San Francisco

I had to travel to San Francisco for work this past week to preview and test some new software we are helping to develop for our energy marketers. This is my second time to the area and I'm still impressed with human engineering. The Golden Gate Bridge the gateway to the West and the California gold fields.

Caught the beginning of a regatta. I watched these boats sailing around in circles and then an air horn blasted and they sprinted out towards Alcatraz.

Taken from the visitors center at the South end of the bridge.

Some lady asked if I could take a picture of her in front of the bridge so I handed my camera to her. Not often anyone gets to see me in a photo, I look better from the other end of the lens.

Alcatraz Prison

A view of the city from the bridge.

After 8 hours of meetings the next day I decided to take a drive to the coast seeing it was so close. Highway 1 is a beautiful drive with the sun out, your windows rolled down, 70 degrees, and a nice salty breeze blowing in from the sea.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse

I think the sign said it was the tallest lighthouse on the West coast.

I just love lighthouses.

Just down the Coast I pulled into California State Park Año Nuevo. The sun was still out so I decided to go for a hike in the park. It was about 2 miles out to the point and I was told I could see some seals there. I didn't realize that this is a famous beach for elephant seals. I just happened to be here at the time when the females come to the beach and molt. They are usually out in the ocean between Hawaii and Japan. They give birth in about a month and then the males come in July and they mate and then return once again to the open ocean.

This girl must not have liked to have her picture taken.

This lady just swam in from hunting out in the kelp beds just off the coast.

Fighting over beach space.

A pelican flew by as I was watching the seals.

The coastline is so beautiful with its cliffs a secluded beaches.

I don't know what they were fishing for but they made for a beautiful picture.

Our kids sent this picture of them getting together during Easter. Where Brooke and Alyssa are I can only guess that at least one of them is behind the camera. We did receive some other pictures of everyone enjoying the warm weather and swimming. Way to rub it in, Our part of the country hasn't heard it's Spring yet, it has been snowing off and on today. Our fruit trees are in bloom, the tulips and daffodils are in bloom, and the grass is starting to to turn green again. I weeded one of our flower beds the only way I prefer and that's with fire, at least I didn't have to get on my hands and knees.

I thought I'd be less tired after accepting a promotion and switching to straight days. I seem to be working longer hours and getting less done. Work has had to hire several new employees due to people leaving because of illness, retirement or promotions. This means that I have even more work to perform because I'm the trainer in our office. We have our newest employee showing up in about two weeks. We market energy for a company here in the West who has a new coal plant coming on-line next week which has been occupying a lot of my time because we have to insure operating procedures and accounting practices are in place and working. This includes all the computer software programing that needs to take place. I'm leaving town this week for Redwood, California for a conference and software demonstration. Laurie wonders where I'm at most days because she used to set her clock when I left for work and came home, now she never knows when I'm working or will be home. Now that I'm management I receive phone calls at all hours whenever there is a problem at work and sometimes I have to drive in to the office to help solve an issue. Hopefully things will start to slow down.

Laurie has been filling better since here IV port has been replaced. The old one was getting infected and we tried antibiotics but the infection didn't seem to go away so the doctor removed it and put in a pic-line for a few weeks before surgically implanting a new port. Now Laurie has the problem with not wanting to leave her bedroom. She's developed a phobia of going anywhere, even outside in our own yard. We are heading to Utah in June for an appointment in Salt Lake City at University Hospital for Laurie. We hope they can help us somehow. We'll be there for about a week and hope to spend time with Andrew & Alyssa and other family.