Meet me here:

So, so far for this week:

Saturday, November 14, 2009 — Three Art Openings Saturday!
Yumiko Kayukawa, ESPO, and Erik Foss all under one roof!!!

ESPO at White Walls:

Steve Powers (aka ESPO) isolates moments, images and phrases of daily life to create an emotional revelation within the viewer. This exhibit brings attention to matters of love, life and all the complicated situations in between. Notorious for his dark humor combined with eloquence ESPO’s paintings create a dynamic synthesis of words and images.

Yumiko Kayukawa at The Shooting Gallery:

As a recent transplant to the US, Wild Wild East reveals Kayukawa’s mixed feelings about “surviving” in two very different societies. This exhibition expresses a new perspective by melding both traditional Japanese cultures with her enthusiasm for American pop culture.

Erik Foss at Gallery Three:

This overflowing, compulsive accumulation of works mirrors the chaotic conditions in which they have been made. Unseen on TV symbolizes the irony of our culture’s founding beliefs and ideologies, revealing America uncensored.

Time: 7:00pm – 11:00pm
Location: White Walls, The Shooting Gallery and Gallery Three
Street: 835 Larkin St
City/Town: San Francisco, CA

For more info see: 3 Artists!

Also the Blog: Shooting Gallery News
and
Also the Blog: White Walls News

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 — Viewpointr Preview Release Meetup

Event details:
We’re new in town and we wanna meet the neighbors. I suppose we could tag along to a bunch of startup/tech meetups, instead, I figured since a lot of you guys know each other already, you may as well come to an event we host for you, kind of like a house-warming party, that the new neighbors throw.

What to expect:
Free drinks, cool people, music, good conversation.
We’re geek folk so naturally we’re throwing a geeky event.
The dress code is geek-chic + no laptop no entry.

Startup ID and other proof of geek credentials required for entry.

About the hosts:
We like to meet new people. Community is a big part of who we are and what we do. We’re here to work amongst people we admire and respect. We have a fab little company of which you’ll come to learn more about, but more importantly we wanna shake a few hands and share stories with outgoing people who naturally like checking out the “latest thing to hit the bay area”. In this instance, us @Viewpointr
Feel free to pass this along to your friends.
We look forward to seeing you there!

RSVP here: Viewpointr

Thursday, November 19, 2009 — Tech The Halls: The Technologizer Holiday Bash 2009

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Marie and Harry are throwing a holiday bash and I’ll definitely be there in my red velvet dress! And…bonus points! It’s at Varnish Art Gallery! If nothing else, you can definitely meet me here this week!

It’s time to celebrate the holidays and check out the latest in consumer tech gear before we head into the new year and head off to CES. Technologizer invites you to its Tech The Halls Holiday Bash. Join us for good company, delightful conversation, and great food and drink at Varnish Art Gallery, a cool venue conveniently located in San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood.

Technologizer founder/editor Harry McCracken, Domingo Communications principal Marie Domingo, and our sponsors look forward to meeting you to talk personal technology, Web services, social media, and more.

Plan to Tweet the event? Please do! Our hashtag is: #TechTheHalls

RSVP here: Tech The Halls

Friday, November 20, 2009 — Real-Time CrunchUp SF

I’m not planning to go to this event, but I wanted to share!

9:00 AM – 7:30 PM (PT)

TechCrunch says:
One of the benefits of covering new technology and startups on a daily basis is that you can see trends as they begin to swell and repeat themselves. One shift we’ve been keeping a very close eye on is the rise of realtime streams, and how they are fundamentally altering the way we communicate and interact with one another.

We are not the only ones who think this is a big deal. Back in July, TechCrunch editors Erick Schonfeld and Steve Gillmor organized a Realtime Stream CrunchUp. It was the first major realtime conference (there are a bunch of them now), and the response was overwhelming. It attracted 650 people and ended up as a launchpad for about 20 new realtime products, from Seesmic’s Web client to Pubsubhubbub (PuSH) to Brizzly (read more here).

A lot has happened since then: Facebook bought FriendFeed, Twitter raised $100 million, Google Wave launched in private beta. So Steve and I thought it would be a good time for another Realtime CrunchUp. The next one will be an all-day-event on November 20 in San Francisco.

Hope you can join us.

To register: Saturday ONLY, 2-for-1! Real-Time CrunchUp SF

After Saturday, register at: Real-Time Crunchup SF

TechCrunch proper: here

November 27-December 20, 2009 – The Great Dickens Christmas Fair

I attend the Dickens Fair everyyy year with my kids! It’s a holiday tradition of ours now…and I can’t wait to go again! It’s like the Renaissance Fair, but set in the time of Charles Dickens. The Cow Palace is turned into Merry Old England and every effort is made to make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

Get a peek at the fair costumes and setting as Amanda Palmer & Vermilion Lies wander through the Dickens Fair singing, set to “What’s the Use of Won’drin’?” (featuring Annie Clark of St. Vincent) in their video: watch!

The fair is held on weekends only!

FOUR WEEKENDS
including the FRIDAY
after Thanksgiving!
Fri. Nov. 27 thru
Sun. Dec. 20, 2009
11am-7pm
In the Cow Palace
Exhibition Halls

For more information see their website: The Great Dickens Christmas Fair

And, follow them on Twitter: @DickensFair

They even have a Facebook page: The Great Dickens Christmas Fair

Now thru December 10, 2009 — The Art of Zen: Landscapes Inspired by Japan
Essential photographic and painted landscapes

Location: Elastic Creative
Street: 550 Bryant Street
City/Town: San Francisco, CA

Dear Friends and Art Aficionados,

You are invited to the art exhibition: “The Art of Zen: Landscapes Inspired by Japan”.

Victoria Vedell and I are having a two person show for three months at Elastic Creative in SOMA. We both lived in Tokyo, and simultaneously were Artists-in-Residence at KAIR, in Tokushima, Japan in 2004.

In June, I returned to Tokushima with my camera to walk from temple to temple and photograph the Shikoku Pilgrimage, which is the oldest and longest pilgrimage in Japan. It is over 1,000 years old and a 1,000 miles long. The photographs I will be exhibiting were shot on the pilgrimage deep in the heart of the Japanese countryside. Victoria will be showing her lush landscape paintings inspired by her time in Japan.

Viewing by appointment, Monday – Friday 9am- 6pm. Please contact Andre: andre@elasticcreative.com.

More info here: The Art of Zen

Now through March 28, 2010 — Tutankhamun at the De Young Museum!

Don’t miss this!

de Young Museum
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA 94118
415.750.3600
www.deyoungmuseum.org
Exhibition Hours

Through September 30, 2009:
Monday through Sunday, 9 am to 9 pm (closed for maintenance August 3 and 31)
Oct 1, 2009 through March 28, 2010:
Tuesday through Sunday, 9 am to 6:30 pm; until 8:45 pm on Fridays.

for more info: http://www.tutsanfrancisco.org/

December 19, 2009-April 18, 2010 — The Legion of Honor Museum presents: Cartier and America

Cartier came to fame as the “King of Jewelers” during the Belle Époque for his beautifully made diamond and platinum jewelry created for the courts of Europe and Americans of the Gilded Age. With an extensive variety of jewelry forms—ranging from traditional white diamond suites to the highly colored exotic creations of the 1920s and 1930s—Cartier made its mark with the ingenuity of its designs and its exquisite craftsmanship. Cartier and America celebrates the imagination and creativity of Cartier in the 20th century. The jewelry and works of art include pieces from the private collection of Cartier.

for more info: Cartier and America

Monday, November 9, 2009 – Lunch 2.0 with Bing!

I won’t be able to attend this…and I’m sad about that, Terry Chay and Marie Williams are organizing it, and I know it will be fab! Adore them both! Unfortunately, I can’t take too much time off from the day job for social media fun!

Time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Location: 475 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA 94107

Bing is in town to celebrate the past six months since the launch and our recent partnership with Twitter. Eat lunch on us and meet folks from the Bing team at Powerset’s office (the third Lunch 2.0 to be held at this legendary location), where we’ll have tasty grub, beer and other beverages, and Bing swag to take home with you. Please RSVP on Upcoming to reserve your spot – they’ll fill up fast!

RSVP here:
http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/4839835/CA/San-Francisco/Lunch-20-with-Bing/

Monday, November 9, 2009 – San Francisco Bay Guardian presents Goldies 2009: free party with live music and DJs

With The Fresh and Onlys, Dreamdate, very special surprise guests; DJ sets by Pleasuremaker and Señor Oz of Afrolicious; and more!

Start Time: Monday, November 9, 2009 at 9:00pm
End Time: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 12:00am
Location: 111 Minna Gallery
Street: 2nd St between Mission/Howard
City/Town: San Francisco, CA

Party down with the winners of this year’s Guardian Outstanding Local Discovery awards!

The Bay Area’s ground-breaking artists, dancers, filmmakers, and musicians gather for a free public showcase in their honor!

Live performances by The Fresh and Onlys, Dreamdate, and very special surprise guests; DJ sets by Pleasuremaker and Señor Oz of Afrolicious; and live painting by local artist Sirron Norris.

21 and over, no cover charge!

www.sfbg.com/goldies
www.111minnagallery.com

Best public transit: BART or MUNI Metro to Montgomery Station; F Market streetcar; 14/14L Mission

For more info also see their: Facebook Event Page

Now thru December 10, 2009 – The Art of Zen: Landscapes Inspired by Japan
Essential photographic and painted landscapes

Location: Elastic Creative
Street: 550 Bryant Street
City/Town: San Francisco, CA

Dear Friends and Art Afficianados,

You are invited to the art exhibtion: “The Art of Zen: Landscapes Inspired by Japan”.

Victoria Vedell and I are having a two person show for three months at Elastic Creative in SOMA. We both lived in Tokyo, and simultaneously were Artists-in-Residence at KAIR, in Tokushima, Japan in 2004.

In June, I returned to Tokushima with my camera to walk from temple to temple and photograph the Shikoku Pilgrimage, which is the oldest and longest pilgrimage in Japan. It is over 1,000 years old and a 1,000 miles long. The photographs I will be exhibiting were shot on the pilgrimage deep in the heart of the Japanese countryside. Victoria will be showing her lush landscape paintings inspired by her time in Japan.

Viewing by appointment, Monday – Friday 9am- 6pm. Please contact Andre: andre@elasticcreative.com.

More info here: The Art of Zen

Now through March 28, 2010, Tutankhamun at the De Young Museum!

Don’t miss this!

de Young Museum
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA 94118
415.750.3600
www.deyoungmuseum.org
Exhibition Hours

Through September 30, 2009:
Monday through Sunday, 9 am to 9 pm (closed for maintenance August 3 and 31)
Oct 1, 2009 through March 28, 2010:
Tuesday through Sunday, 9 am to 6:30 pm; until 8:45 pm on Fridays.

for more info: http://www.tutsanfrancisco.org/

Now thru April 18, 2010 – The Legion of Honor Museum presents: Cartier and America

Cartier came to fame as the “King of Jewelers” during the Belle Époque for his beautifully made diamond and platinum jewelry created for the courts of Europe and Americans of the Gilded Age. With an extensive variety of jewelry forms—ranging from traditional white diamond suites to the highly colored exotic creations of the 1920s and 1930s—Cartier made its mark with the ingenuity of its designs and its exquisite craftsmanship. Cartier and America celebrates the imagination and creativity of Cartier in the 20th century. The jewelry and works of art include pieces from the private collection of Cartier.

for more info: http://www.famsf.org/legion/exhibitions/exhibition.asp?exhibitionkey=1051

Firstly and most importantly on Wednesday, September 9, I will be at Sukhjit Ghag’s going away party as she leaves San Francisco to grace San Diego with her presence. I’m so sad to see her go, but happy she has found the job of her dreams as Sony’s corporate blogger and Social Media Consultant. Sony has no idea what a smart decision that was….but we do! http://bit.ly/PwEQb

Wednesday, September 9, 2009 – Women 2.0 Demystifying Government and Stimulus Funding for Your Startup

6:30-9:00 PM

Citizen Space
425 2nd Street, Suite 100
San Francisco, Ca

Are you having trouble finding an investor for your startup? You know, you don’t have to rely on VCs and angel investors to give you cash. There are ways the government can fund your startup. Yes, the government.

Join Women 2.0 for an informative night of Demystifying Government and Stimulus Funding for Your Startup. We will be meeting at Citizen Space in San Francisco on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 at 6:30pm to discuss alternative methods of funding your business.

Let’s demystify government and stimulus funding. Discussion topics will include:
» What is available to women-owned, minority-owned businesses
» Step-by-step instructions and examples on how to apply to the funds and loans
» SBA and SBIR loans
» Who can use the stimulus money from the government
» State and local incentives for locating companies in low-and-mid income areas

Speakers:
» Jill Fishbein (Partner, Carr & Ferrell)
» Cynthia Ringo (Managing Partner, DBL Investors)

Schedule:
» 6:30pm » Networking
» 7:00pm » Presentation by Jill Fishbein and Cynthia Ringo
» 8:30pm » Open discussion and Q&A

More info:
http://www.women2.org/demystifying-government/

Register here:
http://w2governmentfunding.eventbrite.com/

Friday, September 11, 2009 – TwestivalSF!

Twestival SF was one of my favorite events last year! The Twitter founders @ev and @biz even showed up! Don’t miss it!

It’s all happening Friday, September 11, 8pm at Horizon SF

On September 11, 2009, Twestival goes “Local”! Participants will gather in over 180 cities all over the world, joining forces to raise money for a charity of their choice.
San Francisco has chosen Operation Smile, who some of you may know as 140Smiles. Real people, real time, real power to make a difference.

Operation Smile is a private not-for-profit medical services organization providing reconstructive surgery and related health care to indigent children and young adults in developing countries. Medical volunteers travel on medical missions to repair of cleft lips, palates and facial reconstructive surgery in 34 countries around the world. Operation Smile has treated over 150,000 children and young adults.
The San Francisco Twestival event will take place September 11 starting at 8pm. Proceeds are to benefit 140Smiles.

Location
Horizon Restaurant & Lounge
489 Broadway Street at Kearny
North Beach, San Francisco

for more info: http://www.twestivalsf.com/

To purchase your tickets, please visit http://www.amiando.com/twestivalsf09

Sunday, September 13, 2009, Media Leaders Pre-TechCrunch50 Mixer!

Harlot
46 Minna St
San Francisco, CA 94105

from 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Pre-TechCrunch50 Party!

Join us as we forget about the state of the economy and mingle with San Fran’s hippest professionals in marketing, advertising, tech and new media.

Please join us at one of San Francisco’s HOTTEST venues: Harlot. We will have a hip and diverse group of technology, marketing, public relations, and interactive new media professionals.

We are hosting this mixer the night before the TechCrunch50.com event and are only a few blocks from the main conference. Please join us for a cocktail and some great conversation.

Register here: http://sanfran2.eventbrite.com/

Wednesday, September 16, 2009 – SF New Tech

5:30-10 PM

Mighty
119 Utah Street
(Cross street is 15th. Look for the big black doors!)
San Francisco, CA 94103

Featuring demos by: MyJobReferrals.com, 8kMiles, Waze, Collecta, Outspokes, JS-Kit’s Echo, and more!

Tickets:
$15.00 for early bird online tickets
$20.00 for all other (late bird) online tickets
$25.00 cash at the door, if not sold out

Mighty is a 21+ venue.

Schedule:
5:30 pm – Doors & Bar Open
5:30 -7:30 pm – Schmooze and Free Tacos!
7:30 – 9:00 pm – Live Demos
9:00 – 11:00 pm – Schmooze

for more info or to purchase tickets: http://sept16sfnewtech.eventbrite.com/event/415515819

Thursday, September 17, 2009 – TechKaroake SV- BBC Menlo Park!

6:30-11 PM

BBC (British Banker’s Club)
1090 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025
(650) 327-8769

Alright everyone. It’s long overdue already, and we have a new venue! Bring your karaoke voices and meet us at the BBC on Sept 17th, 630pm to get your drink and sing on!

Thanks to our sponsor- COOKIES BY DESIGN!

Cookies by Design Santa Clara is happy to be your gift giving resource for freshly-baked, artistically hand-decorated, personally hand-delivered (in most areas), creative cookie gifts that taste as good as they look. The shoppe is located at 5253 Stevens Creek Blvd. Santa Clara, Ca. 95051 or you can find us online, cookiesbydesign-sc.com for the local website, cookiesbydesign.com for the national website or find us on Facebook at
facebook.com/CookiesbyDesignSantaClara

RSVP here:
http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/event.php?eid=155292840179

August 29 – September 20, 2009 – Free Shakespeare in the Park!

Bring your family, friends, a blanket, and a picnic and enjoy
FREE professional theater in the park!

I go to this everyyy year! LOVEEE IT!

See Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors”

Weekends only plus Labor Day, August 29 – September 20th

San Francisco’s Presidio
(Main Post Parade Ground Lawn, Graham Street between Lincoln Blvd and Moraga Avenue)

for more info: http://sfshakes.org

Thursday, September 24, 2009 – SF Weekly’s DISH 2009 presented by Parkmerced

What a deal this is for $20 with the proceeds even going to benefit charity…win win I say!

Date/Time: Thu., September 24, 6:30pm-9:30pm
Contact Info: | Event Website
SF Weekly’s DISH 2009 presented by Parkmerced Parkmerced presents the 2nd Annual DISH event
An Evening of Food and Wine

September 24, 2009
at the City View at the METREON
6:30pm-9:30pm
$20 per ticket.
Proceeds Benefit One World Children’s Fund

Sample food from 30 restaurants including Out The Door, XYZ, Fish and Farm plus 10 unique wineries offering sampling as well.

Sponsored by: Parkmerced, LangeTwins Winery and Vineyards, Pama, TYKU, MillerCoors, Sobieski Vodka, Westfield San Francisco Centre, Snag Tickets, and LikeMe.net.

for more info and to purchase tickets:
http://www.sfweekly.com/events/promo/1642716

Friday, September 25, 2009 – DineForChange’s Launch Event

6-10 PM

Temple
540 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA

Join us on Friday, September 25 at Temple for DineForChange’s kick off event between 6-10PM. This is a great opportunity for you to meet many local professional organizations and non profits to see how you can get involved.

Live performance by Fat Magic from 6-7PM.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjP6bIEvFxw

Come network and learn how you can get involved with DineForChange and make a difference in your community just by eating and having fun!

We are expecting a full house for the evening. Please RSVP with us ASAP to ensure entry.

If you are a non profit or profesional organization, please contact via e-mail at info@dineforchange.com for further details on how your organization can be featured.

for more info: http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/event.php?eid=124313354849

Saturday, September 27, 2009 – Now and Zen Fest

Alice Radio – 97.3 host’s Now and Zen Fest a free concert in Golden Gate Park featuring Howie Day, Colbie Caillat and TRAIN!!!

Noon – 5PM in Sharon Meadow, Golden Gate Park

for more info: http://www.radioalice.com/pages/4983440.php

Now thur March 28, 2010, Tutankhamun at the De Young Museum!

Don’t miss this!

de Young Museum
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA 94118
415.750.3600
www.deyoungmuseum.org
Exhibition Hours

Through September 30, 2009:
Monday through Sunday, 9 am to 9 pm (closed for maintenance August 3 and 31)
Oct 1, 2009 through March 28, 2010:
Tuesday through Sunday, 9 am to 6:30 pm; until 8:45 pm on Fridays.

for more info: http://www.tutsanfrancisco.org/

Sunday, October 4, 2009 – Cupcake Camp

2:00-5PM

Automattic
Pier 38 (next to AT&T Ballpark, Embarcadero&Brannan)
San Francisco, CA

Sponsors: Automattic, Cakespy, Cupcake Swirl, Cups and Cakes Bakery, Iron Cupcake Earth, Jasmine Rae Bakery, Mexican Vanilla, Sugar Beat Sweets

Last year, we threw the first ever CupcakeCamp and it was a delicious success, so much so that it became a worldwide phenomenon. It is with much excitement that we announce San Francisco’s CupcakeCamp for 2009!

Event tagging: #ccsf

If you’re baking or buying cupcakes for the event, you must register your cupcakes at http://cupcakecamp.org/register

How CupcakeCamp Works

(this mainly applies to people bringing cupcakes, but please feel free to just show up and enjoy eating them too!)

This is an event for cupcake lovers, so you can:
- buy cupcakes to bring
- bake cupcakes to bring
- just eat cupcakes

1. No limit on how many cupcakes you can bring (the more you can bring, the better) – and mini cupcakes are encouraged!

2. You need to have your cupcakes (how much and what type) registered at http://cupcakecamp.org/register by Sunday, September 27 at Noon -otherwise we will have to do the unthinkable and reject your precious cupcakes (o noes!).

3. People bringing cupcakes should plan on bringing them to Automattic by 1:00pm the day of

4. In true BarCamp style, we will have twelve 15 min. timeslot schedules for tasting different types of cupcakes. The schedule will be posted at the event.

5. Add yourself to the CupcakeCamp Baker Directory! Request access to the CupcakeCamp PBwiki ( http://cupcakecamp.pbwiki.com ) to connect with other cupcake lovers.

6. We will have a Best In Show competition! Categories for best in show: Best Halloween Cupcake, Best Decorated, Best Unique Ingredients, and Best Breakfast-inspired. You can opt-in for a category when you arrive with your cupcakes at 1pm.

Feel free to let us know you want to attend at: http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/4408775

Also see the facebook event page for more info:
http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=129018542242&ref=ts

Now thru April 18, 2010 – The Legion of Honor Museum presents: Cartier and America

Cartier came to fame as the “King of Jewelers” during the Belle Époque for his beautifully made diamond and platinum jewelry created for the courts of Europe and Americans of the Gilded Age. With an extensive variety of jewelry forms—ranging from traditional white diamond suites to the highly colored exotic creations of the 1920s and 1930s—Cartier made its mark with the ingenuity of its designs and its exquisite craftsmanship. Cartier and America celebrates the imagination and creativity of Cartier in the 20th century. The jewelry and works of art include pieces from the private collection of Cartier.

for more info: http://www.famsf.org/legion/exhibitions/exhibition.asp?exhibitionkey=1051

This may be my last post about the Suisun Valley for awhile, they have changed my work assignment.  I no longer work at the charming old-fashioned country school in the valley.  I no longer drive past the grape vines and sunflowers.  I miss them all.

Above are some pics I took during my last week there.  Fall is settling into the Suisun Valley.  The grapes have been harvested.  Soon the grape leaves will turn vibrant fall colors, then flutter to the ground.

The sunflowers are beginning to fade and their heads are bowing under the weight of the ripening seeds.

There is a chill in the air, and a cooler breeze blowing.

I had lunch at Vezer Family Winery in their courtyard one of my last days there and was treated to – not one – but two barn owls perched in the tree above me!  One seemed slightly smaller than the other.  He was gone the next day, or perched somewhere out of my sight.  One of the people at Vezer told me that at one time there were owlets in the nest above.  One night they had a big function in the garden and apparently all the noise and people frightened the owls and the baby owls fell out of the nest and were running around on the ground, unable to fly yet, and ran under the deck.  The next day they caught them and took them to the wildlife center.  Unfortunately, they did not survive.

There are three horses that live in the field bordering the Suisun Valley School.  It always made me smile to see them as I drove in to work.  I mean, how many schools are lucky enough to have a field of horses next to them?

As I drove to the freeway one day after work I passed by Stonedene and slowed down and took a couple of pictures from my car.  Stonedene is an amazing old home built in 1861 by architect Julia Morgan, famous for her work on Hearst Castle!  I would imagine she had to be one of the first women architects in the San Francisco area.  Stonedene is located on Suisun Valley Road across the street from Solano Community College.  It’s built in the Gothic Revival Style.  I didn’t have time to drive up and take pics of the home.  But I love the picture I took of the creepy looking gate and the fabulous stone wall. When I was in high school I was hired by the family that lived there at the time to stay and help babysit their three children, along with their au pair, Mary, when the parents went out of town on antique buying trips for business.

I have always been fascinated by Stonedene, it was a treat getting to stay there as a teenager, and I would dearly love to see the inside again, now that I am a grown up!

If you would enjoy seeing more of my pictures of the Suisun Valley, please visit my flickr photostream at:

http://flickr.com/photos/lauralovesart/sets/72157607257906216/

On Mankas Corner Road I saw this fence and gate.  It’s beautiful with it’s wrought iron work and the climbing red roses!  Enjoy!

Confession:  I didn’t see this today…

For more pictures of the Suisun Valley, please see my photostream:

http://flickr.com/photos/lauralovesart/sets/72157607257906216/

I saw an amazing field of sunflowers in bloom!  Truly I don’t know when I’ve seen anything so spectacular.  The photos don’t even come close to doing it justice! You really should click on them to see them full size or go to my flickr photostream at:

http://flickr.com/photos/lauralovesart/sets/72157607257906216/

I had been watching this field for awhile.  I kept wondering what was growing so tall – that wasn’t corn.  I really had no clue, until it started blooming.  The sunflower field is on Mankas Corner Road, about a block down from Vezer Family Winery, Suisun Valley, California.

Driving by it everyday fills me with wonder!

Took a pretty picture of the vines in the morning light as I was driving to work this morning.

Also above is the front of the little country school I’ve been working at.  Suisun Valley School. 

Next to the school there is a home.  I took some pics of their geese, treehouse and old chicken coop.

The rest of my photos can be found on my flickr stream at:

http://flickr.com/photos/lauralovesart/sets/72157607257906216/

Hope you enjoy the pics! 

I knew there was an owl that lived in the tree, I’ve only seen him once.  I look up to check and see if he’s there every day when I come to the magical garden to eat my picnic lunch.  I looked today.  Nothing.  So I sat down and started eating, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a movement.  I looked up in the tree, and saw it!  The owl!  He was in a different area of the tree.  I looked at him, he looked at me.  I took pics of him.  For you.

Okay I’m posting this two days after I saw this.

This was what I saw on Friday as I had lunch and as I drove out of the Suisun Valley back to Fairfield, where I live.

I have a picnic lunch everyday at Vezer Family Vineyard.  Vezer is a combination of a deli and barista on one side and a wine tasting room on the other, and the most incredibly beautiful garden and picnic area in the back.  I generally bring my own lunch, but once a week at least I buy something there-to pay for the privilege of eating in such beautiful surroundings!

The metal sculptures are around the corner from Vezer, on Mankas Corner proper.

The grape vines are growing all over the place now in the Suisun Valley, with more popping up all the time!  The pictures above were taken at various grape fields along Mankas Corner Road.

You can click on any of the pics above to enlarge them or they can be viewed on my flickr photostream as well at :

http://flickr.com/photos/lauralovesart/sets/72157607257906216/

I hope you enjoy the pics as much as I enjoyed being there!

Statue at Vezar

Pretty Flowers

Grapes on the Vine

I’m working out at a really small school in the Suisun Valley-which is about to turn into the next Napa Valley by the looks of all the vines being planted!

I have a picnic lunch in this beautiful garden nearby at Vezar everyday when I’m working out there.  I feel so lucky!  It’s so beautiful there, it’s almost magical!