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Author Archives: fromthethicket
take a walk in the park to ease brain fatigue
It always amazes me how reliably a walk or a bicycle ride through Golden Gate Park can improve my mood, clear my mind, banish fatigue and increase my sense of well-being. I don’t think I’m the only one who experiences … Continue reading
Posted in health and safety, people, recreation
Tagged bicycling, golden gate park, urban parks, walk in the park
3 Comments
Tai Chi at Spreckels Lake in Golden Gate Park
Last Saturday morning at Spreckels Lake in Golden Gate Park I was mesmerized watching a Tai Chi class performing a graceful series of moves on a sandy peninsula that juts into the water. The synchronized movements, reflected in the slightly wind-rufflled water, seemed to flow … Continue reading
Artists in Golden Gate Park (talk)
On Wednesday night (Sept. 24), I will be talking about “Artists in Golden Gate Park” at the Canessa Gallery (708 Montgomery St., San Francisco). The talk begins at 7 pm and the gallery will be open before and after to view … Continue reading
Posted in arts, history, people
Tagged art in golden gate park, artists in golden gate park, golden gate park, nature photography
2 Comments
the apple press sculpture in golden gate park
For some reason I always assumed this sculpture was about wine. That muscled, bare-footed figure evokes for me a beautiful Greek god (Dionysus, Greek god of wine?). Even on a typical foggy day in the park, he conjures a warm day in late … Continue reading
Posted in arts, de young museum, health and safety, history, people
Tagged art in golden gate park, golden gate park, golden gate park history
7 Comments
Stephen Kane’s new photo exhibit
Steve Kane has a new photo exhibit opening tonight at Canessa Gallery. Included are many beautiful photographs of Golden Gate Park. I will be giving a talk on “Artists in Golden Gate Park” in conjunction with this exhibit on September 24 at 7 pm. … Continue reading
blackbird attacks pedestrians in Golden Gate Park
A fairly common bird in Golden Gate Park, the Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) is easily recognizable by it’s bright yellow eyes and blue-black plumage. The iridescent blue-green sheen of the male is gorgeous in the sunlight, belying the dull-sounding “blackbird.” Often lined … Continue reading
How tall was John McLaren?
The statue of John McLaren in Golden Gate Park is a little bit shorter than I am (I’m just under 5’7″). Is it life-sized, I wonder? Somehow I always imagined John McLaren as a major physical presence, given the stories about the fear and trembling that he … Continue reading
the bowling lawns in golden gate park
The bowling lawns in Golden Gate Park are vivid green and very flat, a striking backdrop to the traditional white that lawn bowlers wear on tournament days. To me these lawns are beautiful, but they also look almost unreal, more like carpeting than grass. … Continue reading
aquarium’s unexpected virtue: drought tolerance – SFGate
I often wonder about the impact of the current drought on Golden Gate Park. Here’s an uplifting article about the water supply at the aquarium in the California Academy of Sciences. ‘The Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences opened at its new home … Continue reading
monterey cypress
If there is one iconic tree in Golden Gate Park, I think it would have to be the magnificent Monterey Cypress that stands by itself on a small knoll in the great oval lawn just inside the main gate of the … Continue reading
Posted in plants, trees/urban forest
1 Comment
golden gate park: views from the thicket 