September | 2025 | Random Vail

(Post-post point: I’m adding some more comments & galleries here on Oct. 2nd since the original post on Sept. 10th [BTW my bro’s b-day] since my summer jammed up until the SoAm trip I’m on now.)

I’m still working on alternatives to this here lil’ ol’ blog – randomvail, but as one does in the summer (retirement!), I’m not working very hard. But I have been phoning in the photos, so here goes (again!)…

After PAFF, I delivered one of my raffle pieces to Veronica & Cole Mazariegos-Anastassiou at Brisa Ranch. (They each put a raffle ticket in my pot’s envelope writing their entire last name twice – earned it!)

Right after that, I met my precious sister Nancy at Pie Ranch and we frolicked from the farm stand straight out to the beach (perhaps not seeing some signage in the process).

BTW, the headless barn owl was likely the victim of great horned owl. The Google Maps screenshot shows our route, and I’m showing this beautiful, seldom seen, slice of the Cali coast. For my foreign friends, the houses on Año Nuevo island have been unoccupied for decades, and the old ranger house is more recently unoccupied. Then, we went for dinner – did I mention it was my birthday…?

One day, Charlie and I drove to Alameda to return a drum set to his buddy AJ. Turns out he lives in a charming Victorian with a wonderful library and lots of cool furniture (his Dad – immigration lawyer & malt maker – must rock!). Then, we went to lunch at Homeroom, an all mac + cheese restaurant in Oakland started by a former HGM student, Erin Wade. Slammin’…

This summer of 2025 includes another bridge project to make the Roquena mountain bike trail a bit safer. (Actually, it’s known to older-timers as Brian’s Trail, designed and spearheaded by former LH resident Brian Simon, who returned the family to Marin years ago.

This project, spearheaded by Liam Hussey and a crew of volunteers, required several days to assemble, then move, then more assembly of an aluminum truss bridge to go over the scaffolding that I’ve crossed dozens of times without incident (but always thought I was going to die)…

On a lark, I went to the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts, since it came right after PAFF and right before the King’s Mountain Art Fair. Summer = art season? Anyway, I had two or three good conversations with some of the artists and captured the following images…

More of the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts…

This batch is PDR (pretty damn random)…! It starts with my paternal grandmother’s dad, Harry Perry (not to be confused with the Harry Perry of Venice CA), who was once a member of the Pennsylvania state legislature, and who scrutinizes me with that steady eye daily.

I like great blue herons, but not bans on ebikes! I like beautiful motorcycles and giving ceramics to friends. A bar in Ben Lomond? An old Slow sign I made. The newly resurfaced tennis court and an attractive fence. An even more attractive old school lowrider Chevy with a utility bed – so cool!

This batch starts with another nice picnic dinner with Ruby & Boman overlooking Pescadero State Beach. It proceeds to capture some snipets of the King’s Mountain Art Fair…

Dr. Burr suggested we go sea kayaking to see some whales off the coast of Pacifica. No whales that day, but it was a great paddle and we experienced the majestic San Pedro Rock frosted as it is with millennia of guano, lots of sea birds, a couple of sea lions, and a nice cuppa at Soul Grind when we were done (without tipping over!). Note the abandoned beach pads, honoring old locals, and home through the tunnel around the Devil’s Slide. Here’s a useful site for sea kayaking: https://www.bask.org/!

Retired now, summer is really never over, but that’s enough for now. I’m gradually getting ready for my next trip to South America, but I might squeeze in one more before then. Thanks again for your patience…

Now, thanks for experiencing more! I’m adding to this post three weeks later…

This new batch is mostly from a bike hike I took up Old Haul Road from Memorial Park to Portola Redwoods State Park and back with a detour.

Starts with the Loma Mar Store, notes some redwoods & redwood stumps with the notches left by the lumberjacks, includes some signage at Portola, then some unauthorized shots taken on the Butano Ridge Trail (parallel to Old Haul from a connecting, but closed, hiking trail).

A biker event was happening in Memorial when I got back, including the orange pickup (which goes with those Banana Slugs, no?). After that GPS admission (screen shot), I include a map that I bought in Portola Redwoods (again) that has “Pie Ranch” on it…

After a successful kayak in Pacifica, Allen & I did another short run up and down the Santa Cruz Harbor…

On September 20th, we went to the Pie Ranch Harvest Dinner. But first, I stopped by the Pescadero Barn Sale, seeing this cool Riviera. Included here is the “circle up” before the dinner, then some dishes, the symbolic pie making ceremony, the crowd, and a parting shot of the new farm house…

This last super-random batch starts with our precious pool, a cool Triumph in town, and a frisky squirrel. Thanks for reading more then looking closely…

Please check out my friends Greg & Shawn at the latter’s 50th birthday party pickle ball event (on our newly redone CLHG tennis court)! Then, check out the new barn window/artwork featuring the family and a frame given to me by our neighbor Hillary.

Dramatic clouds one day, and a dogtag I found in our yard! Kerry Wing, Alan, and Rob playing at Alice’s one Thursday, a heron at the pond, and Ruby & Boman’s house up in the Middleton tract. Four versions of new art strategy – drawing on paintings, and a horse in the ring.

Veronica came home after her Alaskan adventure and Charlie did too, for a hot second, so I got this great pic of the kids together in the kitchen. And this batch ends with a sign on Highway 1, which I’ve noted over the years and finally got a chance to capture it when stopped for roadwork one day…