Part 2, SF Peninsula,

I forgot to mention that south of the town of Woodside, next to the town of Portola Valley, Los Altos Hills, Menlo Park, and Palo Alto is Stanford University. They own over 10,000 acres. Almost adjacent to Crystal Springs lands, this makes it a pastoral heaven. And of course causes real estate prices in the area to soar. The lands, mostly open space, is leased to the local livestock owners (yes they still exist there, surrounded by cities). And Stanford gladly allows the public to hike, horseback ride throughout most of the property. Some of the very narrow back roads behind the property are incredible. Rising up though the Redwoods, with gully's 100's of feet below. This is truly a marvelous area. NOTE: Most of the redwoods along this coast range were felled during the gold rush, to build San Francisco. So these are 2nd and 3rd growth stands. However on the West side of the range, in the canyons, there are wonderful original groves which San Mateo County and Santa Clara County have preserved as parks for hiking, camping, picnicking, and swimming (creeks).


Stanford U

Wusses

It's almost 90 deg in South "City" and San Francisco, and already some locals are complaining. Come on girls. Enjoy it! Afraid your makeup and hairspray will run? San Franciscans are just not used to a bit of heat. Of course my little office with the track lighting is getting a bit warm. But no major complaints. This weather won't last long, once the fog rolls in. So enjoy it.
(Guess it's time to move the umbrella from the passenger area of the car to the trunk. No rain until November). And to be honest, if it were 90+ for weeks, it would be a bit tiring. But then, we would all acclimate.

Writer's Block: Three dishes I could live on

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1. Spaghetti
2. Beef Stroganoff
3. Ham

I must add desert to all 3: Pecan Pie.

Now doesn't this make you feel cool on a hot day?

2 Things to Celebrate Today

1. At approximately 1:00 pm this afternoon the California Supreme Court Overturned the gay marrage ban
2. At approximately 7 pm tonight, I just became a great Uncle. My nephew's wife gave birth, to Carson. 20 inches, and over 7 lbs. My first great nephew.
3. To celebrate, I did not go to the Castro tonight. Instead I took a 15 minute ride West, over the hill, to the coast, the coastside town of Pacifica (time warp town), to view the sunset. Not only was it 10 degrees cooler, but the setting sun was glorious. I walked the boardwalk, people watching, and took in the mountain, ocean views, and the salt air.
4. Today was a wonderful day!