Cannonball

Swimming in Fresno.

Central Valley Xmas 2011

Festivities spread across Clovis, Madera, and Fresno.

Lauck's Bakery

Lauck's Bakery in Fresno's Tower District. We got excellent almond cake and cinnamon raisin bread there.

Chicken Pie Shop Chickens

The decor in the Chicken Pie Shop in Fresno, CA.

Suburban Postmodern

While I was driving around with my dad taking all of the pictures of old, mid 20th century buildings and signs around Fresno, I started to wonder about the destiny of hundreds of hideous postmodern office buildings and strip malls around the city. The older buildings I was taking pictures of were probably unremarkable 50 years ago, but their age and decrepitude makes them interesting.

Inspired by reading some Ballard, I tried to look at some of the contemporary buildings as potential relics of the forgotten present. The example above looks like it must have been built before the second invasion of Iraq--it looks like it was modelled on a presidential palace or secret police headquarters. It's now home to my old eyedoctor and a restaurant. Maybe in 50 years it will be as charming as a Quonset hut.

Christy's Donuts

Christy's Donuts, Fresno, CA.

CPS on Roadfood

They just approved my review of the Chicken Pie shop over at Roadfood.

Update: Screenshot of CPS as restaurant of the day:

Chicken pie, mashed potatoes, biscuits, cole slaw, apple crumble, rice pudding and coffee

At the Chicken Pie Shop.

Chicken pie, mashed potatoes with yellow gravy, cole slaw and biscuits. The waitress said that the gravy was made from the real chicken stock that results from boiling "like 60 chickens" in a big pot. I don't know if that's also where the yellow color comes from.


Apple crumble and rice pudding and coffee. Crumble was good; rice pudding was outstanding.

Chicken Pie Shop

Chicken Pie Shop, Tower District, Fresno, CA.

Hoppy's Headquarters

Producer's Dairy is an independent, Fresno based dairy. The owners are the Shehadey family, who lived next door to my family when I was growing up. I had lots of mock gun battles with the kids.

The spokesperson for Producers is Hopalong Cassidy. It still says "Hoppy's Favorite" on the sides of Producers milk cartons. I remember looking at the milk cartons one time in the Country Boy grocery store, sometime in the early 80s. My dad said that Producers would have a hard time convincing young people to drink their milk with Hoppy as their spokesperson, because no kids knew who he was. He suggested they switch to Michael Jackson.

More neon signs in the daytime light of central California

Neon signs in the daytime light of central California

Thanks to the Neon aficionado for the title of this post.

Fresno Theaters (part II)

Fresno Theaters (part I)

Detail of the cupola on the Warners Theater (below).

'squire

The 'squire center in Fresno used to be called the 'Esquire Center', but a lawsuit from Esquire magazine put an end to that. Note the identical typeface. Those in charge of the 'squire center saved money by just removing the 'E' from the sign and changing the name of the shopping center, instead of cooking up a new name and logo. (See Fresno Sketchbook by Doug Hansen for more information.)

Motel Drive (nothern half)

Though not in southern California, All of these anachronisms reminded me of the Echo Courts Motel in The Crying of Lot 49.

Motel Drive (southern half)

Motel Drive, Fresno.