Good Grub

The space under the freeway between 6th and 8th Streets is full of cars on weekdays and farmers on Sundays but on Saturdays it is bleak and empty except for the occasional skate boarder. So it was fun to see all that space filled today, brimming with families and music at the SactoMoFo III.

Food vendor trucks were lined up like wagons around the campfire and, despite the wind, there were substantial lines at the 11 AM opening.

We bought our grub from Wicked 'wich, which was appropriate as my first dramatic role was as the Wicked Witch of the West in summer theater in the early '60s.

I ordered the Impersonator - billed as having Nutella, bananas, bacon and honey - but when I bit into it the Nutella was replaced with peanut butter. Intense! Good thing I split it with a friend.

Bananas or not, I hope they do this every week!

Life Under the Freeway Just Got Better

SactoMoFo III is happening in our hood  TOMORROW, Saturday. Dec, 3, 11 AM - 6 PM, under the Freeway at 8th and W Streets.

The location looked like this at 11 AM today, Friday:

Tomorrow, Saturday, it could look like this photo from Mobile Food Franchises - with the freeway above, of course: 

We tried to get some grub at the April SactoMoFo in Fremont Park but it was so crowded we couldn't get near a vendor. We'll go early to this one and if tomorrow is as lovely as today, head across the street to beautiful Southside Park to chow down.

Our Lady of the Palm

When I first moved to Southside Park I was walking around and saw this statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe in a front yard on T Street.

It was a four-plex across 7th Street from Our Lady of Guadalupe church so assumed it was where the nuns lived.

On another walk around the neighborhood I met Helen, the owner of the apartments and she set me straight. Her story was much more interesting. There was a large palm tree in their front yard that was diseased. The removal price was too steep so her husband decided to take care of it himself. This work of art was the result!

I love her face, the stars on her cloak, the man kneeling to her and the roses surrounding her. But most of all I love that she is firmly rooted in our neighborhood.

TaPiGami

Do you have any idea what this is?

Did you think it was shells like I did?  It is ..... TAPE! Discovered on Saturday's Art Walk inside the Fuller Building on R Street.

Visiting artist, Danny Scheible, makes these wonderful pieces.

Yep, this one is tape, too. Unbelievable.

Here are some of his creations in the window of Arareity Jewlers in the Fuller Building, 1021 R Street. He's been doing this full time for well over a decade. He is a mad man!

Tapigami is on Etsy and at dannyscheible.com. Yet another surprise discovery in our hood.

More Park Improvements

There are a lot of big trucks at 6th and T these days. Apparently, in 2008 the city received a federal grant to rehabilitate the Southside Park picnic area.  Funding terms required completion by December 31, 2011. The recent rush on this project reminds me of my kids waiting til the night before to write their term paper that was due the next day. They finally caught on that life is a lot less stressful is you don't wait til the last minute.  There must have been reasons this took so long but can cities be taught that lesson?

The sign indicates they will make the deadline, just in time for winter. The timing could have been better but we are lucky to live in an area where there might be some warm winter days so we can try it out before official picnic season begins.

Street Corner Surprise

Walking past the corner of 9th and S Streets I saw something hanging on the fence.

Getting closer I saw it was on hangers.

Bok choy drying in the sun.

It's a Beautiful Day

Quick, get outside and go to the park before these glorious colors fall to the ground.

This one is on 6th Street in front of the (closed) pool.