Kim Kardashian Marrying a Man With the Same Name as Her Mom, Names That Start with "K" and Other Random Thoughts

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Yesterday the kids and I had a terrific time in Santa Barbara, riding the Cabrillo Bike Path, visiting the Ty Warner Sea Center at Stearns Wharf, stopping by Alamada Park for its incredibly cool kids' play area as well as the awesome turtle and duck filled pond at Alice Keck Memorial Gardens before heading back back home. It was a perfect 70 degree day in Santa Barbara as fellow Conejo Valleyians baked away.

The traffic was fairly steady for about the first 10 miles coming out of Santa Barbara through Carpinteria before it cleared up for awhile, until we reached Camarillo, where we were greeted with another slow passage. For awhile we were driving directly behind the car pictured below.

It was getting towards 8PM and we had an action packed weekend (the prior day I ran a hot, hilly 25K race in Agoura before enjoying time with the kids in the pool then at Ventura Harbor Village (where it was also a perfect 70 degree kind of day). So I was pretty tired, in fact maybe getting a bit delirious. We all needed our beds.

But this Just Married car was in front of me for a good 15 minutes and my mind wandered. Long drives can do this to you. I thought, hey, maybe this car is being driven by Kim Kardashian and her new husband, Kris Humphries.  Obviously they wouldn't be driving a Toyota

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"Thinking Dreams" This Summer by Local Camarillo Artist, Chuck Trunks

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This latest piece by Camarillo artist Chuck Trunks depicts a girl who appears to be thinking about what summer has in store for her. Or maybe it is deeper than that. Trunks calls it "Thinking Dreams." I know it was inspired by ocean views in Ventura looking towards the Channel Islands.  See Trunks' other work on Conejo Valley Guide here.

Speaking of Ventura and the Channel Islands:

Rise of the Planet of the Apes Hits the Jackpot in Latest Work of Chuck Trunks

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This latest piece by Camarillo artist Chuck Trunks is entitled "Chimp Jackpot." He didn't tell me what that means, but one could surmise he's referring to the success of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which opened in theaters on August 5th and was the 4th highest grossing August movie opening in history. Chuck, who is one of the, well, no, THE most particular person I know, said this is a must-see movie. Very entertaining (the movie that is). The movie has grossed over $186 million worldwide in less than 2 weeks, which is kind of like hitting the jackpot I would say.  See Trunks' other work on Conejo Valley Guide here.

For movies in and around Ventura County, click here.

For upcoming movies around the community in Ventura County, click here.

Apes like to be in the outdoors, right? Here are local hiking trails.

There are several dozen farmers' markets in Ventura County and surrounding areas, many of which have fresh bananas, which I go ape for.

Kids like to monkey around? Here are some indoor play options for them.

Mustard Fields and Sunsets by Camarillo Photographer John B. Mueller

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Photographer John B. Mueller took these great shots in Camarillo recently. The first one is a beautiful view of mustard fields near Lewis Road and Pleasant Valley Road. The other is a view of the sunset from Camarillo, facing the direction of Mugu Rock. 

Visit his website at www.johnbmueller.com and his Facebook page to see more of his work.

And here are some upcoming Camarillo events, things to do in Camarillo, fitness and sports activities in Camarillo and kids activities in Camarillo.

Conejo Valley Namesake - The Rabbit

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Yes indeed, there are a LOT of rabbits in the Conejo Valley, or Valley of the Rabbits! This little guy was seen at Cheeseboro Canyon in Agoura Hills. Looking for some great hiking, running and cycling? You'll find plenty of it there!

Rabbits like to run. How about training for an upcoming 5K or 10K? Great way to stay fit while enjoying the camaraderie of a local group run. CLICK HERE for upcoming local races!

Brush Fire in Newbury Park Contained in 2 Hours - View of the Smoky Sunset

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KTLA news reported that a brush fire near the Conejo Scales was reported around 7 p.m. tonight in a moderate to heavy brush area. Thanks as always to the great efforts of the Ventura County Fire Department, the fire was out by 9 p.m. with no structural damage. Here's a view of the sunset looking toward the Conejo Grade tonight around 8 p.m. from the Ventu Park area, thanks to one of our favorite CVG Facebook followers.

Beautiful Views of Newbury Park, Conejo Valley and the Western Plateau

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Last Sunday I decided to hike up the hills that are adjacent to the Seventh Day Adventist Center and Home Depot/Target Plaza in Newbury Park. These hills overlook Newbury Park and provide a panoramic view of the Conejo Valley and portions of the Conejo Canyons Open Space in northwest Thousand Oaks. What an amazing view! Thousand Oaks is surrounded by a 15,000 acre ring of open space. To learn more about our open space, visit the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency website at www.conejo-openspace.org.

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