The   San Diego Zoo   is located in Balboa Park.   Began with a collection of animals left over from the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, but officially in 1921. Frank Buck became director in 1923, but left after three months, and returned to animal collecting.  Belle Benchley became executive secretary, then zoo director from 1925 to 1953, quite a feat, for she was around the only female in this leading role throughout the world Zoo began as a pioneer, featuring open-air and cageless animals in their natural habitat. Sits on 100 acres, with more than 700,000 exotic plants, now housing 12,000 animals of more than 680 species.  In comparison, the Honolulu Zoo has 1230 animals and more than 900 species.  40 varieties of bamboo for their pandas, and 18 of eucalyptus trees to feed its pandas. There are now two pandas on exhibit.   Read about this history,  for in the past several pandas were born here, and sent back to China. There are fiv...

Today is the beginning of summer.  From  Condé Nast:    How Summer  Solstice is Celebrated Around the World : The summer solstice occurs in each hemisphere annually, when one of the earth's poles has maximum tilt toward the sun. The result is the sun reaching its highest position in the sky, causing the longest day of the year. For thousands of years, the solstice has drawn people together for ancient celebrations, from gatherings at Stonehenge to romantic rituals in Belarus . I yesterday featured red wines, and particularly spotlighted Paso Robles and Petite Sirah.  I have one more story that has nothing to do with either, but is relevant because of close proximity and utter fear.  In these drives between Stanford and Oxnard up and down Highway 101 from 1958 to 1962, we also always passed by Atascadero.  Here is located the  Atascadero State Hospital . This all-male maximum-security forensic institution houses mentally ill convicts on its 70...