Leash runner

I've never had a dog. I mean a pet dog. We had farm dogs when I was growing up on the farm. They stayed outside and frequently got hit by cars because they ran on the road. They weren't pets; I don't remember a single one's name.

On the other hand, I've almost always had cats. Nero is my current sweetie, a big beautiful black feral kitty with hair like a bear's. Imagine my surprise to find myself out in a field with about 2000 dogs, in Morgan Hill, CA, last week Thursday. Nero would have been horrified, but of course he wasn't there.

 I was in Morgan Hill, which is about 70 miles south of Oakland, to see my high school friend Lynne. Lynne loves dogs and is very much involved in dog agility training. She was there to be a judge at national dog agility trials, and I was there to spend a few hours with her. She lives in Vermont, so obviously we don't get to see each other very often.

Lynne had to work soon after I arrived, so she said "Want a job?"

"Sure," I said. After all, anything is more fun than just standing around watching, particularly if the only person you know has to work.

Before I knew it, I had become a leash runner. Did you ever read the book Kite Runner? Well, it's something like the kids who would run after kites, rescuing them from trees and bushes, and bring them back to be flown again. In this case, when the dog was ready to perform his agility work, the trainer threw his leash on the ground and directed him to start. I would wait until the dog was no longer looking in my direction, on this course between the 2nd and 3rd jump, and then I'd walk over and pick up the leash - no actual running, as the dog might decide to run after me and his leash rather than finish his jumps - and then carry it over to where the course ended. That way, when he and his trainer arrived at the last jump, the leash would be there and ready.

I got pretty good at it, Lynne said. And even better, we had a fun few hours afterward wandering around cute little downtown Morgan Hill, drinking wine, eating wonderful Italian food, and catching up on our lives. A really fun day, and I learned a new skill!

Sightseeing in San Francisco

Can it be called sightseeing, when it's practically in your backyard? We live only a few miles from San Francisco, just across the Bay Bridge. Do we ever go there? Not enough, that's for sure. A few weeks ago we celebrated Wayne's daughter's birthday at The Fairmont Hotel San Francisco. We had a great time! Do you know The Fairmont SF was where the movie Hotel was made? And where the first United Nations Charter was signed? Do you know it was the first hotel to open after the Big San Francisco Earthquake of 1906? What a beautiful, opulent, historic property it is.

After our adventure, we resolved to spend more time in San Francisco, just for fun. Here are some of the things we did and places we saw during our 48-hour stay on top of SF's Nob Hill.

Coit Tower

On the hill next to Nob Hill, Telegraph Hill, Coit Tower reaches into the blue sky. It was named after a wealthy woman called Lillie Coit who donated the money to build it, according to local rumor, in honor of her special relationship with San Francisco firemen. During the depression of the late 1930s, the interior of the tower was painted top to bottom with murals depicting life in San Francisco, both in the past and in the 1930s. The murals were painted by local artists, many of whom had been influenced by or studied with the famous Mexican painter Diego Rivera, as part of the Public Works of Art project. The murals have recently been cleaned and restored and they are stunning! Here are some examples (check out the guy being robbed in the third photo - city living!):

Aren't they great? And here's the view from the top of Coit Tower. It's incredible!



The view from the top of Coit Tower

 

 

Grace Cathedral

More photos, this time on top of Nob Hill, right across the street from the Fairmont Hotel. I can't believe I've never been in Grace Cathedral before, and I've lived here most of my life!

 



2014 garden favorites

Almost Fall. Well, in fact, it is Fall, but here in northern California, Fall is our real Summer. So it's hot, not colorful like Fall is in other places. The summer vegetables know it's Fall, nevertheless, and they are on their way out. We still have fabulous tomatoes, and chard, and peppers, but soon...very soon...we'll be uprooting these and planting winter crops.



What were our favorite summer vegetables of 2014? Without a doubt they were the Brandywine heirloom tomatoes (OMG) and the padron peppers. The heirlooms were just plain delicious - green and dark red and not always the most beautiful classic tomatoes - but their taste told the true story. Sweet, they were really sweet. And tomato-y. Wow.




The padrons, well they are some good tasting peppers. Green, they're mild and wonderful fried up whole with a little salt. Red, they have a kick, and are best cut up in beans, or rice, or with chicken or pork, or in salsa. They have such a good taste! I still have a whole bunch that I'm drying, day by day, in the sun on the front porch. We'll enjoy them all winter long.