"My Town" shootout...

The topic this week was "Choose your own". I figured I'd take a stroll around a local neighborhood and see what was out there.

I've been itching to photograph this old oak tree I see frequently around town. It's easily centuries old and was integrated into the design when the surrounding apartment complex was built. Just to give perspective, it's next to a three-story building.






While looking through the neighborhood, a number of "natural" things caught my eye...






Lastly, this bird chose a really strange place to sit a spell!

"My Town" shootout--hungry?

This week's theme was eateries. I tried to stick to things that are unique to Dublin or the Bay Area, or if it's a chain, one with not many establishments. Enjoy the culinary tour!


My FAVORITE restaurant--Bangkok 101! Fantastic Thai fare. Their pad thai is delicious, as is their pineapple fried rice and PaNang (red curry).


Armadillo Willy's Texas BBQ. I highly recommend their pulled pork sandwiches!!


Amici's East Coast Pizzeria. Really good salads and pizza. They've got the really thin, crunchy crust that I love! Go for the Amici's combo--yum!


Peet's Coffee & Tea. BETTER than Starbucks! Peet's started in the Bay Area in 1966 and we're very loyal to them!! They roast here in the Bay Area, and if you're driving by the roastery at JUST the right time, it smells DIVINE. Aaaand... Peet's started BEFORE Starbucks (and the founder Alfred Peet was good friends with Starbucks' founders--Starbucks even bought their beans from Peet's those first few years), and is considered the "inspiration" for the mega-chain.


Hunan House Chinese Restaurant. Very good food--quick, friendly, reliable service! Go for their lunch special. I recommend the sesame chicken.

I might be getting a new neighbor...

I was sitting on the sofa one afternoon when I heard the wind chimes on my patio start to go crazy. I looked out the window and....


A few minutes pass, and then I hear a wild scampering on the ledge above the glass door....


and then....


He's a peeping bird!! :)

"My Town" shootout...

It's Friday, which means it's shootout day! The theme was Main Street, and since Dublin doesn't have a true "main" street, I took the closest thing. This is Del Valle Parkway, where the post office is....


Another shot...


And some trees too pretty to pass up!


If we want a true main street, we usually head to a neighboring town. Dublin is in the Tri-Valley area, and it's three cities all in one big area. Three separate towns with separate ideas, but mesh pretty well into one cohesive area!

Some of our local residents...

Dublin has a large number of local fauna that are coming out with the warm weather...

One such animal is the wild turkey (the Rio Grande variety, to be exact). They aren't out in droves yet, but I did find one lone female forraging in a field of mustard.

Give them a couple of weeks--then there will be scores of them out about with their poults!


Many apartment complexes have lakes and streams that our local fowl find welcoming!


One such duck came over to check me out....


...give me an action shot...


...and then pose for me!


We also have a large year-round population of the Canada goose. They're wonderful to watch and photograph, since they've become quite comfortable around humans. Just watch out where you walk! ;)




Lastly, I headed to our local dog park to take a few shots of our wonderful "dog day" afternoon...



Notice the shamrock collar on this guy--even our canine friends are Irish!


I can imagine the collies' thoughts... "Throw. The. Ball. NOW!"