Friday random to the max

This was the sink area in my hotel lobby in San Fran. Loved, LOVED the look but don't look at yourself in the mirror against those blue up-lights. UGH!My friend Julie posted a link to this guy's work. Brilliant! It's definitely in that category of:Modern Art = I could have done that + Yeah, but you didn't.As it is I love this to the max. You know, Julie is one of the most intelligent people I have the pleasure to call friend. If you're not following her already, you're missing out on so much! (photo gently borrowed from Today I learned Something New)Now that I moved down hill and closer to the ocean, I'm waking up to pea soup autumnal fog. I love it to the max.Finally got around to making a little movie of the jellyfish at the San Fran aquarium. These guys are so mesmerizing. I definitely need a jellyfish aquarium at home as a Zen temple. Except I would feel sorry for them all confined like that and contemplating their happiness would be so stressful that it would be rather anti Zen for me. Best stick to little video clips.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ9iw2ew37o&feature=youtu.beI'm sorry but the mouse is creepy!Sharing with Nancy for random fun. :)

Back to reality

This morning I woke to the sound of fog horns out in the harbour and sun peeking into my bedroom from around the blinds. The little collage I made in San Francisco was still propped up on my bedside table and I meant to do something with it yesterday but the world's peskiest migraine interrupted my day something rotten.Cats wanted feeding and out and so I got up and made my tea.Then I did my usual 30 minutes of checking on my favourite friends online while I drank my tea and found out that one of my friends is a little sad for a loss and sleepless nights. So I determined to make her a little blue bird of happiness today and send it out to her tomorrow with some nice tea, and while I was at it I took the collage into the studio too.My friend is having trouble and feels the order in her life is a little messed up right now. As it turns out, this little bluebird doesn't even like order, and, actually is much happier with chance and randomness, and that's perfectly alright with me.And it seems that a little California black bird has found his way onto the little torn paper collage, and so has the hibiscus and the bougainvillea I found on my walks thru the city.So here they are on my autumnal mantle. I know, not much of an autumnal mantle as far as autumnal mantles full of ornate pumpkins, sparkly ghosts and chrysanthemums go, but then, you know, this is my mantle, and my friends who I care for, whether you are here in this city or on line anywhere in the world are in my heart, and San Francisco is a big part of my autumn so far, and that's as real as it gets. :)

Introspection and sea lions

I love to be up very early.I love to be up before the majority of people, before the hustle and bustle of the city.I love to walk in the first morning sun.This morning marks my last day in San Francisco, and so I was up and across the street at the Sbux by 7am.Sometimes, most times when I'm in a different country, I have this compulsion to look around and really look at the people. You know, really see them, see the boys and girls behind the counter making the espressos, and the lattes and the cappuccinos, and as I watch them I wonder who they are, what their lives are like.Isn't it true that everyone crafts their lives in their own little corner of the world.Here in Chinatown the morning sun rushes up the streets, up the hills....and people begin to open their shops for the day. Delivery trucks deliver, shop keepers select their products and display them packed tightly in cardboard boxes, stacks and stacks tall. Shoppers begin selecting their goods.And each day begins like the next, like the one tomorrow will, even if I'm not here, like it began last week, last year...Will these be the same people here? Will another camera mad tourist wander thru here after me? Would they care about every day life or will they take the street car to the piers, to the malls?The sun creeps over the hill and onto the Italian district.Here things are probably a little different than the excitement of yesterday's parade.But coffee shops are open and glowing from within, baker are baking and owners are sprucing up their little corners of the world possibly dreaming of Italy, possibly waiting for friends to drop by.A cruise ship has docked overnight. It is The Sapphire Princess. This morning the good people will wake in their cabins and disembark to explore the city. I wonder if some of them will walk all the way to the Golden Gate bridge like I did yesterday.The little boats haven't started their trade yet. Their crew is probably still tucked up in bed. I could only imagine what it'd have been like to wake up and row a barge across the rivers for a few pennies. Crazy as it might seem, lately I've been researching on the internet more about this, and have stumbled on this blog, which apprised me of the various requirements that my boat back home needed, to hone it to its full capacity.And beyond the boats are the sea lions. July to March they bark away and jostle for position on these rafts that they have "stolen" just after the earthquake of 1989. But people love them and let them steal away.I love them. I love to watch them.When they are sleepy they love to cuddle. They are thigmotactic animals, meaning they are calmer and rest easier if they have close physical contact with each other. Isn't that true of you and me? Probably also true of the good people in Chinatown, in the Italian district. Much like everywhere in the world. We feel the calmness, the easiness when we hug our children and our love, when hold hands, when we cuddle up for the night.That's how we form bonds, attachments, that, even after a day away, a month away, a year, are still there, still burning strong, still the power, the force that brings meaning and happiness to our lives.....Then behind me the city starts to wake and it's time for me to walk back up the hill, soon to return home to Vancouver to hug my child.

California dreaming

This Hyatt hotel has incredible blinds on the picture windows. They operate remotely via a button beside the bed and silently swoosh down to exclude every little bit of light from the room. Lovely and dark.The amazing thing is that, when they are raised in the morning, a new, beautiful jewel of a day is there, just outside the window, waiting to be explored.A lovely Sunday. Good morning San Francisco.Coming from Vancouver, I just naturally ease into California life. I think one of my greatest pleasures is walking, no, getting lost in a city. Feeling it, watching it live and breathe. It's super amazing to be a quiet observer of the Sunday morning social:China town laundry day, a Ferrari club meet, morning dumplings and the Italian parade volunteers.Today I decided to walk along the beach to the Golden Gate Bridge. Loads of people were biking, jogging, walking along the way. There was a brilliant little farmer's market and other surprises:Up and down hills, mermaids at the beach, kites waiting for the wind, market dahlias.There was a book sale at the farmer's market. Darn it anyway, I wanted to read practically every book I picked up. But unfortunately I'm limited to weight and have already bought some books, so I had to take only photos. (So ordering these as soon as I get home.)Finally, after about 10 miles, the bridge is near.I loved playing with and watching the assorted beach dogs. Look at these four boofy, (very technical term) shnoodley, (another very technical term) wonderfully happy beach dogs.On the way back to the piers I spied a lovely Colosseum-type building. It turned out to be the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre. The gardens were so lovely and the architecture is magic; like an ancient Greek temple.Back down the beach, around the boats, up hill and down hill to a late lunch.Mmm, fresh steamed dungeness crab, lemony butter and sourdough bread.It was late afternoon by now and I walked down past the rest of the piers and at pier 15 I found the Exploratoriun. And guess what! It was one of their FREE DAYS! The next free day isn't happening till February. Well, then I just had to go in. :)An hour of so there and then the trek back across town, to Union Square, where the shops were all still open.What's a girl to do...Finally, back for the evening and just in time to see the sunset.Honestly, if every day could be like this, well, why would you go anyplace else?

Hello from San Francisco

Do you have a set route when you visit someplace?I seem to. That is, I seem to be very spatially aware and love to revisit places I've seen.I manage to get to this lovely city every once in a while and the thing I love to do is walk from Union Square, where my hotel is, up Powell st. to the top of Nob Hill and down to Fisherman's Wharf.This was my morning view. Today I had it in mind to go visit the Coit Tower on the way back across the city.So here we go:Up and down Powell street, thru Chinatown, thru the Italian district, (they're having a parade tomorrow), past the lovely groups of Tai Chi-ers.And I'm here at the ocean. Gloomy and ghostly Alcatraz just past the boats. I went to visit once. It was extremely spooky. Once was enough I think.Here is the reason I love coming down here. I just love the sea lions. I could watch them all day. This is one of 167 sea lion photos I took. (plus 5 videos)Then, a visit to the aquarium. In my next life I'd like to be a marine biologist.Or maybe just have this guy's job!Four hours later, I walked back up the hill to the Coit Tower to have a look.If I lived here I'd love to live up here at Telegraph Hill. Living here plus a dog would equal those ten pounds I'm trying to lose gone in a week! I'm telling you. You want thunder thighs? Move to Telegraph Hill and get a dog.But here's the real reason to live here. Can you imagine waking up to this every morning? Heaven.Look at this loveliness. One day I'm going to have a 20 ft bougainvillea climbing up one side of the house and jasmine up the other, and hibiscus bushes and huge jade plants making hedges around my garden.Back down the hill to the hotel at Union Square and an evening walk to the Yerba Buena Gardens for the dance and culture festival.I spent a happy couple of hours walking around and enjoying all the street dancers and open museums and then, an opportunity to sit at some long tables and create a collage using magazines, scissors and glue sticks. I like rough edges so tore up the images and came home with this little design.Fireworks over the bay this evening.Oh happy day.I think I'll sleep well tonight. :)