Wednesday, September 23, 2015

a nod to autumn . . . . with thoughts of summer past . . . .

today begins the autumn days, of dark cool mornings and warmer summer-ish days . . . a walk on west cliff to see if the whales are still close to shore; what a great few moments this afternoon THAT will be . . . .

but i still have thoughts of summer, with pictures, to blog about; would have done it yesterday, but a technical glitch got in the way.

so following Shakespeare SC or is it SC Shakespeare -- a good season of Macbeth, Much Ado, and The Liar none-the-less -- followed by Mary Poppins (with Rob and a nod to Disney's 60th year....) i traveled to lovely Ashland OR to enjoy a little Blue Moon (perhaps the BEST bed and breakfast), and some 'really good shows....'

this beautiful waterway flows through town; water!  what a treat indeed!  and spending time with friends Ken and John and Susan and Laure ... well, even the smoky skies weren't so bad . . . .

a word about the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music . . . . well worth coming to Santa Cruz to enjoy; Marin Alsop's music directorship, and the sharing of wonderful new composers and great musicians and inspiring music makes this a special treat indeed . . . . put it on your calendar for next August, and spend some time . . . . cruzin'!!!

Ashland's Shakespearian Festival began a 10 year run of all of Shakespeare . . . Much Ado About Nothing with Beatrice and Benedick going from cutting to loving was delightful; Pericles, like Job, who loses everything and regains it in the end was powerful; Antony and Cleopatra proved that self-serving lust for power hurts more than oneself in the end!
Stan Lai's Secret Love In Peace Blossom Land is a tribute to how to work together to find the depth of human understanding.  Lynn Nottage's Sweat reminds us what happens when a contemporary factory town shuts down.  Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night is the discovery of finding forgiveness in an imperfect family, and how to live through it!                                                                                                                                                                                   
  
Quiara Alegria Hudes' The Happiest Song Plays Last concludes a trilogy with the effects of 2012's immigration protests in Arizona, and the struggle for democracy in Tahrir Square, while watching through the eyes of organizers in the barrios of Philadelphia.
Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo is a reminder, in melodrama form, of how one can overcome adversity and discover love once again.

completing my Ashland trip with an AIDS benefit is a reminder that there is still more to do ... more research, more education, more caring.  dis-ease cannot be ignored . . . .

it took me three summers to get to the begonia festival, but i made it to the sand-castle making contest on perhaps one of the hottest Saturdays on record!  this unique sand-castle was very fun to watch being made . . . . very wet sand dropped through the closed hand ... like squishing your feet through wet sand!

 then a walk on the wharf with Palm Springs friends Rod and JR . . . . what a delight to play tour guide, and get a chance to see things i haven't yet seen in the community.

this was an absolutely perfect day, with lunch as well (joined by Rob).

this is the west coast at its best!  a beautiful day, suffers out on the water, boats bobbing about, people enjoying the company of others . . . .

it is also a reminder that we are very much a tourist destination, and with tourism comes traffic, which seems to only be getting worse.

with all the complaining we locals do about the traffic, we actually get to live here, and call this little piece of paradise . . . . home!

 here is a view of those very colorful beach rentals at the Capitola Beach.  they remind me a lot of the 'painted ladies' in San Francisco . . . . those Victorian Homes that face the park where that 1970's sit-com took place.

i do believe this is the first real summer where i've taken advantage of enjoying the location where i also work.  so often i experience the summer through others -- people sharing their experiences and the "oh, did you see ..." and the "we went to ..."  and of course the "you'll not want to miss ...".  so, i took time to see to go and tried not to miss .... and worked at the same time!


this is the view from the other wharf (in Santa Cruz) where the wharf run/walk is done at the beginning of summer --- always on a sunday, so i cannot go. 

this evening shot captures the beach/boardwalk in its nightly glow ... imagine the screams from the thrill seekers as they enjoy the big dipper and other rides, following the eating of 'all things sweetly fried'.

perhaps a little known fact, but there is a local menu that can be requested at the wharf restaurants -- such a deal, i tell ya!

and what would the summer be without a trip to San Francisco, by way of highway 1 .... more often than not, San Francisco is not the place to be on Labor Day, but what a treat to play tour guide once again on my day off?!  this is the view of the old Sutro Baths next to the Cliff House, facing the Pacific.

the day included a trip to the castro, of course, and a tour through golden gate park by way of the great highway, and then over the hills from the castro to fisherman's wharf and a sea-food dinner and a view of the cable car followed by a trip down 'the crookedest street in the world'.
  
 of course, one can't forget a trip over the golden gate bridge; honestly, it didn't seem like that many cars . . . . alas, a trip to a couple of places in SOHO, and a leisurely trip back home.  oh, i nearly forgot ... there isn't, perhaps (save for the de young) a better view of the city than from diamond heights .... one of the 'must not be missed' places to put on your one-day trip into the city.

broadway san jose opened its season at the center for the performing arts building -- designed by frank lloyd wright, no less! -- with the great production of The Lion King.  great music, awesome costumes, and a wonderful dinner (thanks brian!)  what a summer!!!

and now, with a nod to autumn today, summertime has come and gone; California is still dry, the fires continue, and the traffic has come back with the opening of the school terms.  what wonderful memories, times for renewal, and visions of a very productive fall . . . my hope, as i secure a new top for my convertible, is that there will be rain!  so far, the forecast is sunny and bright . . . today is the first day . . . . make the most of all your days!
 

2 comments:

  1. We are all blessed to live here. Thanks for the reminder.
    ...no wonder I could never get a hold of you...

    ReplyDelete
  2. heehee ... feel free to make contact with me at any time!!!

    ReplyDelete