Time For Dahlias!

"I must have flowers, always and always."

~Claude Monet

I agree! Flowers are one of the very things that make life worth living. I love flowers of all kinds, well, with one exception... the fuchsia. Do I think they are pretty? You bet! But, alas, they are the one flower that I am hopelessly allergic to. But bring on the dahlias, sunflowers, freesia, stock, violets, and roses of course! But for now, lets just talk dahlias.

The Dahlia Garden, in Golden Gate Park, is one of the parts of summer I look forward to. The sight of the garden bursting with color, and small flying insects, never fails to make me smile! It's gorgeous! And I never stop marveling at home many varieties of the flower there are!

The dahlia is beloved the world over. It is the official flower of San Francisco, the official emblem of Mexico, and in Japan, they are a symbol of good taste. I can see that, it's a lovely, long lasting garden flower that blooms into the autumn. With as many colors, sizes and shapes they come in, it makes it the perfect flower to landscape with. I am seriously considering adding a couple different dahlias to the rose garden next summer. We'll see.

Golden Gate Park Dahlia Garden
Part One
Photographed On July 10th 2013



Isn't the dahlia a lovely flower?

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

The Naked Summer Day (Rated PG-13)

"No city invites the heart to come to life as San Francisco does. Arrival in San Francisco is an experience in living."

~William Saroyan

If you blush easily... I apologize, but what you see is just one more marvelous aspect of visiting San Francisco on any given day! If you really study the photo, you will see that those who are clothed aren't really paying much attention to the man with the hat. That's because the sight of the occasional naked person, going about their day, is seen as a generally accepted practice. Now don't get me wrong, the man with the hat was the only naked citizen I saw that day, but San Francisco does have a long history of social nudity, and I frankly I more than approve of it, I applaud them for it!

But again, don't get me wrong. I also believe there is a time and a place for this, because bottom lining things, no pun intended, parents should not have to explain the practice of "clothing optional" to a young child if they don't want to, and being forced into that situation is quite unfair. But the day I saw this young man, enjoying a truly wonderfully warm San Francisco day, we were in the Haight/Ashbury district of the city. A neighborhood known for it's passion for all things self expression, and the freedom to do so! I suspect that children in that neighborhood have already been led in the idea of personal moral choices... at least I would hope so!

Still, late last year the city of San Francisco did pass a citywide ordinance banning public nudity... sort of. You see, after the ban was put into place, the nudists sued the city for violating their freedom of speech. Personally, I understand both sides of the issue. It doesn't particularly shock me to see a naked person, but by the same token, if I never see another naked person in San Francisco, I don't think it will ruin the city for me. Hmmmm. I do like that up until 2012, there was no ban on the shedding of ones clothing, it is a freedom that helped to make San Francisco such a unique place to live and visit.

Generally speaking, I wonder what others think about nudity?

"Conventionality is not morality."
~Charlotte Bronte

"Too much nudity is a turn off. Especially if all that flesh is on one person."
~Jarod Kintz, This Is The Best Book I've Ever Written, And It Still Sucks.

"Being naked approaches being revolutionary; going barefoot is mere populism."
~John Updike

"You don't have to be naked to be sexy."
~Nicole Kidman

"When I was growing up, in our house nudity was defined as the period of time between the shower and your towel."
~Amy Cohen, The Late Bloomer's Revolution: A Memoir

"There's too much nudity on TV, and not enough on the radio."
~Jarod Kintz, Seriously Delirious, But Not At All Serious

"The body is meant to be seen, not all covered up."
~Marilyn Monroe

"Nudity quickly becomes unremarkable when generally practiced."
~Martha Nussbaum

"It is so basic. A human being is an innocent part of nature. Our civilization has distorted this universal quality that allows us to feel at home in our skin. Other animals have coats that they accept, but the human race has yet to come to terms with being nude."
~Ruth Bernhard

"Indecency, vulgarity, obscenity... these are strictly confined to man; he invented them. Among the higher animals there is no trace of them. They hide nothing. They are not ashamed."
~Mark Twain
 
Public nudity doesn't offend me. But that's me. What I want to know is how you feel about the subject? Should public nudity be banned in all cities, beaches and parks? Should there be designated areas only?

Thoughts?

Suggested Reading...

Free Speech Doesn't Cover Nudity 
(SFGate)

S.F. Nudists To Stage Another Protest
(San Francisco Examiner)

Nancy Pelosi On San Francisco's Public Nudity Ban: We Have Our Standards
(Huffington Post)

Mood: Curious

~Me :)

A Sweeping Metaphor

"It may be difficult, but there will be times we need to pick up our brooms and do some spiritual house cleaning. It is through this process that we find our true relationships, our true heart, our core integrity, and our life's purpose."

~Molly Friedenfeld, The Book Of Simple Human Truths: Inspiration, Love And Wisdom

While walking through the Haight Ashbury district of San Francisco the other day, I happened upon this little broom, just resting on the concrete. Sometimes I can be right in the middle of a place of bold, vibrant colors and sounds, and while it's all exciting and inspiring to take in all that, sometimes  it's the subtle things that tend to hit me over the head. Sometimes the little, average things that pleases my eye the most.

There is a superstition that says when you move from one home to another, the last thing you should do is sweep the last of the moving dust out your door, and leave the broom behind. Which, of course, is symbolic of sweeping your troubles, your ghosts out of your live, and not taking them to your new home.

That works well for attitudes as well. Preconceived notions. Old boyfriends, Addictions. Fears. Bad neighbors. Almost any "ghost" that haunts you. I have done it many times. Daily I have swept up the dust of everyday life and thrown it in the garbage, but there is something about the final sweeping of the mind, regarding anything that needed letting go of, that has cleansed my life the most. I like brooms very much.

"When someone hands you a broom, get a few buckets of paint. That is how a janitor becomes an impressionist. If the 19th century French style could improve upon nature, it can make your floor look clean."

~Bauvard, The Prince Of Plungers

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

What Does A Semi-Professional Wannabe Photographer Eat For Lunch?

"The history of every major Galactic Civilization tends to go through three distinct and recognizable phases, those of Survival, Inquiry and Sophistication, otherwise known as the How, Why, and Where phases. For instance, the first phase is characterized by the question 'How can we ear?' the second by the question 'Why do we eat?' and the third by the question 'Where shall we have lunch.'"

~Douglas Adams, The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe

Breakfast? No, this girl doesn't have breakfast all that often. Yes, I know, it is the most important meal of the day, and it's got a lot more viable choices than it did when I was a child and artery clogging early morning meats and eggs where all the rage, but I just rarely partake of the breakfast ritual. Just don't... don't know why... just don't. But I do admit to dashing off, from time to time, to gitchy little 24 hour diners with Alan from to indulge in midnight eggs. Midnight egg white omelets I should say! Yum. What? Being older than God isn't boring at all!

Lunch? Yes please! I am a lunch girl. I am hopelessly addicted to a couple cute little national chain soup chains, and you might find me from time to time at Panera, ordering YUM YUM YUM. And like yesterday, Starbucks will yell at me, in a soft seductive tone, you want me for a nooner... you know you do! Blushing. Sighing. I say "Yes, yes I do." My favorite Starbucks indulgence being a Seasonal Fruit cup and a Egg Salad Sandwich. The two together only add up to 580 calories, which makes for a light lunch. It's good to eat lightly when you are chasing down public art, or walking the streets in San Francisco looking for inspiration.

It is one of my favorite lunches, and it does my body good! :)

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Art About Town: San Francisco. Street Art And Murals Of Haight Ashbury (Part Two)

Jimi Hendrix Mural, By Artists, Ernest Doty, Max Ehrman, And Sean Griffin

"There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life."

~Federico Fellini

Jimi Hendrix. It's hard to believe that so much talent, could die so young. I guess when you are that age, death seems like it's for someone else. I am especially reflective about age and dying because of this week I think. The point driven home about the age of Trayvon Martin, and on the same day, the sad news of the passing of Cory Monteith. At just 31, another artist dead, from the same demons that claimed Jimi Hendrix. Brian Jones. Janis Joplin. Jim Morrison. Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse. I don't want to speculate about Cory Monteith, about why, or how, he lived or died. It serves no real point. I wasn't even particularly familiar with his voice, as I have never seen a single episode of Glee, but I did hear his singing the other day on a news report about his untimely death, and it made me sad to know that I won't be hearing him sing again. I could have been a fan.

But back to Jimi. In 2017, Haight/Ashbury will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the "Summer Of Love" and this mural of Jimi Hendrix is a little taste of what's to come in the way tribute to a significant time in our culture. The mural is on the house, very near the intersection of Haight and Asbury, where Jimi Hendrix lived during that time. The house itself is special, as it was the inspiration for the Jimi Hendrix song, "Red House." The three artists that created this mural, are working on creating another on the other side of the building. I am going to be revisiting the Haight throughout the summer, and I will keep you up to date on the project and it's progress. And you know I will be there in 2017 to see it all in it's psychedelic glory. It's art. So I will be there. Click the link below to read more about the mural, the artists, and their vision.

Fitting Tribute To Hendrix Ahead Of Summer Of Love

Mood: Reflective

~Me :)

Art About Town: San Francisco. Street Art And Murals Of Haight Ashbury (Part One)

"Imagine you saw a color in your dream, which you have never seen before. It doesn't consist of any colors or shades that you know. Trying to describe that color would be as difficult as trying to believe that there is enough love and compassion in the world so every human can feel happiness."

~Egor Kraft

Street Art And Murals Of Haight Ashbury (Part One)

The Pink Bunny Endures!

 

The Haight/Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco is basically two intersecting blocks, but the long block of Haight street, and all the surrounding streets provide even the most casual observer a kaleidoscope of creative beauty, from the funky little independent shops, to the amazing street art, there is just nothing like it! I absolutely love the diversity of San Francisco, and the feeling that as one moves from neighborhood to neighborhood, there is a distinct difference and feel to take in. As an amateur photographer, and public art enthusiast, it is always exciting to me to pack up the cameras and head over to the city to explore each neighborhood's expression of life. The Haight is definitely one of my favorite places in San Francisco to spend time and take in the colors of the little world that is their neighborhood.

The funny little pink bunny with the skull in his mouth has had quite a time since the artist, Jeremy Fish installed him, as a gift to the neighborhood, in January of 2011. Vandalism. A fire was started behind the bunny on the platform, you named it, the bunny has endured it. He looks a lot different now, then he did when he was first debuted, but I kinda like the look now. He's a even more edgier than before, not that he needed any changing, but I do appreciate the change from a esthetic point of view. Its like seeing him take a on a new great adventure, without his having to leave home. I like the smile it brings to my face to see him live on, despite having suffered some of life's pain. Does that make sense? Anyway, I am loving this bunny, and that's the whole point of art... right? To inspire not just thought, but emotion as well.

Read More About The Art And The Artist Here...

Lower Haight Mural Gets A Giant Jeremy Fish Statue
(Haighteration The Lower Haight Blog)

Skeletal Rabbit Statues
(Trend Hunter Art And Design)

Know Your Street Art: Untitled Bunnies, Corner Of Haight And Laguna
(SF Weekly)

Jeremy Fish Installs A Silly Pink Bunny Statue In Lower Haight
(Jeremyriad)

Part 2 of this series comes tomorrow, and I hope to bring you more before the end of the summer! I haven't photographed nearly enough street art!

Stay Tuned!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

The Love Story Of Donny And Nina (Not Their Real Names)

"If I throw a stick, will you leave?"
~Unknown

True story. Only Certain Names Have Been Changed.

Okay, so Saturday night I was a bit out of sorts. It's been an emotional couple weeks over my way. The plane crash at SFO really upset me. It was depressing and scary.  It will be at least a year before we have any final word on the exact cause, and while some things seem obvious now, I am trying to wait and see what the NTSB says in it's final report. So I was feeling that stress. Now, the added element of that ridiculous mistake made at KTVU about airing those blatantly racist names as the true names of the pilots of Asiana 214, both embarrassed me and pissed me off! I would have thought that a network affiliate, hell any news outlet, would have checked, double checked, triple checked those names before they ever reached the anchor desk! It's sad. But the news networks have to fight each other to get the scoop. So, there you go. They certainly did get the scoop!

"When I look into your eyes, I see straight through to the back of your head."
~Unknown

As for Saturday night's verdict in the George Zimmerman trial, well, HELL! What do we have to do to get justice in this country? The jurors ruled, and reserving judgement about them because we haven't heard from them as yet, but I feel the prosecution team did a truly less than stellar job, and it was obvious. I am also hugely unimpressed with the forensics team that did such a bad job of collecting evidence, but even with all that, in my opinion, the jury still should have brought back at least a verdict of manslaughter. Zimmerman brought a gun, to a situation that could have been accomplished with words, had he not decided in his own mind that Trayvon Martin was up to no good. Why couldn't he have introduced himself throughout the neighborhood, to all his neighbors, as the volunteer neighborhood watch captain? Or taken similar steps. Why couldn't he have I.D. himself to Trayvon early on that night? Why did he have to assume anything?

"Don't let your mind wander, it's far too small to be let out on it's own."
~Unknown

So I am sitting at my desk late Saturday night, tweeting, and having a good cry for that poor child, Trayvon Martin, when what do I hear? Not Alan snoring, not the cats playing, but rather the shrewish cry of my neighbor Nina (not her real name) yelling at the love of her life Donny (not his real name).  See the above graphic. And for the next 5 hours there was various expletives, and thuds as object flung in passion hit assorted walls and gates. Love was in the air. And I don't know why, but in the middle of all the noise I just started laughing! I went from crying a deep down mournful cry that really hurt, to laughing my ass off! Mood swing much? If I could assign one word to describe the last couple weeks, that word would be ABSURD! It's just been one damn absurd moment, event, decision or discussion right after another, none of which directly affecting me, but still a poignant presence nonetheless.

"I used to think you were a colossal pain in the neck. Now I have a much lower opinion of you."
~Unknown

The last thing I heard from the love birds last night was the sound of the their gate slamming shut. Donny left around 2:15 A.M. or so. He hasn't been back as far as I can tell. It's probably a smart thing to remove oneself from a heated situation, so for that I applaud him! The thing is, this couple has been a pain in the ass to everyone on this property since the day they moved in almost 4 years ago. I would be lying if I said I would be sad if they moved. I wish. I pray that one day this property can just go back to the way it was before they moved here. But I now have a deeper insight into some of the problems. We have heard bickering going on for years. Lots of immature stuff. But, what occurs on me, about why they are so nasty to everyone on the property, is that fact that it all comes down to control. If you can't get along with the person you have chosen to live with, then you are going to go out of your way to not care about others around you. If you feel beaten down, chances are you will probably become a bully.

And they both have.

They have lied about people living here. They make noise after having been told to respect others quiet. They take things, that don't belong to them. They let their dog bark and throw his body against the fence we share, just for the purpose of disturbing others, especially me. I have asked more than once for them to put the dog in when running errands, for my well being as well as "Snoopy's." Not his real name of course. It breaks my heart to hear his little whelp as his body hits the fence. That dog loves Donny with all his heart, and when Donny leaves, "Snoopy" just wants him to come back. I overheard one day, Donny say to Nina... "The property management told us to put Snoopy in." To which she replied a resounding "FUCK NO! No one tells me what to do!" Donny... "But we're gonna get in trouble."

Donny sounded like a little kid just then. And I think I felt very sorry for him in that moment. Not that Nina had dictated to him how things were going to be, like it or not,  but rather I felt bad that an adult couple, both in their 30's, apparently had the emotional maturity of a couple of teenagers. Other people's children, what can you do? Thank GOD for better living through chemistry, thank GOD for Valium!

"Too many freaks, not enough circuses."
 ~Unknown

Mood: Tired/Emotional/Ok

~Me

No Justice For Trayvon Martin

"First we crush people to the earth, and then claim the right of trampling on them forever, because they are prostrate."

~Lydia Maria Francis Child

My heart and prayers go out to the parents and loved ones of Trayvon Martin tonight and forever!

Mood: Quiet

Me

Round Robin Challenge: Get Wet!

"Do not be angry with the rain; it simply does not know how to fall upwards."

~Vladimir Nabokov

RRC: Get Wet!

For this Round Robin challenge, Karen wants to see things getting wet! Sounds pretty easy, right? Well, you see, California has been ridiculously dry this year. Seriously dry. And I haven't made it out to the beach yet, although it is on my list for this summer. Heck, I haven't even made it to Lake Anza and that's right in Berkeley! But I do have some photos from the archives, most of them are new to the blog, some are simply favorites that I love. I hope you like them...

San Francisco In The Rain, December 22nd, 2012




Floating In Autumn



Okay, that's my post for this challenge. Now go see what the other Robins have posted. To see the list of participants, and get all the information you need to join in the fun, click here to be redirected to the official Round Robin Challenge blog!


"Always be like a water. Float in the times of pain, or dance like waves along the wind which touches it's surface."

~Santosh Kalwar

~Me :)

Art About Town: San Francisco... Stop And Enjoy The Fillmore

"Relish, Too" By J. Seward Johnson
Fillmore District, San Francisco California. July 10th, 2013

"It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well."

~Vincent van Gogh

Stop And Enjoy The Fillmore (Part One)

It's time to move on from the worries of the world methinks. It's time for some new public art, and I found a fantastic new public art walk in San Francisco that can't help but brighten one's day! It consists of 12 different life sized sculptures depicting different human moments. Each is incredibly lifelike and touch the soul in a different way. Some poignant, some humorous, some bring about feelings of warmth and love. I didn't photograph all the sculptures this week, I want to return to the Fillmore throughout the summer to complete the set. There are times when I just need a break from the heavy news and frustrating moments of life, and nothing makes me feel better than to spend time getting lost in art. Especially public art! Not only do you get the feelings each sculpture evokes, but you get the exercise, the awesome weather, and you get to explore the neighborhoods you maybe haven't visited before! That's what I love about public art in San Francisco, all the extra experiences that go along with it!

"Celebrating The Familiar"
By J. Seward Johnson


"Relish, Too"

 
"Los Mariachis"


"No Mommy, That One!"


"Coming Home"

I am really excited to see, and photograph more of the sculptures! It's simply the best way to spend a mid summer day! I highly reccommend it!

:) "Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable."
~George Bernard Shaw

To learn more about this public art installation, here is the Fillmore Sculpture Walk PDF.

Mood: Relaxed

~Me :)

Have You Seen Today?

(Asiana Flight 214 with 3 Denbeste Water Solutions Tanks In The Forefront)

"No matter how many plans you make or how much in control you are, life is always winging it."

~Carroll Bryant

Alan and I went back to BayFront Park, in Milbrea yesterday, to take one last look at the wreckage, still sitting on the runway of Asiana Flight 214. On my first trip, last Saturday afternoon, just hours after the crash took place, I could barely make out the tail portion of the aircraft that had come to rest on the back of the runway. It was late afternoon, and the lighting was very bright, but today I could get a better look at it. It is still a surreal sight to see the tail so far behind where the plane eventually came to rest!

I feel so sorry that all those people had to go through that horrific event. My heart goes out to the flight attendants. Those brave young women preformed miraculously under the depth of pressure that most of us will never, if we are very lucky, experience. Honestly, I am not so much how I would be under those circumstances, but I will never forget how much better the whole situation turned out due to their diligence and response under extreme pressure!

They are absolutely the truest, most elegant examples of heroism!

Here are my photographs from today...

 
(The Tail Section From Asiana Flight 214 Still Resting On Runway 28L)


(A United Airlines Flight Taxiing Past The Wreckage Of Flight 214)


(The Surreal Sight Of Two Planes So Near Flight 214)




The San Mateo Bridge As Seen From BayFront Park, Milbrea Ca.

Yesterday was my last chance to visit BayFront park, and document for myself the events of last Saturday. Late last night the NTSB allowed airport maintenance to begin removing debris and begin repairing the runway so it can reopen as soon as possible. It's a good thing. It's time to move forward I suppose. It will certainly be much more difficult for some than others. I will always remember this event, and my heart will always sink a little as I drive past the airport. It's simply not something that is easily filed away in my conscience. You know what I mean?

It didn't happen to me. I didn't know anyone in the crash. But in a way it drove home to me just how fragile everything is. I keep thinking about what a gorgeous day last Saturday was. It was one of those days like 9/11 when before I answered Alan's call, telling me the dreadful news, I had a moment to admire the late summer, nearly autumn sunshine, and cool gentle breeze moving my curtains so very gently. When I heard his voice say, "Carly... are you okay?" it made me laugh, because the first thing I thought of was, how could I possibly be otherwise? Have you seen today?

It's going to be a while, maybe years, before we learn what the cause, or causes of the crash of flight 214. I am trying to not make up my mind early, because you just never know what may have gone wrong. I think instead I am going to follow along as information is made available, thank GOD a little more for those I love, and thank GOD once again that there are special people like those flight attendants who keep their wits about them in the face of tragety! We are all better off because of them!

"Courage Is Not The Absence Of Fear, But Rather The Judgement That Something Else Is More Important Than Fear."

~Meg Cabot

Mood: Quiet

~Me :)

See Spot. See Spot Glow. Glow Spot Glow.

"Assumptions are the termites of relationships"

~Henry Winkler

I seem to be dwelling on all of my favorite Bay Area bridges lately. LOL. Which is probably better than dwelling under my favorite bridges. Right? Anyway, I took this photo last week, on our way back from a day in San Francisco, to show the effect of the BART strike on Bay Area traffic. But it seemed as though the traffic, at least on the San Mateo Bridge, was fairly normal. The word about the strike had reached everyone in the appropriate amount of time for everyone to make other arrangements. Both sides are continuing negotiations, so there could be another walkout situation I suppose, but at least folks seem to be acting with understanding and restraint in light of a frustrating situation.

Now, with the absence of nightmarish traffic, I had plenty of other sights catching my eye as we crossed the bridge from west to east. The cormorants that like to roost on the high power towers, the flow of the bay, the gorgeous view of Mt. Diablo, the way the marine layer drifts across the bay. There is a lot to see, but what grabbed and held my interest the most was that tiny dot on the state owned message board. There it was, just a dot, or a period, or 1/3 of a proper ellipsis, just sitting there, brightly illuminated, trying to tell me something methinks, but what? What? It was a mystery. Alan told me he has seen it for several months, in the day, at night, at twilight, at dawn... just the dot... all alone.

 Just a ( . ).

Period.

End of discussion.

Of course I shouldn't assume anything. It might hold a very special meaning for someone, somewhere. It might mean "I love You" or maybe a message like when Carol Burnett would tug on her ear at the end of her variety show each week. Hmmm. I wonder if I called 511 they would know the answer? Nah... probably not. Hmmm. (Insert Tiled Head Here).

Any thoughts?

Mood: Silly

!me :)

It's Those Darn Bolts Again!

"I'm not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens."

~Woody Allen

Isn't that a pretty picture? What you see there is the old cantilever section in the back, and the spiffy new, still being assembled, eastern span of the Bay Bridge. Both are attractive in their own ways, both have been designed to take folks from the East Bay to San Francisco. Safely. Hopefully. Most of the time I don't think about it as we cross the Bay Bridge. Why would I? When I cross the Bay Bridge it is usually Alan driving, and we are off on some sort of adventure. Maybe we are off to the museum or to see a comedy show. We might be planning to spend the day tracking down public art or perhaps we have decided to grab a beverage and watch people. Whatever inspires us to cross the bay is usually what I spend my time thinking about as we cross the bridge. Makes sense... right?

Well, all that has changed a bit. Do you see that spiffy new gorgeous section being constructed? Well, it has had some problems. Safety problems. BIG SCARY SAFETY PROBLEMS. Construction on the new spiffy eastern span began back in 2002, with a target date for opening eventually set for this coming Labor Day. There was to be much fanfare. Lots of celebrating of a long project finally reaching it's completion. Everything was all set... until... one day... someone discovered that there was a problem. A BIG ONE. It seems there were these bolts... there go the bolts again... that were... lets just say... SUPER SUBSTANDARD! I don't know about you, but I really put a lot of thought into bolts, which is ironic considering my father's feelings about the subject, but having the right bolt is an important thing. In fact... it's vital. And if said bolt is in good shape, and not substandard it's even better!

When testing on the ultra important bolts took place in March of 2013, it was discovered that 30 of the first 96 bolts failed. YIKES! Okay, so testing continued, and putting it simply, stuff had to be redone. First we heard was that the grand opening could probably move forward for Labor Day, but then we heard that there was a strong possibility it wouldn't, but then we heard it was all a go, but now we know for sure... nope... it might happen later this year, possibly December. Which I know is a bummer for some, but it's more important Caltrans and their contractors take their time. Intellectually speaking I have confidence that when it does open, it will be safe. The problem is, I don't know if I fully, 100% believe it deep deep down.  I have a bit, well, a lot of jitters about crossing the new Bay Bridge once it opens.

I love Yerba Buena Island, and the only way to get there is to either go from here on the eastern side of the bay, which means crossing on the new section, or go into San Francisco by way of one of the other bridges and cross from the western side of the Bay Bridge. Which isn't that bad, but it's that feeling of letting my jitters dictate my life the hurts. Sigh. There are a lot of things we take on faith. Faith that when we sit down on a couch it will hold us up. Faith that when we go to sleep, we will wake up the next day. Faith that when we hear that we will be safe crossing a bridge, because the government entity building it says so. And most of the time its all true and correct, but it's that the substandard bolts got through in anyway. And I know I should just be glad they found the problems, but somehow it's just not making me feel better. At this point, with all the going back and forward on when, and if, the opening day will be has left me... well... leery.  I don't know when, or if, that feeling will change. I just don't know how to feel about ever crossing the new span.

I guess I will just have to cross that bridge when I get there.


Eastern Span Replacement Of The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
(Wikipedia)

TBPOC Announces New Bay Bridge East Span Will Not Open Labor Day, Releases Comprehensive Report. (The Wall Street Journal)

Bay Bridge History Timeline

Mood: Reflective

~Me :)

Quiet

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~Albert Einstein

 

On Saturday, after I finished photographing the wreckage of the Asiana Airlines Flight 214, I decided to chill out for a few minutes before leaving BayFront Park. I was a bit tired, and it was an eerie feeling of seeing the reminents of what had been a pretty large aircraft just sitting still on the runway, with large, gaping holes and clear signs of having been on fire just a few hours earlier. I don't know that I was exactly ready for the sight in front of me, but I took the shots I wanted, and then recognizing the growing anxiety welling up, I stopped and sat in the grass for a bit, to just rest and decide how I wanted to approach yesterday's post.

Across the small body of water that seperates the airport from the park, were some cute little birds, Sandpipers I think, doing some fishing, completely oblivious to human tradgety not too far away. It was a nice sight. I took these two pictures, and immediately felt better, as so often happens when I have my camera with me. I kinda tease myself sometimes, that my camera is actually fused to my hand, but seriously, my cameras have always brought me so much comfort, that really and they really are a part of my body at this point. The best part of my body... lol... I have been told I have pretty eyes, but they aren't my best feature, my camera is! LOL. As we begin another Monday, I will be starting the day a little quiet, and happy for the real miracles that happen every day! Oh... and for my cameras!

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."

~Dr. Suess

Mood: Quiet

~Me :)

On A Clear San Francisco Day... The Crash Of Asiana Flight 214

San Francisco International Airport October 30th, 2012


"How strange is this combination of proximity and seperation. That ground... seconds away...thousands of miles away."

~Charles A. Lindbergh

Yesterday, the San Francisco Bay Area was experiencing a beautiful, mild, summer day. There was a cool slight breeze, which was a very welcome relief from the searing temperatures of the previous 6 days. The heatwave had finally ended! It was beautiful out my office window, I couldn't stop looking at how the sun made the roses in my garden almost glow. Then it happened. The little bell on my cell phone alerted me that I had an ABC News Breaking News report... "An Asiana Plane Has Crashed At SFO." Oh my... how could that be true? On a day like this? I glanced out my window, and sure enough visibility across the bay was amazing. Clear blue sky, little to no wind. Perfect, except for a dark plume of smoke. How do things like this, happen on days like this?

I turned on the news and saw the horrific pictures from the crash site, but this time there were also pictures of folks not only walking away, but one person had her carry on bag, and her handbag with her! The next few hours consisted mostly of following along with the reports on CNN, ABC and Twitter. Just seeing the shape the plane looked so bad, it was hard to believe anyone could have survived, let alone literally walk away from the crash. As the day wore on we learned that the injured had been transported to hospitals throughout the Bay Area, and nearly half as many lost their luggage, but escaped the crash uninjured! Uninjured?! A true miracle! Well, except for 2 sixteen year old girls who were thrown from the back of the plane upon impact.

So sad.

While watching the coverage I couldn't help but think about last October, when Alan and I were fortunate enough to be able to fly directly over SFO when we took an aerial tour of the San Francisco skyline and bay for our anniversary. Our pilot, Captain Dan, told us that it was highly unusual to be able to fly directly over the airport, but on this day there was very little sky traffic due to Hurricane Sandy. It had not occurred to me that a storm on the east coast would effect flights at SFO so profoundly. I learned a lot from Captain Dan that day, I wouldn't trade that experience for the world. I have had a lifelong fear of flying, but for whatever reason I was intrigued about flying in the single engine Cessna, and jumped at the opportunity. I wasn't even a little bit scared, indeed it will remain one of my favorite adventures shared with Alan.

I thought about that adventure while watching the news, and just knew I had to go see the crash for myself.  When Alan got home, he and I made the trek across the bay to Bayfront Park in Milbrea. The park sits just south of the airport and directly across the small inlet of water, from runway 28 L (Left) where the crash occurred.

Here is what I saw...

Asiana Flight 214 SFO July 6th, 2013




The Tower At SFO



Spectators

 

The Press





And Finally A Lufthansa Flight Waiting On The Runway To Depart. It Was A Moment Of Normal, As The Airport Had Been Closed To All Traffic Since The Crash Occurred.



Finally, Here Are Some Google Maps Images To Give You An Idea Of The Runaway Where The Crash Happened...

 



"Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane, and the pessimist the parachute."

~Orson Welles

I have shared with you before that my father was an aircraft mechanic, and he was also someone who refused to fly... period. When I was a little girl I asked him why he hated the thought of flying, when he worked on planes every single day? My dad, being the straightforward honest man that he was, simply smiled and said... "Because I know which bolt has to fall off the plane to bring the whole thing down." LOL. It was a sound argument that gave me chills for years, and possibly could have fed my fear of air travel. But by the time I was 20 I had been in 3 car accidents, one of which the car rolled and ejected my brother through the windshield. His wisdom rang true, but so did the statistics that air travel is still the safest way to get from here... to... there.

Don't worry, I wasn't the driver of the car in any of the accidents, but I did decide one day, not all that long ago, that I wanted to take the fear by the horns and lose that unnecessary baggage from my being. Last October, there I was, up in the air, flying along in a small single engine plane, having the time of my life! And even after this disaster, I would like to do that again one day, only maybe on a day with a little more wind so I can feel what less than perfect conditions are like. It's the only way to take the fear out of the fear. Experience it! But the thing I can't seem to get past tonight is the fact that those two young ladies who were killed today, who were so young, made it safely through a 10 1/2 hour flight, only to perish in the last 10 seconds before they touched down.

It's so sad. And something I won't forget. Especially when I remember that conversation with dad.

:(

Mood: Quiet



~Me