As I wandered through the village of Mendocino earlier this month I found quite a few sculptures on the grounds outside the Mendocino Art Center, but others can be found randomly around town. One of the most prominent is the former Masonic Temple, built between 1866 and 1872. Its builder, Erik Albertson, topped it off with a sculpture that is clearly a favorite with the local ravens.

Blair House, on Little Lake Street, was made famous by the television show Murder, She Wrote, as the fictional home of author and sleuth Jessica Fletcher (played by Angela Lansbury). These days, it operates as a bed and breakfast — with a couple of charming hosts greeting passersby from the garden.

Another sculpture outside the Mendocino Art Center

A small menagerie on Ukiah Street: