A Mini Break (With Elevation) in Everyday Ramblings

As, a young teenager one of the first things I wanted to be when I grew up was an elf.

Not a house elf like in Harry Potter but an Elf, as in The Lord of the Rings. My brother, and my boyfriend and I even managed to learn quite a bit of Elvish from the books. I, of course, wanted to be an Elf princess. With beauty, wit and mysterious magical powers that helped my people and made our wooded world a beautiful and loving place.

Then, you know, reality set in. I thought maybe I would become a fashion designer (seriously I started on a power sewing and design vocational program at community college). That was not a go so I then decided I wanted to become an architect.

I made it through a year of training in that. I still think I would like to have those skills but in the end after a circuitous set of circumstances I ended up working in finance in a large successful fun architectural firm in downtown San Francisco for five years. I was good at that job, better than I would probably have been as an architect. I worked for a firm here too, mostly interiors.

All this is to say I love looking at buildings. Not in any sort of practical way although I do notice quite a bit of detail and building materials was by far my favorite class. It is more an impressionistic apprehension.

Yesterday Mrs. Sherlock and I went on a wonderful exploratory hike in the hills (actually it is a small mountain) just south of here above where the grocery store I go to is. It was a hill walk from a book and the author said (and I agree) that some of the views up there were secretly the best in the city. It was my favorite kind of urban hike, changing neighborhoods, lots of fabulous gardens and every now and then an amazing architecturally designed home nestled away somewhere like the one above.

A feature of this neighborhood is that while many of the homes are from the 50’s and newer a great deal of them have reclaimed brick built into their designs. It is a thing.

It is also extremely quiet and cool in most places and serene.

Probably because two women in their 60’s with a standard poodle and a guide book in hand are not exactly threatening the folks that live there were very friendly and Frida got to meet lots of new dogs. There was even a park up at the top for her to run crazy dog in.

It wasn’t too hot, it was early and I think it was probably the best of these hikes we have ever done. The elevation gain was gradual until the very top and because I was in charge of way finding Mrs. Sherlock was relaxed. And the views were really amazing even though it was hazy. We could see both our local mountains and Mt. Adams, which I usually only see on a clear day from the Gorge.

The streets at the very top are named after this one guy’s sons. Patrick, Carl, Bernard and so on. What happens if Bernard wants to live on Carl street? It could get confusing.

The only downside to the morning was that I had a migraine and didn’t have medicine with me. After I got home I took my meds and did a couple of chores and then took a four-hour nap.

I have been completely frazzled at work the last couple of days so that was so good to be able to get out and be in my body and then rest. I feel much better today.

There were no homeless or obviously mentally ill or drug addicted folks on our walk either.

This morning (I thought maybe my favorite castle house might be jealous because of all the amazing houses we saw yesterday) I went out just after sunrise and up to the hill behind my place and had a lovely contemplative stroll until just as I was making my way down to the lowlands near the freeways.

I heard a scolding woman’s voice behind me and there was a pit bull dragging a leash coming up on me. She was with a man; they were both on those small bikes built of stolen parts and were clearly living rough and very tan and dusty. I (as calmly as I could, I am terrified of loose pit bulls) veered onto another street and she eventually got hold of the leash and they went their way and I (most gratefully) went mine.

It has been nice to have a mini-break from all that. And! I have the whole rest of the day to chill.

Last updated July 30, 2017