Ripley Street Then and Now

In this picture from the early 1940s Ripley St., location of the bureau, is the dirt street to the far right. Our house is the second one from the top on the dirt path. (Please click.)

In this picture from 2006, it is the small yellow house squeezed between two taller houses, uphill from the palm tree.

Ripley in 1964. Our house is hidden behind the palm.

In this photo from this year it's still hidden, but the paving goes to the top of the hill.

An Horizon

Last week there was a classic sunset for this time of year. There's a scaffolding on our downhill neighbor's house.

More sky.

The sky in the window.

The fog rushes in.

Joan Jeanrenaud

The cellist and composer Joan Jeanrenaud lives in Bernal Heights and this Saturday past she performed a solo concert of her work at our beloved local branch of the SF Public Library. The library is a WPA building which was recently painstakingly renovated. The concert was a fundraiser to help pay for new murals on the exterior which will replace murals from the 1980s that are faded and damaged. Since childhood the bureau chief has loved public libraries and what can be better than hearing wonderful music played in a favorite environment.

Ms Jeanrenaud first played selections from her latest CD on which PC Muñoz contributed a percussion track. Since he wasn't there she played his part from her iPad. For her older pieces, she used a loop machine. She laid down backing tracks and then played over them. A lot of the music had a North African or Spanish feel to it, although my favorite piece, "Waiting", evoked Romanticism. There was loud applause at the end of the show.

The Honorable Ed Lee, our interim major, showed up and made a short speech. Two days later he announced he was running for the full term in the next election. The former porn star and current performance artist, Annie Sprinkle, was in the audience. She is also a Bernal Heights resident. I was filled with neighborhood pride.

No Horizon

Although we San Franciscans don't have to endure the hot weather torture that the rest of the country has suffered this summer, cold wind and wet fog in August does not exactly raise one's spirits. Normally we can see the Golden Gate Bridge, last evening we couldn't see past the trees in our neighbors' yard. (Click)

Staycation Part 2

Last week we saw a good photo show at SFMOMA and then walked down towards the bay. Unlike in other parts of the country, there's a lot of demolition and construction in San Francisco. (Click.)

I find these heads goofy but charming.

We walked down to The Ferry Building and got an outdoor table at Hog Island Oyster Co. Our view.

Bread and wine.

Oysters.

Yet more bivalve slaughter.