Thursday morning

Paul Klee makes me happy. And to think this image represents/is named by him "flora on the sand" and looks as it does. Klee put everything in its rightful place--for him--and for us to consider and wonder about. This image of his makes for joyous musings.

Flora on the Sand

Paul Klee

1927

Flora on the Sand: Remembrances of dwarf wild flowers standing bravely amid the sandy shores of the Tuolumne River in the meadow by Soda Springs on our way to Glen Aulin. Late June. Wild flowers all over the place, holding their heads up to gather sunshine while their summer days are with them. Farther down the trail and away from the river, as if in a memorial like meadow of its own, white corn lilies everywhere. Later, we would find out that such a mighty blooming of these flowers happens only every few years in the high country. These white lilies need a perfect match of conditions for blooming.

Those days the sun set late. After our hikes, we bought ice cream at the canvas clad tent store by our campground before we walked to our campsite for dinner. Tired and happy, with the sweetnesses and labors of the day collected in the dust on our boots and socks and legs, we sat on granite rocks out in front of the store watching the meadow.

Sunday morning

Saturday's remembrances:

Coffee and schoolhouse cookies in the kitchen sometime around noon with my son Shanan; looking over a few photos and a radio program from Shanan's KZSC 88.1 FM days; Goosedog and Desie close by chewing carrots but mostly nudging us to hurry up and take them for a walk; lovely views of the bay on our drive to Tilden by way of Claremont Avenue; a long hike--a loop from and to Gillespie Camp; sunshine and warm warm air; our dogs running ahead on the trail, up and down the embankments, around corners and then back to us when we called them; sometimes conversations about the beauty of it all: lupine and poppies and poison oak and abounding trees; shimmering vistas with layers of greens and browns and blues; Goose and Desie on leash while we stepped aside two times so horses [and their riders] could pass us on the trail; Goose barking and barking at these large creatures; up up a long and steep [and sometimes muddy] hill to a newly restored area where we rinsed our shoes [and Desie's paws] and all of us drank some water; then up a short hill to our car. Muddy dogs [with poison oak perhaps] in the back seat. Bath time for Goose and Desie at home in our yard. 1st draft towel dry by Shanan. Final draft towel dry by me.

Family is good.

Family photo: Shanan and Goose on the trail

2008

Sunday September 25th 2010

Still Life with Onions

Paul Cézanne (1895)

A lovely day in San Francisco with my sweet son Shanan and Goose Dog and Desie to celebrate Shanan's birthday:

1. 8:30 arrival at Shanan's [albeit a bit late due to car key problems that have been resolved by retiring old key with [more definitive] new key]
2. coffee [and luna bar for me]; carrots for Goose and Desie
3. 9:30 vist to the deYoung to see Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, and Beyond: Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay
4. visit to the Museum Store for cards and postcards and magnets [during which time Shanan showed great patience and understanding]
5. [very sweet] sweets at the deYoung Cafe: chocolate croissant & lemon bar [along with a few sips of coffee]
6. lovely walk [and running around] at the Presidio with Goose and Desie
7. back at Shanan's for traditional angel food cake [that had not been frosted] with dollops of whipped cream and two strawberries on top and a small scoop of Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream on the side [more carrots for Goose and Desie]
8. brushing Desie's and Goose's teeth with dog flavored toothpaste
9. 1:15 [about] time to go home for me and Desie
10. farewell hugs for all

Upon arrival home:

1. lots of college writing papers to read on a Sunday afternoon in Berkeley
2. a nice talk on the phone with my sweet son Brandon
3. walk with my sweet dog Desie in the late late afternoon

Friday

A list:

1. Desie is feeling better.
2. She is such a sweet girl.
3. We are going to be home most of today cleaning up and doing a bit of reading of logs for CW.
4. My sweet son Brandon is coming tonight.
5. He will stay with my sweet son Shanan in S.F.
6. Tomorrow, Brandon and Shanan are going to to the Cal game: Cal vs UCD.
7. [Just so you know, Brandon went to UCD for undergrad and Berkeley for grad school]
8. I am going to the game with my dear friend Liz: she has season tickets in honor of her husband Herb.
9. Goose will stay with Desie during the game.
10. After the game, Brandon and Shanan and I will have dinner at La Mediterranee.
11. Brandon will stay with me overnight.
12. And then, I will take him to the airport for an early morning flight back to Evanston.

All of this is going to be so wonderful!

Friday

Just back from Evanston.

These sweet grand girls of mine, Jordan on the left and Skylar on the right, must have jumped from this ledge at Millennium Park in Chicago at least 25 times. Such simple joy for them and for me!

click on photo for larger image!

Here is a list of some of the simple and joyful things we [Skylar, Jordan, Dylan, Brandon, Stephanie and I] did together during my visit in Evanston:

1. held hands with S and J in the car on the way home from the airport while they told me stories about their daddy [S and J and B and me]
2. got to see [in person] and hear more about dear Stephanie's new and quite wonderful BrightBin lunch boxes [s and me and everyone]
3. shared Luna bars for breakfast [S and J and me]
4. watched Sesame Street [S and J and me]
5. went to Millennium Park in downtown Chicago where we had lunch [with BrightBin lunch boxes], played with blocks and hoola hoops, watched Jordan on stage juggling and watched Skylar get drenched under the waterfall with the man's face [S and J and B and me]
6. walked and rode bikes to the blue swing park a few blocks from home [S and J and B and D and S and me]
7. walked and rode bikes to the blue swing park a few blocks from home [J and me]
8. visited Skylar's school and played on the equipment --most especially the monkey bars [These two grand girls of mine are strong and determined athletes. [S and J and B and me]
9. went to library in Evanston [S and J and me]
10. taught me/ learned about insects and their legs and antenna at the library [S and J and me]
11. went to Peet's for muffins and coffee: there were no muffins left for us so we had giant oatmeal cookies instead
12. enjoyed watching my sweet son Brandon teach little Dylan and other children at the park about centipedes [S and J and B and D and S and me]
13. organized and used arts and crafts material I brought for S and J in their bedroom [S and J and me]
14. watched Skylar decorate the box of art supplies
15. watched Jordan wrap [via a home made envelop] a present for Shanan and me
16. read chapter 1 of The Trumpet Swan by E.B. White [S and J and me]
17. listened [with great amounts of joy] to Skylar read a book ["with an annoying mouse"on the cover, as she put it] to me.
18. 
    
19. [to be continued]

Goose and Isidore at Point Pinole

Okay
Originally uploaded by shanan

Last evening, Shanan sent me this video he took at Point Pinole on the day I wrote about in yesterday's blog. This is what he wrote to me: "This is one of my favorite walks too. Watch Isidore leap at the very end of the video."

Point Pinole

A bit of nostalgia on this early Sunday afternoon.

Or as others might put it, a wistful affection for the past.

I took this top photo of the shoreline at Point Pinole

last year when Shanan and I walked along the trail

with our sweet dogs Goose and Isidore.

I wish I were out there on the trail again on this day
with Isidore and Goose and Shanan.

Shanan took this bottom photo of me and Goose and Isidore on that day.

**