Weekend catch-ups

I haven't been keeping up with the weekend stories much. Here's the pictorial version (attached) -- they are from a trip to Point Reyes. Chimney Rock--i never want to do the tour bus thing again, that bus ride makes me queasy -- i'll make a terrible old person trying to do the cross-country greyhound tour. So you all are warned --i'm NEVER giving up driving!!

I also walked from the embarcadero area (where i work) to the Palace of Fine Arts (appx 3 miles) -- too cold to do that again. Will wait til it gets warmer. And will have to find out why it's called that -- i'll go around to the front next time.

and finally -- photos from this past weekend's little jaunt to Point Bonita Lighthouse, which is located outside the Golden Gate Bridge on the north peninsula (the Marin headlands). Since it's outside of the Bridge & bay, from the lighthouse one can look back & see both Bridge & Bay, w/ Alcatraz n all dat. And it was a VERY clear day for the view, too. It had rained the day before, & was cold & windy on Sunday. The lighthouse was closed initially, then open for 20 minutes (because they close the bridge (in the photo) to the lighthouse when it gets windy; even in the best of conditions, only 2 ppl are allowed on the bridge at a time), then closed the bridge & lighthouse again, so we lucky few got into the lighthouse that day. By extension, you are among the lucky few to see the view too, via my camera. Below in the surf were harbour seals (mostly on the rocks, quite a few in the water, NONE on the beach -- go figure) & jellyfish -- i think these are moon jellies (translucent, aka common jellyfish) & sea nettles (aka brown jellyfish) or something like that. I particularly enjoyed watching the seals' interactions. Even in the water, they clustered, sought each other out, etc.

Y'all feel free to write me about your adventures, too, now -- your stories are always welcome on this side of the screen. =)

Take care.

til next weekend~
kh

Alamere Falls (Palomarin hike)

People here walk incredibly fast. Now i know why Leslie zipped through the Hawai`i hikes at the same speed she zips through the office – she is, after all, from the Bay area. These dang speed-walkers! The only ones slower than me are the homeless, and that's because they're not trying to get anywhere in particular. Even the elderly & i think the midgets walk faster than I.

So on Saturday, after speeding through SF (or trying to) throughout the week, I decided I wanted to go on a hike. A 13-mile hike, no less, and figured it could be done in 6 hours, no problem. I'm guessing Nona would have passed on this one. Or at least insisted on an earlier start, which would have been prudent. I'm all for impulse, though, forget that planning stuff. I did mention 13 miles, though, didn't i?

Last year, I had been told at the Point Reyes visitors' center that the best time to see Alamere falls is in Feb/March, when the snows are melting and the cascade is fuller. The bay area had some rain the prior weekend, so this sunshiny weekend seemed like the prime opportunity. Kenneth was up for a hike, too, & it was good to have company – especially one who remembered to bring a flashlight in case we were still on the trail after dark. Good thing. I forgot to bring one, and we were still in the wooded area after dark, despite trying to do the trek back at double-time. Not only was I glad for the company and flashlight, but also for the twilight, and for the light of the moon that was strong enough to cast shadows, and take away the scaredy-cat feeling long enough for me to enjoy the stars during the walk.

I was hoping to spy a bobcat, bear, mountain lion, or maybe even an elk that had lost its way from Washington state...there's a field called Wildcat Campsite near the end of the hike—with a name like that, there OUGHT to be either bobcats or mountain lions, right? Didn't see any. But we did get to see a deer, some brown bunnies here & there, ducks on the lakes, lavender butterflies (very pretty, but too quick to photograph & i didn't have enough time to try), and a gull showing off its starfish (gulls eat the insides). And a waterfall.

Although Kenneth enjoyed the hike (but not the accompanying aches & pains that go with it), i'm not sure he'd want to go again, but I'd definitely do it again, starting at an earlier hour or maybe when there are more daylight hours in a day. Or maybe at a warmer time. I had wanted to get to the top of the falls, but we were short on time. However, i've had time to look up on the internet one of the signs we saw on the trail regarding a shortcut – per the 'net, looks like that shortcut chops 4 miles ( 2 miles each way) off the hike, & lands you at the top of the falls – good deal!! There's a crevice by which to climb down the bluffs to the beach to get to the base of the falls where it then runs into the sea. Gorgeous! Good thing we got there late, too, though, cuz the low sun angle provided the rainbow!

Of course, if those San Franciscans were on the hike, they'd all have speed-walked back to the car well before sunset. Midgets & seniors & all. I wonder if i'll ever get the hang of walking that fast.

Hope y'all like the photos, and are enjoying yet another fantastic week as we wend our way to the next weekend adventure!

--kh

For Adam

Adam died last year, i have no idea how. He was a classmate from an ocean ago and a lifetime away. I found his short blog site the other day, & his last words were to the effect that he felt hopeful because although things had been better, they could be worse. A month later, he died.

Most of us like to think that we seek a kinder, gentler world, and that by living as we do, we are making it so. We dedicate ourselves to building a better future for generations to follow. What disturbs me about Adam's death is that although he was comfortable with his homosexuality, others were not. Because of this, his relationships were difficult, heartbreak was inevitable, loneliness became a way of life. How can we have a kinder, gentler world when there is so much intolerance of that which is not harmful?

Be intolerant of those who refuse to be educated. Stupidity is without doubt harmful to society. Be intolerant of cruelty, for it breeds fear which stunts individual growth and keeps a society from flourishing. Be intolerant of those who discriminate against all things we should accept as surely as we accept the daily sunrise – differences in religion, gender, age, ethnic background, health, marital status & children, sexual preference.

It seems people will always find something to discriminate against, something about which to say You differ from Me, I am better than You. Such thinking belongs to those who lack confidence in themselves, those who have to find others to put down in order to raise themselves up, those who cannot think for themselves but take up the banner of generations past, or those who believe this world is only for the like-minded, with no room for individual freedoms.

Too many personal conflicts and wars large and small but wars nonetheless are waged because of religious differences, because of the color of one's skin, because he is gay, because "she" is not to be treated as an equal to "him." For every injustice, we all pay the price. But in my country, on my planet, i am determined that we shall have -- and i shall live it -- that kinder, gentler world.

Adam, named at birth for the first human biblical creation, died. For his loneliness in life, i grieve. For the intolerance others showed him, i am angry. Wherever Adam is now, i hope he is hugged, warm, loved, happy, and free.

15 Sept 2008: What I Learned This Weekend

If you were one of those people expecting a personalized email after the last squirrelly email, don’t feel bad at not having gotten one – I didn’t send out any. I either got busy or lazy, take your pick.

So Saturday was Mt. Tamalpais day. We were out the door by 7:30 a.m., but this reminded me of what Leslie said over the Last Supper (Gyotaku) – that going places on the mainland is not like going places in Hawai`i where a day at the beach is preceded by a 20-minute drive. This day hike was preceded by an hour-and-a-half drive, with a stop for car fuel & another later for human fuel.

I liked the drive, which looks very different depending on the time of day & direction in which one is traveling; i enjoyed the Richmond-San Rafael bridge, which was foggy in the morn & clear by the afternoon. Nearing Mt. Tamalpais, one passes through a little town (has a 7-11 store, a Subway sandwich place, Domino’s Pizza, and of course the omnipresent Starbucks) & then up the 10 miles to Mt. Tamalpais’ summit. There were bicyclists ALL the way up & down. There was also an organized run going on, so it was an extremely busy drive on a very winding road.

As it turns out (and perhaps as expected), the way I chose to do the hike was not the most savvy, so we aborted it shortly after starting, & will likely return to try again from a different route next time. I didn’t like it that the trail I chose from the map was actually a dirt road (a wide road), not much of a hike, and that I chose to start at the top & work our way down, since I couldn’t find an appropriate parking place lower that would still allow us to reach the summit...at any rate, we aborted it.

I heard the FUNNIEST conversation at the summit, though. Am glad I witnessed it—two cyclists had just attained the summit after that arduous 10-mile haul up the mountain, & as they approached the Visitors’ Center & stop area, one cyclist in his Germanic-based accent says to the other, “Okay, where now?” And the other (local) says, “That’s it.”
Says the first, “So now what?”
His friend, “We turn around & go back.”
Says the visitor, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” (the accent made it hilarious)
“No.”
“What did we ride up here for?”
“For the view.”

The ‘view’ was socked in by fog, even though it was clear at the summit. As I was leaving, I heard the local cyclist telling the other, “If it was clear, you would have a view of the bridge, the one that’s in the photo on my living room wall...” blah blah blah – am sure ALL of it was lost on his friend, whose brain probably was still stuck on the “we turn around & go back” portion of their conversation. He was likely expecting at least a pub or deli, & perhaps somewhere in the recesses of his brain, “Crazy Americans!” was the phrase that rattled around.

There were chipmunks at the summit.

That was nice. And an old firehouse (turned into a museum) w/ a 360 view to watch for forest fires, I expect. The summit overlooked Mill Valley. We went down the other way, & followed the sign to Stinson Beach.

From my time in Los Angeles, I discovered that beaches on the continent --cold & w/ fine sand that packs solid -- are nothing at all like the beaches in Hawai`i, so I wasn’t expecting to hop into the water or anything. I also wasn’t expecting to see people in the water in just swimsuits or everyday clothes, though, & there were…they’re nuts. I went into the water to where the waves reached my calves, stood there a few minutes, & when i came out i had to look to see if my toes were still attached, since i couldn't feel them, it was that cold. A few more minutes, perhaps frostbite would have claimed my feet. NO idea how the others were dealing w/ the cold water.

And seagrasses. EW, long winding seagrasses that look cool a-wash onshore, but when they slither around your ankles it’s downright creepy! Seagulls & pelicans made for a nice view, and I’m sure there are times (sunrise/sunset) when the view is spectacular, but my fresh-from-Hawaii eyes are a bit fussy at the moment & we weren’t there for dawn or dusk. The ocean (or area?) smells different, too...more fishy than the saltspray i'm accustomed to. All in all, though, i enjoyed the experience. Another 10 minutes is all it took to walk through the quaint beachtown of Stinson, which is much like a very miniature Haleiwa town, and the locals are as friendly.

BLACKBERRIES were the big discovery of the day. I wasn't sure what blackberries looked like, & I was examining something that looked like a blueberry (but smaller) growing on a weedlike plant, had picked one, squeezed it & watched a bunch of tiny seeds & liquid oozing from it, had just picked another & was contemplating eating it when a woman who worked at a nearby stand approached & said, “Can I help you?” “Are these blackberries?” “No, blackberries are over there,” she pointed, “and I don’t think I’d eat what’s in your hand if I were you.” So I tossed it & tried the other instead.

Blackberries look much like raspberries (& before they turn black, they’re red, too!) but they lack the hairiness of raspberries, thank goodness. The hair is why i've never eaten raspberries. But blackberries....oooh, they are delicious! I picked 7 more to take with me. They were growing wild all over the place! The plant itself looks like a weed, and thorns all over the dang place. I had been expecting a bush or something for berries. “Here we go round the mulberry bush…” so I figured berries grow on bushes, except for strawberries which I believe grow on vines, right? Anyway, now I know that what those hikers on Kauai were picking really were blackberries! I didn’t know we had any in Hawai`i, so I figured they were mistaken!

Blackberries, seagulls, pelicans, chipmunks, good company, & a great day. I hope your weekend went well also!

--kh

12 Sept 2008 email: Critters, mostly

Greetings, All:

Another generic email so i don't have to type repetitously in the individualized email that will follow (for a few ppl).

The first week here on the continental US has weatherwise improved remarkably, at least for this area. The Gulf area on the other hand has got a lot of praying going on, am sure. Wow, just checked online news, which says the Texas coast is getting smacked!

The only photo i'm attaching is one i took today -- yet another squirrel photo. WELL, what?! We folks from Hawai`i can get excited about squirrels (at least i can), much as do mainlanders when they see a mongoose on the road at Hanauma Bay! The ones i photographed earlier & today are apparently different than the ones i photographed yesterday. Today's (& prior ones) were in trees & reddish-brown in color; the ones i saw yesterday were on the ground, in & out of holes in the ground, & were much greyer in color. Their tails were also not as bushy as the redder squirrels. (In the photo attached, it looks like the squirrel has no tail...i can only assume it's a squirrel...without the big bushy cute tail, looks much like any other rodent!)

Yesterday i wanted to walk to the pet store, & decided to try a different route. Got a bit lost, didn't make it to the pet store at all, but got in a pretty good 3-mile or so urban hike. Today, i walked to the downtown area to sign some insurance papers, then to the grocery store, & back--4 miles roundtrip. Now that the temps have dropped, it's nice walking weather, but not many ppl put shoe to pavement. There are a few cyclists, but mostly motorists, & i think it's because instead of keeping the city contained, everything is sprawled. The area is good for cycling because the streets are wide & well maintained, there are NO potholes, the bike lanes are as wide as a car lane & they're on gently sloped hills. Depending on where i end up living & working, i might invest in a bike. (Not a touring bike...just a normal person's bike.)

Oooh, last night, Pippin (the cat) & i had affixed ourselves immobile to the windowsill that overlooks a small wooded area out back -- there was quite a lot of rustle & a bit of snarling & a growl followed by what sounded like a squeak & a crunch. I think it was a raccoon that had found some small prey. It sure made a ruckus & at one point a tree branch sprang back up, as though whatever was caught had been on a low branch of a small tree! Pippin was transfixed long after my ears lost track of the animal's movement through the trees & fallen leaves.

Tomorrow, we're supposed to go up to Mt. Tamalpais State Park just north of San Francisco. Kenneth initially suggested SF, but I wanted an opportunity to view deer, bear, birds, mountain lions, etc., so Mt. Tamalpais was his next suggestion. I'll send out photos after the trek. I'll be happy just to see the ocean again! Maybe i'll go into SF again after the car arrives, & after i get back from Texas. I like the various bridges that magically span the waterways.

Hope all is well with all of you. Keep in touch, it keeps me close.

--kh

from "The Boxer" -- Simon & Garfunkel

On 03 September, the sojourn begins with 2300 miles across an ocean to the Great Beyond. Perhaps someday when the wanderlust has been exhausted i shall return to this archepelago to which i was born and to which my roots cling. Perhaps someday the words here will reflect S&G's "Homeward Bound."

There is much i will miss once i'm gone, but there is much too that i will miss if i stay. So for now, "I am leaving, I am leaving, but the fighter still remains."

Check back often, since i will be posting much more frequently than before, in order to keep everyone updated with the goings on, along with photos. Meantime, take care of yourselves, take care of each other. Aloha!

David Brower quote

"We don't inherit the earth from our ancestors,
we borrow it from our children."