Week 10 and A Little Break

November 8-23

The weather has finally started to effect our work schedule. The temperatures are diving into the 20's now at night and it's only getting into the low 40's for a high during the day. There has also been some rain that we have actually welcomed as we have been in a drought since summer. Our nice landscaped yard is basically gone and has been replaced with piles of dirt and clay. We have decided to get the eves on the new roof painted so that we can have the gutter work done as soon as possible. Sinking up to one's knees in the mud around the house is no fun!

Luckily we had a couple of sunny days this week to get the eve painting done. Here is Rob clinging to the side of the house like a gecko.

And Patrick doing a ladder move you should not try at home! Yikes!

Rowan and I have also been very busy staining the bead board for the porch ceiling. We are using pine boards, the kind that snaps together (sometimes called Carsiding). Because of the cold temperatures it is taking longer for things to dry, so we have fired up the space heater to help. We must first stain the boards and then add a coat of spar urethane to protect the wood from the humidity and cold temperatures we have outside here during our ever changing seasons.

As Thanksgiving week approached, we packed our bags and headed for San Francisco for a much needed break from our construction. The American Academy of Optometry international conference just happens to be in SF this year, so we jumped at the chance to attend as we have many friends and lots of family in the area too. We stayed the first 4 days in downtown San Francisco. What a fabulous breath of fresh air! The excitement of The City with it's shopping, art and culture and food, food, food!!!!! Rowans' commitments at the conference kept her busy for the first couple of days. I spent most of my time eating, going to museums, shopping, eating, hanging out with dear old friends, eating and eating some more. Oyster and crab season just started in SF so of course I was in PIG HEAVEN!

A photo of the Pacific Ocean as it comes into the SF Bay at the Golden Gate Bridge. This photo is taken from the observation tower at the new De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park. I went there with some friends to see the Impressionist/Post Impressionist show. Fantastic!

Here is a closer photo of the Golden Gate Bridge towers in the right side of the photo. The Marin Headlands and Mt. Tamalpais (hidden by fog) are the mountains across the water.

Rowan had a free day from the conference, so I took her off to the new Academy of Sciences in GG Park. I had visited there while we were on sabbatical in California last January, but Rowan wasn't able to go then, so now was the time. Just a FABULOUS experience.

Here is a photo of Rowan watching a Golden Helicon longwing butterfly that has landed next to her in the rain forest biosphere. It is so cool to walk around in the biosphere with butterflies and birds native to Costa Rica flying all around you. Sometimes they will even land on you!

Here is a real Magnificent Owl butterfly sitting on a plaque that pictures itself. Pretty cool.

The aquarium part of the Academy is so fantastic. So many interesting things to look at - from fresh water fish to sea creatures. Here is a spiny purple anemone sliding up the window of a huge sea tank.

The architecture in the park is exceptional. They were able to save the c.1900 band shelter that sits between the Academy and the new DeYoung museum after it was heavily damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Thank goodness because it is a fantastic example of Beaux-Arts architecture. The stone carvings are just beautiful.

Our west coast break was just what the doctor ordered. Spending some time with our dear friends, eating our way across the city and drowning ourselves in sea food, seeing some art and wading around in the progressive culture that San Francisco is was so refreshing. We also took a couple of days to visit Jenni's parents and have an early Thanksgiving dinner with all of those down home favorites on the table. YUM!

Now, back to finishing up this house before Christmas!