Lastech works graveyard and last night was his Friday. Following his suggestion, we made a quick trip to the park hoping for cool, frosty pictures. Quiet it was, for a short time.
We started off at the Japanese Tea Garden…
A moment of zen
It was nice while it lasted…which was less than 15 minutes. We heard the obnoxious and icky sound of horking (Lastech: she means puking) coming from the other side of the garden. Jeebus! It’s really not a good idea for a girl to party all night and then go out to the park while NOT dressed for the cold and still inebriated.
We made our escape before I found myself wanting to join in with a sympathy hork. Ugh!
We crossed the street to the arboretum in order to restore our moment of zen. Ceiling Cat be praised, we found it.
CamelliasMagnolia leafIce on the pond
The last photo is a rare sight in San Francisco. Frost is rare here and frozen water more so.
Now is the time to take a minute and look back on this past year, and the ways it affected the JBoD microcosm.
We spent much of 2012 watching sunsets and wildlife (fins!) from local beaches, but in April, we chose to visit the neighboring hill known as Bernalwood where stunning California poppies in full bloom awaited. On another more recent trip, amazing clouds treated us to an ‘air show’…
California poppies on Bernal Hill
In May, we finally managed a trip to see the California Academy of Sciences. The albino alligator named Claude is a real beauty.
Claude on his warming rock. He’s quite a handsome devil. Photo by Ron DeCloux.
I took a lot of photos, so it’s in four parts. One, two, three and four.
In June, a contractor working a few doors down from our home base cut into a gas line, resulting in a gas explosion and fire. Purely by chance, prevailing winds minimized the spread of the damage, a very good thing considering how long it took to shut off the gas. The kind of scene best left in movies, not real life. The Pointy Eared people weren’t amused…
Firefighters in action. The tan and brown building on the far left is where the construction was. The dentist office was in the white building.
Then in July, we lost our sweet, comical tyrannical food thief Kitsy to FIP. It was sudden and awful and I still haven’t been able to write a proper post for him. As for Lastech, he is still coming to terms with the possibility that the virus which took him might have been introduced by Miss Jenny. So little is known about FIP and no test being available, it remains a painful mystery.
The hawk was sitting in the tree just above eye level and only ten feet from the path.
A week or so later, we went exploring the Coastal Trail near the Golden Gate Bridge. We encountered another hawk, a couple of hummingbirds, a slug and a wonderful sunset.
Did I mention that hummingbirds like the pretty purple flowers?
We finished off the year by exploring the cliffs around Battery Mendell, a coastal battery that was built before WWI.
Photo by Rudha-an
That was our 2012 for the most part. Some was good and some was bad. Hopefully, 2013 will be an even better year.
Happy New Year from JBoD
Rudha-an, Lastech, Tito, and Miss Nightshade Jenny
Tuesday, we found ourselves between storms and there were big puffy clouds over San Francisco, so off we went. Bernal Hill aka Bernalwood was our destination.
We decided to go out and play again on Friday afternoon. The Marin Headlands are full of coastal batteries. Most were placed as a result of WWII, but some, like Battery Mendell were built before WWI. Old and dilapidated, they are both an eyesore and a thing of beauty. No longer owned by the military, they are now a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA).
Battery Mendell as seen from Battery Wallace by Rudha-an. This photo was from a previous trip
As many know, San Francisco and the Bay Area have been subjected to a series of storms. The North Bay appears to have gotten the worst of it. In spite of all that, mother nature has seen fit to give us some beautiful views in between those storms. The dogs were certainly enjoying it.
On Tuesday the 27th, we went for a walk along the Coastal Trail near the Golden Gate Bridge. We knew there was a storm coming, so we wanted to get some time outdoors before it hit. It turned out to be a wonderful little jaunt that was full of surprises.
Lastech looking out across the Golden Gate. Point Bonita (on the Marin Headlands) is visible in the distance
I wanted to break up the trip into two posts, but it just wasn’t going to work. We had some very nice surprises along the way.
As usual, the weather has provided us with some stunning sunsets. It’s not quite as common in the summer because of the fog, but when it’s mostly clear, it’s beautiful. Here are a few photos from Baker Beach.
KayakerLooking out over the Golden GateReflection in the sandReturning homeWowLand’s End
A couple of weeks ago we went to the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. As we exited the Conservatory, a splash of color caught our eye. It turned out to be a large planter brimming with dahlias. It was stunning. Here is a bit of color for everyone headed into winter. Enjoy Continue reading “Dahlias!”
