{"id":102157,"date":"2026-11-02T22:11:06","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T05:11:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/?p=102157"},"modified":"2026-11-03T09:23:10","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T16:23:10","slug":"november-1st-has-arrived","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/?p=102157","title":{"rendered":"November 1st Has Arrived!!!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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\u00a0<\/p>\nEstimated reading time: 9 minutes 1,602 Words!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all got up early (Pete, Lisa, and Robin stayed overnight). I decided to fix the bagels we bought yesterday and found out Oreo ate Bob (Bag of Bagels). The bag was empty, so the little girl had two complete bagels and took two bites out of the remaining bagel! We were surprised that she didn’t wake us up and ask for Creme Cheese!<\/p>\n\n\n

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“Bagels are now my new favorite food!”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

We had to leave the house by 9:30 am, and everyone decided to head home at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n

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We had an appointment at the Hilbert Museum. The Hilbert Museum of California Art is in Orange, California, and is affiliated with Chapman University. It focuses on art depicting California and its people, places, and everyday life\u2014especially 20th-century paintings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its collection includes California Scene paintings, plein-air landscapes, illustration and animation art, and works by artists connected to Southern California. The museum also hosts changing exhibitions, so what’s on view can vary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s at 167 North Atchison Street, near the Orange train station and Old Towne Orange. Admission has generally been free, but check the museum’s website for current hours, admission details, and exhibitions before visiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hilbert is a member of our Packard International Car Club, so the museum gave us a first-rate tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we arrived, a 1955 Packard Clipper was in the parking lot.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Goofy-looking car!!!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

We walked through the museum, and Mark Hilbert told us about the backstory of much of the art (it was originally his). The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University was founded by art collectors and philanthropists Mark and Janet Hilbert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2014, the Hilberts seeded the museum with a $10 million gift from their personal collection (including $7 million worth of art and $3 million in cash).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The artwork below is an oil painting titled “Animal Style”<\/em> (or part of the burger series) by Southern California artist Bradford J. Salamon. It looks good enough to eat!<\/p>\n\n\n

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Each piece has a good story behind it!!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

When Mark visited a friend, he learned the guy had been collecting weathervanes for 40 years and offered to display the collection at the museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weathervanes\u2014also called weather vanes or wind vanes\u2014have been used for centuries to show which direction the wind is coming from. Their history blends practical weather-watching with architecture, religion, and folk art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Ancient Greece: One of the earliest recorded examples stood atop Athens\u2019 Tower of the Winds, built in the first century BCE. It was described as a bronze figure of Triton, the sea god, holding a rod that indicated the wind\u2019s direction.
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  • Medieval Europe: Weathervanes became common on churches. The rooster was a popular design, linked to Christian symbolism and the biblical story of Peter. In time, the rooster became a familiar church-topper across Europe.
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  • Colonial America: Weathervanes were fitted to churches, barns, and public buildings. The facing direction letters\u2014N, E, S, and W\u2014helped people read the wind, while the vane\u2019s broad tail turned it toward the direction the wind was coming from.
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  • 19th century: They became both useful instruments and decorative objects. Blacksmiths and makers crafted them from sheet metal in shapes such as roosters, horses, ships, fish, and arrows. Some were finely made and are now collected as folk art.
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  • Today: Weathervanes still work as simple wind-direction indicators, but many are mainly ornamental\u2014on barns, rooftops, gardens, and cupolas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    A small detail: a weathervane points into the wind, so if the arrow points north, the wind is coming from the north.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    Weathervanes of all types were on every wall, and each one had its own story! The museum has many small galleries that hold collections. <\/p>\n\n\n

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    I remember we had a weathervane on our home when I was growing up!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    It was nice hearing from the man who originally bought the paintings and why he did so!<\/p>\n\n\n

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    The paintings also told stories about Southern California. Mark called this one “his Rembrandt.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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