Car trip up north

We just returned from a short-ish trip to Oregon and Washington. I would not recommend driving, but that is what we did as we needed to pack a few things--heavy things--to take back with us to San Francisco. My husband's mother, elderly and living in Denver, has been having to fly out to Oregon in order to take care of her deceased sister's affairs. My husband's mother wanted us to take a table that was made by a grandfather a few times removed. We don't really have the room for it, but we took it anyway. It's a well-rendered piece that sort of looks like a very big nightstand. I think it's 24"x24"x36". There are two shallow drawers at the front. I don't think I took any pictures of it, to be honest. And, funnily enough, it was just *this much* too big for the car (OOOPS!), so we wound up having it shipped down from Corvallis, OR. I suppose we should expect it to arrive sometime in the middle of the month. 

My husband's Aunt was a piano technician of some renown in Oregon. She was the one you'd call in when a visiting pianist came to play at the local university. She was exceptional at what she did and she dedicated, really, her whole life to her vocation. She owned two grand pianos and they were bequeathed to dear pianist friends of hers. All that remains in the house from her life as a piano tech are tools--so many fantastic tools of the trade!--and an upright piano fashioned in NYC at the beginning of the last century. It's a beautiful piano, but, apparently, upright pianos are not desirable right now, so one hasn't even been able to even give it away. The tools, however, will go to the aunt's piano tech. community pals. 

In addition to helping my husband's mother in the Corvallis area, we drove up to Seattle in order to spend time with my nephew and his family. The visit was just a few hours for dinner, but it was better than a kick in the head, as my Dad used to say. The wife, J., the glue of the family, if I'm honest, is dealing with a terminal cancer diagnosis, so it felt imperative for me to go up and visit. She is not forthcoming about her prognosis, nor should she have to be, so I don't really know much about how she's faring. We talked about mundane things like job and child-rearing. And that's OK.  My hope is that I can see them again before her health worsens. 

Exciting flora and fauna at St. Edward State Park, Kenmore, WA.

 

Me in St. Edward Park with lavender.

The yellowest, fuzziest bumble bees live in St. Edward Park. 

I hail from a semi-arid climate. I like where I'm from and find the landscape here appealing, but BOY, OH BOY, is the Pacific Northwest lush and verdant. It's just so, so beautiful up there. I didn't actually take any snaps of the snow-capped mountains or huge swaths of green, rolling hills, but, man, they don't call Seattle 'the Emerald City' for nothing, let me tell you. 

Most exciting for me as a fan of raptors were the few Bald Eagles we spotted flying high overhead while we were in Seattle. We've the Golden Eagle down here in CA. but I don't think I've ever seen one IRL. 

June 14

Yesterday was 'No Kings Day'. Many took to the streets to protest the goon in the White House. I went to work, but made a sign anyway and stuck it in my front window. 'Fuck Trump' would have been the most concise message, but so many demonstrators made instead really creative signs. I got an eye-full when folk came past my place of work at the Ferry Building post protest. 'Turd Reich', the image of a poo wearing a Trump coiff, seems to still be a perennial favorite. Swastika-themed placards abounded and there were many signs featuring a crown with 'Ghostbuster' red circle with a slash running across it. 

Bartie posing with my sign.

My Uncle sent some images from his local No Kings protest in Marin Co., CA.

A buddy of mine took this at the Oakland, CA. No Kings event. It may look like a street fest, but she said she could not see through the crowds in front of her or behind her.

 

Protesters here in California benefited from really favorable weather yesterday. I had read that rump's event was marred by rain. Boo-hoo. 

The Presidio

As soon as we were on our way, J. said, 'Can you believe that the guy in the White House wants to take this way?! Ridiculous!' 

I said that I could not believe it and what a shame that that would be. I was having this conversation while riding a bike. Well, I was 'driving' the bike, a pedicab of sorts with an e-motor and an ample basket equipped to carry a maximum of two passengers at the front, and the person I was speaking with was 'passengering', if you will. We were engaged in conversation while I was ferrying him and another person, clients at a senior center located in the Presidio, around Tunnel Tops, the newest bit of the park to be built up for visitors to enjoy. For approximately 20 years, this former military installation has been a boon to SF visitors from far and wide. The Presidio is a gem and huge draw for the city. And the menace in the White House has recently issued an executive order to eliminate the Presidio Trust, the federal agency that manages the park. 

I had meant for this post to be largely about the beauty that is the Presidio and how clients of this particular center are treated to lovely views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the Palace of Fine Arts (if we trundle over to Crissy Field as sometimes is our wont), but J. dove right in as soon as we were on our bike ride and I felt compelled to include his thoughts. Most of the clients who consent to go for a ride are either not very verbal or keep to speaking about things more in the moment, if you will, but J. still has his mental faculties in check to the degree that he is more than capable of talking about the shit-show that is our current government. As a 'pilot', I try to meet the passengers where they are and am more than happy talk about current affairs, even if they do make me steaming mad. B., the other passenger that day, wanted to talk about how he was keen to go for an ice-cream after the ride. So he and I talked about what flavors we might like to have should we find ourselves at an ice-cream parlor. I also found out that B. had a penchant for ice-cream cake! The best thing about the trips with these guests is that they get to be outside taking in the view, enjoying the fresh air and getting both a bit of vitamin D and some wind in the hair. -not a bad thing, at all.

Me and two guests biking around Tunnel Tops

Demo, April 5, 2025 and Orlie's mural

I made a couple of signs for the demo today. My buddy met me at Civic Center around noon, so she could grab a bite to eat before the event kicked off at one. Unlike the women's march that convened in the same spot when Drumpf was elected last time, this one somehow felt much smaller. Maybe it was as there were so, so many anti-Drumpf/Musk events around the Bay Area for one to choose from. 

From our vantage point, we could just barely make out what the speakers were saying--I wasn't sure who they were either, to be honest. -no one from local government seemed to have been on-hand. We decamped to the shade after about 20-30 minutes and contented ourselves with reading folks' signs and chatting with others on the lawn around us. 

It then seemed that there were a march forming, so we attempted to join. Either we followed the wrong contingent or just didn't zig when others zagged and wound up making our way to the subway once it became clear that we were following no one. 

I went down to the beach yesterday in order to help with sealing Orlie's mural. There were no other volunteers during my 11-12.30p 'shift', so we two prepped the mural (rinsed off the dust and such, then attempted to dry it) for sealing. The shade was not our friend as the mural was sloooow to be fully dry by the time I needed to leave. I went back after my appointment downtown around 5p and was met with the finished product. 

Orlie's delightful mural with sealant. 

More art, more joy.

I'm slated to be a part of the volunteer effort to help seal the latest mural to grace our nearly-newly minted park. This mural, like the last one to go up, is on the western-facing wall of one of our public lavatories found along the Lower Great Highway, the road next to the Upper Great Highway, the one that's becoming a park. The official opening day for the park, a name has yet to be determined, is April 12, if I'm not mistaken. 

You might recall my having recently posted about the mural that had been defaced by dipsticks who are, presumably, big-mad at having yet another place in which to recreate safely here in the city. If not, then here you go---Vandalism. 

The above snippets show the work of Orlie K., an artist whose work I've admired for a number of years now. They are incredibly skilled at bringing to life both flora and fauna in the most unique and whimsical way. I also really enjoy their color choices. I was a bit too close to the mural to be able to snap a wide shot. If you're curious to see more of Orlie's work and are able to access Instagram, then check out Orlie's page: https://www.instagram.com/orliegrams/?hl=en. 

Vandalism

I was biking down the Great Highway the day after its permanent closure on March 15th and was met with this sight---

Emily's mural was 'tagged' before she'd been able to apply a protective layer over it to shield it from both sun damage and the threat of vandalism. On Sunday, fortunately, she and a group of volunteers went out to scrub away the damage. I think Emily is now on track to apply the sealant this week. 

And in other mural news, a second artist, Orlie K., who working this weekend at another site along the Great Highway, was verbally harassed by passersby. One person even called Orlie's piece 'visual pollution'. Orlie's work decorates various businesses in SF and beyond. Pollution of any kind it ain't. 

Volunteer clean-up effort of Emily's mural yesterday.

Quick update on cats and Ocean Beach Park aka The Great Highway

Big boy Bartie is still alive, thank goodness, but the trick will be how to keep these two kitties, whom I refer to as 'furrenemies' from slaughtering each other over the long haul. The hubs and I have decided to sequester the cats when we aren't at home. Each area of the house, in which the cats reside in our absence, has a litter box and bowls of food and water. We've been operating in this mode for the past couple of weeks and it's been good...so far!

Backyard Bartie

In other news--on Friday, March 15th at 5am, the Upper Great Highway will close permanently to car traffic. Below is a shot of an artist called Emily Fromm creating a mural showcasing some of the history of the westside of the city. Highlights of her piece include the Cliff House (1890s version) and the long gone, but not forgotten Playland-at-the-Beach. Emily's work is fun and whimsical and I'm glad she's been tapped to be the first of, hopefully, many artists who will contribute to sprucing up the area along the Great Highway with eye-catching creations. 

          

The artist, Emily Fromm, at work on the walk-path that flanks the Upper Great Highway.