Dearest Family and Friends
57 Cumberland Street, San Francisco CA 94110
Phone Number: +1 415 738 2112
May Highlights
Buying Nothing
Month Five saw me start to get twitchy for more clothes. Somewhat ironic that just when I decide to forego purchases, all stores have sales of the century and bargain basement prices. There are some good second-hand shops in the ‘hood, which I pass temptingly often. The fix received at the DLG clothes swap in March has definitely worn off, and I was delighted to find a D&G skinny rib T-shirt in a pile of cast-offs in the street, which, after washing, is a great addendum to the wardrobe. Shame, where art thou?
I splurged vicariously by buying clothes, puzzles and books for Esme instead. I was horrified to find that while the puzzles and books were ‘pre-loved’ as I thought, one of the dresses was a hefty $40 (actually reduced by 50%) a brand-new designer dress. Definitely the Transgression of the Month. Closely followed by losing a library book so had to pay the full penalty plus replacement cost, which could be said to be buying a book. And the $1 spent in an act of forgetfulness for a checklist of birds at The Pinnacles, that it turned out I only wanted to look at for 1 minute - doh!
Debra and I swapped picture frames for baby clothes so I’ve been able to add to our photo wall. And a complicated long-chain swap has seen us acquire a roll of blackboard cloth and chalk for Esme from Amy H, and we have to donate something to Jen Daniel in return.
A colleague got married so I donated to the charity of their choice; the pillow cases tore again and the Chinese seamstress thought me barking mad when I insisted on mending over discarding. Colman has decided he buys the candles so he restocked on those.Music
New music is also missed. Albeit to add to a groaning collection of CDs we don’t listen to anyway. So it was a great joy to go to see Fleetwood Mac live on their Unleashed Tour at the Oracle Arena in Oakland with Adam and Jen and friends – in effect billed as their Greatest Hits album live.
The omens were unpromising. The Arena is huge and inevitably soulless, hordes of empty seats greeted our eyes from our lofty vantage point near the back. Yes it was a thrill to see the Legends (Fleetwood, McVie, Buckingham and Nicks) looking their quintessential selves respectively larger than life, self-effacing hiding under a flat cap, black leathered whippet-thin energetic, long blonde hair draped seductively over black shawl. But expectations were low that this bunch of sexagenarians could deliver the really rousing show required for such a large space.
Nearly three hours later we were delighted to have been proved utterly wrong. Wild-eyed and grinning, with white hair in a pony tail and beard, red-pixie shod Mick Fleetwood provided an anarchic backdrop with his manic yet metronomic drumming. His old mucker John McVie did his best to not be seen on stage, shielding his face from the audience and not uttering a word; he received a great tribute from Mick at the end. 
And the stars of the show didn’t disappoint. Channelling his inner teen, Lindsey Buckingham leapt, twirled, blew kisses, beat his chest and played guitar in a frenzy on the solos. His long-time love did have to retire backstage for a little lie down and shawl change after each song but all the Stevie Nicks trademarks were on display: boots, top hat, long gloves, beads hanging from the mike stand, tambourine, red dress for the 2nd half and a gold dress specially for Gold-Dust Woman when she spun hypnotically around the stage; her voice and beauty undiminished. Both relished talking about the past, when they met in the Bay area and performed with Hall of Fame stars such as Joplin, and alluded several times to the stormy years they’ve all endured together. "We have a convoluted and complex emotional history, and we've been together a long time, which works in our favour," he said. "We've taken long breaks, but every time we get back together it's different, but there's always forward motion." 
The audience spent half the concert on its feet, not a dry eye in the house when Buckingham and Nicks came out together holding hands, and when they rested their heads on each other’s shoulders. Hit followed hit: Buckingham performed Big Love as a solo acoustic, he and Nicks supplied beautiful harmonies on Gypsy, Rhiannon, Second Hand News and Go Your Own Way. 
Noone there will ever forget Fleetwood’s extraordinary high-energy drummer's solo during the encore section, which finished fittingly with Don’t Stop. The audience went wild. So Silver Spring was played as an unexpected second encore, much to their delight. The evening proved again that experience is worth more than another Thing to add to one’s collection of Things. And I saw 2 gigs in 2 months to boast about seeing for years to come. The old ones really are the best…
Top
Wedding Anniversary
Bay to Breakers
Sunday 17th May was our 4th wedding anniversary and this coincided with the 98th annual Bay to Breakers race where elite athletes, amateur runners and drunken revellers in fancy dress sprint and stagger 12km from the Embarcadero through the city and Golden Gate Park to the Pacific. 
We met up with Adam and Jen and some piratical looking friends after a gruelling route march from our house to make the rendezvous in time. At only 10am it was clear it was going to be a hot day. We then hustled along the course to catch up with the rabble at the rear who were in all manner of costumes and rolling drunk at this early hour. It reminded us of a mini Notting Hill Carnival but with no whistles, less thumping bass and less drugs, and very random outfits. Some were very inventive. There was a group just out of the shower clad only in soap and towels, another lot had Tutankhamen heads on.
It probably wasn’t the best place to bring a child of 20 months. Esme coped extraordinarily well with the noise, crowds and being forced to be in the stroller for 2 hours, staring at the throngs around her. We made it as far as a house party which was too loud to venture inside, and the three of us danced on the kerb, Esme happy to frolic in the gutter with discarded beer cans and Lord knows what else at her feet.
We left after noon, now very hot and getting late. We couldn’t get a taxi or a bus for love nor money so walked to Armani’s, who was hosting a trunk sale (where clothiers and accessory designers display and sell their wares to invited guests), on the more pressing basis that there would be food and a loo there. There was a woman selling wonderful sculpted felt hats and Colman was dragooned into buying one for me as an anniversary present, as I couldn’t buy it myself. 
It is a fabulous hat, as yet unworn as it is a winter item, thank you darling.We made it home exhausted having walked all day in the heat, too late for Esme’s nap. The afternoon disappeared and suddenly we were scrambling to get suited, booted and everything ready for our night away. Jonathan arrived, so did the taxi, and I was still throwing things into the suitcase.
We were barely 10 minutes in the cab when Jonathan phoned to say she was asleep, totally shattered from her huge day. We arrived at swanky Hotel Vitale on the Embarcadero to find they had given us a Circular Suite, with wonderful views over the Bay Bridge and Ferry Building. A bottle of champagne was on ice, no less than 2 notes wishing us a happy anniversary, and a bed decorated with petals in a heart. Restaurant of the Month
No time for romance, we rushed out to dinner at Aqua, which boasts 2 Michelin stars for its Cal seafood with French hints under Executive Chef Laurent Manrique’s direction. The restaurant was elegantly polished in all departments – white gloved waiters, perfect dish presentation, huge artistic displays of vegetation. It was about now, sitting in the air-conditioned draught, the limitations of my outfit became apparent. A sweltering day had given way to windy and cold downtown, I was wearing a maxi sun dress with thin shawl. Each delicate portion of exquisitely prepared fish and seafood failed to warm the cockles in quite the manner required. Colman was luckier in his menu selections than I, and also indulged in a nightcap, so he hugged me for warmth all the way back to our suite.Hotel Vitale
Colman had requested a ‘massage’ when we returned. We took time to admire the excellent view from our love seat, then both remembered we had forgotten our contact lens cases and glasses. I had also forgotten any underwear for the next day plus make up bag and had a meeting at 9.15am with the Sales and Marketing Managers! Next we failed utterly to operate the black out blinds realising this was quite an issue as the sun would rise slap bang into our panoramic windows at 5am. As it was now past 11pm, hastily we took out our lenses and stored them in glasses of water, then hunted round the room like blind mice trying to find out how to turn off the trendy bedside table lights to no avail, we had to leave them until Colman ripped the plug out of the wall at 2am. I was cleaning my teeth ready for bed when I heard a gentle snore – sure enough Colman was out – no ‘massage’ for him tonight – and I wasn’t going to wake him knowing we’d be up with the dawn. 
So we were, and put our lenses in at 5am in order to see the magnificent sight of the glow from the sun streaking the clouds salmon pink above a massive container ship as it slipped under the Bay Bridge. We indulged in our deep soaking tub with a view, and then ate a stunning breakfast – the wild mushroom scramble was superb – before Colman headed off to work and I tried to make myself look professional with no bra, no make up (Ladies, I’m here to advise: 
don’t try the ball point pen as a replacement for eye-liner as it doesn’t adhere and makes your lids puffy) and over the top jewellery from the night before for my meeting. Luckily they signed the contract; I wrote up the review and they are now one of the flagship hotels in i-escape’s just-launched California Collection. All in all a memorable wedding anniversary!Top
Expedition of the Month
The Pinnacles
Our Adventure of the Month was a Surprise for Colman over Memorial Day weekend. We arrived at Pinnacles National Monument at dusk, time enough to set up camp, meet up with Rob, Jecca, Billy and Luca Lawson and their friends, You Mon, Mary and Liam.
The Pinnacles are the spectacular remains of an
ancient volcano that has been wrenched asunder by the San Andreas Fault (the other portion is now 195 miles to the SE) and shaped over millennia by heat, frost, water and wind. This unique set of circumstances has produced massive monoliths, sheer-walled canyons and talus caves, formed when falling boulders wedged into deep narrow gorges. The park has over 26,000 acres (16k are designated wilderness) of rolling Chaparral hills, ramparts, crags, rivers and valleys, and fabulous wildlife.
We had an amazing weekend. The weather was almost too warm (barely a cloud in the sky) once the morning fog lifted. Nights were very chilly (our first night had us bemoaning that we couldn’t zip our sleeping bags together), Esme slept like a dream in her travel cot erected inside the tent each night. 
On the Saturday we did the Old Pinnacles Trail, a 5.3 mile round trip, which took us along Chalone Creek through riparian woods edged with yellowed grasses, with towering deep auburn rock formations framing our horizons, to Balconies Cave. This classic talus cave led on and on in and out of the pitch dark (we brought torches), and we all (especially the boys) had great fun scrambling over the boulders. 
Here we stopped for lunch before returning the same route home. Esme tried valiantly to snooze in the backpack to no avail. I constantly kept my eyes on the distant crags, binoculars at the ready, was that a Condor? No, always Turkey Vultures wheeling and soaring instead.
A leisurely afternoon at the campsite basking in the sun followed, You Mon and Mary produced a yummy dinner of noodles, tofu and chicken. 
We huddled around the campfire for warmth and good cheer after the sun went down and the temperature plummeted.
On Sunday we drove to Bear Gulch and did the first ¼ of the Condor Gulch/High Peaks Loop up as far as the Overlook where we all posed for family portraits and 
admired the long views back down the valley and up to the red crags. Rob had learned a few tricks from a ranger about catching lizards with a long stem of grass fashioned into a noose at the end, so several (unsuccessful) lizard-tickling stops were made. Colman saw a snake slithering into the bushes, later identified as a California Kingsnake.
Looking up towards the spectacular High Peaks, searching vainly for condors, into the heart of the Pinnacles rock formations, whetted our appetites for the whole Loop – one day we’ll return without kids or with older more willing ones to complete it.
Luncheon was taken back down at the poetically named Bear Gulch Day Use Area, while Stellar’s Jays and cheeky squirrels tried to steal our food, to Esme’s squeaking joy.
Then we took the Moses Spring-Rim Trail Loop which took us over the top of Bear Gulch Cave (closed due to nesting Townsend’s Big-eared Bats, one of which we saw fluttering above the boulders to our excitement).
This walk was superb, despite the hordes on the trail, nothing could diminish the majesty of the rock formations – you can almost see big pillowy lava flows draped down the slopes – and the excitement of walking through semi-caves, under huge overhanging ledges, atop lookouts, beside dripping waterfalls. 
Halfway through the walk we rested by Bear Gulch Reservoir fringed by reeds and some coarse sandy beaches, where we saw water snakes and Esme and I saw a tiny frog (she said ribbet, ribbet on cue). 
The rocks were smothered in brightly coloured lichens.A really brilliant walk – perfect for the boys, packed with wildlife, views and rugged rocks.
We got back to the campsite and saw deer walking across the hillside. We all remarked how perfect a day it had been. The cherry on the icing on the cake would have been a Condor sighting, or a successful lizard capture. 
And then Rob ‘Condor-Eyes’ Lawson said, “I think those are condors.” I dumped Esme on the ground unceremoniously and tore back to our car for binoculars and birdbook. Yes it was! 
A group of three floating high above us, hardly seeming to flap a feather, their yellow wing patches clearly visible. We stared at them until our necks ached. Such a special moment! I had reached the pinnacle of birding ambition! Jecca was in the (lengthy) queue for the (poor) showers so missed them. On her return we were recounting our sightings,
when high above us floated another group of three condors!!! We couldn’t believe our luck. 
The boys hung out with Esme before dinner, trying to verse her in the art of baseball throwing and catching. She valiantly tried to get the glove on but had better success with their bike helmets.
That night the Lawsons cooked up a feast including a warm potato salad, and bade a fond farewell to You Mon, Mary and Liam who returned to Burlingame. After the kids were in bed, the remaining adults sat round the fire putting the world to rights keeping as toasty as possible – boy did it get chilly once the sun went down!
On our last morning, I got up early for a private birdwatch and walk around the campsite – the phenomenal dawn chorus had been calling to me all weekend. I saw rabbits hopping across the sandy paths into the brush, plus quail, thrashers and woodpeckers. This is a close up of an Acorn Woodpecker's pockmarked granary tree.
We struck camp, sad to leave this wonderful wildlife-filled wilderness (despite the worst camp facilities we’d yet found in California – no doors on the toilets nor lights in the ablution block). 
Just as we were about to leave, Rob succeeded in capturing one of the ubiquitous lizards with his blade of grass! We all marvelled at its blue tummy and unblinking eye.
Thanks everybody for a wonderful weekend!!!
Top
Family Outings and Events
We enjoyed various day trips in May. To Palo Alto to visit Danny and Akemi and took in a local kids museum/farm followed by an early supper.
To beautiful Stinson Beach for Steve’s Surprise Birthday, on a gloriously hot day;
it was great to meet more friends of the Kirsh family.
The kids all had a great time running around the beach and foreshore, Colman took the opportunity to kayak in Bolinas Bay.
Uncle Pat came to visit from the Left Coast - great to catch up.
We met up with most of the Lawsons again at the 4th annual Maker Faire in San Mateo, the world’s largest DIY festival, celebrates the Geek in all its weird and wonderful manifestations. Robot battleships. Steam powered motorcycles. Bonsai trees. 
Kite mounted aerial photography. A VW beetle retro-fitted with the body of an enormous steel snail. Noodle making demonstrations. Closed energy systems involving plant walls. Cycle powered fair ground rides (here Billy Lawson is playing guitars). Home made rocket launches. And, of course, beautiful art cars.
Colman and Morgan hosted a very jolly Wine Night at our place, the theme being sweet/dessert wines. Morgan even prepared a slideshow to accompany Colman's erudite presentation on the subject.
The most delicious desserts to accompany the wines were scoffed with glee by all and sundry - a terrific evening.San Francisco Classical Voice
We spent a memorable night in the company of Gordon Getty and around 100 funders of San Francisco Classical Voice, as Colman is on the Board. 
A thank you for recent fundraising efforts organised by our family friend, Mary, the evening included a performance by warm and charismatic pianist Wu Han and and her 13-year old protégé 
Hilda Huang followed by a three-course dinner and a song for Getty (sung by various board members including Colman) in return for his generous support.We couldn’t keep our eyes off the Old Masters, Impressionist paintings and fantastic OTT gilded fireplace in the Getty palatial mansion in Pacific Heights. How the other .001% live!
LDLG Gathering
Tracey and Dante kindly hosted the Little Drinking Ladies Group one Sunday – rather cleverly so far all DLG members have only produced girls.
The Briones household has toys galore and Esme had a fantastic time with her friends, Selena, Zoey, Isis and Noa, and loves pointing them out when seeing their pictures our digital photo frame.A very excellent playdate – thanks all!
We've also been hanging out in the playground with Liz and Alex, who are great fun.
Top
Birding is Brilliant
Presidio Spring Bird Survey
I responded to a call for volunteers in The Gull, the magazine for the local birding group – Golden Gate Audubon – to help celebrate International Migratory Bird Day by collecting data on the Presidio’s breeding bird species. The Presidio is former army land, now run by the National Park service with mixed commercial and public use, around the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge. Each spring volunteer birdwatchers walk one of 8 designated routes counting species to help document trends in bird populations in the Presidio, and the effect restoration and re-forestation are having on breeding habitat in the park. What sounded good was the promise that novice birders would be paired with experienced birders. And I lucked out by getting Josiah who was billed (pardon the pun) as the best birdwatcher in the Bay Area. They weren’t kidding! I was the official record-taker (numbers seen, whether nesting, foraging, singing, displaying, carrying food, flocking etc) and on our 3 hour walk Josiah would hear a fluting whistle or trill and instantly identify Lesser Goldfinch or Pygmy Nuthatch or Wilson’s Warbler. He would find nests by just catching a glimpse of a wing, had an encyclopaedic knowledge of native plantings, and was passionate about habitat restoration. It was a totally fascinating morning.
Josiah was shocked when I told him that after 6 years of living in my house in London, birdfood out 52 weeks of the year and cats shooed away when possible, I’d seen 12 species in total. That morning we saw/heard 45 different species. Three were Life Birds for me: Red Masked Parakeet ( Aratinga erythrogenys) a famous feral population immortalised in the book and film The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill; Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor and Cooper’s Hawk seen in a three-way tussle with a Red-Tailed Hawk and Red-Shouldered Hawk, and later in a tree with a nest. 
The bird seen in biggest numbers was the Cedar Waxwing Accipiter cooperii. When we all reconvened at the end I was very impressed by the skills of the assembled birders: when organiser Andy asked ‘no Hutton’s Vireos seen by anybody then?’, the answer was ‘no but we heard a Mockingbird imitating a Hutton’s Vireo’.Bird of the Month
For once, no contest whatever. Our sightings of the California Condor Gymnogyps californianus, trumped all other contenders – in size (North America’s largest land bird at 140cm, largest wingspan of any bird in N.America, up to 3m), for rarity (on the critically endangered list), and occasion (crowning our fabulous weekend at The Pinnacles). I did also see 3 other Life Birds there – the Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus, California Thrasher Toxostoma redivivum, 
and the Yellow-billed Magpie Pica nuttalli - the latter two found only in this chaparral country. But the note in the bird book says it all: ‘Condors are so large that they can be mistaken for a small, distant airplane, which possibly occurs more often than they are mistaken for other species of bird.’This vulture’s numbers had declined to a mere 22 before all remaining birds were captured in 1987 and put through the most expensive conservation project ever undertaken in the US. Now after intensive captive breeding, there are 322 known to be living including 172 in the wild across California’s coastal mountains and the Grand Canyon with a few in northern Baja. And we saw 6 of them!!!!
Top
Mural of the Month
Stencil of the Month
Bumper Sticker of the Month
Environment Stickers Don’t Mean S*!§@! When Seen on Cars
Love and hugs
Nadine, Colman and Esme xxx
Top
