such an aficionado of the Cal Missions as I am today, so I only have 4 photos of this bygone trip. Come to think of it, I didn't take many pictures of the botanic garden or of the bird refuge either. What was I thinking? Apparently not much...

1/14/01 Santa Barbara Mission. A statuary of Father Junipero Serra? That Mission bell looks a tad too close to Fray Serra's head...just sayin'

1/14/01 Santa Barbara Mission.

1/14/01 Santa Barbara Mission.

1/14/01 Gil, posing next to a fountain at the Mission.

1/13/01 The day before, Gil next to a water feature on State Street in Santa Barbara.

1/13/01 Here's moi on Paso Nuevo, off the main drag in Santa Barbara, looking slightly frazzled.

1/14/01 Gil, trailing some Mallard ducks & their hybrids along a boardwalk at the Andree Clark Bird Refuge (1400 E. Cabrillo), Santa Barbara. That smirky smirk just tells me he's thinking "Duck a la' orange or foie gras." In my mind, they all look like potential pets with names like Mabel, Hank, or Daisy Mae.

1/14/01 Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), Andree Clark Bird Refuge, Santa Barbara.

1/14/01 Heermann's Gulls (Larus heermanni). Andree Clark Bird Refuge, Santa Barbara.

1/13/01 Gil in front of a Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia). Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

1/13/01 Mission Dam, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

Well, enough of all this reminiscing...we're heading out to Northridge tomorrow (half way point between Murrieta and Camarillo) to have Dim Sum with Gil's parents, so our plan is to stop by the Mission San Fernando Rey on the way back. If we actually do, then I'll be be posting more mission pix tomorrow. We also plan on revisiting the Santa Barbara Mission again so I can take a lot more than just four pictures. Stay tuned.