Goat

This goat may not qualify as exactly wildlife, but then it could be in other circumstances. We know goats like high places and the highest this goat can find in its capacious pen is a truck, undoubtedly tarpaulined for this exact purpose. He/she alertly followed my progress down the street, not as laid-back as he/she may seem.

Deer

The South America trip will be interrupted again for a few days to show you some wildlife from the hills above Stinson Beach yesterday. This deer stood still for a long time as I got closer to it; then a woman and her dog (on a leash) came close - the deer took off!

Sunrise

Skies were overcast during most of our trip so there were few visible sunrises and sunsets, but on our first morning at sea, March 2, there was this pretty sky.

Clover in the rain

Last Tuesday at Bear Valley it began to rain while we were out on the trail - much sooner than we expected; our umbrellas were back in the car. But it was a light rain and raindrops on this clover leaf just begged to be photographed!

Valparaiso graffiti

I know I gave you photos from the ship voyage but before we leave Valparaiso completely behind, here's one more bit of graffiti.

Towel animals

Each night on the Amsterdam our stateroom steward would leave a little towel animal on our bed. Here are a couple of endearing ones.

More graffiti

And again, here's more graffiti along the Valparaiso stream. Someone asked if the 'artists' stand in the water to create these images and the answer is: probably. As one could see in the last photo there's not a lot of water in the stream. Otherwise, I suppose a boat would do the trick.

Graffiti in Valparaiso

Someone asked why I wasn't showing any more photos of the South American trip. There were just some photos that just couldn't wait! I intend to show the whole trip but it will be interrupted now and then with those that want to show up pronto.

Here we have some graffiti on the retaining wall of a stream that flows through Valparaiso.

Blue green man

On April Fool's Day I joined 300-400 people in the 31st Annual St. Stupid's Day Parade in San Francisco. For two hours the First Church of the Last Laugh, led by Bishop Joey, celebrated St. Stupid's Day by walking through the Financial District for two hours with various stops along the way. Two notable stops are the throwing of pennies at the black granite sculpture in front of the Bank of America Building (while one of the paraders put up a police-type yellow tape saying 'White Collar Crime Scene') and the annual Sock Exchange in front of the old Pacific Stock Exchange Building where the air is filled with thrown socks. Most paraders are costumed, or in the case of about half a dozen people, uncostumed (nude). One such was this blue green man whose whole body was painted (actually I didn't see the bottoms of his feet). I know it was because he happily posed facing me but I am too chicken to send out that photo; here's the view you get of him. I went in civvies just for the experience as did quite a few others.

Wires

How would you like to have this right outside your window? It's a common sight in Valparaiso, almost as common as graffiti.

Valparaiso

Finally, we are on board Holland America's ms Amsterdam in Valparaiso, Chile. This view from the ship was taken to show the colorful boats moored there but it also shows the general makeup of the city: tall buildings near the water and the rest uniformly small residential homes.

Veramonte Winery

On our way from Santiago to Valparaiso to board our ship, we took a side trip to Veramonte Winery. It is in a climate much like the Napa Valley and looks just like it. This is a view from a large room (empty when we were there) that led us out to the vineyard where we could taste the grapes on the vine.

Graffiti

It seems that every available wall in South America's larger cities is covered with graffiti, some of it more artistic than others.

Bus passenger

Back to Santiago ---

This is not a sculpture but someone riding a city bus. You know as much as I do!

Creek

Sunday's visit to Stinson Beach yielded several nice images, including this pretty little creek on its way to the ocean.

Local art

Another fountain (for people and dogs), only this time it is local - in Stinson Beach, California, about 25 miles from our house. This is by a Stinson Beach artist and I'm told his house is full of objects in this same style. His name? I didn't get it.

Sculpture

This is another drive-by shooting of street sculpture in Santiago. Try as I might I can't find any info online to tell us what this represents; however, it is quite striking.

Juxtaposition

What an interesting juxtaposition of old and new in Santiago!

I promised another view near our hotel, but I'll give you a view of some street dogs later - I see I deleted the one from here in favor of some later ones.

Snack cart

This is the back of a movable snack cart across the street from our Santiago hotel; it is open for business on the sidewalk side. Tomorrow - another scene around our hotel.

Boy

Our group stood in a big plaza in Santiago listening to our local guide John, when this young boy attached himself to our group. It was so obvious because we weren't moving, just standing and there were no other people very close by. He seemed to be just listening as well; he didn't get close to anyone or say anything. We think he was learning some English by listening. When we moved on he faded away.

Mirror

This is a very old mirror in the same museum as yesterday's fountain head. I took several photos before someone in our group was admonished that photography wasn't allowed. Of course, I didn't erase what I'd already gotten!

Art in Santiago museum

Art is truly in the eyes of the beholder.

Tis I in Santiago

Here I am in a park high above smoggy Santiago, wearing my name tag, and a sweater that I left on the tour bus a couple of weeks later (sob!).

Street Sculpture

When one is on a bus tour around a city, much of what you would like to photograph is glimpsed briefly through the bus window, and if you're lucky, as I was this day, the bus window is clean. This sculpture is on the sidewalk in Santiago and I can guess that it represents a Mapuche woman sitting in the hot sun with an umbrella to protect her. The Mapuches are the indigenous people of central and southern Chile.

Fountains in Santiago

We're back and I'm not even unpacked yet. I had to stop about halfway through and save that suitcase for tomorrow. Too tired.

As you know, we went on a 3-week Elderhostel cruise around the tip of South America. There were about 25 of us plus a leader and a lecturer. They kept us busy! Our first lunch together was at a fish market with a restaurant in the center of the market. An adventure. In the courtyard in front of the market were three fountains coming right out of the pavement. (We spent two days in Santiago, Chile before beginning the cruise.)

If you see mistakes in this epistle or think it could be more inspired, please forgive - I'm jet-lagged!