Manny Kagan

Cheers,

Green Is Everywhere

While driving Max to his dog sitter, from our home in Monterey Heights through Sunset to the Richmond District, and crossing Golden Gate Park, gives me plenty of opportunities to see the trees covered with green leaves – almost overnight.

Online I found an answer – why leaves are green. The green color also has a connection with March 17^th – St. Patrick’s Day. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. However, the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade took place not in Ireland, but in America. This happened on March 17, 1601, in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. Today, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated around the world.

This Year, the 17^th Annual San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade was celebrated on March 12^th. I was not there, but I did observe it in 2014, when I encountered the color green not only on the leaves.

Enjoy and Share Love!

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!