Birding Interlude: Clark's Nutcracker

A bird of the High Sierra's and the pines. I hung around the whitebark pines in Yosemite National Park but dipped on this bird. Today, without our bins and Fred without his zoom lens, walking along the lakeside trail in Tahoe City, suddenly a flock of Clark's - got to love birding. 

I watched them use their spike-like bills to pick the seeds out of pine cones. They are famous for collecting thousands of seeds, eating some and then they bury the rest as a winter stash. Not all seeds get retreived and that is how the pines propagate.  What a bird.

Clark's Nutcracker, Tahoe City.

Lake Tahoe: Cycling along the Truckee River

All about cycling here at Lake Tahoe

That is me on a bike!

Last time on a bike was more than 4 decades ago cycling to school in Vanderbijlpark, until Dad felt sorry for us doing the uphill to Vaal High, so he bought a bakkie and lifted us in the mornings.

Squaw Valley, home to the 1960 Winter Olympics, and the Truckee River cycle paths made for a bliss morning cycling today.

Fred is very comfortable on a bike and just loved the morning, we did 26 kilometers and he would have loved to just keep going!

A very happy Fred!

Cool mountain air, shady path, river views, just lovely.

Trip was not without incident - I stopped to show Fred a photo opportunity and he did not…!

Truckee River, crystal clear and beautiful colors.

Family of Canada Geese.

Typical scene along the Truckee River and in town, wood cabins nestled among the pines.

View of Squaw Valley on our return.

Nearly back home at our timeshare, Olympic Village Inn.

Eyes on Lake Tahoe

So transitions are not easy.

Leaving San Francisco was literally and figurately difficult. Fred locked his keys in the boot. And who wants to leave such an amazing city. Gary organized his roadside assist and we did eventually get off by midday to move onto Lake Tahoe.

Thank you again Gary and Mark, John and John. The week at 1254 Stanyan was appreciated and made a special week in the middle of our four months of travel.

The altitude here is slowing me down, the cold clean air is refreshing though and some quiet time with eyes on the lake is good.

The maritime history also a quiet distraction, the wooden boats so beautiful compared to the mass produced fiberglass boats moored on the lake.

Breathing deeply during my yoga class this afternoon has made me feel more grounded into this new space and ready to walk, bike and to take in the new.

Our trip in numbers...

 We have been on the road for 6 weeks in the US:

•   travelled 5127 miles, (8250 km)

•   been in 3 US states – California, Arizona, Nevada

•   explored 5 National Parks - Joshua Tree, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Yosemite, Golden Gate Alcatraz

•   visited 6 State Parks - Big Sur, Salton Sea, San Jacinto Mountain, Hearst Castle, Red Rock, Red Rock Canyon

•   National Forests; 2 Sequoia, Sierra

•   slept in 12 beds; 3 hotels, 4 motels and 4 timeshare units, 1 private home (make it 18 with Bahamas)

•   ate Ben & Jerry ice-cream, 4, Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey, Triple Caramel Chunk, New York Super Fudge Chunk

•   added 34 birds to my US bird list which is now 198 and my world list is 1481, top bird Roadrunner

•   popped into 3 museums, Palm Springs Art, Cable Car (SF), De Young (SF)

•   farmers markets 2 ; Oakhurst, Ferry Building (SF)

•   decaprio 3 movie catch-up, Aviator, Gatsby and Departed

•   Oscar 3 movie catch-up, Dallas Buyers Club, Nebraska, August: Osage County

•   relished organic extra virgin olive oil, 3 farms 

•   walked 135 miles; beach, mountain trails, coastal meadow, high altitude lake, golf courses, climbing red rocks, canyon rim, valley trail, desert paths, Las Vegas Strip, mountain hikes, many city blocks

•   walking well ahead of schedule, 30 miles credit, (for each 50 miles driven we want to walk 1 mile)

•   longest hike 10 miles on Four Mile Trail with 3200’ climb on steep switchbacks

•   watched 7 episodes of Game of Thrones, season 4

•   lowest driving elevation, 214’ below sea-level at Furnace Creek Golf Course, Death Valley

•   highest driving elevation, 9945’ Tioga Pass, Tioga Road, Yosemite

•   got cold at the lowest temperature below 40 degrees F in Tehachapi (3 degrees C)

•   was hot at the highest temperature of 115 degrees F while walking in Death Valley (46 degrees C). Car registered 125 degrees F at one point – over 50 degrees C

•   wine tasting, 2 at Tablas Winery, Paso Robles and Souza Family Vineyard

•   modes of transport, 6, helicopter over the Grand Canyon, ferry to Alcatraz, cable car, bus, metro, streetcar

•   shows/events, 3, in Las Vegas, O Cirque du Soleil; in San Francisco, Beach Blanket Babylon; SF Giants baseball, San Francisco

'Summer of Love'. The 1960's  famous Haight and Ashbury corner in San Francisco, the street is still psychedelic with stoned looking folks

My fav! and they have prime position on the Haight/Ashbury corner.

Need to work on this list, lagging….

San Francisco: among the SF Giants fans

Among the SF Giants fans on the baseball pitch

Fred on the pitcher's mound.

Fred also picked up tickets for the annual fans event on the pitch, popcorn, bad hot dogs and lots of super excited kids batting and pitching.

The dugout

The fan - orange pants, orange lipstick and I am even wearing the cap!

SF Giants: All Together, Stronger Together

San Francisco Giants vs Colorado Rockies.
Saturday 14 June 2014
AT & T Park
San Francisco.

We bought tickets about midway through the game from punters on the street and had members seats in a perfect position to see all the plays.

Home runs, strikes, balls, bases, batters, pitchers, catcher, fielders, runs, outs…. Fred was a pro after an innings.

Such a fun way to spend an afternoon among 42000 fans all in some form of orange SF Giants attire.

prime seats!

Beauty of form

San Francisco: Streetcars along Market Street

Saturday morning shopping and strolling in downtown San Francisco, we had to jump on and off the streetcars, the fabulous F line. They are a visual fest of pastel color and form, from the mid 1920's from as far afield as Milan (boxy orange streetcar). The sleek PCC Streetcar is the most successful type of streetcar in American history, they are painted in tribute liveries to the cities that operated them - we rode the Washington DC, the turquoise/blue car! 

My favorite Market Street window display was from Anthropologie,  thousands of paper Monarch Butterflies, just gorgeous.

A diversion...

So the World Cup Soccer has started, Fred has found a pub, Netherlands was playing, so I had time to fuel other interests.

The de Young Museum of Fine Arts in the Golden Gate Park seemed the spot to explore.
Fascinating building to start.

I have not focussed on the art of the Native Americans, in fact have been avoiding the tourist shops and their wares.













The de Young has an exhibition that interested me and I joined the docent tour, and as it happens Marlene is a South African living here in San Francisco.

Cheyenne Ledger sketches

Navajo weaving, from the mid 1800's using churra sheep wool

The 11th C Mimbre pots!

I was enchanted by the ceramics, even though they are 11th century they have a modern, fresh appeal. The fine line work of the geometric shapes done with yucca brushes is distinctive on all the clay bowls.

June, was thinking of your ability to work as fine and as accurately! Inspiration?

Lines on the Horizon: Native American Art from the Weisel Family Collection

May 3, 2014 – January 4, 2015

Lines on the Horizon highlights Native American art from the collection of the Thomas W. Weisel Family. Spanning more than 1,000 years of artistic creativity, the exhibition will focus on the indigenous arts of the American Southwest, featuring 11th-century Mimbres ceramics alongside masterful classic Navajo weavings from the mid to late 19th century and 20th-century works by recognized artists such as the ceramicist Nampeyo of Hano Pueblo. Singular pieces from the Northwest Coast and the first Plains ledger drawings to enter the permanent collection will also be shown. The artworks, carefully chosen over 30 years of collecting, reflect an emerging sense that, through close visual and technical analysis, it may be possible to identify the styles of specific individuals who created these diverse works. Even if we may never know their names, we can still celebrate their works of art as expressions of personal and communal worldviews.

Foodie Interlude: two San Francisco institutions

Instead of dinner and a show, we did hot fudge sundaes and a show. I love how at a certain age it really does not matter. 

A visit to Ghiradelli is part of any itinerary in San Francisco, as is booking to see the raucous, irreverent, funny Beach Blanket Babylon, now in its 40 year at Club Fugazi, North Beach.

Ghirardelli has produced commemorative slabs of chocolate for BBB. That is Tammy Nelson featured on the chocolate, she has been part of the show for 20 years,  the final scene has her wearing the famous San Francisco headgear which is lit up and showcases all the well known San Francisco landmarks.

Loved the show!