Above the fog at Mt. Tam

I love looking down on the clouds like that.

Fog rolls in like clockwork. Some of our clearest days are actually from late Fall through early Spring.

when I lived in Southern Oregon. Now that I'm living in the flat Willamette Valley instead of among the mountains I only see it from the underside, which is nowhere near as attractive.

I lived in Amity (just south of Mac) for a couple of years; it's quite lovely around there, but the lack of sunlight was all too often a serious downer.

My in-laws live in southern Oregon between Selma and Kirby. Beautiful country, and filling up with Californians as we speak (as I suspect too much of Oregon is).

one hour form the ocean one hour from the mountains; dozens of wineries, craft breweries, mild climate, farmer's markets and the Oregon Ducks!

A photo taken on my morning walk a few weeks ago:

...but we also wanted to get down to Stinson Beach to do some beach walking before it closed; problem is, both parks close around sundown and the road down from the top of Mt. Tamalpais is steep, narrow, and crooked.

So, we opted for a hand-holding walk on the beach...

It was a long time ago and we were together for 16 years. We lived in Bolinas, San Anselmo, Mill Valley, funny how life changes. Now I live in Tucson with my wife of over 25 years.

from 1970-74. Some of the most fun years of my life. I love that place.

I lived on the Mesa, drove a powder blue porsche 911 and had an Old English Sheepdog named Charlie Goodfellow. Played a lot of tennis downtown. Ring any bells?

a few different places. My oldest daughter, heather, was born in a house up there on Birch Road, I believe, delivered by Helen Swallow. I played a lot of music (flute) with Chuck Alexander (who was still living there when we visited a few years ago) and other guitar players whose names don't come to mind immediately. I lived with Chris Hersey, who I later married (for a while). Do I know you?

And God, it was so long ago. it's hard to remember names. We do have one other thing in common though, I was born in Kodiak.

or that wood one that looked like a mushroom on the corner of whatever and whatever? if you're talking about the Beckman's, I lived in their guest house for a while.


Ed. I just did a google map of Bolinas, and if you lived on fern road, it was the Beckmans' dome. We must have been neighbors. .

Nice variation in terrain/climate, so much to see and do.

I prefer it to California, actually, but we're here until retirement.

But I grew up in S.F.

I love Tucson but we didn't move here until I retired. My wife misses the trees but this desert is amazing. The housing is sure a whole bunch cheaper! The house I'm renting now would go for about a million five in the bay area but Is costing me about $400.00 a month less than my tiny condo in San Jose costs.

when I was about 12 yrs. old. Tuzigoot, Wupatki, Montezuma's Castle and Well, etc., gave me a lifelong desire to work in archaeology; a dream I was never able to fulfill. I was quite the dreamer when I was younger, and had a real thing for the "Lost Dutchman" story. One of my goals is to hike the main trail through the Superstition Mountains. Our yearly road trip this year was through the Southeastern United States; next year we are doing Switzerland and Spain, but the following year we are planning for the Southwest. So, maybe I'll get that hike in. Don't expect I'll find any gold though.

Housing costs in the Bay Area are insane! My daughter just finished a paid internship with KPMG in their Silicon Valley office, and if it weren't for the generosity of a relative she'd have paid a good chunk of her earnings in rent.

We bought our place 25 years ago, and are fortunate to be paying a fraction of what people entering the market now are enduring. Five years ago prices were even crazier.

I used to hitchhike out there from the City and then hike down to Muir Beach to visit friends. I love being above the fog like that.

We're going to be down that way in a couple of weeks for about five days. Order up some good weather for us.

Still; it's been beautiful, and no sign of change in the foreseeable future. The City has been cool, but not bad at all. Some lovely days, actually, so your weather should be excellent.

My wife and I have been visiting this area since we were kids. The hike from Muir Woods to Stinson Beach used to be one of our favorites. Unfortunately, her knees don't handle those long downhill sections well anymore, although if we really take our time she can manage it.

This time we transited the park on the Bolinas road. The fog had settled in to the trees along the way; it was semi-raining, but still in the mid-50's so not cold.

The smell of the Bay Laurel was incredible.

EDIT: ...punctuation...

Beautifully photographed.

My wife and I have been driving/hiking this area since we were kids (lo those many years ago).

back when I lived down there.

I now live 3 hours north of S.F.(inland) and it's 95o to 100o or more every single day from May through September

I sure do miss that wonderful, cool fog.

I've got an uncle in Palo Cedro, and friends in Redding and Oroville Beautiful country, but it gets darned hot during the Summer. Lovely trout fishing in both areas, if you're in to that sort of thing.

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The Zen Center farm there is gorgeous.

Not always easy to get up above the fog.

Beautiful shots.

Me: "Hey, lets drive over to the coast."

Wife: "Sounds good. Let me put on some walking shoes."

Me: "Hey, lets drive over Mt. Tam and down to Stinson for a walk."

Wife: "OK."

Me: "Check it out, the fogs coming in! I gotta' get some shots of this!"

That's about as much planning as my photography ever gets. I generally rely on Nature cutting me tremendous amounts of slack. On an afternoon/evening as lovely as Saturday was it's hard NOT to get some nice shots.

Having said that, nothing I took at Stinson Beach really turned out...

from down by the bay, never seen it from above before, thanks.

Tikki