First Street has gone all out for Halloween this year. Dozens of brightly colored glass pumpkins caught my eye outside of Benicia Art Glass Gallery. Displayed on haystacks, were coral, emerald green, and lavender pumpkins with mint green curling stems that sparkled like jewels. Among the pumpkins were red and green glass apples, and a large purple eggplant. I wanted one of each.
Vincent Van Ghost is back at Plein Air Gallery clutching some sunflowers. The bandage on his ear has disappeared, am glad that has healed, but there appears to be masking tape on his neck now. It’s what artists used pre-antibiotics, I guess. It’s been a rough year at the asylum. Be well, Vincent! Further down the street it appears that Benicians are already lining up for the July 4th parade in 2024. Four flag draped red chairs are lined up with two human Skeltons holding down the fort in front of a sign that reads, “Reserved 7-3-24.” One of them is wearing an old Torchlight Parade tee shirt and the other a tee shirt that says: “Too soon?” Funny and not too far off the mark.
The Mexican Day of the Dead couple in front of Happy Life Pottery are eye catchers. He is wearing a black gaucho suit and hat and she rocks a gorgeous hand-painted, red paper mache skirt, black picture hat and carries a bouquet of coral roses. The hombre chews on a Cuban cigar. Check out his guitar all embedded with tiny glass mosaics. Gorgeous — a real work of art.
Some dear old friends drove down from Reno for a visit last week. Jack, husband of Ellen, introduced me to this town 50 years ago when Benicia was the go-to places for antiques. After an al fresco lunch at Aung MayLika and shopping, we walked over to their B & B, the lovely yellow Victorian Inn at Benicia Bay on E. D St. In September, 2019, it was purchased and remodeled by Tracee and Dennis Varni. Built around 1854, the Inn comes with all of the modern amenities you’d expect from a fine hotel. Tracee welcomed us warmly and showed Jack and Ellen to their room — a spacious suite with an antique four poster bed tucked into the bay window, a sitting room, a blue and green custom Nourot chandelier, jacuzzi tub, and even an authentic wooden sauna tucked into a corner of the bathroom.
We wandered into the cafe area, formerly part of Amore Bistrot, which will soon house a new restaurant. The smell of Italian roast coffee greeted us as we viewed Benicia artist Lynda Silva’s abstract mixed media paintings of botanicals. Felt like I was in Italy, all warm polished woods, mirrors, and tile with the largest espresso maker I’d ever seen. Paula, a Benicia who has lived here 18 years, had just prepared two gorgeous plates — a Torta de Nona, an old Tuscan recipe, which means grandmother’s cake. The pie shaped pastries of lemony custard on sweet shortbread were dusted with powdered sugar and pine nuts. Two frosty glasses of orange crush with pineapple sat on a tray. Fantastico! After breakfast, I gave my friends a tour of the Arsenal. They fell in love with our town, and I felt like I’d been on vacation.
Waiting in line at Dianna’s a few days later, I chatted with a nice looking fellow with an accent I couldn’t place. He was checking his Door Dash order on his phone and said, “At home it’s much slower.” “Where is home?” “Tunisia. It’s not safe now but I’ll go back when it is.” With an earnest look he leaned down and asked me, “I want to know, who is the better man for president — Trump or Biden?” Thought he might kidding, but he was serious, so I gave him a brief and not unbiased answer. In Tunisia, we like Trump,” he said. “Why?” “He always comes to our country with lots of money,” he said as he mimed holding a heavy suitcase in each hand.” Wanted to hear more but his Door Dash was ready.
Was sitting at an outside table at a First St. cafe when an acquaintance stopped to shoot the breeze. “I have a mouse problem, she said. “My house in Glen Cove was invaded by mice — two in the bedroom and one in the kitchen. I went to Lowe’s to get mousetraps and they said that at least 50 people had come in for the same thing. I bought one of those mousetraps that have adhesive on the bottom so their feet and belly stick to it.” I tried to picture the poor mouse going through the motions of running and getting nowhere fast. “I had to kill it with a brick,” she said. “OMG,” I whispered. “I don’t like to kill them so I went back and bought one of those plug-in mouse traps that give out an ultrasonic noise that only they can hear, and it scares them away.” “Where do they go?” “I leave my garage door open and I guess they just run out.” “Or in,” I thought.
What would I do, if I was invaded by a mouse. I went on-line when I got home and found a “humane mousetrap” catch and release at Home Depot. Looks like a transparent acrylic mail box — quite good looking actually. Keep a lookout. They might be here very soon if the ultrasonic racket in Glen Cove gets to be too much for the little darlings. I will be baiting my humane trap with an aged English cheddar or a low lactose, sheep’s milk Manchego for the holidays. American, or any other processed cheese like Velveeta, heaven forbid, would be inhumane.
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Letters From Benicia 