I drove the Jeep into San Francisco yesterday for a brief meeting. The office location is not really downtown so I had none of the steep hills to deal with. I’m grateful for that. The Jeep has a manual transmission and the thought of having to stop on a steep uphill and then get going again…

So, none of that and the photo above does not have much to really say San Francisco in it. The overhead wires for the electric busses are something I remember but I think they are not unique to S.F. However, this was my best opportunity…

It WAS a warm, sunny, beautiful day.

When I returned, both boys were waiting and we celebrated my last day of having to go to an office with a break outside together before I got back to work.

Lots to get done today, but I hope to finish mid-afternoon and have a relaxed time to get ready to leave in the morning. Despite the fact that it was a working trip, it WAS nice to revisit this area that I used to know well, enjoy some beautiful ocean views and a little city time.

Busy work week for me, in fact, busy work month as the entire team is in a big push to get a lot accomplished in June. I have a short meeting this afternoon which will end the need for “face to face” work so we can start back to Montana on Saturday. Because of the work schedule, my current plan is to go halfway this weekend and on to home the following weekend – my usual work/travel scenario.

I decided to go the inland route taking me closer to the Rockies and back to drier air. My halfway pick is Elko, Nevada. If there are no glitches between now and Saturday morning, we’ll roll fairly early and take 2 hopefully easy days to get to Elko.

Meanwhile, Bob enjoys some sun on our little bit of grass. He has done much better than I anticipated as I do not let him out on his own here. He accepts the harness and leash and has been content with several outings during the day. Karl will go out with him late afternoon when there is shade but otherwise prefers inside when I’m working.

Keeping one’s eyes open in the afternoon, in the sunshine, is a challenge…

I got an early start to my work day with the idea that I would take a 2-3 hour break around lunch time and head south to find a beach with nice sand for Karl…thinking Half Moon Bay.

Spotted this from Highway 1…perfect! It is a beach just north of Moss Beach, CA.

The sand was sandy colored, lighter and below the tide line it looked perfect for running in. Karl walked with me but he was more interested in sniffing the steps and the plants and bushes above the beach.

I coaxed him down to the harder sand….

He looked, but wanted to go back so we did. It was a beautiful beach, but those darn breakers make a racket :)! …and the smell and the heavy air. I think we both really enjoyed ourselves for about 10 minutes and then we wanted back in the Jeep. We did get out of the fog and into some hazy sunshine, though.

We got home with a good hour to spare on my self-imposed “back to work” time…time for naps all around. We are pathetic…but well rested !!!

It is cooler and foggier than when we arrived. I really wanted to stay “home” and watch today’s cable tv marathon: NCIS. I lived in the East Bay from 1979 to 1981. I’ve done all of the tourist things in the San Francisco area and taken visitors also. But, I’m here and it seems like I should spend a bit of time looking at some of the “classics”.

I loaded camera, computer/GPS and Karl in the Jeep and we headed north across the Golden Gate Bridge.

I remembered that there were great views of the city from Sausalito, so I exited the freeway and took a look. That blue and white building is Scoma’s Restaurant. I had my very first business dinner at Scoma’s – late ’79 – almost 30 years ago!

The fog is hanging over the top of the city, but it was still interesting. After, I drove north to Petaluma. The sun came out somewhere between Marin and Mill Valley. But I just wanted to be home…

…with Bob, pretty much doing what he’s doing. I guess Karl did also. He asked to come in almost immediately and went for a nap…I’m on my way. We are lousy tourists…