OVERTHINKERS; Coalinga-CA

September 30th: Fall is here (well not temperature wise because the temps here are a comfortable 80-degrees by noon 😉): apples & pumpkins are in season here as well as across America where there are 4 distinct Seasons … but here in Coalinga-CA, we get the blue skies and sunny weather too; how lucky are we?

It feels good to have the front door open most of the Day.

As we were finishing our morning coffee, Holland suggested we go to the Tractor Supply store in Coalinga, to grab a couple things - while there, I asked if he could drop me off at the Plaza, and pick me up on the other side: I have been wanting to explore this little bit of modern. The Plaza seems out of place in this nondescript little town that seems forgotten except for the oil riggers dotting the barren landscape of the back 40.

The Coalinga Plaza was constructed in 1991, after the 1983 earthquake. It is a modern addition to the [downtown area] where so many founders commercial business buildings were destroyed.

Coalinga Earthquake: http://www.sjvgeology.org/geology/coalinga_earthquake.html

The Coalinga Plaza-CA

I walked the Plaza

A little Park; lots of rose bushes & an Information Plaque.

1983 Earthquake notification …

{{Dominique Bordagaray was born in France in 1876 and immigrated to the United States in 1893, arriving in Los Angeles in December of that year. Shortly after his arrival, Bordagaray began working with sheep farmers. In 1898, Bordagaray retreated into the nearby mountains of Millwood Basin for roughly two years, where he taught himself English. When he returned to civilization, his English was very good.

At the turn of the century, Bordagaray operated a hotel in Fresno, and soon branched out and began buying and selling sheep. He founded a sheep-shearing business in Coalinga and was the first man in the area to use modern sheep-clippers.  Among Bordgaray’s other business ventures were a store and a livery stable.

At the Bordagaray homestead just east of Coalinga, he farmed cotton, had several fruit orchards, and a vineyard. In the Coalinga's early years, he built a row of store buildings, including a French laundry, a theater, and a number of other businesses in the town. In 1917, Bordagaray started a tavern and rooming house on Fifth Street, which remained in operation until it was destroyed in the 1983 earthquake. It was often referred to as the “oldest bar in the West.”

Dominique Bordagaray was also the father of pro baseball player, Stanley “Frenchy” Bordagaray.

~Dominique Bordagaray: (https://theclio.com/entry/46387)}}

Town Info Plaque.

Then I saw these pillars - and decided to walk that way: a block to the left.

As I was crossing the street from the Park, towards the pillars … I saw out of my peripheral vision, a parked red truck that looked very much likes ours - and the arm casually draped over the drivers door from an open window, looked familiar.

It was our truck: Holland had not let me out of his sight. He takes his protection of me very seriously. I don't mind him watching out for me; I just wasn't expecting him to be parked in the Plaza: I was expecting him to be watching and waiting for me on the outskirts of the Plaza - I would walk through the Plaza, gawk at the modern construction, check out the Park … and meet him on the other side of the fancy 2 Block commercial metropolis. But, if my hawk 😎 would rather watch his chickadee up close and personal 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨, I'm okay with that, too 😘 

He takes his protection of me very seriously.

Holland had been watching from afar; saw my intent - and quickly followed.

Coalinga-CA City Hall Building.

And my husband; patiently waiting for the itch of my feet to be satisfied.

I walked 1.2 miles today. I was walking in sunshine, my brain was stimulated & my itchy feet were happy.

Climbing into Betsy's cab, Holland said, "How about some KFC - I don't see any mexican eats here besides Taco Bell." I agreed. I like fried chicken. I like mexican food, too, and find it really strange that since we've been road gypsying we have not been able to locate an authentic mexican restaurant serving authentic mexican food! We're just a couple miles from the mexican border, live (and have lived) in communities with large populations of mexicans, and we cannot find authentic mexican cooking anywhere. Very weird.

We got a KFC "Tuesday Special" chicken order, and headed back home. We never did get to Tractor Supply.

A pretty flower combo, on our way to KFC; Coalinga-CA

A heart-shaped cloud on the way home.

Back home, we ate some chicken; I worked on an extra large potholder, and listened as Holland started talking …

He is now wanting to stay here, in Coalinga, through the winter months 🙄; the weather has calmed, and wildfire smoke has backed off so we can both breathe without choking. I like it here, so I'm okay with that decision. What I am not okay with is the continual emotional roller coaster yo-yoing 😵‍💫 of 'should we stay or should we go'. Today, he is saying we are staying - tomorrow, he could be singing a different tune. The inconsistency is driving me crazy 🤦🏻‍♀️

MOD Ex-Lrg. Rectangular Potholder; Coalinga-CA: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2025/09/mod-ex-lrg-retangular-hotpad-coalinga-ca.html)

We are both overthinkers.