Day of the Dead

November 2nd is traditionally the Mexican holiday remembering friends and family members who have died. I think it's a wonderfully respectful way to honor our ancestors. November 5th this year was my own personal Day of the Dead when I attended the Ancestry.com/Californian Genealogical Society "Day" at the Hyatt hotel in San Francisco.

I have been searching for my long dead ancestors for the past ten years and here I was suddenly surrounded by a thousand other eager ancestor hunters, all of us signing up for lectures in various aspects of research. I was not alone in my fetish! It felt wonderful to talk with other people who were just as immersed in the past.

Tim and I made a two day city sojourn out of the excuse of my Ancestry Day conference. We took the ferry from Larkspur to the Embarcadero, walked the short distance to the Hyatt, wandered the city, met Glenn & Mary for a meal at Piperade, took in the marvelous Maharaj Exhibition at the Asian Art Museum, sat at the kitchen counter at the Boulevard Restaurant and generally felt the excitement of being tourists for a couple of days.

Tim is all smiles to be at the same counter at Boulevard Restaurant where plans for his Service Learning book with Dwight were hatched on a paper napkin several years ago

Friend Maggie Bassendine from Northumberland happened to be in San Francisco the same weekend at the AASLD Liver Meeting. She joined us at home for five days the following week where we explored the Point Reyes peninsula as if we were seeing it for the first time. First a lunch at Nick's Cove to celebrate Maggie's birthday.

Tomales Bay from the deck at Nick's Cove

Next day was perfect for visiting Chimney Rock - the Pacific ocean on the left, Drakes Bay on the right

Tim and Maggie rounding the steep Pacific side of this eroded land spit walkway to Chimney rock viewpoint

Have to have the photo ops!

Tidal streams in the mudflats of the Estero

It rained one whole day so it wasn't all sunshine and outdoor fun, but mostly we were lucky with the weather. Tim left for Cape Town on Saturday and Maggie for London/Newcastle on Sunday. After dropping Maggie off at the Larkspur Airporter, I headed straight for the Station House Cafe to sit, watch, listen and be overwhelmingly in awe of my all time favourite musicians, Laurie Lewis, Tom Rozum, Nina Gerber and Paul Knight on one of Paul's great evenings.

Tom Rozum, Laurie Lewis, guest star Maria Muldauer, Paul Knight, Nina Gerber at the Station House Sunday Nov 13

The first half of November was good. I guess the ancestors were pleased with us!