Duck family (1 May 2026)

I startled them by saying, "OOOOH!" too loudly. 

Two pale blue-green boats (27 April 2026)

 Boats come in so many shapes....

Ceiling (26 April 2026)

 The ceiling above Shiota's show was also vivid, but more geometric.

Blood and biology at Chiharu Shiota show (26 April 2026)

I work at a cancer medicine company, and some of the art by this artist, who was treated for a cancer, really resonated with me!

 

Tilted and Filtered Bridges (25 April 2026)

Being able to distort a view is a handy thing.  These were tilted in my phone, then filtered with "Shift."
 

Hydrangeas in a Vase

The blues really perked up once I trimmed their stems so they could absorb more water. 

Go Vals! (Valkyries vs Storm pre-season game 25 April 2026)

This is one of the most cheerful, family-friendly, women-friendly, diverse, feels-safe-bringing-the-baby-(with-sound-blocking-headphones) fandoms EVAH. 

Art on Hyde

 Up top: the rear of the Orpheum Theater has a mural by eL Seed called "Chiaroscuro: Light Within the Shadows," (missionlocal.org) which has a partner mural within San Quentin.  

Bottom: neon sculpture by Kongkee titled "Taotie" on the east terrace of the Asian Art Museum.

Both pieces look great to pedestrians walking down Hyde toward Market Street.

Metal sail and government reflections

The big metal sail, and the reflections of an older federal building, give the shady, north side facade visual interest. 

2026 SF Cherry Blossom Festival

It's that time of year again, and even though I'm STILL recovering from this week's massive migraines, I braved the "cloudy" weather and went out to watch the parade.  

The parade is short (2 hours!), it has firetrucks and toy-like cars, it has popular dogs marching along with their owners, it features TAIKO DRUMMING (which I always love), and it features people in colorful costumes filling the street.  I'm a huge fan of the Yokakoi dance supergroup, made up of multiple teams that are so energetic and fill the street with sound, movement, and color.

The parade is so cheerful!

This is one of those especially festive days when I want to SHOUT the thing that everyone already knows, that  'I LOVE SF.'

The mikoshi (a portable Shinto shrine) looked amazing (and SUPER HEAVY), and the volunteers who carried it on their shoulders, packed closely together, did a great job.

(Somehow, while this was all going on, I did NOT have a headache!  What a nice break from that.)

Hydrangeas (18 April 2026)

Just looking at them is refreshing... 

Double Cherry Blossoms (18 April 2026)

SO PINK!  SO RUFFLED! 

Superb door hardware (18 April 2026)

Such a good door. 

Mikoshi blessing (18 April 2026)

I arrived in time to participate in the prayer to bless the mikoshi that will be in Sunday's parade, and for the safety and well-being of all who carry it, plus the community.  It was sweet.  (Also: great hats.) 

Hard Civic Surfaces (18 April 2026)

It was bright at Civic Center yesterday, despite the "cloudy" forecast (and updated yet inaccurate hourly conditions).  I liked looking at each of these. 

Three images of Robert Woodward's Peacock Fountain (nicknamed Dandelion Fountain)

Peacock Fountain by Robert Woodward is well-known in my family: my father photographed it extensively in black and white in my childhood, and his photographs hung in his parents' home.

I think of it fondly.  Embarcadero Center casts a long shadow over it, which makes taking well-lit photographs difficult.  I spent time sitting in the shade, waiting for the slot of sun between buildings 2 and 3 to light it.  My patience paid off.  While it was never FULLY lit by the narrow shaft of sun, it was lit well enough for me to photograph it to my satisfaction. 

Views in and Around Embarcadero Center

I had an elaborate discussion with my Cousin based on how NEW Louise Nevelson's 'Sky Tree' sculpture (the dark, shiny one) looks, before he concluded that it has been retreated (re-anodized?).  It looks so clean!  So new! I didn't recognize it, though I have images of one side of it in my archive. 

Levi Plaza

Designer Barbara Stauffacher Solomon has been such an influence in California!  Not just her amazing work at Sea Ranch, but also at SFMoMA, and now Levi Plaza.  

So many flowers!

I had expected rhododendrons, and there were some in their glory, but there were also many other glories.

Saturday in GGP

I stopped believing the weather forecast last year: this was supposed to be "cloudy" all day...