Table Rock -- Calistoga

Labor Day 2016.  Onions and I headed to the northern end of the Napa Valley into Robert Louis Stevenson State Park to hike Table Rock.  It's that rectangular chunk about 1/3 from the left edge of the photo.

The hike was pretty easy and started with some nice views across the Napa Valley.  I love the dry, golden grass that comes with lack of rain.

About a mile in is a pile of rocks, which according to our guidebook, called the Devil's Sofa.

Further along, someone has some extra time on their hands...

Our first sighting of Table Rock from the trail.

And here we are.  It's just a huge, flat, volcanic surface.

That outcropping on the left, not the right angle, is called "the Rhino".  And in the distance, is the town of Calistoga.

Our treat at the end of the day.....a mud bath.  First, sit in the volcanic mud for 12 minutes.....then a shower.

Followed by 15 minutes in a hot mineral bath.  The treatment finishes with 5 minutes in the steam room and then 20 minutes of laying in a dark room.  With the mud bath treatment, we also got to use the outdoor pool!

Alamere Falls

Sunday.....let's go hiking!  I got a tip that there is a great 8-mile round trip hike in Marin, just south of Point Reyes, to Alamere Falls.  The hike starts along the bluff along the ocean.

The second half of the hike then goes inland and around a couple spring fed lakes.

As the trail returns to the ocean, we take a shortcut off the main trail and head down towards the beach.

What makes Alamere Falls so unique is that the waterfall drops directly onto the beach.  Since we are in drought....the water volume was low, but you get the idea!

Onions and I hiked north, away from the crowds and sat on the beach for a half hour....that's Point Reyes in the distance.

On the left there, you see the "shortcut" down to the beach.  It's scramble along the rock face.  Most people opt for the shortcut because it removes two miles off the hike of which one mile is on soft sand.

A beautiful day!!  So lucky to live in Northern California.

Celebrations and Dumplings

This is my husband after watching the Chinese Women's Volleyball team beat the Netherlands in the Olympic Semifinals.  This came after their huge upset of top ranked Brazil

Two days later.......China beat Serbia in the finals to take the 2016 Olympic Gold Medal.  Here he is patriotically standing for the Chinese National Anthem!

You see the size of his grin?!?!?

A few days later, I came home after playing cards with friends and we wrapped dumplings.

Note the "WE" in the last caption.  This is significant because I am usually banned from kitchen activities (other than making coffee and washing dishes).

Turns out that when I was a kid, I would wrap dumplings with my Mom and so I have "mad skillz."

My husband is NOT one to give out compliments, but he was impressed with my abilities and said "good job!"  I'm a winner!

The final product.  We ate half and froze the rest.

The Chen Ten Spring 2016

The Chen 10, end of 9th grade!

Alas, missing of our our members.....

Our new pose, it's from our poster from the Frosh Retreat.

Presidio Golf Course

On this beautiful August day, I took the afternoon to play the last course in San Francisco that I had yet to play, The Presidio Golf Course.  It used to be a private course for the Army, but now open to the public.

Just like most of the SF golf courses, it's got the beautiful cypress trees.  In the late afternoon, the shadows are beautiful.

Of all the courses in SF, this is the most challenging and clearly, the most one that looks like a tournament quality type course.

What makes me say this is the high plateau greens, the steep faced bunkers and the crazy long grass around the bunkers.  I lost a ball in the long grass.  The course conditions are also excellent.

Here's the view from the 15th tee, looking north.  There's Sutro Tower and the UCSF Parnassus campus.

Yes, I hit it directly into that fairway bunker.  The course plays really long as the wind is fierce and it always seems like one is playing uphill.

I walked the course and rented a pull cart on the advice of a friend.  I had a hard leg workout earlier in the morning and my legs were totally fatigued by the last few holes.

Project Open Hand -- Grocery Center

My 10 advisees, who are rising 10th graders at LWHS, will be required this upcoming academic year to find an organization and volunteer for 40+ hours during the school year.  In solidarity, as well as to walk the talk, I decided this summer that I would start and do the same.  First, it's hard to get people to call you back.  I went to a couple websites, sent a couple emails and in one case talked to the volunteer coordinator at an organization....and nothing. Once you get in and set up, I will say that it's hard to give of your time in a way that feels worthwhile. I found an organization that has once a month work nights where they prepare backpacks to give out to homeless kids. There I was cleaning previously owned bags, to get them to as new as possible, and I was making up little ziploc bags of 8 Q-Tips each.  For a couple hours, it's ok, but I would rather be out working with the homeless themselves.  But finally, I found Project Open Hand

They have four programs.  Everyday, throughout about 15 locations in the city, they provide a hot lunch for seniors.  They prepare meals, most are frozen for distribution but many are delivered hot each evening for those who can't get out of there homes.  They also provide supplemental groceries for many who are ill or who's doctors believe they need additional nutrition each day.  The amount of food a person can get would be the equivalent of one solid meal a day.

Project Open Hand is located at 730 Polk Street.

I have signed up for a shift every Saturday afternoon from 12:30-16:00

Clients arrive in the waiting area.  They check-in, get a number and slip and then fill out their order.

Some qualify for the frozen pre-made meals.  The choices vary every week.  There are also Diabetic, non-Dairy and Vegetarian options.

All of them will get get this slip and they fill it out in the waiting area.  I've learned the difference between my proteins.....

...and beans and grains.

The protein and produce options vary each week. 

Once a client is done and their number is called, that's where myself and the other volunteers come in.  We take their slip and go back and "shop" for them.

Frozen meals case

Here's what a frozen meal looks like.

When it comes to produce, we do the best we can to get them the best.  The apples this week, not so good, but the oranges were excellent. Last week there was bok choy, this week, cauliflower.

The beans and grains section.

Here's the size of the bag of beans and grains.

Shopping! We usually get about 100 clients that come through during a Saturday afternoon shift.

Once finished, we wheel up to the counter and unload the items and the client bags them themselves.  If they brought their own bags, they can enter a raffle to win a free shopping trip.

Off to the side of the grocery center is the warehouse.  Here a volunteer is bagging broccoli into bags that clients get.

This type of service works for me.  There is just enough interaction with the people whom I'm serving plus there is the satisfaction of a finite task.  I get handed a slip, I go through, pick out what items are asked for and then I get to give the client something that helps them with their daily lives.  I'm going to keep this up all academic year.