Ripe Cherries there for the pickin'

Today we went cherry picking in Brentwood, California!!! We took our time on the way there and on the way back stopping at random junk yards and abandoned buildings. It rained a little bit, we saw a few wild turkeys, and we ate almost as many cherries as we brought home. 6.5 lbs was our total for $18. Kind of pricey, but worth it. Unfortunately, I do not remember the name of the farm we stopped at, but it was the only one brave (or naive) enough to be open on a super muddy Sunday afternoon at the height of cherry season. Their small orchard was packed with self-pickers, so even though they had to clean up a lot of mud afterwards, they probably made more today than they would at a farmer’s market.

Nik piking

A handful of our cherries

Our kayak looking back towards the Marin Headlands

We knew that this weekend needed an adventure, so we reserved a ZipCar for the day (a swanky volvo) and headed out to Tamales Bay early this morning. Once there, we rented a 2-seater sea kayak from Blue Waters Kayaking in Marshall for 4 hours, and spent the day zig-zagging across the Aurelia Jellyfish, Cormorant, and Oyster filled bay.

Horse in the spring time

California Poppies

An old electricity meter

The oyster bar

A captain and a boat

Oyster Shells at Drakes Bay

For the past two weekends, Nik and I have hit the roads and the trails of Marin. Last weekend we rode up to Bolinas, drove through the quaint/crazy town, and then took a nice coastal hike to Bass Lake. Then this weekend we took a shorter ride to Tennessee Valley, and hiked up to Pirate’s Cove. But this time, after the hike, we weren’t ready to go home so we kept riding north to Drakes Bay Family Farm to have fresh oysters. It was the first time I had ever tasted FRESH raw oysters, and I loved it!!! Nik wasn’t a fan, but I’m proud of him for trying.

Lately, I feel like we have been taking advantage of our surroundings and making the most out of life. It’s a good feeling!

The goddesses atop the Palace of Fine Arts were built to watch over throngs of visitors at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. Today, they watch 20-somethings living their lives in the Marina.

Given my recent absence here, I am going to simplify things. Rather than post multiple photos at a time with detailed descriptions, I am going to move in the direction of some of my favorite photo blogs. I will post one photo at a time with the hope that I will post more regularly. Ideally, I would like to post one photo a day, but we’ll see.

Here’s to balancing blogging and working 40+ hours a week!!!

A few murals from the Mission alleyways.

Just another day in Frisco

The evil Rabbit (click image to enlarge)

A peaceful morning in the mountains (click image to enlarge)

Pillow transformers take over the city while Scooby clings to some random guy (click image to enlarge and see amazing details)

She's watching you

Secret Breakfast anyone? (it's an ice cream flavor with bourbon & cornflakes!)

Friends came into town and gave us an excuse to explore.

One of many deer at Pt Reyes (we saw whales too!)

Biking over the Golden Gate Bridge

City Hall at Sunset

Biking through the Dogpatch

Nik and I rode south along Highway 1 after camping in the Presidio.

Father and daughter fish for Dungeness Crab

I wonder if the water that flows through this sink comes from below

A tired white fence

What happens to pumpkins that don't turn into Jack-o-lanterns?

Oh, and the Giants won the World Series!!!

Near Montgomery Street after the team's welcome home parade