Mirrors and foam

The beach was popular today, but in a physically distanced, safe, responsible way.  

Also: Slow Streets still has all of the Great Highway OPEN to pedestrians, cyclists, skaters, and all other non-motorized recreation, which means the roadway was filled with more socially distanced exercise.  (It's always so strange to hear pedestrians speaking about the road being "closed," just because cars aren't on it...)

Foam line

One of my great moments of joy today was watching one of the two dogs at the top of this image lose its mind entirely while chasing blowing sea foam.  It was madness and happy barking!  I like sea foam, but that dog LOVES sea foam.

Streaked sky

It got up to about 54 degrees Fahrenheit today (12.2 Celcius).  I love the Bay Area!

This sky looks like a pastel drawing to me.  By someone with much more pastel drawing talent than I have ever had.

High sun

It was beautiful.  Also, the wind in my ears gave me a headache, because I wore the wrong kind of hat.  (I'm a FOOL!)

Fiery ice plant

I should learn to draw and watercolor these, since I am always so interested in their glow when they are backlit...

Less famous windmill

This is the Murphy Windmill in Golden Gate Park, along with a house associated with its keeper.  (You can read about this windmill here at Wikipedia.)  It was theoretically the largest in the world at the time of its construction in 1908 (because: Americans).  It was disassembled for repair for years, and so I'm still surprised to see this restored version.

Yes, I took too many photos of it, especially its blade-side.  (I'm sparing you those today.)  Yes, I'm just appreciating the scale and profile of it here, and the little family picnic scene in the foreground.

Misty near shore

Fuzz-edged

Living in California means perennials are always around, and something is always blooming, even in December!  Hooray for the Mediterranean Climate Zone!

December blossoms with red & green leaves

Serious postage variety

All in a day's mail: stamps from the UK, the Netherlands, and Taiwan!  

These kinds of stamp collages are a sign that my pen friends are rather SERIOUS about their mail.

Note that the Taiwan stamp on the right excited me too much, because it's a fruit I haven't tried.  The translated name appears to be "Thai wax apple," which is a specialty of Taiwan, but I haven't seen one in real life yet.  

Sunday afternoon, looking east from Lake Merced

Northeast more than east, I suppose.  The hills in the background include (left to right): Golden Gate Heights, Forest Hill, Twin Peaks (marked by red and white striped Sutro Tower to the left of its range; the peaks are hidden in trees), Diamond Heights (probably), and Mount Davidson (with a concrete cross on it).  There are other hills in the foreground, but they don't all have names - our city is too hilly for that outside of real estate listings.

Soft, muted shore

We are so lucky to have a large, natural lake here in San Francisco...  

It is such a shame that it is surrounded by cars.  On the east side in particular, cars operate at nearly freeway speeds, and you can see the worried look of parents on the shared sidewalk/bike path as their kids wobble beside cars zooming past...  

Sunday gold

It's exciting to see the yellow version of this!!  I think it is some type of crocosmia cross, but I don't know with what - it is longer than the crocosmia I usually see.  

Recent Netherlands stamps from a friend

I should share more images of the lovely stamps my pen friends use...  Since I write a lot of postcards and letters, and have a few friends who write back, I've got some nice international stamps going back to...  1984?  The Postcard stamps from Postcrossing are especially nice, and I should show more of those off here.  

Holiday lights

I am easily mesmerized by the color-cycling light show these put on...  *happy sigh*

Spider plants on the march