A week had already passed since I returned from my visit home in California and I thought it was way overdue for this entry. Other events have also happened here in WA so there's a lot of ground to cover.
Hayward, CA - Visiting the Japanese Garden in Hayward felt like visiting an old friend. Many times I had walked through those paths when I lived there and it always catches me how the place has its own power of isolation. You know the garden is sorrounded by residential and commercial areas, and yet you feel the distance that suddenly disconnects you from those structures the minute you pass through the gate. Like a familiar face, you are reminded of all the confessions and pondering that were exposed in the protection of solace. The garden is rich in plant life, but retains its character with fixtures, gravel, and water elements.
South San Francisco, CA - My mom plants a lot, among them roses, in my brother's house and everytime I stay there it's hard to not to stare at some in the morning or late afternoon when the light is soft. It may be summer elsewhere in the bay area, but in South SF chances are its about five to seven degrees lower. My old pickup truck, which was parked in the driveway one day, had a yellow rose peeking from the window...a very welcome sight indeed :).
Mountain View, CA - Ahh time for a Police concert! It was a full moon over the Shoreline Ampitheater and a nice time to be on the lawn (if you don't mind the "weeds"). Stewart Copeland was in full throttle with that gargantuan drum kit (one of those sixteen wheelers outside was probably for all his gear)! Andy Sommers and Sting were pretty much the same. The Police song catalog is loaded and it wasnt at all hard for them to get the crowd energized. I had a feeling though that this show was really more for Andy and Stewart and however it had been (and is) for all of them, this shot at redemption is well worth it.
North Bend, WA - Company picnic. Country setting. Food and entertainment provided. What's not to like? As soon as I entered the grounds my eyes got distracted by the motocross bikes suddenly popping in the air. That didnt last long though...hunger was setting in and so I proceeded to the booths. What can I say? It was a great time to be a non-vegetarian. All the veggie food lines were long (with the exception of the fries booth), so I leisurely strolled in and picked up my hamburger (yum!). There were some adult spots but this whole event was more wholesome and lots of activities for kids. So I knew I wasn't going to be around for that long...now is that a pork bun booth?
North Bend, WA - Iron Horse Park is not too far from where I was so I what the heck... I wish I had my bike with me, though... There was a nice trail that loops into Iron Horse and to what I had hoped to see (the steel bridge), but was probably too far so I just hiked as far as I could and turned back. Along the way though I kept looking at these flowers that looked like trumpets(?). A biker even stopped when he saw me photographing them and showed me the ones he had on his phone. I'd certainly want to come back here someday and go further up the trail.