Finding Skulls

Just a few more from Albany Bulb.

Concrete slab with revolucionario, dead fish, something, and skulls.

Calavera con flores.

Bricks.

Exploring Art

I’ve heard of this place out on the Bay, with lots of sculptures and sometimes at risk of disappearing (tides? officials? dunno). I’ve never been – so many places I’ve never been. It has a name – Albany Bulb – and what a fascinating place to explore! With a little care not to walk through somebody’s campsite.

A bunker, a castle, una casita.

Sex ed. (Definitely sperm. We walked over more along that path.)

Eyes. And a cat.

Sometimes we stepped on things we almost didn’t notice.

Sometimes we walked around a bend of hill and water and found astonishment.

And a sword fighter or dancer.

Sun salutations? Or is she La Llorona? Or somebody else?

And nature manages beauty fine without us.

La Playa Fria On a Saturday Afternoon

Saturday was the start of the normal weekend. Morning martial arts class, lots of quehaceres, most of which didn’t get done because the car was ready for pick-up. I’m thankful for the free shuttle service, which was only about half an hour later than I wanted, but just good enough. The cousins in Richmond were off school this last week too, but we’ve had the sick Kid and the sick car and then a train adventure and oh, we’re very busy people.

Forget the quehaceres! We grabbed the girls and took them to the beach. Rodeo Beach, Fort Cronkhite, Marin Headlands. La playa fria. It wasn’t so cold. The wind was strong, but it’s been stronger, and it was almost a warm wind. Warm for la playa fria. But not a warm day.

They were properly appreciative of the gray beauty of the waves. Good girls!

(It wasn’t really this dark. But I wanted the kids in silhouette more because I like the look. My photo! I can mess with it how I want!)

And then we ate Indian food at Sartaj in Sausalito. As is right.

Train Ride, Oakland to Fresno to Oakland

Instead of going to Mexico to visit family last week, the Kid and I stayed home for vacation. First he was sick, and we cancelled all the fun stuff we’d scheduled to distract ourselves from changed plans. But then he was better, in time to take the train to Fresno for a quick overnight visit with a friend. (We had to take the train. The car was sicker than the Kid and still in the shop.)

A few photos there and back.

Thursday morning we took a taxi to the Amtrak station in Jack London Square.

Port of Oakland cranes.

A little bit of the Bay.

A different view of the Carquinez Bridge.

Leaving the coast hills.

Central Valley, with computer.

Irrigating the Central Valley.

Orchards.

The sun came out, almost to Fresno.

We went to Fresno to see a dog.

And we were back on the train again the next afternoon.

Spinning cotton with a tahkli, in the sun on the train. I always have something to do.

Afternoon light over flat fields.

Water again, into the Delta.

I love the hills. I’m usually driving, so I indulged myself with more than one photo of the hills. Green!

Darker sky, brown wetlands grass, almost into the cities again.

The train ride was about 4 hours, maybe an hour longer than driving. But I could take lots and lots and lots of pictures, and spin and knit and the bathroom travelled with us. The Kid got a little bored, but he was pretty content with the train ride. I don’t think we’ll do it often, but it was a nice adventure for our vacation.

Drake’s Beach, sometime last year

Sun!

Fog!

Long dead animal!

This was the same day we went to the lighthouse. According to Mom, sun at Drake’s Beach is rare. Felt like the lighthouse point caught all the fog behind it and let a little out to chill one end of the beach.

Point Reyes lighthouse, sometime last year

Pt Reyes lighthouse

From the stairs down to Pt Reyes lighthouse. There’s a looooong beach down there. Somewhere.

From the other side of the stairs, looking back.

Fog drip, walking back to the parking spot from Pt Reyes lighthouse.

I love fog.

Not Much Walking Around Telluride, August 2012

My brother’s lived in Telluride, Colorado for about ten years, but I never visited until last summer.  Between festivals and school and coworker vacations, we found a week.

Next time, and I hope there is a next time sooner than ten years, I want to stay at least ten days. Two weeks would be even better.

Sadly, about the time I adjusted to the altitude, I came down with a cold. I spent a day or so in the hotel, but at least I had a spectacular view. Mountain Village is a strange place, but the view!

Before we left, we drove to Bridal Veil behind Telluride.

The elk came out for us on the Telluride Valley floor.

It was a nice visit, too quick, not enough oxygen for this coastal body.  Beautiful.

Walking East Bay Hills – Grass Valley Trail, Anthony Chabot Regional Park

I walked down the Redtail Trail until it met up with the Grass Valley Trail.

The willows along the creek were blooming, full of the heavy sound of buzzing bees.

The plums were in full bloom, scattered through the valley, with plenty of their own working bees.

A week later, the same plums finished blooming.

Walking East Bay Hills – Redtail Trail, Anthony Chabot Regional Park

A few weeks ago, I drove along Redwood Road until I found a likely trailhead at the Marciel Gate.

EBMUD watershed, view from Redwood Road

Redtail Trail, along the ridge next to Redwood Road.

Heading down from the ridge on Redtail Trail. There were so many circling raptors and scrub jays between the brush and the tower.

It looks lonely, but I could hear the motorcycle traffic of Redwood Rd on the other side of this hill.

Walking Black Point at Mono Lake

A few weeks ago, the Kid and I grabbed a chance to go to Yosemite for a weekend trip. The afternoon we arrived, we drove over to Mono Lake and hiked from a trailhead by Black Point. No marked trail. We got to bushwhack (and the bushes whacked back).

From the top of the hill we hiked up, looking down towards the lake.

We had a goal. One of our friends remembered finding fissures up here on her last visit. We found them again, and the adventure of looking for something, no trail, made for a very happy Kid. The Kid and friend were buzzed by a snow owl (“in summer!” said the Kid in amazement) cruising over them in a different fissure.

We ran down the black sand side of Black Point, switchbacking all the way. Looking back:

“Better than LegoLand!” said the Kid.

(We were sorely disappointed the next day. The Kid was sick, so he and I stayed in the cabin all day before driving back home.)