Red White and Birthday

My sister's birthday falls on June 14th, which also happens to be the amazing occasion of Flag Day. So, we celebrate both. YAY. The Central Valley was incredibly hot last weekend, and during my sister's bday bbq, the kids all had water guns, sponges, a plastic pool, and water balloons. There was a strict "don't hit the adults with water balloons" rule in place, and the children abided almost perfectly. They filled water balloon after water balloon and sprayed each other with the hose -- they looked like they were having a blast and the scene filled the adults with nostalgia even though we didn't want to directly participate.

Once people left, Brian and I began cleaning the yard up, tossing cups, collecting the sticky assortment of bubble blowing paraphernalia, and deciding that no, these kazoos cannot be saved. And then I found it. A tub of water FILLED with balloons-- these kids must have been preparing for a war that never happened (thwarted by sunburns and tumbling class)!!!

So, of course I began pelting Brian with water balloon after water balloon, and of course he totally rushed me and before he could grab balloons too, of course I started running and screaming at the top of my lungs, "I'm in a white dress! I'm in a white dress!"

Did he listen? Of course not. Just as I was about to make the safety of the indoors, THWAP! A water balloon exploded in the middle of my back. I was in the doorway and spray went into the living room. I suppose from the view on the couch, it was pretty epic: hollers of bloody murder, me throwing open the door, and, backlit by the sun, an explosion of water at my back.

Bombs bursting in air! Happy Flag Day!

Goin' for a walk: Amoeba/Inner Sunset

A mini band of horses outside Kezar Stadium.

Line outside Amoeba

Other Band Of Horses playing to a jam packed, free show at noon at Amoeba on Haight.

The Inner Sunset sidewalks have been getting a facelift in recent months, including small planters and gardens. It's pretty darn charming.

See? Wider corners!

Weird little shop on ninth with skulls and figurines and allll sorts of creepy stuff. I still haven't figured out what they actually sell or how the store pays rent; the place is a hodgepodge of clutter. Kinda awesome, kinda odd, definitely overwhelming.

During the week: be vigilant!

This morning, as our boat slowly puttered to our survey site, I wondered what would happen if I just casually rolled out of the boat. Would they stop? Could I just spend the day floating on my back, center lake, until the putter boat headed back to the Marina? Sun out, heat out, floating sounded lovely. The boat puttered on. The moment passed.

The sides of the lake are incredibly steep and are often shale. Slip, slide, today I slid about seven feet, but it felt like 20. The scenery is beautiful; everyone might be too tired to notice. Amy saw two rattlers today, one looking poised to strike. Thankfully, it lost interest and darted down the hill.

I know I sound full of complaints. The area we are in is beautiful, but right now, and for the rest of the week, I would rather observe it from a boat. With a wide-brimmed hat. And my swim suit. And a fishing pole.

See my coworker Nate? This is what we are working with, plus 300 feet interior. Survey says.

Sometimes, you hike and hike and hike to find a wall of chemise blocking you. Hmph.

And other times you find what we fondly refer to as 'toyon prison.' Our team carries walkies, and occasionally you'll hear the desperate cry. Toyon Prison! I'm in Toyon Prison! Best way out? Invariably through the poison oak.

Here's your plant for the day: Clarkia unguiculata, elegant clarkia. Not rare, but pretty.

During the week: Central Valley Lake, rattlers, and clarkia

Where have I vanished this week? Where did I disappear to?

I have vanished into the landscape, into the scenery in the back of the photo. Rare plant surveys within 300-400 feet of the water line take you across steep terrain and hide you in chemise chaparral. Rattlers can find you, but can't fang your legs because you have on snake gators. They are hot and make your legs sweat, but are better than a snake bite (see below).

We find funny things in the deep wilderness, and not just Clarkia rostrata. This looks like a very very old homestead, all stone, half a chimney, and all overgrown with weeds. I am so curious what happened there.

Days end, you've circled the inlet, only to be separated from your boat by water (the boat is just around the bend in the photo below). Neither you nor your coworker want to retrace steps a mile round through poison oak and steep slopes and shale rock. Nope. Row-sham-bo, who is swimming? Not me, I won, and Aaron is a super trooper.

Also, he found an unopened beer! Probably the stash of the super lazy and dumb carp that were thick as bees in this inlet. I told Aaron if he jumped into the boat with a carp in each hand, that would be amazing. In the end, we were actually just kinda glad the keys were in the boat...cuz otherwise, home sweet home (two pictures up)!

Goin' for a walk: NOPA/Alamo Square

Ha.

In the Pacific (specifically, Kona): firsts

Nearly every day, I have been swimming laps in the pool near my aunt's condo here on Kona. The view is amazing and the sun in the morning is best. Swimming makes me feel strong and peaceful. It is also new. Historically, I am a weak swimmer. I would barely make the length of the Aquatic Center pool as a Beginner C (age 9-ish), and I was demoted more than once. Apparently, in Kona, I like swimming. In Kona, I swim just fine.

I am also reading crime novels and I am a non-crime novel reading kinda girl. I feel like they'll be cliche or way too violent or booooooooring (yawn) or lacking character development. Maybe some (maybe even most) meet those criteria, but I just bulldozed through Girl With a Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. Thumbs up. In Kona, I like crime novels. In Kona, crime novels are just fine.

My mom and I just boogie boarded together this morning at Hapuna Beach. We had a blast, caught lots of waves together, racing towards my dad on the beach with the camera. While I was out there, in the Pacific, a sea turtle swam under me as I floated on my board! Then he popped his wee head up at my mom and me, then moseyed on his way. In Kona, we swim with sea turtles and giggle uncontrollably. In Kona, everything is just fine. :)

I leave tomorrow (on a jet plane). Aloha.

Distraction: Welcome Sophie!

Friends let friends put diapers on their dogs.

Mind time: Pritzker lecture on Sea Levels

Tonight, I took advantage of my Cal Academy membership and attended a free Pritzker lecture-- and heard the head of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission speak about rising sea levels and how that will affect the Bay Area.

From the lecture, I learned:

• The sea level is expected to rise 16 cm in the next 50 years and 55 cm in the next 100 if the current trends continue unchecked. What does unchecked mean? It means that we continue to drive as much as we do, waste energy as much as we do... anything that maintains our current level of emissions.
• That sea level rise means that the current 100 year floodplain will be the new high tide line.
• Ultimately, the bay will more or less return to the same shape/area as it was back when Sir Francis Drake was nosing around... which is cool, except now there is all this development along the shorelines. Choices? Move or invest in levees and/or sea walls.
• Investment tip: put money into companies that build levees and sea walls. (not really. maybe)

The speaker also emphasized sustainable communities -- not only do we need to prepare for the rising sea level, but make efforts to not add to the problem. Elegant solutions include creating communities emphasizing consolidated resources (markets, public areas) and walking, limiting cars, and using building methods to reduce energy (placing trees next to building to increase shade/decrease the need for air conditioning, that kind of thing).

And on the topic of climate change, discussed tonight was the fact that there is no debate within the scientific community about whether or not the process is occurring. Scientifically, there are numbers and facts and conclusions; questioning happens, as it should, but the process of peer review prevents extreme, unsupportable conclusions from being published. But climate change is a politically and fiscally charged topic. Adam Frank, an NPR blogger, does a really great job of breaking down the social life (for lack of a better term) of climate change here. There are dinosaurs involved.

That's all. Go buy a canoe and turn off a light.

(a)musing

• I am going to see Amanda Palmer on May 22nd. Amy, Ashley, and I will be dressing in our steampunk circus finest and committing ourselves to a raucous evening. Anyone know how to sew a bustle?
• I know this ash-cloud business (mostly dissipated at this point) was very stressful for people (soon Lareina!), but I kept wishing I had gone on that trip to see Miss Sarah in London right before ash inhibited jet engines. Stranded in London with friends? Sign me up.
• I recently learned never to cook a new recipe for a dinner party. Major meltdowns happen when rolling dough that crumbles, thus threatening the life of your galette. The banana with peanut butter frosting cupcakes were magical though.
• I really need a potato masher.
• Two weeks from now, I will be in Hawaii. Shedding light on my pale pale skin. Boogie boarding with my mom. Weeeeeee! (also? more volcanoes!)
• Trips to Planet Granite have been increased in prep for upcoming beach vacation. Plank pose has become my life. Oh, shoulders. There you are. Clavicle? I see you!
• I am completely obsessed with Bones and am taking an enforced break between Seasons 3 and 4 on Netflix Instant viewing. Life is being inhibited. Also, I have a huge crush on Seely Booth. Yes please.