If you had asked me a few weeks ago, how I felt about San Francisco, I would probably have given a mixed answer. It has been a long time since my last visit for recreational purposes – in fact 2018 is the last time I went and showed the town to my sister and her family. I remember we had a nice dinner in an Italian family restaurant and hit all the important sights visitors touch during a short stay. In the years that followed though, my trips were centered around a conference held at the Moscone center and a stay at the Marriott hotel nearby. That meant practically speaking a train ride from the airport to Market Street and otherwise walks to and from the exhibition center, strolls along Market Street and perhaps a run down to the ferry terminal and along the waterfront and piers. This area happened

Last weekend King Tides occurred on the Oregon coast and we were there! This is an event that happens multiple times every year during the winter months. Especially the high tides bring impressive waves and water rushing up rocks and cliffs along the shoreline. We got to experience that firsthand in Depoe Bay – where a fortified walk along the bay allows to view and witness the wave action firsthand and also offers the opportunity for people that get to close to the railing to get a good cold ocean spray shower. We joined many people armed with cameras and cell phones to capture the action. Everyone was there – young people, older people (us?!), old people, kids, people in wheelchairs, with walkers – people of all walks of life – united in an experience of the forces of nature, united in laughter when someone got sprayed unexpectedly and expressing

Last week our grandchildren and children were here for a visit. As the colder season and the holidays are in full swing my wife looked through local offerings for kids’ activities especially including indoors. She found a music class at our local library. We are members and visit the library at some regular cadence. It has an extensive range of audio books, borrowing these does not require an in-person visit, but can be done via their app. We still enjoy reading “real books”, and we frequently order titles that get staged for us in the Sunriver branch. This branch has just recently reopened – a new bright building with large windows, an open floorplan, reading nooks and a very friendly staff. The music class was our first opportunity to show the library to our grandkids. We discovered the children area – with shelfs after shelfs of children books, a library