My dog calls me out of sleep. Overnight the wind has rearranged everything. I blow into cold hands and raise them against the sun’s first rays, just nowV exploding gold shrapnel over the east ridge.
And everything is moving: sun-shatter through new green leaves, and wind plucking overnight spider- webs till they hum gold filament against the dark trunks of oaks, everything flowing glowing gold-green, a morning
no mortal could describe. And so my dog stands simply wagging. Wasn’t he good to bring me here? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Photos taken by me at Aquatic Park & The SF Botanical Gardens
All photos taken by me @ Hyde Street Pier, San Francisco.
While my friend Joyce was in town last week, it was fun going around playing tourist. I love Hyde Street Pier which is located adjacent to Aquatic Park and has many a boat/ship docked there including the Eureka ferry boat. This boat is permanently docked at the pier and serves as a historical museum along the bay. Throughout the year there are scheduled free days at Hyde Street Pier where you can hop on board and visit the boats. I didn't know when in that area last week that it was a free day so I took advantage of the short time I had and visited the Eureka again. You can find out more about the history etc... of this ship by visiting http://www.nps.gov/safr/historyculture/eureka-history.htm
I went a little crazy with photos, as usual, so enjoy the Eureka montage below.
Trees in my neighborhood - 17th and Santiago Street
Okay, here it is. The Botanical name is Musaceae
It is from East Asia and is called MusaBasjoo - Japanese Fiber Banana Tree
So, it seems Icy, had the right idea. It's very cool to see in person.
Poetic Shutterbug Press which published "nameless faces" will be publishing more books in the months ahead. I'm not sure exactly what I will be publishing next but I have many ideas. This along with some volunteer work and traveling that I will be doing will allow me less time to blog. I will still be blogging, visiting and commenting on all of your blogs but just not as often as I have in the past. Please make sure to subscribe or follow so you won't miss any of my fantastic posts :D.
Just a reminder that my book is now on Amazon.com and has the look inside feature enabled so you can try before you buy. If any of you are interested in an autographed copy, please leave a comment here or contact me directly at joanneolivieri@sbcglobal.net. For those of you who have the book, reviews are very much appreciated.
As usual I was trekking along in the gardens, snapping away and did not take notes of any names. This is quite exotic so I thought I'd ask my very knowledgeable readership to identify this tree/plant. I will be going back to the gardens this week and will get the name. The photo does not do it justice. I felt as if I were on a tropical island.
Photo taken by me at the Botanical Gardens and digitally altered.
Unconditional love is a rare virtue. We would all like to think we love unconditionally yet as humans we will fault. I think there are two necessary components to loving and being loved in this manner.
First is shedding all expectations. We naturally expect certain things from our family and friends. We expect respect, love, generosity and much more. When we do not receive what we expect from people, which we not always will, we become angry, disappointed and sometimes vengeful. If we learned to shed all of our expectations and accept our friends and family members for who they are we would never have to experience the anger and disappointment which comes from our expectations.
Second we absolutely must learn not to judge. Everyone is equal. No one is better or worse than anyone else. We have to put ourselves in others' shoes. How do we feel when we are judged? Live and let be. Allow people to live their own lives and make their own mistakes. Whether you agree with someones decisions or not, do not judge them but rather be there and support them in whatever they choose.
It is difficult to absorb this mindset until you ask yourself two things. Do I want to be judged for who I am or what I do? And, Do I enjoy everyone expecting things from me? Only then can you experience unconditional love for yourself and others.
It however can be done and once you've experienced it your life will never be the same.
Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in San Francisco. This beautiful lake is man made and was completed in it's entirety in 1893. It is a circular lake which surrounds the island Strawberry Hill. It is located in between Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy Drive. Here is a shortcut in getting there. If you walk west on Martin Luther King Drive, there is a path right behind the Japanese Tea Garden. Take that path a few steps and keep looking towards your left. When you see the stairway, climb up the stairs and Stow Lake is right there. If you are driving, there is parking available around the perimeter of Stow Lake.
This lake is not only a tourist attraction but a favorite among locals who live in the area. It's a great way to enjoy nature and get some walking exercise. I personally know many people who walk there each morning.
The lake is home to bird life which include mallard ducks, seagulls, Canadian Geese, the occasional blue heron and much more. It has boat rentals which you can rent for an hour at a time. There are row boats, paddle boats and electric boats. The cost is from $14.00 per hour to $29.00 per hour depending on the boat you choose. Although there is a charge for the boats, the lake is absolutely free to enjoy.
As of March 1st, there is also food on the premises by way of concessions stands. There was major upheaval over the proposed food cafe but in the end it was approved so you are able to have a picnic and enjoy the lake.
Source: Photo taken at Stow Lake Chinese Pavilion
Source: Photo taken at Stow Lake
The Chinese Pavilion at Stow Lake was presented to San Francisco as a gift by our sister city Taipei in 1961. This colorful structure boasts a small pond of it's own with an arched bridge and beautiful flowers around the pavilion. It is a great spot to sit and have some lunch or just take in the beauty that surrounds the lake. This is also a very popular venue for weddings. There are permits that are required in order to hold an event here. There are also wedding packages which you can buy for your nuptials that run about $2,000.00.
Source: Photo taken at Stow Lake Chinese Pavilion interior
Source: Photo taken at Stow Lake
Wildfowl take residence on the island Strawberry Hill which is surrounded by Stow Lake. They are safe from natural predators while making their nests in the native trees and foliage. If you are a birder, Stow Lake is the place to set your sights on our feathered friends.
Ducks and their antics
Source: Photo taken at Stow Lake
The arched bridge at Stow Lake is made up of hundreds of huge stones. The bridge allows you to walk from the outside perimeter of the lake towards the middle to Strawberry Hill. It was once reported that this bridge collapsed after the 1906 earthquake but there is no recorded evidence that this report was true.
Paddle boat under the bridge
A beautiful afternoon on Stow Lake.
Source: Photo taken at Stow Lake
Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park like many of the other lakes in the park is the perfect spot to enjoy nature and have some fun with your family and friends. Should you want more information on Stow Lake please contact me directly and I will be happy to help you.
Sone, a little "grey goose" for your birthday :) Have a happy, happy birthday and I cannot wait to see you.
Dos Hollands is coming home on Friday for a special gig @ CAFE DIVINE: 7pm - 9pm 1600 Stockton Street 415.986.3414 - April 16th in San Francisco. It promises to be a night of fantastic music, good friends and fans and an awesome celebration. Come on out and join us. Visit the Sony Holland website for more information.
Video below, Dos Hollands in concert - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Same photo digitally altered by me - my interpretation of a cluttered mind with racing thoughts.
The mind is our own personal kingdom. It is not made of substance yet it controls our entire being. This is why it is important to posses a quiet mind. Our minds consist of past conditioning and thoughts which race as if they were in the Indy 500 using our mind as the raceway.
Have you ever experienced insomnia because you had all these racing thoughts cluttering your mind and as a result could not fall asleep? It’s a horrible feeling especially when you realize that all of these thoughts are not allowing you to have peace of mind, which is necessary for a happy and content life.
We also have to understand that we control our thoughts. So, when having all of these racers speed around in your mind you have to remember that you can control these thoughts. Just put the brakes on and quiet that speedway. How?
Here are a few suggestions.
1. Practice mind control on yourself. When you are having depressing or angry thoughts try and change your way of thinking. Looking at a situation in a different light can change your thoughts from negative to positive.
2. Your mind is your kingdom. If you were a king would you want someone or something invading your kingdom? Of course not. So, you have to look at your mind as a sacred place that belongs only to you. Negative thoughts do not belong there.
3. Remember that no outside source can make you unhappy or depressed. You have the choice. You are the only person who can enter your mind and clear the clutter.
All photos and video taken by me at Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park
Well, I am pretty pleased with myself. I've gone from not having any bird photos to taking dozens of closeups of these feathered critters. It all began with the Red Shouldered Hawk at the Botanical Gardens and continued through Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park.
I still have a montage of Stow Lake to bring you and will soon. I've just been very lazy since my book was released.
While in the area at Stow Lake, the bird wildlife plays and commingles with us humans. They are everywhere. They are in the lake, waddling around the grounds, swimming along the paddle boats and basically just hanging out and entertaining us humans. They are friendly, playful and very loving if you feed them. The video at the end of this post depicts a feeding frenzy. I tried very hard not to get the humans in the shot. I went there twice within a week and really enjoyed it. It is a hop, skip and a jump from the Botanical Gardens so it is very easy to visit all in one day.
Photo taken by me at the San Francisco Botanical Gardens
JACK AND THE REDWOOD
Imagine ascending on ropes, not quite to heaven – to the Canopy Kingdom where toppled crowns turn to dust, to soil nourishing lichens and featherleaf ferns, huckleberry thickets rooted in rot.
Gird yourself in harness, Jack, and not for lumber. Climb the beanstalk that sprouted when Caesar was a child, its roots vast as underworlds unseen. All you know is what you see, and feel with hand and sole:
the trunk, more than 20 feet thick at the base, rising buttressed to look out over a forest in coastal cloud. Pull yourself up as in fairy-tale to meet – not slay – this giant tree. Climb above his deep green shadow
till daylight filters through the highest branches, 350 feet above forest floor. Now, flop down in the palm of his hand. Pop a huckleberry in your mouth. Give your host – this giant – a seedy grin. He holds you by your roots.
SONY HOLLAND DUO @ the Left Coast Wine Bar 117 E. Harvard - Glendale, CA Call for reservations: 818 507 7011 Tuesday, April 13 (8-11pm) Saturday, April 24 (8:30 - Midnight) Tuesday, April 27 (8-11pm)
Friday, APRIL 9th @ SPAZIO (8pm & 10pm) w/ the Theo Saunders Combo 14755 Ventura Blvd. - Sherman Oaks (818)728-8400
Sun. APRIL 11, PALM SPRINGS @ Vicky's of Sante Fe w/t Desert Cities Jazz Band!
Fri. APRIL 16, SAN FRANCISCO CAFE DIVINE:7pm - 9pm 1600 Stockton Street 415.986.3414
OUR DYNAMIC DUO IS COMING HOME TO CAFE DIVINE ON APRIL 16Th Welcome Home Sony and Jerry
As you all know my love for waffles is an obsession. It must run in the family because my cousin has the same obsession. As a result. we have decided to create a new blog devoted to, yes you've guessed correctly - Waffles!
The blog will feature our journey through San Francisco, the Bay Area and beyond to bring you waffle reviews, recipes, articles etc... We plan to eat our way through any and every establishment that serves waffles. We will both be posting on this blog and hope that you will join our journey by following us, leaving comments and asking questions. Here's the url at http://waffleiciousness.blogspot.com/
So, without further adieu, I give you WAFFLEICIOUS!
All of these photos were taken by me at the Botanical Gardens. The Redwood trail is one of my favorite spots within the gardens. The trees are just so beautiful and majestic. The blue skies and sun shine through the branches as if kissed by the heavens. I could spend days lost amongst the trees.
There are wild plants and shrubbery living around the redwoods. It is a fragrant journey walking through this particular area.
There are mounds of skunk cabbage along the trail. I was tempted to bring some home and no, they do not smell :)
