Playing in the park

Heather Farm Park with with an amphibious RC vehicle and some nice foliage.

Pumpkin Farm

Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm does it right on a beautiful fall day.




The popular speeder feeder is a hit.

We are experiencing weather

Seasons change. Yes they do.

Morphbian rules the pond

See those ducks surrounding our shoreline? They're very patiently waiting for Jackson to leave with his Morphibian, because normally this is a DUCK hangout. Not a land-and-water-use RC vehicle hangout. In fact, I think we're the only ones I've ever seen to use the park waterways in this manner.

Luckily for the ducks. the Morphibian is quiet and unobtrusive. Still: as soon as we leave, they immediately overtake this area, especially at dusk. I'm sorry ducks but until a park official kicks us out, we'll be sharing the pond.

We took a short walk on a long pier

The Berkeley Marina has this crazy-long pier that looks like it goes all the way to San Francisco (but it doesn't). It used to be three miles long but I guess it's just a quarter of a mile now. Still, it was so windy, foggy and cold, we couldn't even get to the half-way mark before turning around and heading toward the little beach cove nearby. There, it was warm, still and sunny. A complete micro-climate 100 yards away. We then headed to the boat-launch dock, another 100 yards away and flew our kite in the rediscovered wind.

Diablo Taiko plus Bonsai

Summer's almost over but the memories are sweet. Here's an excerpt from Diablo Taiko's performance at the Annual Diablo Japanese-American Summer Festival. I completely pigged out at this festival. I love Japanese food. The udon was really good. I also learned a lot about traditional Japanese flower arranging (Ikenobo ikebana) from master flower-arranger and first-class charmer Hideko Metaxas. This artform is like making very focused sculpture using natural elements.



The bonsai from the Shikishima Bonsai Club were exceptional. Apologies for the low contrast in these photos. Everything was nicely shaded making it hard to light on the fly.

Stow Lake - Golden Gate Park

A paddle-boat ride with Richie and Jackson. This time around we got to meet the captain of the boathouse (he's not really a captain--I just think of him that way) who happens to be an avid record collector. He and Richie talked shop and we got free organic juices. A fine trip, as always!

Mt. Diablo from Mitchell Canyon Park

Night Fountain

I wish you could hear the geese-at-dusk sounds, which always make me sleepy. There was also a really interesting traditional Indian dance with live music going on in the community center near by, and dancers practising under the stairway outside when I walked by.

At dusk you get: water and bugs. Wish I could have also filmed the really gigantic dragonfly that was swallowing the bugs whole like a famished helicopter around my head. There was a chimney swift snacking in mid-air as well. Quite exciting--what didn't get filmed.

Ruth Bancroft Garden - Sculpture Show

Sculptures in the Ruth Bancroft Garden, now through July 16th. Lots of sculptural surprises, and very excellent sculptural-like plants, as always.

Summery

It's Raining

I will remember sunnier times with this photo from last week. Supposedly it will get up to 90 degrees this weekend, so I'm also going to enjoy the cloudy dampness while I can.

Balmy Alley - San Francisco (and environs nearby)

I had an assignment for a photo class to take 100 shots without worrying about whether they would make "good" shots or not--just take 'em and decide later.

On the day of this assignment, my parents and I started our journey to San Francisco to visit my cousin, who was in a serious car accident this week. She's going to be all right, but she has some long-term healing to do. I thank the car gods for sparing her. Her good spirits were something to behold. Heal quickly, Maria! This was just outside SF General Hospital, which is undergoing construction for a new building.



We were hungry after leaving the hospital, so we stopped for burritos at La Taqueria on 25th & Mission. Do you crave an authentic, fresh and delicious burrito in San Francisco's Mission District? Look no further! I've been going to this place for more than 30 years. Same menu. Absolutely fresh and tasty. Be sure to order avocado for your burrito. It is worth the extra price.

While we were driving along 24th Street, watching all the murals out the car windows, I snapped this, not realizing it was a shop for Mexican wrestling masks. A little blurry (I was in a moving vehicle), but look, a Mexican wrestling-mask store!



Then we passed Balmy Alley and I realized my parents had never visited, so my dad kindly zipped around the block and they drove along slowly through the alley while I hopped out of the car and took some photos. This is the original "Mural Alley" of the Mission District. Now there are hundreds of murals throughout the large neighborhood, but I remember Balmy as being the first where a group of artists totally took over a street and did it up right. Here's a smattering of their work, which is always evolving throughout the years, since the 1980s.










To summarize:
-La Taqueria - at Mission & 25th Streets.
-24th Street murals (all the way down from Mission to Potrero--an incredible array of painted buildings for blocks and blocks).
-Balmy Alley - between 24th and 25th Streets and Treat Ave. and Harrison Street.

Highly artificial spring-time at the Hyatt Regency San Franicsco

Perhaps the most artificial environment in San Francisco, the Hyatt Regency atrium never fails to deliver the weirdness. The giant puffy flowers are a new element alongside the cold 70s-era modern decor.

Alas, the formerly revolving restaurant, Equinox, is now stationary, and for private guests only. I remember my dad taking us there when I was around nine and not only was it amazing to revolve 360 degrees throughout the course of our meal, but the ice cubes in my water glass were ROUND with HOLES in the middle! I'm not kidding! I was really impressed.

Jackson experiences the wall-o-water in the giant fountain.


Mel Brooks used the Hyatt's atrium and its zippy glass elevators to great effect in 1977's High Anxiety.

Mitchell Canyon Loop - Mt. Diablo

Mostly shady hike along Mitchell Canyon loop on Mt. Diablo. The creek alongside the road is really running. I never even knew there was a creek alongside this hike. It's always been dried up when I've gone in the past. Always a surprise. We technically did not do the loop, stopping somewhere near the top and heading back down the easy way. Next time. Still exhausted today due to strenuous climb near the top.

Animal count: 2 fence lizards, ground squirrels, bunny, birds of prey, giant black beetle in middle of road, hearsay of rattlesnake along trail (not spotted by us), tick on my calf--discovered at home--yuck.

Beware Heather Farm's Geese!

Heather Farm Park is getting tough, setting up two rubber coyote dummies to scare the geese away from this particular lawn. The geese have completely taken over both waterways in the park, which isn't a problem in the natural-habitat setting north of these photos. But the unnatural cement pond and surrounding lawns are completely covered in goose shit year-round. Here's hoping these stalking predator-like statuettes will offer some relief to clean-up crews and Frisbee throwers.

Shell Ridge - drying out

Breezy days in the low 70s, but already the green hills are turning to brown.

The Interesting Nature Sounds of Shell Ridge

Shadow Trees

It's really sunny here. Can you tell?