This has been the summer of birds, bikes, brides and brilliance. It is with real sadness that I realize the days are getting shorter, and school’s right on the horizon, but the start up of every school year is magical and exhilarating. I’m just not ready…yet!
Since my last blog about birds, the bird theme has continued. Last week we traveled to Berkeley and San Francisco to visit John and Mattie. While climbing down from Coit Tower, high up on Telegraph Hill, we heard the famous wild parrots. They even flew over the tops of our heads, but it was impossible to take a picture before they were gone, elusive as they must be. Sorry Homer, I couldn’t capture your cousins, as much as I wanted to.
A Family Portrait at the beach
There were brides in our hotel, the wonderful Claremont Resort in Berkeley, and we saw at least three wedding receptions getting in gear in the lobby. I celebrated once again that I’m not a wedding photographer! There were plenty of them all around, looking stressed and serious.
Bikes began the summer with the Ironman in Coeur d’Alene, and bikes, highly stylized ones, were a big part of the four days in California. John, our son, is a journalist and video producer, and he had an important job on Saturday, to videotape and report on a Scraper Bike celebration. The video is finished as of today, and instead of me reporting about it, you must, dear reader, travel through this link to that experience. Mattie (a talented photographer) and I got out our cameras, and our shots are used in John’s video, but it’s his moving shots and music that “make” the experience. I’m in awe of the job he did with this, all while holding a video camera and skating backwards on inline skates. Consider carrying a borrowed video camera worth thousands of dollars on skates… I guess journalists do whatever it takes to get the story, whatever the story.
http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/scraper-bikes/
Other highlights of the trip were a trip to Sonoma, including a visit to a wine tasting, and the giant redwood trees in Armstrong State Park.
Nap under the redwoods
On our last full day, Billy went to Mattie’s French class, where I’m sure he talked too much, and I went to Link TV with John, where I watched him get covered in makeup, and then make a videotape asking for money (some things never change!!!!!)
Asking for money at Link TV
The last night, we took John and Mattie to a four star vegan restaurant in San Francisco, called Millennium, where we celebrated their second anniversary with organic vodka and organic espresso and amazing vegetables and grains. My starter was Fried Green Tomatoes with spicy Creole remoulade, arugula, roasted corn and leek confit salad. Main course was Mediterranean Stuffed Ronde de Nice Squash with bulgur, beluga lentil and walnut farce, sautee of roasted cherry tomato, zucchini and English peas, za’atar spiced tahini cucumber pickle, cardamom and parsley zhug, crisp capers and fried squash blossoms. It was an amazing experience. It certainly eclipsed tofurki. What a wonderful restaurant!
Blueberry glazed smoked tempeh
Seared Potato Scallion Cake
Mediterranean Stuffed Ronde de Nice Squash
Oh, to be starving grad students again…Or, perhaps not starving, after all…
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