Manny Kagan

Enchanting Forest

In folk tales, the forest is a place of magic and danger; it is a place where strange things might occur, and where frightening people might live, it is the home of monsters, witches and fairies. If you are not afraid of all of those creatures, a walk through the forest is a wonderful place to get some exercise.

I found an interesting article online about 12 of The Most Enchanting Forests in The World. Forests are also great for your immune system. Trees release phytoncides that protect them from insects and rotting. This organic compound is beneficial to us as well. As we inhale the phytoncides, our stress hormones decrease. It’s been proven to help with depression, anger and anxiety. I do not need this scientific explanation to enjoy my walks in the woods. We have one in San Francisco, not far from our house, on Mount Davidson. Of course there is an incredible Sequoia Forest in Muir woods in Marin, but the only time we went there was when someone visited us from out of town. Nowadays, there are so many tourists that there is no place to park your car, and to get there you have to take a shuttle. There is a cluster of Eucalyptus trees near Stow Lake where we sometimes go for a walk. But for a real walk in the forest we drive to the Sea Ranch, or to Calaveras County to visit the majestic Big Trees State Park with the giant sequoia trees (and they are really giants). But those trips are a three-hour drive each way and therefore reserved for longer vacations. To my great surprise, we recently discovered a great forest/park, a half-an-hour drive from San Francisco.

On Mother’s Day our daughter Alona, who lives in Tiburon, took us to Larkspur for a walk in Bolivar Park. Magnolia Street, which leads to the forest, is across from Perry’s Restaurant. We drove to the end and prayed for legal parking, since it is a residential area. But it was worth the effort. When I stepped into the woods, I felt like I was in an enchanted forest. We are blessed to live in this area full of wonders.

P.S. If you want to see beautiful images of enchanted forests, just google them. My four abstract images are a reflection of the mystery and enchantment I encountered there.

Smile and Share.

Do Not Keep Me As A Secret!
Smile And Please SHARE It With A Friend!

Cheers,

Who Was Julius Caesar?

Gaius Julius Caesar, known as Julius Caesar, was a Roman politician, general and notable author of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. He was assassinated on March 15, 44 BC, at the age of 55. My interest in him was prompted by the event that happened many years later. In 1599, William Shakespeare wrote his tragedy, “Julius Caesar”, and last month, my wife and I had the pleasure of seeing a performance of the play in Ashland, Oregon. We came here after spending five days in Klamath Falls, only an hour and a half away; I wrote about it a couple of weeks ago. Ashland, which is about a seven-hour drive from San Francisco, is the place for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. In its 82nd year, with four different stages, this Tony award event is the magnet for theater lovers and an opportunity for talented actors and directors to share their skills. In spite of the long drive, we come here often. My wife Elfa bought a yearly membership and we were able to see two shows this time. The second play we saw, “Shakespeare in Love”, was an adaptation of the great movie made in 1998 under the same name, which won seven Academy Awards (after watching the play, we saw the movie and enjoyed the great story again).

Ashland is a very pleasant town with good restaurants, book stores, a beautiful park and very pleasant people. We usually stay in a B&B, but this time my wife booked our stay at the Ashland Springs Hotel, one block from the theater. If you like to watch good theater productions, I strongly recommend this trip, but buy tickets in advance.

P.S. Every time I come to Ashland in the spring and take my customary walks in the residential neighborhood in the early mornings, I am amazed by the incredible blooming flowers in almost every front yard. I share four of them with you.

Enjoy and Share.

Do Not Keep Me As A Secret!
Smile And Please SHARE It With A Friend!

Cheers,

Do You Like Golf?

Golf, as a majority of sports, has four basic aspects: the players, the equipment, the field, and of course the fans. The fifth one is the business aspect, which is probably what is behind making any sport activity. I do not play golf and do not care about people swinging clubs, but I like golf courses very much. Many resorts are developed in the proximity to a golf course. Some enthusiasts travel long distances just to play a few rounds.

I am writing this story after walking along one of the most luxurious golf courses I have ever visited. It was designed by Arnold Palmer, and our time share, which I wrote about last week, was located right on the course. If you play golf, the focus is on the small ball, which depending on your skills, will fly to a distant spot, when struck by a golf club. However, for many it is not only a recreational sport, but also a social excursion. A friend of mine, who used to be a big shot at Bank of America, had to learn how to play golf to enable him to bond with prospective clients. Many important deals have been sealed on golf courses, and many sports medicine doctors, in particular chiropractors, make their living from this wonderful sport, as do the developers and operators of golf courses.

It is generally widely believed that the game of golf originated in in the Netherlands during the middle ages. From there, it spread to the United Kingdom in the late 19th century, and eventually to the United States. I found a fascinating article about golf’s history in Wikipedia. Often Exclusive private golf clubs are designed for those who have very deep pockets, with waiting lists, but there are exceptions to the rules, like the beautifully appointed golf course in Lincoln Park in San Francisco. Regardless if you play golf or not, you might be able to enjoy your time on golf courses, as I did.

P.S. While staying at the resort, I would get up early and by 6.30-7am, I would go for a walk along the golf course. It was still chilly, and not a soul in the vicinity. The grass was wet from the dew, the sun was coming out from behind the trees, greeted by the chirping birds. Pelicans, who slept by the lake, woke up alerted by my approach. And since there were no players, the whole course belonged to me. Four images are not enough to share the beauty and the joy which filled my heart while I was there.

Enjoy and Share.

Do Not Keep Me As A Secret!
Smile And Please SHARE It With A Friend!

Cheers,

Do You Know About Klamath Falls?

Klamath is located in 25 miles north of the California border in Southern Oregon. When I mentioned to a friend that we are planning to come here for a week-long vacation, she made a face and asked what do you do there? We stayed at the Running Y Resort in a Timeshare Exchange. Our fourth floor unit had a balcony that faced the golf course designed by Arnold Palmer with sweeping views of the mountains. On our way there, we stopped at Mount Shasta to buy groceries. It’s a dinky place at the foot of the snow-covered Mount Shasta Mountain.

Our resort was a twenty-minute drive to Klamath Falls, a local center with a population of over 20,000 and three local museums. Klamath is the name of one of Native American tribes, who lived there for 4,000 years. It is located 6 hours North of San Francisco (it took us eight hours with two stops) and 5 hours south of Portland. One of the local attractions is about an hour drive to Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park. It was formed about 2,200 years ago when the Mount Mazama Volcano collapsed into a caldera and filled with water to form a lake. Crater Lake is the deepest and clearest lake in the United States. When we got there, the surroundings were covered with snow; a magical scenery to see. People were skiing along the shore or walking on snowshoes. We were at the lake a few years ago during the summer and had a completely different experience.

The area has many other attractions. We visited the Lava Beds National Monument, which is actually located in northeastern California. It has numerous lava tube caves, which are open to visitors (You could read about this place in the last Sunday’s Travel Section of San Francisco Chronicle). Klamath Falls area is well known for their bird sanctuaries, as well as fishing and hiking. We did everything but fish, which we let others do for our dinners. But the most important part of our visit was to have a few days of rest and fresh air and it gave me an opportunity to start writing my next book, “Retirement Solutions for Smart People. 5 Easy Ways to Enjoy Your Golden Age”. I will keep you posted. We stayed in the resort for five days and then drove an hour and a half to Ashland. I will let you know about this visit in a few weeks.

Enjoy and Share.

P.S. For me, photographing nature or people has the same basis. I photograph when I encounter beauty. With nature it can be easier, to what these four images will attest.

Do Not Keep Me As A Secret!
Smile And Please SHARE It With A Friend!

Cheers,

Why And Where To Go Running

After participating in the Bay to Breakers race, I wrote about two weeks ago, I have a few thoughts that I wanted to share with you, relating to the synonym for the word “running”, which is the word “rushing”.

Running as a sport was introduced during the Olympic Games, which first took place in 776 BCE in Olympia, ancient Greece. But the number of runners was relatively small. The rest of the world population was growing rather slowly. There was no reason and nowhere to rush. The actual change came during the Industrial Revolution, which started in 1760 with the invention of the steam engine. Consequently, people could accomplish more in the same period of time, and work longer hours. In addition, as a result of a breakthrough in medicine and changes in lifestyle, people could live longer, productive lives. Over the course of this period of time, we have been doing more and more. But the question remains – are our bodies and our mental state ready for all the pressure and demands on our lives? During the dot-com bubble, which took place from 1997 to 2001, thousands (if not millions) of young men and women have worked hard, longer hours. And then the bubble burst. However this did not stop the rush. In the last few years, more and more start-up companies have been popping up and driving the competition and the rush to make it another Google or Facebook. People are rushing to catch the next business opportunity, and not only young people.

There is a story about Bill who was running in the street and ran into his friend, John. “Where are you running?” John asked. “To catch the business opportunity”, Bill answered. John replied, “How do you know that the opportunity is not trying to catch up with you?”

So, what makes us rush and run? Years ago a friend recommended I read the book, “What Makes Sammy Run?” The book was written by Budd Shulberg in 1952. It is a story written about a young man – Sammy who wanted to succeed in Hollywood (over sixty years ago).

Years of rushing through life, working hard, short vacations, and not enough money leads to stress. Many people look forward to their retirement. Are they ready? I first came across retirement issues about a year ago when I helped a retired couple buy their first home by utilizing a reverse mortgage.

This led me to the realization that many people are not ready to retire. After doing some research and reading a few books, I decided to write my own book called “Retirement Solutions for Smart People”, as well as to conduct seminars titled “Retirement Solutions 4 You.” The first seminar took place last Wednesday with an incredible turnout. We will continue these events. Please stay tuned.

P.S. I took over 500 images at the Bay to Breakers race. Then after deleting more than half of them, I still have a few to share with you. As you can see, people have different running/walking styles. Some fly above the ground. I encountered a man, who in spite of being handicapped, found a ways to compete with specially designed prostheses, while yet another man couldn’t walk straight, but this did not stop him from running. But there were also those who felt that their clothes slowed them down and found a solution by simply taking them off.

Enjoy and Share.

Do Not Keep Me As A Secret!
Smile And Please SHARE It With A Friend!

Cheers,