My City By The Bay

Despite the protest in Oakland this evening beginning as a peaceful march it ended with vandalism and violence in the streets.  Business windows and car windows were broken by splinter groups who had broken off from the protesters who were going home and caused damage throughout the downtown Oakland area.  I have to ask why?  The cop is in custody and charged with murder so why keep vandalizing and causing trouble?    Eighteen people were arrested.

The cop will be in court again tomorrow to hear the charges against him which right now is murder.  He also appeared in court today in shackles, which made me happy and basically still not talking. The cop’s warrant states that he is charged with intentional murder.  He is being held in the Santa Rita jail and his attorney promises a vigorous defense and is confident the cop will be cleared.  He’s obviously delusional.

A family member of the cop showed up today at his home here in the bay area to find two suspicious packages outside the cop’s door.  Due to recent death threats against the cop the police were called and the neighborhood evacuated.  The bomb squad was also called only to find that the packages were not bombs but rather packages from friends.

There is also another person who has come forward stating that he was “roughed up” by this same cop months ago at  another Oakland BART station.  There is no evidence as the person never reported anything to police until now.

This is the latest.  I will keep you updated after the charges are read tomorrow.

Well you all know I love birds and trees.  So, why not combine the two.  I found this video on YouTube that’s pretty cute. It was taken in San Francisco.  Enjoy!

Saturday - January 24th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

To celebrate the Year of the Ox, the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society will host its 10th Annual Lunar New Year Flower Market this January in the County Fair Building’s spacious gallery at 9th Avenue and Lincoln Way. There will be a bounty of traditional New Year plants for sale, with blossoms that symbolize prosperity, good luck, and the fresh start of a New Year. Expect to find azaleas, narcissus, kumquats, Buddha Hand trees, orchids and African violets, among many others.

The Market is not only a plant sale, however. Attendees can browse booths of beautiful handcrafted items, sample the delicious foods for sale, see a performance by the West Coast Lion Dance Troupe, and take a docent-guided tour of the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Children will also enjoy fan painting and origami activity stations, as well as special Asian-themed story readings in the Helen Crocker Russell Library.

A wonderful alternative to the crowded bustle of the downtown New Year celebrations, the Market has gained popularity in its first decade as a place for all San Franciscans to celebrate an important tradition. “This is the time of year for the community and the neighbors of the SFBG to come together to celebrate with great hopes for the coming year,” says Ernie Ng, event co-organizer and SFBGS Docent.

Admission to the Flower Market is free and the event is open to the public.

Courtesy of www.sfbotanicalgarden.org

We have been experiencing very warm weather in San Francisco.  The temperature has been in the high 60’s and low 70’s.  As a result I decided to take a stroll along the beach, Sutro Heights, Sutro Park and through Fort Miley.  This photo montage consists of pictures of San Francisco Bay.  The above photo is of Seal Rock which is situated below where Sutro Baths was once located and right outside of the Cliff House.

While strolling along within the grounds of Sutro Park, which I will be writing about later this week, I came across this stunning sight of the sun’s reflection off the water and situated myself behind the tree as to block the direct sunlight on my camera lens and ended up with this photo.  It is a bit surreal and unique.

The beach was packed with people.  It was the perfect day to be out and about in this area of the city.

I walked along the coast trail at Sutro Heights down by Fort Miley so that I could get some new shots of the Golden Gate Bridge.  While walking the trail I stumbled upon this sight along the shore.  I noticed that there have been some major renovations and cleanup in that entire area.  Many large shrubs and dying trees have been removed and there are now foot trails where Sutro Baths was once located.  I will go back to get some more photos and video in that area.  I didn’t have the shoes for walking those trails yesterday.  The park and recreation department did a great job of making that area much more hiker friendly.

Another shot of the bay at Fort Miley with the Marin Headlands in the background.  I love this area for walking and hiking.  There are stunning views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.  The water was fresh, blue and inviting.  It was warm but with a slight breeze which made for a perfect day.