Sunrise 6:12: Late but enthused adapter

The female Dawn Jogger has long preferred the songs of the morning - birds, water, gardeners, even trucks - to music, so except for Saturdays (when she first listened to the weekly Johnny Otis Show and more recently KFOG's 10 at 10 marathon) she's run without "things in her ears." But that's changing. The male DJ gave her a mini iPod shuffle for Christmas (much lighter than her pre-Nano regular iPod - and it seemed the perfect solution to listening to all three Pink Martini albums back to back, something she was enjoying doing after the DJs saw the group live. That gave her the inspiration to swap out music in the mini, doing themed shows. Yes, just like she could on the larger iPod but it's just 'press and go' for the theme of the week. Now playing, 'freedom songs' with Mavis Staples latest album leading the way...

Sunrise 6:11: Trucks as art

This was a morning of big trucks on the Stanford campus, which is not unusual given the amount of construction going on constantly. Many that the female Dawn Jogger sees are owner operated and extremely well maintained such as this huge dump truck, unloading a tractor near the area when the practice golf course is being built. The female DJ is unsure where her truck lust comes from...

Sunrise 6:10: One thinker patterned after another

The female Dawn Jogger and Cassie the Australian Shepherd walked through the New Guinea Sculpture Garden at Stanford on their way to Lake Lagunita today. (That route lets Cassie cross Roble Field - and she's always loved walking on grass.) She's been the this interesting art project dozens of times but always finds something new. Today it was "The Thinker," a piece that was inspired by Rodin's "The Thinker," which is also on campus. Wrote the master carvers who created the sculpture: "We saw [The Thinker] and realized this is like something we have. So, we twisted it a bit and made a a new one." A plaque in front of this Thinker explains that it relates "to the story of an ancestor sitting alongside the hole from which he emerged into the world, thinking about how he can create fellow humans out of clay..." Makes one think....

Sunrise 6:09: Saturday morning along the Embarcadero

No trudge up the Dish for the female Dawn Jogger this morning - the DJs spent Friday night in San Francisco. It was an impulse move on the part of the female DJ; the male DJ had late afternoon appointments at UCSF's Osher Center, and it seemed a reasonable way to "try to live a normal life." So she booked a room at the Hotel Vitale near San Francisco's Embarcadero, a favorite walking/jogging route of many years. The nearly full moon was shining brightly when they walked back to the hotel from a great dinner at the Slanted Door (overseen by a super diligent bartender who made sure each dish was cooked to his satisfaction - back to the kitchen went the over cooked rack of lamb!)

But fog had rolled in overnight and was still overhead when the female DJ headed south on the Embarcadero toward the ballpark, passing the Java House. (The fan tribute painting to Barry Bonds needed updating - 754 was hit last night.) There was lots of activity this morning, not only due to the weekly farmer's market at the Ferry Building Plaza but in anticipation of tomorrow's San Francisco Marathon. The male DJ headed straight to the market (where booths surround a statue of Ghandi) and had already scoped out some organic mushrooms and tomatoes by the time the female DJ joined him at an outdoor cafe for breakfast (and the sun broke through). More organic produce was purchased, and the female DJ hears promises of ratatouille tonight. The full morning was capped off by a stop at son John's city league softball game - he hit a double and scored...

Sunrise 6:08: Spiffy car

The female Dawn Jogger's life has been even fuller this past week. But early morning outings are sacred - a time to clear the head, feed the spirit, and move the body. This morning she spied a vintage Cutlass in prime condition. The male DJ thinks it's a '68 or '69 - "That was hot car," he observed. The DJs are off to the Osher Center this afternoon and an evening the City...

Sunrise 6:08: Restricted lake access

The female Dawn Jogger knows activity around Lake Lagunita can bring surprises. This morning she found mysterious signs forbidding "JSA students" from going further. She wonders how many had already escaped. Jogging continues to be the best tonic...

Sunrise 6:07: Pent up Dish demand

The female Dawn Jogger has been doing her Wednesday Dish run since February (those many dark months) and never recalls seeing so many people as she did today. Singles, couple and groups of runners/walkers. Can only imagine it's pent up demand after a month's closure. It's was a pretty morning, too...

Sunrise 6:06: Santa Cruz Avenue mainstay

The female Dawn Jogger dropped a car off for servicing this morning down on El Camino and jogged home through downtown Menlo Park. Two establishments have been on Santa Cruz Avenue (the main drag) since she was a child, Ann's Coffee Shop and Hoot'n Toot cleaners. Like all good old-fashioned coffee shops, Ann's is known for its pies - a sign in the window this morning let passersby know that rhubarb pie was available today. Ann's first opened in 1946 and has been serving "breakfast all day" every since.
Herb teas are the concession to modern times...

Sunrise 6:05: Mini RevGens

The adult RevGens are a minority amonng the many groups on the Stanford campus during the summer. Much more prevalent are youth camps of all varieties - computer, gaming, science and sport.This morning the female Dawn Jogger ran into the cross country camp. Tres lithe and lean...

Sunrise 6:04: Not all roses

The Dawn Joggers have commented a number of times this year about the bumper crop of roses in people's gardens. (Cassie and the female DJ passed these on their shortened walk around the neighborhood today.) They just wish there was more of "everything's coming up roses" in their lives. This has been a somber weekend with the news that a close friend has a brain tumor. They share the anguish of getting the bad news, and the pain of what the journey will bring. "Just can't catch a break," said one of the female DJ's friends...

Sunrise 6:04: Surveying the damaged Dish

Every since a fire burned over 100 acres in the Big Dish area of Stanford land, the female Dawn Jogger has been curious about what burned. (And also frustrated that the resulting Dish closure prevented her from getting her twice a week "Big Dish runs" in.) She couldn't see the fire damage from either the Junipero Serra gate closest to Lake Lagunita (as opposed to the one near Stanford Avenue) or the Piers Lane entrance off of Alpine. Today, she surveyed the damage firsthand when the Dish reopened to the public. (The "Yes, we're open" signs have a more ominous "We're closed" message on the back, signaling that the Dish may be closed at any time, no longer keeping its posted "regular" seasonal hours.) The fire came close to the Dish itself, but stayed on the other side of the asphalt jogging/walking path. Its cut a wide path up the center of the land open to the public, the area between the "up trails" from the two Junipero Serra entrances. Not surprisingly, due to the fact it was started by children playing with matches, it straddled a good mile of so of the public path. The grassland will undoubtedly grow back, but she's not so sure about the charred oak. Sufficient time had passes that the smell of fire had gone. This landscape is but one of many that is changing...

Sunrise 6:03: Morning rays

Some mornings what makes an outing great is the little things - just being out in the early morning sun. These flowers planted in front of the Classic Residence senior complex agree. Lots to shuffle today...

Sunrise 6:02: The Knoll shines

The female Dawn Jogger can remember The Knoll - not that she knew it was called that - for her girlhood. It's close to Lake Lagunita, looked like a prince should live there, so a natural extension to a bike ride. The Knoll, built as a residence for Stanford President Ray Lyman Wilbur, was damaged in the Loma Prieta earthquake and got to look pretty funky after that. A couple of years back, the DJs noticed work starting on it when they'd pass by on theor winter Lake Lagunita route. Now, look many other early Stanford buildings, the restoration is complete, and the buidling glimmers in the the early morning sunlight. As site of the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics, a peak inside revealed a whole bunch of strange looking instruments...

Sunrise 6:01: Dish to reopen

The female Dawn Jogger is unsure why she thinks if she keeps running her Wednesday route that begins along Juniper Serra and takes her to the gate of the Dish that it will one day be magically open. She could have saved herself the disappointment today if she'd taken the time to search the Stanford News Service that the Dish will reopen on July 21. According to the release Stanford has used the four week clusure to expand and enhance firebreaks in the foothills area. Seeking some alternative hill work, the female DJ wandered up and down the hilly area near the Stanford President's residence. It gave her a different perspective of the Dish, shown (faintly) in the center of the photo. It's a morning like smells like rain...

Sunrise 6:01: Casey at the lake

The female Dawn Jogger spotted the dog running all over the lake bottom the minute she got to the top of the steps this morning. It was activity of the whirling dervish variety. She passed him and his master on the trail and stopped to chat at the barbeque pit, which the dog had climbed on top of and was enthusiastically licking the grill. Casey, a Vizla, is a year and a half and, according to his master has boundless energy and always smiling. He posed for a more somber portrait...

Sunrise 6:00: Later each day

It's just midway through July but the sun is already rising in the 6 o'clock hour rather than the 5 o'clock hour. The downside is the descent into dark mornings by the end of August; the upside is the shadow play between the fence and the mounds of dirt that will one day be the Stanford practice golf course. RevGens aside, summer is a pleasant time to run across campus...

Sunrise 5:59: Back to familiar territory

For almost her entire life, Cassie went around Lake Lagunita at least twice, and more often, three times a week. While the lake has varied between wet and dry years, its perimeter has remained little changed. So after a number of Sundays where they explored new paths, the female Dawn Jogger and Cassie returned to the familiar route from their house, around Lagunita and back. Cassie took the opportunity for what seemed a thousand sniffs, especially at the bottom oak trees. They spotted a big bird in the field next to the horse corral (now paddocks)...

Sunrise 5:58: Pretty and golden but...

Lots of people would be more than satisfied being stuck in such a pretty, golden place. Arastradero Preserve does shimmer in the morning light. It's a great add on place, as in "in addition to the Dish." A story in yesterday's Palo Alto Weekly had the female Dawn Jogger hopeful; investigators had determined that the Dish fire in late June was caused by children playing with matches, eliminating the fire bug possibility that may have meant closure forever. It had also said Dish are could reopen today - but not as of this morning. So she continues to wait to get back to her Dish regime. A black snake with white bands slithered in across her path today...

Sunrise 5:58: RevGens in action

The female Dawn Jogger caught up the the less than zippy crop of this year's Revenue Generators as she ran across campus today. They were being led at a walking pace by the usual blonde, and when they came to one of the engineering buildings, told to go up and down the stairs four times. In the past, the early morning RevGen exercise period always appeared as another layer of competition in this intense executive program. Is a kindler, gentler approach being taken - or does Stanford just fear a lawsuit if someone gets hurt...

Sunrise 5:57: Tear 'em all down

The female Dawn Jogger decided to do a survey of her West Menlo neighborhood on her jog this morning. No news - the tear down phenomenon continues. First sign is always a fence and bright orange mesh around trees that are to be saved. She's never done any research into but the comfortable ranch homes built in Menlo, Atherton and Portola Valley in the 50s all seem to sprung from the pages of Sunset magazine, which was just starting to hit its stride during the same period. Today's homeowner is looking for something more imposing...

Sunrise 5:56: Oh what a beautiful morning...

It was an almost beautiful morning. It rained very briefly last night, and the female Dawn Jogger caught the first sunrise in a while amidst the still lingering clouds. The air had a freshness, and the winds seemed to be coming from a different direction (maybe southerly). It couldn't have been a better morning to run the Dish - if only it had reopened. The female DJ wasn't the only person checking the gate; others appear impatient as well. They spotted a piece of heavy equipment, possibly brought in to make more fire roads. Meanwhile she ran the much less hilly area dotted with Stanford faculty housing...

Sunrise 5:56: All quiet at the lake

It's thistle time of the year around Lake Lagunita, which the female Dawn Jogger thinks shows off well against the dry grass and lake bed. One stand has planted itself next to the mini pond that lives year long under a culvert. Quiet morning around the lake make good thinking time...

Sunrise 5:55: The cat who loves cars

The female Dawn Jogger thought the "big story" of the morning was that she finally spotted the Revenue Generators. (They may be a wimpy group this year; she saw one group of six jogging with the as usual very attractive young woman barking orders and a much larger group ambling about campus going up and down a couple of steps here and there.) But just after she got over the bike bridge to San Mateo Drive, she saw a woman backing out of her driveway with a cat on the car roof. She signaled the woman lest she didn't know she had a feline passenger. Seem this kitty loves cars and like to ride on the top when they're being moved out of the driveway - and likes to inspect the insides when she gets a chance. The female DJ didn't get the cat's name...

Sunrise 5:55: Checking up on the police cows

The female Dawn Jogger and Cassie continued their "try a new path" Sundays with a walk up to Stanford Hills in the hopes that they might spot the police cows. And a little bit surprised at their luck, they did just that. The herd, including a number of calves, was huddled in the shade of an oak tree - not the best posing location, especially at a distance of a 100 yards of so. Last night the DJs were blown away by the performance of Pink Martini with the San Francisco Symphony

Sunrise 5:54: Uneventful 7/7/7 outing

The female Dawn Jogger keeps reading about July 7, 2007 being a big deal with people planning events and changing lives etc. The quail and lizards (the only wildlife she spotted) out at Arastradero this morning were making no special note of it. There were more people than last week - starting to get the Dish (circled in photo) spillover? Another grass fire near the Dish on Thursday may have further extended its closure, although today was noticeably cooler with a huge fog bank covering Windy Hill, so the extreme fire danger is probably less. Jogging up and down the trails of Arastradero is quite pleasant...

Sunrise 5:53: Ready for new life

The Dawn Joggers have watched the progress on renovation of Old Union - built originally during the 1920s - on the Stanford campus for years. Work was finally completed a couple of months ago. Set off by the early morning sun, the female DJ thinks its one of the prettiest buildings on campus. Meanwhile, the Dish remains closed...

Sunrise 5:53: Still locked out

The female Dawn Jogger was one of a group of joggers who'd hoped the "closed through July 4th" meant "open on July 5th." But the padlock remained on Stanford's Dish area.
The much bigger news - first picture of Grace...

Sunrise 5:52: Whither Picolo Pete?

Today is both a Wednesday and the 4th of July - and the female Dawn Jogger has thoughts on both. Being a Wednesday, it should have been a glorious start to the day's festivities with a Dish run. But the Dish remains closed. There was, however, a sliver of hope published in today's Palo Alto Weekly, which reported "The Stanford Dish, the site of last week's grass fire that consumed approximately 128 acres, will remain closed through July 4..." The female DJ is hoping that implies a reopening, and she will be monitoring the situation closely. Today she made do with a run up Valpraiso through Sharon Heights.

As for the 4th, it remains a very nostalgic holiday for both DJs. The celebration will be modest this year - going to see Ratatouille with Julie and John followed by a simple barbecue - but it was quite the opposite during the 80s when they lived in South Pasadena and John was elementary school age. The day started with the pancake breakfast at the fire house and segued into the town's rather ragtag parade which concluded at Mitchell Park. The kids often got in a swim before the Wayne/Edgewood/Chelton/Milan neighborhood gathered for a potluck picnic at Eddy Park (where the DJs were married in 1981). Then it was off to the high school football field for the officially sanctioned fire works.

But as Peter Hartlaub writes humorously about in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle, the grand finale was setting off "Safe and Sane" fireworks, which were illegal in South Pasadena but sold widely in neighboring Alhambra, in some one's backyard. Much as Hartlaub recalls, there was much ritual involved. Buckets of water were filled less some lawless slithering black snake escaped, and all sparklers were placed in these buckets after use. The oldest kid in the group was allowed to assist the men with the lighting - in the early years always Anthony Stefano (hopefully the statue of limitation has run out). It was only the loud wailing whistle of Picolo Pete that each year potentially exposed the surreptitious activity.

The female Dawn Jogger tends to agree with Hartlaub's questioning of just how dangerous these Safe and Sane fireworks ever were (but a house in South Pasadena did burn down one year when a bottle rocket landed in its roof - a sobering occurrence). And she, too, is concerned about the prepackaged everything feed to today's children. The backyard fireworks provided a cultural fabric in John's boyhood and the DJ's suburban life. But as almost all municipalities bane the sale now, it's a ritual, as Hartlaub writes, that's endangered if not extinct. One vote here for Hartlaub's plea for "the chance to light the fuse of freedom"...

Sunrise 5:52: Where's the lake?

The steady stream of visitors continues around Lake Lagunita - participants of the various sports camps and adult education programs that Stanford offers during the summer. The female Dawn Jogger was stopped by one woman who'd managed to journey across campus from the far southeast edge to the northwest boundary and wasn't sure how to get back. "Lake Lagunita is in one corner," the female DJ told her standing on the highest point of the lake bank and showing the lost runner a couple of roads she could take back. "But where's the Lake,?" asked the visitor. Hmmm...guess the lake is still the lake, full or dry, to the female DJ...

Sunrise 5:51: Racoon parade

The female Dawn Jogger set off about 30 minutes earlier than usual this morning. As is often the case, that meant less human activity on the Stanford campus and more animal activity. She came upon a family of racoons eating grub in the ornamental grass. Each took a different approach to seeing a human, one wandered slowly in front of her to feast on something on the other side of the path, another held its ground and the third ran for shelter in a storm drain. There's growing consternation about the Dish closure...

Sunrise 5:51: More hidden treasures (and rainfall)

Cassie the 13-year-old Australian Shepherd has been a little lame over the past few weeks (unusually in the front rather than the back). So, while she seemed better this morning - and was clearly lobbying for an outing - the female Dawn Jogger decided that loops around the neighborhood, which could be cut short, would be the best way to talk a walk. As it turned out, they went about 3 1/2 miles and only in the last block home did Cassie seem a little ouchy on her right front paw. They took streets that the female DJ doesn't jog on regularly, hoping to see some new interesting gardens and, of course, rebuilt houses that sprout up regularly. Behind Oak Knoll school they came upon a sculpture garden - artists unknown. Being on foot continues to reveal hidden treasures close to home...

For the record postscript: Menlo Park resident Bill Russ measured just 8.2 inches of rain during the 2006-2007 rainfall year which ended on June 30 compared to 24.14 inches a year earlier.