Childhood Pleasures

Fall light

Someone told me recently that it really looked like fall to her. I asked her to take a picture to show me what she meant. How do you take a picture of fall? Sure yellow and orange leaves show that nature feels it too, but what about the light? The light feels so distinctly fall when it arrives, that it's as if the slant of the sun shines in at you from an angle that hits your senses in such a way that an electric current is triggered that tells you, "Buy sweaters! Eat pasta! Horde wood!".
So I've been looking at the light, and while I think we're close here, we're not there yet. The leaves are certainly pretty though.

Home Sweet Home

The Water Temple

So who knew there was a "water temple" off the 92 on the Peninsula? Of course, Mr. water/energy man, Nico. Tucked along the reservoir, there is this classic little "temple" that is the terminus of the water line that comes from the Tuolome, up in the mountains above Yosemite. This is where the clean and tasty water for San Francisco comes from. There is a genuine temple and small park where the water bubbles out, ready to flow into the tap.

Fall

The End of an era

We all move on eventually, I did. I watched many people take flight, and leave from here. Many because they were ready, and something else just pulled them away.
But Michelle is being evicted from her home of nearly 15 years. This is the story of The Mission- it gathered us up with it's funky, liberating vibe (and it's great weather and cheap rent). And as so many stories like this go, all the artists moved in, toughed it out through muggings and chiva, and trash and bums and turned the rejected into the cool, hip and coveted. Those who could afford when it was affordable bought. And then everybody bought. Including Michelle's new landlord. Buy it up, move 'em out, fix it up... then... sell it off? Move in the folks from the Marina who want to be closer to the great restaurants and funky bars but still have an updated, granite-counter-top apartment?
Michelle's place was our last home away from home in our old home.
The port o' call during Halloween in the Castro, and Pink Saturday. The starting point for the Folsom Street Fair. The balcony booth for Dykes on Bikes. The dressing room for nights out with The Girls. The nursery for Zoe's first year. And these are only a few of my own sweet memories. M&Ms and Playboy on the coffee table. Frida on the wall. Madonna on the Stereo. Windows on pulleys and ropes. Artichoke dip and Quiches in the oven. Tequila, lime and Coke in the kitchen. Smoking on the porch. Curling iron on in the bathroom. Ironing board under a cork board full of color pictures of a family of friends. Someone else's wedding pictures over the sink. Funky chandeliers in every room. The perfect shade of gray in the bay window room. The weirdest shades of every other color in every other room. Polka dot curtains. Open bar, warm welcome.
Tonight is the final-final. The last call. And Michelle & Robb are the belles of the ball.

Tia's Place

Cha Cha Cha

Out to dinner with grown-ups!

Farewell Sunset

Zoe, Julian, Mr. Bear and I all took a last walk on the beach in Long Beach. It's been a great summer- we've been sandy, warm, salty and pretty happy spending our days in the shade of the sycamore tree. But it's time to go home.