Disclaimer:  This series of blog posts regarding our weekend to Santa Barbara was a mess of mixed-up images, followed by a longer post dated after our return that consolidated things into a single post. Here in November 2022, I’m repairing those mistakes.

Saturday morning, we are up early to accompany my Aunt Ann and Uncle Woody on some chores, and while they take care of their business, I wander about, taking in the scenery. We stop for breakfast at Cody’s Café off the 101 freeway at Patterson. Well-fed, it is time to walk the dog, and a local park with some nice flowers is just the place to do it.

The nearby park is full of five to nine-year-olds who are playing soccer. Relegated to a small corner with a bench is the dog congregation. Sophie, my Uncle’s German Shepherd, joins the party, and for the next half hour, dogs run everywhere fetching tennis balls until they get bored, and Caroline ends up chasing after one too many.

Later in the day, Caroline and I take off for some sightseeing. As we have been to Santa Barbara a couple of dozen times, a lot of the places we visit now are repeat stops. Today, I am looking for flowers, which take us on back streets through the hills. The Santa Barbara Mission comes into view, and for the first time, I recognize that across the street is a flower garden in the park.

This is a large, well-manicured rose garden. Hundreds of plants are in bloom with just as many varieties. A few people are sitting nearby having a picnic, facing the roses. Others are playing with their dogs or rolling around with their kids. It is a beautiful, clear day here in Santa Barbara.

Red fringe fading to orange with a yellow center is the first rose that grabs us, followed by a rose that is more orange-bordered with a hint of pink. A caretaker is kneeling nearby with her dog in tow who watches over her while she manicures a corner of the garden.

The classic red rose sways nearby in the late afternoon sun. A faultless specimen with a blood-red allure draws me in for a closer look at these crimson petals aglow. It is a shame that after so many visits, this should be the first time we stumble upon this flower patch.

A backlit pink rose almost fully open offers its sweet aroma to all who will bend to witness its scent. Caroline is partaking in the scent of dozens of blooms, I expect that she will become dizzy and fall over from all the deep inhaling of the wafting aromas. Instead, she asks for the camera to capture a few of her favorite roses.

We continue walking through the rose beds while the sun hangs heavy in the late afternoon sky. In the distance, we can see the ocean; a couple of sailboats are meandering along the coast. Next to us, a white rose with a small red outline offers a glimpse into its many layers of petals.

While buds and more mature blooming flowers are what gather most people’s attention, the roses that are fully mature and are wide open, laying bare the stamen, are also of extraordinary beauty. With petals still fresh and not yet wilting, this pink rose looks as though this would be the ideal view of such a breathtaking flower.

A pink and red speckled rose with its stamen collecting the sunset is fully open and about to wither. Even though its life is near its end, this rose doesn’t fail to amaze these eyes that are more accustomed to differentiating gradations of desert brown.

We end the daylight hours with a drive to the beach and a turn north, taking us to Hope Ranch. Next to Montecito, the hilly community of Hope Ranch is one of the most desirable places on earth to live. Perched over the Pacific Ocean with idyllic year-round weather, this equestrian-friendly community is postcard-perfect, as is our sunset.