Sunrise 6:47: Hidden chimes

For no particular reason other than it was a nice spring morning and it seemed like a good idea, the female Dawn Jogger altered her usual Monday route this morning. As often happens when she does so, she stumbled upon something new, three cylindrical chimes hung from a tree behind The Knoll. She's wondering if they ever get played. Given the right atmospheric conditions, it would be possible to hear them at the DJ's house. They made one sound this morning, thanks to a gently push by the female DJ...

Sunrise 7:08: Sentinels take their stand

The Cantor Museum at Stanford is running "Passion for Collecting" exhibit. When it began the female Dawn Jogger isn't sure nor was aware that the exhibit was not solely contained within the walls of the museum itself. On her jog across campus this morning, she noticed a sculpture next to the Landau Economics Building and stopped to investigate. Named Bedford Sentinels (after the alumni Peter and Kirsten Bedford who made their donation possible), the trio of bronze works is by American sculptor Beverly Pepper. The intricacies of the shape require further study...

Sunrise 6:37: Let there be light!

OK, the female Dawn Jogger admits it was pretty awesome to be jogging again in the light, and she realized she forgotten how pleasant it is. She encountered a woman who walks to work at Stanford at Sand Hill and they admired the nice sunrise together. By the time she was mid-campus, the sun was streaming on Hoover Tower, which was nicely glowing against the gray sky backdrop. Of course, taking a photo of the first running water in San Francisquito Creek was obligatory...

Sunrise 6:02: Meandering Stanford's courtyards

The female Dawn Jogger decided to take a different approach to her morning jaunt across campus, with no certain route established. It meant that she took turns and went down some passageways she doesn't normally do. And she kept stumbling on interesting things - more than pictured. A forest of succulents. A marker that honored a woman who was instrumental in establishing the bike paths (oddly in an overgrown field). A silver utility truck. But she most liked that giant "chair" in the CCMR building's courtyard (for a person with two bottoms, remarked the male DJ) and the way the gardener became part of the statues near Memorial Courtyard. Just when she thinks she's seen the whole campus she discovers new things...

Sunrise 5:54: Keeping the wolves at bay

The female Dawn Jogger has been playing a mix of Southern California (Los Lobos, Ry Cooder's Chavez Ravine) and roots music on her mini iPod on her morning outings the last couple of weeks. Lots of the tunes are from the male DJ's collection so its music she doesn't hear as often - both fun and eclectic. This morning she heard the Los Lobos hit Will the Lone Wolf Survive just as she came by the Stanford succulent garden. The sun was lighting garden in such a way that it looked to her like the tall palm was keeping its circle of wolves (huge succulents) a bay. Some of these plants are over 100 years old...

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 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 5:47: Not too tough for Rags

The female Dawn Jogger isn't quite sure why a filly running against colts so captivates her attention. But she knows she's not alone. A filly can have the same morning workout time as a colt but consistently fail to win in a race. New York Times writer Joe Drape quoted veterinarian Dr. George Mundy in yesterday's edition: "...At the top level, especially, colts are usually bigger and stronger. They also have testosterone, which makes them more aggressive. There also is an intimidation factor. There are some fillies and mares out there with he-men characteristics, but they are few and far between" So when Rags to Riches outdueled Curlin down the stretch of the super long (1 1/2 mile) Belmont Stakes, she demonstrated a rare toughness, and the race will be long regarded as one of the most stirring in history.

These thoughts of horse prompted the female DJ to explore the Stanford Red Barn Equestrian Center on a walk with Cassie this morning. The DJs had watched the expansion of the facility from afar a couple of years back but had never explored the finished product, which is impressive. Leland Stanford's Palo Alto Stock Farm predated the university by 15 years and housed world-class trotting horses. The Red Barn itself, built in the late 1870s, is one of two surviving buildings from the Stock Farm era. Almost every horse stabled in one of the large - and sparkling clean - paddocks came over to give Cassie a sniff...

Sunrise 6:40: Earthquake jitters

The female Dawn Jogger thinks many of the older Stanford buildings show off best at sunrise, the rays giving them a golden hue. She happened to pass the old Chemistry Building this morning, the day after the East Bay, at least, got a good shaking from a 4.3 earthquake. The Chemistry Building, now known as Old Chem, was one of three buildings that Jane Lathrop Stanford pushed to have built following her husband's death - and the only one to survive the 1906 quake, which caused considerable damage on campus. It was repaired immediately and served students until 1986 when it closed due to structural and maintenance issues. It sustained more damage in the 1989 Loma Prieta quake and remains a fenced historical relic today. Will some alum eventually write a very big check to save it?...

Sunrise 7:19: Warmer and darker

The female Dawn Jogger realized that the benefit of the clear, chilly mornings also meant more light. Just Tuesday there had been enough light to jog around Lake Lagunita, But this morning, with a thick cloud cover present, it was back to using the lights of Stanford as a guide around campus. (Except, of course, for the very unlit new path adjacent to the practice golf course being constructed.) To include the Lake as part of the route, she made a right turn past Tressider and went through the Braun music center and then up past the Knoll with its traditional lightposts. That took her to the side of the Lake that is lit. The deceptive light looking East is from the driving range...

Sunrise 7:24: Winter coats on cacti

It was in the 30s again this morning as the female Dawn Jogger headed out into the dark across the Stanford campus. There wasn't enough light to see the heavy frost on the fields, but she could feel it. The grounds crew was ready for the cold, covering some of the more vulnerable plants in the Arizona Cactus Garden. There's been significant restoration on this part of Stanford's Arboreum, first planted n the late 1880s, since the DJs have been jogging this route. Given the number of cacti and succulents, why these particular plants and not others...