Home on the Ridge

I don't get around to writing about our humdrum home life because I think it's a bit boring compared with travel. But, since we live in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, let me try and describe the routine here on the Inverness Ridge.

It's not often warm enough to lounge outside but today happens to be balmy and I'm on the deck, computer on my lap looking out onto Tomales Bay. Pretty nice. That thin strip of blue is Lagunitas creek feeding into the Tomales Bay fjiord at low tide - high tide it's all blue. Some of those splodges of green across the bay are rows of vines; our local Point Reyes Vineyards produces a tasty Methode Champenoise.

Each morning Tim and I take a 3 mile walk around our ridge - up to the top and down again before breakfast. For the last few weeks we've ventured out on a 10 mile hike on Fridays. We pack yummy sandwiches as an incentive to reach a half way picnic point and feel really good by the time we're back home again. We've been lucky with the weather so far. Cool and foggy which is pretty typical for summer here.

The Inverness Ridge with its customary cover

One of our favourite trails with lots of shady trees

 There's lots of live music in our neighbourhood, the kind we like, Bluegrass. Locals night at Nick's Cove, some Sundays at the Station House Cafe and then, if we feel like a big excursion (an hour from home!) the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley hosts some marvelous shows. Last week we were there to enjoy an evening dedicated to Bill Monroe, founder of Bluegrass, on his 100th birthday. This was hosted by Laurie Lewis who brought some of the most versatile musicians onto the stage - Bill Monroe died in 1996 but his legend is alive.

We had dinner before the show with our Berkeley friends Nigel and Barbara Renton who we met in 2002 on a river rafting trip with Laurie and her partner, Tom Rozum.

We love it when children and grandchildren come to visit. Caitlin was here this last weekend with Randy and the twins, Will & Kai - lots of laughs and games with trains.

Tim, Caitlin with Will, Randy with Kai

Some visitors to look forward to - Erin and her fiancée, Dario, soon I hope. Tim's colleague Andrew Horvat from Kyoto, Lucy and Bridget, Stanford students from the 2010 Spring Quarter and our Northumberland friend Maggie Bassendine for a few days in November.

Travel - could I possibly write without a reference to leaving home? Tim goes to a meeting in Dallas next month, and in November we'll go to Cordoba over Thanksgiving where the European Stanford Overseas Centres will be holding a conference on Islam, an opportunity to learn about the evolution and presence of Islam in Western European, and hopefully see a bit of Spain.