Day 72

Today’s first – Tour of Rover’s Tea Fountain shop in Mill Valley. ‘

ROVER: (has been importing and ‘designing’ teas for 40 years – really interesting to speak

with, learned a lot)

We import and sell about 350 different fine Gourmet Teas from suppliers all over the world. Our founder Horst Rover Benecke has a history of designing teas, setting trends and being active and respected in the world-wide tea trade as well as the tea accessories industry for over 30 years and works, consults & collaborates with contacts and International sources of teas and supplies that are prestigious and trustworthy.
If you want the very best and most interesting teas, rare tisanes and spectacular blends at great ‘Factory Outlet’ prices, TeaFountain is the right place to shop – either on-line through our Secure Ordering System, in our Retail store, or using our sources as a vendor in the gourmet food industry.

Day 71- Minimize!

The above pictures depict the experience of trading at a ‘cash for gold joint. I have had a pair of earrings collecting dust on my shelf and knew it was time to find a new home for them. As I continue on this past of minimalism, I recognize more and more how insignificant ‘things’ are to my true values. Was happy that Carter could find a use in melting these (what turned out to be silver in gold platting :)) earrings. They were worth a mere bus ride into the city, but conversation with owner was priceless and wow now I know why iphone thieves are rampant. Those gold chips are indeed worth a penny, but never worth compromising your integrity.

Day 70

today’s first, convenient..learned you can park on the sidewalk downtown SF in certain alleyways if you are strategic, thank you Mr. random stranger riding a sexy Ducati for enlightening me. First was parking my Aprilia on the sidwalk, have never done that..

This also led to the discovery of the California Historical Society, lovely manager Patti gave me a personal tour:

Above pic is of the bookstore. Below the current exhibit: *

CURRENT EXHIBITION

Juana Briones y su California ~ Pionera, Fundadora, Curandera

January 26, 2014 – June 8, 2014

In this bilingual exhibition about the life and times of Juana Briones (1802–1889)—pioneer, founder, healer—we experience the transformation of California under three flags: Spain, Mexico, and the United States. We navigate alongside Juana—without a formal education yet dynamic, strategic, and resourceful—through the social, economic, political, and legal upheavals of nineteenth-century California. Through paintings, maps, portraits, legal documents, and artifacts, we realize a vision of Juana Briones as a woman adaptable yet undaunted in her pursuits. More broadly, through her accomplishments—as mother, landowner, business woman, and humanitarian—we glimpse how some women, including those of Mexican and Spanish descent, influenced our state’s history on a wide-ranging yet distinctively human scale.

Day 69

Today’s first was again an unexpected tangent during the daily work routine. When you keep your eyes and ears wide open magic can ensue. 🙂 After a super long weekend and 5:40am Monday morning bike ride into SF for work (Spring Forward DST not adding any love to the equation!) my 4.5 hour rested mind had forgotten about the ‘new a day’ extra task on top of work day. Hit me on the ferry ride home across the bay (yes, really rough commute ;)) and figured I’d hopefully stumble upon something. Sure did. Always a better life experience on 2 wheels versus 4. Pace is that much more slow and hence movement is more mindful. Had I been in a car would have never spun by this gem:

Our Mission

The mission of Educational Tall Ship is to construct a historic and sustainable wooden tall ship for the San Francisco Bay Area. The project will provide on the water and shore-based experiential education for students of all ages, both during construction and after completion. Programs will focus on marine ecology, sustainability, teamwork, leadership and the rich maritime history of the Bay Area.

Our Vision

Educational Tall Ship will inspire people to celebrate and experience the rich maritime history of the Bay Area, learn about and preserve our delicate ecosystem and provide life-changing experiential learning opportunities for youth of all backgrounds, now and for generations to come.

Upon completion, the Matthew Turner brigantine will provide for an additional 12,000 students per year to experience educational programs with our ‘on-the-water’ partner, Call of the Sea.

Day 68

McWay Falls BIG SUR!! Beautiful. More enticing was the ‘area closed’ fence hop and gnarly cliff hike!

Big Sur is truly a slice of heaven..

Day 67

Today’s first – Cold plunge in ocean from Esalen (Big Sur, CA). Magic.

Esalen is more than a retreat center or an educational institute. Anchored by the inspiring beauty of Big Sur and an unparalleled intellectual history, Esalen is a world-wide network of seekers who look beyond dogma to explore deeper spiritual possibilities; forge new understandings of self and society; and pioneer new paths for change.

Day 66

Crainosacral Therapy Session with New CST Mentor and Teacher, Eric Moya in Carmel, CA

more info on Eric here: http://www.ericmoya.com/

What is it? a system of alternative medicine intended to relieve pain and tension by gentle manipulations of the skull regarded as harmonizing with a natural rhythm in the central nervous system.

Day 65 – Be Still

The unplanned ‘firsts’ have proven to be the most valuable lessons 🙂 Today’s first: spontaneous 5 minute outside seated meditation. Need to do this more. MOVEMENT IN STILLNESS. Challenging for me. My nature is to flow. But wow, the power of being still. There is an essence within, a knowing, something so prevalent at the core that was not born, that will never die. Cannot be created, cannot be destroyed. The piece inside of me that is inside of each one of you. Our soul I believe. Rare during the daily grind that I truly tap into that in the physical sense. It is accessible any moment we want to touch it, but it takes practice and patience. We are so much more more than these physical bodies and these roles we are born into. Each a teeny tiny insignificant part of a significant whole – something so extraordinary I cannot even begin to fathom. Today’s first brought me into a space of such gratitude. So lucky I am to have legs that move, eyes that see, skin that can feel the wind dance on its face. Life is not easy, that I have felt first hand multiple times, but it sure is a gift and I do believe we are here together to make the journey that much more meaningful. Be good to you, and be good to those around you.

“The earth has music for those who listen…”

Day 64

Checked out Shorebird Marsh in Corte Madera: Gotta get up close to see the beauty in this one.

*Location – you may have driven past this space multiple times. It is along Redwood Highway in Corte Madera. more info: http://www.yelp.com/map/shorebird-marsh-corte-madera

Fun sidenote/hidden gem: Trailer Home Park with some amazing gardens:

FYI: Great info from Audon Society –

Birds: Arrival and Departure Dates

These dates indicate the approximate arrival and departure times of migrants commonly seen in Marin County. Some individuals usually will be found both before and after these periods.

February \| March \| April \| May \| June \| July \| August \| September \| October \| November \| December \| Locations
FEBRUARY	Arrivals	Early	Allen’s Hummingbird
	Arrivals	Mid	Violet-green Swallow
	Departures	Mid	Heermann’s Gull
MARCH	Arrivals	Early	Rufous Hummingbird, Barn Swallow
		Mid	Red Knot, Caspian Tern, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Bullock’s Oriole
		Late	Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Wilson’s Warbler
APRIL	Arrivals	Early	Warbling Vireo
		Mid	Vaux’s Swift, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, Cassin’s Vireo, Swainson’s Thrush, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Western Tanager, Chipping Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak
		Late	Sabine’s Gull, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, Lazuli Bunting
	Departures	Mid	Bufflehead, Say’s Phoebe
	Departures	Late	American Wigeon, Black Scoter, Thayer’s Gull, Fox Sparrow
MAY	Arrivals	Early	Grasshopper Sparrow
	Departures	Early	Northern Fulmar, Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Common Goldeneye, Greater Yellowlegs, Red Knot, Least Sandpiper, Wilson’s Snipe, Mew Gull, Herring Gull, Varied Thrush, Lincoln’s Sparrow
		Mid	Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Eared Grebe, American White Pelican, Semipalmated Plover, Wandering Tattler, Spotted Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Sanderling, Western Sandpiper, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Long-billed Dowitcher, Black-legged Kittiwake, Rufous Hummingbird, American Pipit, Cedar Waxwing, Townsend’s Warbler, Golden-crowned Sparrow
		Late	Brant, Northern Shoveler, Pomarine Jaeger, Bonaparte’s Gull, Sabine’s Gull, Ruby-crowned Kinglet
JUNE	Arrivals	Mid	Heermann’s Gull
	Arrivals	Late	Elegant Tern
	Departures	Early	Red-breasted Merganser
JULY	Arrivals	Early	Greater Yellowlegs
		Mid	Lesser Yellowlegs, Wandering Tattler, Western Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher
		Late	Northern Fulmar, American White Pelican, Spotted Sandpiper, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Least Sandpiper, Common Tern
AUGUST	Arrivals	Early	Buller’s Shearwater, Northern Shoveler, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Sanderling, Long-billed Dowitcher, Parasitic Jaeger, Sabine’s Gull
		Mid	Eared Grebe, Green-winged Teal, Semipalmated Plover, Wilson’s Phalarope, Red-necked Phalarope, Red Phalarope, Bonaparte’s Gull, Townsend’s Warbler
		Late	Brant, American Wigeon, Wilson’s Snipe
	Departures	Mid	Allen’s Hummingbird
SEPTEMBER	Arrivals	Early	Canvasback, Pomarine Jaeger, Cedar Waxwing
		Mid	Ring-necked Duck, Dunlin, Black-legged Kittiwake, Say’s Phoebe, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Pipit, Fox Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow
		Late	Horned Grebe, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Mew Gull, Herring Gull, Varied Thrush, Golden-crowned Sparrow
	Departures	Mid	Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, Grasshopper Sparrow, Bullock’s Oriole
	Departures	Late	Lazuli Bunting
OCTOBER	Arrivals	Mid	Black Scoter, Thayer’s Gull
	Departures	Early	Wilson’s Phalarope, Western Wood-Pewee, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Cliff Swallow, Black-headed Grosbeak
		Mid	Sabine’s Gull, Caspian Tern, Vaux’s Swift, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Cassin’s Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Swainson’s Thrush, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Western Tanager, Chipping Sparrow
		Late	Wilson’s Warbler
NOVEMBER	Departures	Early	Buller’s Shearwater, Red-necked Phalarope, Elegant Tern, Common Tern, Violet-green Swallow, Barn Swallow
		Mid	Red Knot
		Late	Lesser Yellowlegs
DECEMBER	Departures	Early	Parasitic Jaeger
DECEMBER	Departures	Late	Red Phalarope

Day 63

Cartoon Art Museum

655 Mission Street *San Francisco, CA 94105 * (415) CAR-TOON
First Toonsdays – The first Tuesday of every calendar month is “Pay What You Wish Day.”

EXHIBITIONS

The Cartoon Art Museum exhibits pieces that represent the history, contemporary development, creators, design, and processes underlying the art forms of cartoons, comics, digital animation, illustration, and videogames.