San Juan Capistrano Local Customs

When we were in Diedrich's Coffee, I picked up a copy of the "Capistrano Valley News" which was filled with local fare as well the news. It gives the reader a better sense of what this town is all about. For instance, a group of residents were obtaining signatures to start a recall of 7district trustees that currently hold office in the school district. Seems like a lot of "recalling" going on. But what really cracked me up was the "police blotter." News of various local crimes are published in this paper. One was about an 80 year old woman who was trying to beat up the employees at the address given in the log. Go Granny go!

Another entry that tickled us was the night before we witnessed on several occasions the San Juan Capistrano Police driving up and down the streets, reving their engines and driving very fast. The California Highway patrol and the Sherrif's never displayed the "hot dogging" actions of the SJC police. So when I picked up the newspaper and read in the police blotter that near San Juan Creek Road a caller reported juveniles being loud and racing their vehicles, well I could not help thinking perhaps those "juveniles" were the SJC police instead!

The swallows return to the Mission at San Juan Capistrano each March. Officially, the swallows are supposed to return on March 19th (the Feast of St. Joseph) but nature being nature, the swallows don't necessarily keep to a strict deadline.

Each year the swallows build mud nests under the eaves of the old mission buildings and they spend the spring and summer laying eggs, incubating and then raising their young. In late October the swallows leave the protection of the mission and spend the winter in the far reaches of Patagonia.

By the way, the bird in the photo is a junco not a swallow. I visited the mission about three weeks prior to the return of the swallows.