Sunrise 6:43: Down - and up - Lover's Lane

The female Dawn Jogger headed west from the Hotel Drisco (which really is a delightful place to stay) towards the Presidio and then down through the old fort on what's called Lover's Lane. It's thought to be one of the oldest routes in the city, used by men from the Spanish fort to make their way cross town to the mission (Dolores, she presumes). And then later as route to downtown for soldiers courting sweethearts hence its name.She continued through to buildings at to Crissy Field, one of the DJ's (and Cassie's)favorite spots. She waited for the morning fog to lift, and it was a glorious late winter morning by the Bay. The hill back up was tough...

Sunrise 6:44: At work on the new canvas

There's no denying that the Dawn Joggers have lost many of the aspects of the life they shared together before the male DJ's brain cancer diagnosis in the fall of 2006. But resigned as they are to things never being quite the same again, they are equally resolute about "painting a new canvas" together. Today is an example: forgoing her morning jog, the DJ's headed separately to the City where they're spending a couple of nights (triggered by an event they are attending tomorrow evening). They ensconced in the very residential-feeling Hotel Drisco with panoramic views stretching from Twin Peaks to the bay. It was a day in which the male DJ actually out distanced the female DJ. Tomorrow it's the Presidio by dawn...

Sunrise 6:45: Unacceptable roadblock

The morning couldn't have been more glorious with a great pink swath across the sky as the female Dawn Jogger made her way across the golf course just before sunrise. The sun was still trying to make its way over the horizon as she circled the lake, which had gained a foot or so due the last week's rain. All couldn't better until she came across the newly installed gates that block a dirt road between the new practice golf course and the horse corrals. This was a path that puppy Cassie explored on some of her very first outings and has long been a staple of the DJs' morning outings, complete with the great smell of horse manure (at least in the female DJ's mind). The gate nearest the Red Barn was open but the one as the other end was closed. Luckily it was a latched gate. Not being able to run by the corrals would just not be acceptable...

Sunrise 6:47: Hints of spring

One pleasure of jogging across the Stanford campus is its wildflower display, starting with mustard in February. Where the flowers pop up and the extent varies from year to year. There are a couple of good patches growing now near the Mausoleum. The mustard was lush and sparkling after the rains. And it was light enough to actually get some good color...

Sunrise 6:48: Oscar winning blondes

So the female Dawn Jogger is cheating again, featuring a shot taken last night at dinner with two pretty blondes, Julie and Grace.(Well, we think Grace will be blonde given her parents.) A big storm moved through the Bay Area, beginning last night and continuing off again/on again drenching rain and wind throughout today, limiting today's outdoor activities. That's a Giants sleeper and a Princess Pirate bib...

Sunrise 6:49: Back to the Dish

A month of circumstances, conflicts and alternatives equated in this being the first Saturday that the female Dawn Jogger had done a Dish run. The weather forecast encouraged an early outing with a major storm moving in later this afternoon. A very light rain was already falling as she made her way up the first hill, there to meet up with Dawn Community member Paul, owner of Australian Shepherd, Patches, who he had purchased based on his enthusiasm for the DJ's Cassie. Condolences were, of course, expressed. As trite as it sounds, life really is fabric. The DJs had originally met Paul jogging in the predawn with his two Siberian Huskies, diffident dogs who took an immediate shine to puppy Cassie. They'd welcomed puppy Patches to the morning ritual, shared his sorrow following his wife's death from a brain tumor and his satisfaction in launching both daughters onto college. More than most, they get each other's journeys...

Sunrise 6:51: Awaiting spring

It was another rainy morning, curtailing the female Dawn Jogger's outing. It was too late by the time she realized she now has the option of going to the gym with the male DJ for a machine workout. Meanwhile the backyard shows signs of early spring and awaits its formal debut next weekend when family will be gathered. It's a place where much reading and computing will get done when the weather is warm...

Sunrise 6:52: Dreams sold

It took less than a week for the female Dawn Jogger's dream house to sell. For all she knows the "sold" sign went right up after the open house on Sunday but this morning was the first time she'd been by. Guess some properties are housing slump resistant as it must have gone close to the asking price of $3.8 million. Yikes...

Sunrise 6:53: Rain drops falling

It was pouring when the alarm went off, so the female Dawn Jogger stayed put for a bit. But then the clouds started clearing and out she went. But clearly it's going to be a day of squall after squall as it was soon coming down again. Suppose to stay this way through the weekend...

Sunrise 6:55: Lake in need of water

The female Dawn Jogger hadn't heard that weather forecast when she took off predawn for a spin around Lake Lagunita, which is in need of new water to stay a lake. But she was glad to hear that a series of rain storms are headed to the Bay Area. A full lake with its banks brimming with dogs and children on a bright sunny Easter day has long been a DJ pleasure. For that to happen this year, more rain, as well as Stanford opening the upper reservoirs, is needed. Sometimes she wishes life was as simple as worrying about how full - or empty - the lake is...

Sunrise 6:56: Epilogue on the Prologue

The female Dawn Jogger ran down the Tour of California race course along Palm Drive on the Stanford campus this morning, deserted on the day after the Prologue race won by Fabian Cancellara. This holiday morning (for most people), there were no cars and just one cyclist sped by her, in full Stanford racing gear. The course remained lined with small colored flags, the kind gardeners use to mark sprinklers. Sometimes it's nice to imagine what it was like rather than being there...

Sunrise 6:57: Inside the dream house

On the Sunday schedule of walk after church in the afternoon, the Dawn Joggers checked out the female DJ's dream house, located at the San Mateo Dr. bike bridge that they've crossed hundreds of time. The ground level floor planning was particularly pleasing, L-shaped bordered by near ceiling to floor window overlooking the yard and creek. Yep, write that check for $3.8 million and move right in...

Sunrise 6:58: Baylands outing

Last weekend the Dawn Joggers were staying at Tomales Bay, so it was the female DJ's idea that they continue to "paint the new canvas" with a visit to long time favorite but not recently visited Baylands, along San Francisco Bay. Over the years, they'd used Baylands for some of their longest weekend jogs as Cassie could come along (and loved all the smells). This morning they parked at Byxbee Park, a good starting point for an out and back jog for the female DJ and for walking/photo taking possibilities for the male DJ. (That's him circled near some of the Byxbee outdoor art, which blogger Marijke offers an interesting perspective on). Always good bird and people watching...

Sunrise 6:59: Two weeks of glorious light

The female Dawn Jogger will resist the temptation to read her post of a year ago on this day, which features an important milestone for those who hit the paths predawn - the sun's arrival earlier than 7:00 am. Before a year ago, this heralded morning after morning of increasing - and then steady - marvelous light until sometime in late July when it once again starts getting darker in the morning. But the early beginning of daylights savings time in March, begun last year, puts a kabosh on this. So there will be dawns like today - with birds already singing when she leaves the house - until the time switch, when the morning will once again be plunged back into darkness. Lake Lagunita had a pink glow this morning...

Sunrise 7:01: It's couple time

The earlier sunrise and the time of the year means it's couple time for the local ducks. They roost in trees, rising at dawn with much quacking and flapping. One couple landed in the stream under the foot bridge just as the female Dawn Jogger was heading out. They poised for a Valentine's photo on her way back. Fourteen Valentine Days ago a little puppy with a pink spotted nose was the female DJs very special present...

Sunrise 7:02: Dreams for sale

The female Dawn Jogger's dream house (a landmark on one of her AM routes) has gone on the market - and a lot of good it's going to do her. She had suspected what the San Francisco Chronicle confirmed yesterday - that housing prices in her area were still going up, unlike other parts of the Bay Area. But it was complete sticker shock when she saw that the dream house was listed for $3,850,000. A quick look up on Zillow revealed the estimated value at $2.3. She's not sure who's dreaming but it's not going to help her become the new owner. At least she'll get to see inside at this weekend's open house...

Sunrise 7:03: Happy birthday Charles

Today is being heralded Darwin Day on campuses across the country, a lead up to presumably bigger events next year, the bicentennial of his birth. Stanford appears to have jumped the gun by a few days, but Cal is offering a lectures both today and tomorrow, the latter with the intriguing title, What Darwin said - and didn't say. It's the female Dawn Jogger's perception that there is growing animosity between science and religion but maybe it's only that the multiple avenues of communication make the discourse more widespread. It is clear organized religion has worked hard to suppress the scientic work of even its more ardent believers (Galileo Galilei, Giordano Bruno, Pierre Theilhard de Chardin, to name but a few). And scientists seem to hold people of faith in increasing contempt. Is there not some reconciliation when we think in Hopkins terms, "the world is charged with the grandeur of God?" Guess it's the God word that's the stopper to some...

Sunrise 7:04: The water next door

There's no doubt that Tomales Bay, where the Dawn Joggers spent the weekend, is stunningly beautiful. But the female DJ is always pleasantly surprised by something while jogging along Lake Lagunita when it has water in it. It's still not full; the decision by Stanford to fill it by opening up reservoirs from above remain. But there's enough water that a boat lays in readiness and some ducks have set up a residence of sort. And day break can't be beat seen from its western bank. A keen eye can pick up Big Dish in the boat photo...

Sunrise 7:08: In the warmth of Tomales Bay

After a great afternoon yesterday, exploring the very northern point of Tomales Bay - where it and the Pacific intersect near Dillon Beach, the female Dawn Jogger headed out this morning for a walk along its shoreline closer to Nick's Cove. She headed north at Miller Point and found a remnant of a walking path set up five or so feet above the bay. A couple of scrambles were needed where it had washed out completely. But good sights all along - sea birds enjoying a calm cove and a rock that resembled a sea monster plus quite a bit of found art. Like yesterday, balmy winter temperatures and clear skies. A really great getaway weekend complete with good eats...

Sunrise 7:09: Sunlit boat shack

The Dawn Jogger greeted Dawn, which is a couple of minutes later than on the Peninsula, on the northern end of Tomales Bay at Nick's Cove, a recently renovated roadside diner and cabins. As it was on their drive up yesterday, skies are blue and temperatures headed into the 60s, a treat for all after stormy, grey January. As they used to do years ago at Crystal Cove, they spent time yesterday afternoon watching the changing waterfowl scene - and soaking in the sunshine. Heading shortly for a walk along the pier to the Boat Shack and then exploring a couple of nearby towns/beaches.
A weekend that shows off California's glories and the comfort of companionship...

Sunise 7:07: What hand in front of her face?

"Dense" is what the morning weatherman is calling the fog this morning. The female Dawn Jogger doesn't believe that "dense" does justice the the pea soup thick moisture that she made her way through before dawn. It was so foggy that Clario, with the flash on, could capture each droplet. But by the time she was home at 7:30 and revealed blue skies. The DJs head up the coast later today...

Sunrise 7:08: Light on the horizon

With sunrise creeping ever closer to 7:00 am, there is now a hint of light on the horizon when the female Dawn Jogger sets out in the morning. A jet plane tendril completed the scene at dawn today. Sometimes it's just one moment that makes an outing complete...

Sunrise 7:09: Dust to dust day

The Dawn Joggers are on another kind of journey this morning. Throughout their marriage they've chosen to observe Ash Wednesday and today they'll do so shortly after dawn. Its part of the canvas of their life, one that they're working hard on to refine under their more challenging circumstances. So there's a pleasantness to being able to do something together that is unaltered by illness but rather a continuation of how it's always been. And it's an observation penitence and a remembrance of our mortalility...

Sunrise 7:10: Quick exit?

It was light enough - and dry enough - that the female Dawn Jogger made it around the water-filled but still not full Lake Lagunita this morning. Rivlets of water were still coming into the lake from higher ground, and there was the usual morning displays of duck landings and squawking. On the pretty bench along the one side of the levee, it appeared someone had made a hasty exit, leaving behind drink, wallet and mobile phone. How long will they sit there unclaimed...

Sunrise 7:11: Obama wins the lawns

The internet is usually a wonderful thing, and the female Dawn Jogger figured she could quickly find the number of registered voters by political party in Menlo Park. But alas she could more easily find the amount of money friends and neighbors have contributed to presidential candidates than the aggregate number of voters by party. In the area of west Menlo that serves as her morning route, Obama has won the lawn sign war. And while there are some Hillary signs, visibility for the Republican candidates is absent. She thinks it's one of the most exciting elections she's participated in...

Sunrise 7:12: Only the best (for the best)

It had been a stormy night with lots of wind, so the female Dawn Jogger decided to take advantage in the just past dawn break in the storm to get out for a walk. A quick examination of the creek showed it raging but not swollen. And there was the usual pile up of mud between the horse corrals and the still under construction practice golf facility. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and scheduled for completion by this spring, it features 6 short game areas "re-creating famous greens designed by Mackensie, Ross, Dye, Fazio, RT Jones Jr and Tillinghast." A nice perk for the 10 male student golfers (and presumably the eight female golfers as well). And lots of bucks devoted to 18 student athletes...

Sunrise 7:13: Grace-filled lunch

The Dawn Joggers headed over to Oakland first thing this morning with the idea of walking around Lake Merritt with Grace, Julie and John. (The male DJ's resolve was to do a good 30 minutes, distance aside.) But they latest (and supposedly the last for awhile) winter storm moved in and they were rain out. They kept the planned lunch at La Cheval where Grace was the perfect baby. And getting prettier each time they see her...

Sunrise 7:14: God and genome

Growing up in a progressive Christian church that didn't prescribe any set belief structure for membership, the female Dawn Jogger had not thought much about the diverging views of science and religion, one based on fact and the other faith. For her, at its simplest, a person of faith can see God's hand in the mystery of creation. Over the past 10 years, there has been increasing discourse between the people of science and the people of faith, with each seemingly intent in being proclaimed "right." It's a discussion of opposing view that appears, at least to the female DJ, to have little chance of resolution. One noted scientist who attempts to bridge the two perspectives is Michael Collins, who led the Human Genome Project and wrote the book The Language of God. He's interviewed in the National Geographic and will speak Tuesday, Feb. 5, on the Stanford campus. Writes Collins: "The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome..."