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Scene in S.B.
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Text and photos by Caitlin Fitch
Ann Patchett Comes to S.B.
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above: Justin Cutter picks kale sprouts at the Earth Day Festival in his mobile educational gardening truck, which is part of a program called Compass Green Project. Cutter has converted a typical work truck into a mobile greenhouse, complete with a compost pile and prolific garden, which is driven all over the West Coast to educate at-risk youth and elementary-aged kids about sustainability. In Santa Barbara, Compass Green has teamed up with Urban Garden Community to work with area children. “This is a great way to engage people who wouldn’t actually give a hoot about sustainability otherwise,” said Cutter. right: “I had a conventional lawn and landscaping business in Austin, Texas, for 15 years before moving to Santa Barbara. I took the Green Gardener class and learned different techniques. I had a complete paradigm shift,” said Dave Hunsaker, owner of Dave’s Organic Gardening. Hunsaker utilizes organic, permaculture, and other sustainable techniques to install edible gardens as well as traditional yard maintenance. “Sometimes it feels like I enjoy people’s lawns more than they do! People actually pay me to be outside in their gardens, and I love it,” he said.
During the month of May, owners of Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes can get their pets spayed or neutered for free as part of “Chihuahuas de Mayo.” The program is intended to educate the public regarding the startling number of chi-chis and chi-chi mixes living in shelters — as many as 30 percent of all shelter dogs are of wee stature. Pet owners must reside in Santa Barbara County to qualify; surgeries will be provided for the first 400 dogs signed up. To make an appointment, contact one of the following participating facilities: the County Humane Societies in Santa Maria (349-3435), Santa Ynez (688-8224), and Santa Barbara (964-4777 x20), as well as CARE4Paws (968-2273) and S.B. County Animal Services, Santa Maria (934-6968). For more information, visit projectpetsafe .org. — Michelle Drown
Event
Jiddu Krishnamurti (pictured) was an influential thinker of the 20th century whose spiritual and philosophical teachings are alive and well today around the world and just up the road in Ojai. Born in British India in 1895, Krishnamurti relocated to Ojai in 1922, where he lived until his death in 1986. Each May, the Krishnamurti Foundation of America holds two days of free workshops, programs, music, and art for both adults and teens at Krishnamurti’s former house, which is now a center for his ideas. This year’s May Gathering, as it is called, focuses on the notion of “unconditioning,” a term he coined to explain the predicament of modern humanity. “[For a] mind that has been so heavily conditioned for so many centuries … [is] it possible to uncondition itself … and therefore be free, capable, intensely alive, anew, fresh so that it can meet any problem?” Krishnamurti asked. The May Gathering takes place Saturday-Sunday, May 10-11, at the Krishnamurti Educational Center, 1070 McAndrew Road, Ojai. For more information, call 646-2726 or visit kfa.org. — MD
Trivia KFA.ORG
Sage Teachings
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What is the most popular Pinterest category? ❏ DIY & Crafts ❏ Food & Drink ❏ Home Decor What was the approximate percentage of female Pinterest users as of 2012? ❏ 60 ❏ 70 ❏ 80 Where did CEO Ben Silbermann work prior to founding Pinterest? ❏ Amazon ❏ Google ❏ Facebook
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answers: . Food & Drink; . ; . Google.
Animals
COURTESY UCSB ARTS & LECTURES
ward-winning author Ann Patchett (pictured) wouldn’t divulge too many secrets about her upcoming Arts & Lectures talk at UCSB but said she hopes attendees leave understanding the importance of “good deeds.” Pachett’s own good deeds to the literary world are many. Her Santa Barbara visit comes on the heels of her recently released third nonfiction book — she has also written six novels — titled This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage. And in 2011, she opened Parnassus Books, an independent bookstore in Nashville, Tennessee. Although many have forecasted a grim future for books, Patchett disagreed. “People in general are finally starting to understand that you have to support the things that you want to see live.” The importance of commitment runs rampant in Happy Marriage, which assembles 22 nonfiction pieces Patchett has written over the years. In the titular story, she explores her long-term relationship with her now-husband, Karl, and how a health scare put their relationship on paper. In “This Dog’s Life” and “Dog without End”— surely to be the most affecting stories for the dog lovers out there — Patchett delves into the all-consuming love she felt for her dog Rose. Those two stories are familiar ones — human meets dog, dog warms human’s heart, young dog becomes old dog, and sadness ensues — but are touching all the same. “It’s so mundane in a way,” Patchett said. “If you’ve got dogs, you’ve had that experience.” Patchett said that her next novel is brewing in her head, but that in the meantime she will be sticking to writing shorter nonfiction pieces and overseeing her bookstore. She will be speaking at UCSB’s Campbell Hall on Tuesday, May 6, at 8 p.m. For more information, — Lyz Hoffman call 893-3535 or visit artsandlectures.sa.ucsb.edu.
million
The number of Pinterest users worldwide as of October 2013.