a visit to Ventura, CA.

Just a very brief note from Ventura, CA [edited after its initial posting] - at the main branch of the Ventura County Library, where a part of me longs for more easily taking pictures and plugging them in, but just a short word-picture for now....

As far as cityscapes, I had told a Philadelphia friend by phone that the main street here is largely like a commercial stretch in a "Main Line" town center like Ardmore's (referrring to Phila's western suburbs), plus adding a Spanish mission from [1782], but you'd have to also add attractive hillside vistas close to Main Street to the north, seen here in a view from a 6th-floor hotel room where I stayed for one night just before leaving town  :( on Sat. am, 8/6:

and seeing slivers of the Pacific Ocean a few blocks to the south, seen here west of Ventura's center:

AND some palm trees, other semi-arid fauna and probably a good deal of homeless people, but intermixed as the "Main Line" reference may imply with upper-middle-class shops, restaurants, etc.

The natural surroundings are a TINY bit different from the deciduous and the hilly/rolling or flat Northeast as well, as in this view to the north from a bridge which goes from downtown Ventura to the "Emma Wood State Park", where I spent a large part of my time while in the immediate area:

In regards to the main purpose of my being here, that may be more challenging to offer articulate comments on, but it is for the 25th reunion of what has likely been the greatest event in my life to date, a 1986 peace walk across the United States known as the "Great Peace March (GPM)".  At least 100 "Peace Marchers" from that golden time in our lives are meeting at the state park which I noted just outside of the heart of Ventura.

Sometimes I wonder if I could better spend time in achieving dreams on which I "bloviate", then - speaking "devil's advocate" here perhaps - to live in the past of such events, but this also arguably rises way above a "such events" dustbin, as it was inherently an adventure to walk on a large part of over a 3235-mile route, and marchers just naturally bonded with each other in this adventure (now being celebrated in a city whose full name might mean "Saint Good Venture" - and I am not saying we were saints :)....]

It seems definite at least that there has been a great deal of warm friendliness from marchers, which is likely to produce the same self-affirming sense that I found from the 20th "GPM" reunion, and that there have been some great stories, so perhaps I will give a sense of those life accounts in the next few days....