And back home...
Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge to visit our hair cutter Martin in San Francisco’s Historic Jackson Sq.
This is what David McCullough says about the Golden Gate Bridge in his essay AMERICAN VALUES in “History Matters.”
“…It makes that place more powerful, more meaningful. It gives both scale & humanity and time to that magnificent, natural wonder of the gateway, the entrance to the harbor.”
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Making Bay Street smoother. This has been taking many months.
North Beach, San Francisco.
North Beach, San Francisco.
North Beach, San Francisco.
A man who’s happy with this haircut at Rasoio’s.
Walking to meet Naomi at Tadich Grill.
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Former Federal Reserve Bank S.F. building.
A National Historic Monument.
Next visit to this neighborhood I’ll have to check out the lobby & its murals.
Another bank.
There’s my destination in red neon. This was the longest walk I had taken since the December 8th surgery. No problem!
Naomi’s dad Bill ate here annually with his cousin Joe & Arthur Fiedler, when he was in town with the Boston Pops.
Bill also ate here often with his wife & Naomi.
Tadich Grill before the lunch crowd arrived with lots of lawyers with bulging briefcases.
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The other side of the former Federal Reserve Building. “301 Battery is a 185,850 square foot landmark Class A creative office building and events venue located in San Francisco’s North Financial District. Built in 1924, the property was occupied by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco for over 60 years and is one of the finest examples of Beaux-Arts and Moderne architecture in the city.”
500 Washington @ Sansome in the Jackson Square Historic District.
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On Columbus Avenue.
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The California Bluegrass Association has an open mic the 4th Sunday of the month at the Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley.
This band are professionals. It’s the bass player’s 1st time. He was really good. This was the last time for the banjo player, he’s moving to Oklahoma. The fellow in the middle on the dobro is the leader. He once played with the Under the Floodlne (The bluegrass group that I played with & I held my own on the banjolele).
As the afternoon progresses folks come up & join in to play &/or sing.
I sit up close so I can hear the the leader of the song say the key it will be in. If I miss it it, I use an app our son Elliot told me about the gives the key so I can play along. Most of the songs are in G, C, D or A. If it’s in B flat, I sit back & watch & listen.
We tried the just opened Tacqueria Marin in Ross.
We’ll be back.
In Berkeley, Telegraph Ave. ending at the Sather Gate of U.C. Berkeley.
“Sather Gate is part of the historic Sproul Plaza, a major center for student activity and the scene of many protests during the Free Speech Movement.”
YOUR BASIC BIRD on College Ave, Berkeley, CA.
Some folks know about when we say “We’’ll make a day of it” & go to Fenton’s Creamery in Oakland.
Luis was great. He didn’t know about the history of Fenton’s & that in the past the servers were all waitresses wearing frilly aprons & caps.
Fenton’s Creamery.
Take a gander at that bowl of freshly whipped cream!
Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland was established in 1863 & designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. (Also New York City's Central Park, Brooklyn's Prospect Park, and much of U.C. Berkeley and Stanford University.)
Mountain View Cemetery.
This was a shopping mall & has been like this for quite a while. I guess large residence buildings will be built here.
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Seen while driving on I 80.
I was attracted to the color, styling & power. For a 79+ y.o. to get in & out of the non-electric bucket seats was an ordeal. I should have given it a test drive.
“N has gone electric with the 2025 IONIQ 5N high performance SUV. Over 600 hp and track ready features make it the most powerful Hyundai ever!” And Car & Driver says “Wicked acceleration, novel EV experience enhancements, entertaining handling..”
Our neighbor was trying to get rid of this vintage Schwinn exercise bike. Entertaining handling here as well but I wasn’t a taker.
Walking around Larkspur, CA.
Walking around Larkspur, CA.
Friday night dessert.
Presidio Heights in San Francisco up the block from Sacramento St.
Relaxing in the sunlight after walking to the Corte Madera Creek Restoration site.
I met the Old Spokes at Cafe Acri in Tiburon.
I stayed around to walk on the Shoreline Park path &…
…along Ark Row.
An early Mazda Miata.
Belvedere from Ark Row.
On mandolin. my friend Daniel Krakauer’s band, Big Oak bluegrass band playing at Artist Within Gallery, San Anselmo, CA.
Sara, first time playing with Big Oak bluegrass band & making it a quartet.
Ukulele Ohana.
Santa Venetia Marsh.
Santa Venetia Marsh.
I carried the cane under my arm.
A return to playing most every day has been gratifying. With a soprano ukulele & banjolele downstairs & tenor ukulele in my study upstairs, there’s no excuse.
I just finished reading "It's A Long Story:My Life" by Willie Nelson.
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