Sunday was a Norman Rockwell kind of day. A cloudless, blue sky made everything sparkle. A group of school girls were squeezed around a picnic table in St. Pauls courtyard chattering over their box lunches. People of all ages were catching up with each other on street corners, the Veterans’ Hall packed to the gills, kids on scooters speeded down the sidewalks terrifying their elders. The crispy brown leaves in the gutter invited you to step on them just to hear that satisfying crackling sound. Halloween decorations appeared in shop windows while pumpkins substituted as door stops. Was jared out of this rosy reverie when I noticed several surgical masks discarded or perhaps just lost, littering the sidewalks and bushes. First instinct was to judge the litterbugs and then gratitude, silently thanking the majority of Benicians who are protecting themselves and others by masking up. Had just read something about the danger that sea life encounters when the elastic bands strangle or choke them. Recommended snipping the ear fasteners before disposing of them. A twofer — save a human, save a fish.
Decided to go out for a late lunch on the last day of summer. Perched on a chair and chewing hot, stringy cheese on a pizza margarita, observed a miniature poodle being packed into the pocket of a carry-on that was strapped to a Harley. His master zipped the dog up to its neck, as he adjusted tiny red googles on the furry face and a red metal helmet, no bigger than a dog dish, on her neck. The eight-year-old Holly was ready to roll. She allowed me to photograph her in her finery, first a head shot and then a profile. I got the hint that my time had run out when she poked her head into the bag in an ostrich-like move. The paparazzi can be such a bore!
Gallery 621 has moved to a larger space at 920 First Street, Suite 203 above Olson Realty. There will be a soft opening Thursday, September 30, and a gala opening to be announced. Their old digs have been taken over by their former next door neighbor Sweetness and Light: Flowers and Events. Along with a dramatic array of exotic blooms, the “Paris” shop features linens, notebooks, poetry, candles, Terry robes and other gift items, while the “Provence” space is now a workroom for the flower designers.
Painter and sculptor Pam Dixon has been preparing for weeks for a one-of-a-kind yard and storage room sale on October 16 and 17. Located on Kuhland Alley right off of East 2nd St., the sale will include vintage and antique treasures collected over decades — tiny china dolls dug up in her yard, craft supplies, china, sterling, antique candy jars filled with buttons, frames, glass, and more. Down sizers beware.
Studying the Yesteryears mural on the side of Benicia Home Improvement, noticed something that hadn’t picked up on before. That tiny, old and seemingly vacant house directly across “G” street from the Capitol is depicted in the mural and it looks identical to the real thing. If you look carefully at the mural on the right-hand side, more than halfway down First Street you’ll see a corner shop with blue awnings (Dianna’s). The little house is behind it. That might be the only building in the mural that hasn’t changed one iota. Even the paint is the same. Twilight Zone city.
Spied a fellow strolling leisurely up the street who from the back looked like Truman Capote — Panama hat, tan corduroy jacket, wide-legged beige pants, and two-toned, genuine leather shoes. Commented that he looked like a famous author. He seem pleased and said he reads a lot. Wished I’d stopped for some recommendations. He would have fit perfectly into the Yesterday Mural.
As the Thursday Farmer’s Market winds down, families make up the majority of shoppers with babies and toddlers galore, in arms, in strollers, and other things that roll. Could the last two years of Covid have precipitated another Baby Boom? Fox and Fawn Bake House has added a miniature picnic table for the small fry. While waiting for my pear, arugula, and walnut pizza, a tiny little boy expertly zoomed by on his equally tiny scooter — a two-year old his Mom confided. He started school when he was one. Nature or nurture? Probably a combination of both.
Across the street a sports car was parked in the red zone. A well-behaved dog was in the passenger seat with a life preserver around his neck. Two police officers on bikes were reviewing their options. According to one of them, Tesla has a screen setting now geared for dogs. You set the perfect temperature for the hound as you check on him on your phone. Saw the officer later and asked what happened with the car. “He drove away.” “Isn’t it illegal for a dog to drive,” I replied. “He was a doggone good driver,” the clever officer quipped. Drum roll please.
Sarah Beserra is an artist and collector, meditator, and former lobbyist.
Letters From Benicia 