Category: Manny Kagan

Cheers,

Multifaceted Mendocino

We have visited Mendocino a number of times over the years. However, those were just tourist visits, when we saw old buildings and water towers, populated by art galleries, restaurants and stores, and of course took beautiful walks along the ocean. This time, we had a completely different experience. Some years ago, I helped two of my clients buy homes in Mendocino. After recently refinancing their mortgages, they invited us to come for a visit.

We came with our labradoodle Max, and were able to rent a small cottage through VRBO, close to the town center. When we went to visit our friend, we were blown away. Driving through a redwood tree forest, we arrived at the top of a hill with an incredible view and a retreat-like house. To get to the second house, we drove through the forest on a one way road, which seemed to never end. We finally arrived to discover about 30 acres of the forest, with the two acres of a green lawn, a large house, bee hives, a chicken coup, a leather workshop, wine cellar and a Japanese hot tub. The place where twenty-four wild turkeys come for a provided breakfast. A bear with her two cubs come to visit, and even a mountain lion stops by, not to mention deer and skunks. Of course, these are not typical homes in Mendocino, but this is what makes this jewel of a place so multifaceted.

Mendocino is where redwoods grow. I photographed these three images in my friends’ backyard.

Enjoy and Share Love!

Order “42 Encounters with Love” here.

Cheers,

The New Discovery

On Sunday, Max took us for a walk in Golden Gate Park. This time, we chose a different part of the park that we never visited before. It is located closer to Stanyan Street. There is a Children’s Playground with a carousel and Sharon Art Studios, where my wife Elfa takes classes. Sharon Meadow was named after William Sharon, who contributed financially to Golden Gate Park. In December 2017, Sharon Meadow was renamed after the late comedian, Robin Williams.

When we got there, I noticed a man sitting on a bench under a beautiful, tree playing guitar. It was a soul filling melody. I left Max with Elfa to play with the ball, and went to have a conversation with the musician Dennis Lyons. He told me that he is a fourth generation San Franciscan. His roots go back to 1859. His parents, as well as his three other brothers, were born in San Francisco. He also told me that he loves San Francisco and knows many stories about our special city. In the meadow, I met other musicians who gather in the park on Sundays to play music.

I decided to share with you three encounters where color does not interfere with the sound of music. If you love music, you will find my poem in “42 Encounters with Love”. Order here.

Please share with a friend!

Cheers,

Love of Nature

If you ask people if they love nature, many will say, “yes”. However the question is how to express this love. I found a solution – to write a poem.

What does it mean to love nature?

How do you feel knowing

that the trees were planted especially for you?

And what about the beauty of the forest

and the meadow where you walk barefoot?

And the birds that sing in the morning?

And the smell of blossoming spring flowers?

Consider the lakes and rivers, and mighty oceans,

and the fish, the water lilies, and the seashells.

All of these were created

especially for your pleasure and enjoyment,

to give you the opportunity

to love nature

and to share yourself with it.

This is one of the poems in my new photo-poetry book, “42 Encounters with Love” which you can buy for yourself or as a gift.

These three images are from the nature we encountered at the end of last December, during our visit to Portland, Oregon.

Enjoy and Share!

Cheers,

When Negative is Positive

A son comes home and tells his Dad, “I think I flunked the test”. “Son, you cannot be negative”, father responded. “OK, Dad, I am positive that I flunked the test.” Of course this is a joke. We live in a time when sometimes negative and positive can be confusing. Recently, after getting three vaccines (including a booster shot), I started to feel under the weather — I had a runny nose, sore throat, dry cough; typical cold symptoms (no high temperature). After waiting in my car for two hours to get tested, I found out two days later that I tested positive for Covid. A week later, though I felt almost normal, the home test was still positive. It took another three days before the test result was negative. During all that time I did not stop working from home (but I would get tired in the afternoon). Though we are together all the time, my wife Elfa did not have any negative symptoms.

I heard from other people who after all three shots got cold symptoms and tested positive. Nevertheless, I think the worst is over.

When last Sunday afternoon Max took us for a walk at the Great Highway along the ocean, there were hundreds of people, and only a few were wearing masks, and as you are reading, in most of California masks indoors are not currently mandated. Covid created a lot of new realities, but also unleashed creativity as you can see in these three images. My new photo-poetry book, “42 Encounters with Love” is available here.

Enjoy and Share!