Bon Fête! Here's to Bastille Day and the ongoing Revolution! It's most assuredly a wacky world when "45" is over in Paris being wined and dined by Mssr. & Mme. Macron in celebration of the overthrow of the French aristocracy by the peons!!! Another helping of irony, anyone?!! But the tricolor waves proudly today over France and the feeling in the country is on a definite upswing. Good time to be a Frenchie!!

How a day like this one could end so beautifully is one of the delightful mysteries of life! The young son of close friends was having a blast at a summer skateboarding camp when he took a tumble and ended up in UCLA Med Center Emergency Room with a very broken leg! We ran over to scoop up his 9 year old sister and take her home with us while doctors attended to the boy and his traumatized, freaked-out dad! Her non-stop patter about concerns for her little brother and worries as to how he would get along with a huge cast on his leg and how he would get up the stairs to his room in his mom's house and a litany of other stream-of-consciousness items made Debbie and I realize that we needed a diversion — and quick! Part of that diversion was a big, fat, juicy burrito from Whole Foods! The other part was to take her down to the waters edge as the sun was slowly sinking in the early evening and let the waves, sky and sand do its magic. As always, I brought my camera — and captured this sublime view of our wonderful beach just past sundown. Life is crazy. Life is good . . .

If you're seeing horses on Main Street it can only mean one thing: it's July 4th and time for the Santa Monica Independence Day Parade! Every year the City does its not-quite-ready-for-prime-time parade and it is a total hoot! Where else can you find beautifully restored vintage autos next to City officials riding Segways and solar-powered mini-vehicles? Or a diverse cast of locals from Orthodox Jewish synagogue members to Heal the Bay Supporters, Girl Scouts to Afghani immigrants, SaMoHigh band kids to aging classic rockers on top of a double-decker bus? And horses!! All dancing, loping, riding, skating, hoofing and striding down Main Street. One of the unique joys of living here on the Left Coast!

EYES ON MAIN, a long-time, hip and wonderful fashion eyeglass store — and former art gallery — is hosting a reprise showing of most of my works from my recent very-well received "73 Days in Paris" photo exhibit at a gallery on Abbot Kinney in Venice. Just today I finished hanging the show and it looks really cool in that great space. Susie, the owner of Eyes on Main, puts in excellent art showings on a regular basis and I'm delighted to be showcased in her wonderful Main Street store/gallery.

And she's doing a special reception to celebrate my show on Bastille Day, Friday, July 14th from 5-7. I'll be there sucking up good French wine and cheese and talking about the fun of shooting in Paris. Also will sign my hardcover photo book, "73 Days in Paris . . & more".

Stop in most days (except Mondays) from 11-6 to see the exhibit and join us on July 14th to party French-style!!!