We had a glorious morning in Santa Paula on Saturday, with the dedication of another mural, depicting the aviation history of this cute community. I made a few new friends as usual, and this gal, Joyce Carlson, was absolutely a ton of fun! She is the founder of the murals society, and was so refreshing in her presentation of this stunning new mural. We heard funny and heartwarming stories about how that Ralph Dickenson and other aviators built the Santa Paula air strip in the 1930’s, as well as their mishaps like flying a glider into a pepper tree, and flying helicopters upside down!
Here I am chatting with the incredible artist, Wendell Dowling, who spent several months painstakingly painting the images of historical aircrafts and famous people. I was amazed at how he was able to do such an incredible job of turning a cement block wall with deep joints, into a work of art. What an honor to meet such a cool guy, and someone with so much fabulous creativity and imagination.
This mural is just one of several in Santa Paula. If you get the chance to visit, you must go on the tour, and also take a ride on the train. I feel like I live in Mayberry, USA. I love it here!
Our evening ended perfectly at the Mupu Grill on Main Street with Scott's parents who are visiting us from Washington state. Chuck & Shirley Wilkinson loved the small town atmosphere and folks, as well as the yummy food. It was a perfect Saturday in Santa Paula.
