Calm

  The World Series is Over.  Sutro Park at 5:46 p.m.  

Proof!

Showing something close to my heart is hard. So I'll stand way back and show it to you from a distance. 

I found a big soft envelope by my front door this afternoon. Inside were the very first proofs for our next book, Say Hello! to be published by Beach Lane Books. The experience of putting this book together has been dreamy, and now here's proof––in color––that the dream's coming true.

Lunch With Joanne Rocklin

Joanne's newest book, Fleabrain Loves Franny

But wait a sec. Before the game yesterday, Deb and I drove up across the bridge to meet Joanne Rocklin. I felt lucky that we'd been able to corral her for lunch, because we found out she'd come straight from breakfast with another children's book writer in Larkspur. And soon as we finished lunch (along with a quick visit to Lando), she zoomed away across 101 to dinner with another group of kids' book writers. Whew. It was one of those lunches that was so engrossing I never even thought to snap a photo.

So here's a snippet of conversation to make up for the missing photo:

Joanne: It's bizarre that you two live right across the street from each other and share the same agent.

Deb: Well, Linda was kind enough to send my manuscript to Rubin.

me: I didn't do it to be kind. I'm not kind.

Joanne: I know! I know! People have this idea that people who write children's books are kind!

Royals 0, Giants 5

World Series Game 5 - Giants lead the series 3-2

Cartoon Beach Glass

This has got to be the weirdest beach haul ever. It looks like cartoon sea glass! I picked these pieces up one by one this evening over the space of about a mile. The scattered remains of someone's beach art? We ran into Anne who told us, "Florists use those!" Still and all––beautiful, mysterious, and such fun to find.

Under a Cloud

Ocean Beach   6:17 p.m.

Fuzzy Sky 5:45 p.m.

Mary Ann told me what radio station to tune into so I could hear the second game of the World Series as I walked. Halfway through my route, though, the battery on my phone died. Maybe that was just as well. But that meant my camera died, too–– and the sunset was beyond spectacular. Also, that meant my phone died, so that when Tom called to say the hotdogs were ready and waiting, I didn't even know. So there I was: radio-less, camera-less, and phone-less. Just me and the beautiful sky.

Rainbow

Ocean Beach   5:51 p.m.

Mirage

I was so hungry that from a distance this appeared to be a slice of pizza.

Ocean Beach   6:01 p.m.

Thank you, Barbara and Walter

for a fun-filled birthday evening at the Cliff House. Yep, we're still celebrating five months later.

Verrrrrrrrry Spooky

Read my book!

Mail from Katy

A beautiful bargain from her 'brary sale & photos Katy took on a recent visit to our old hood.

A new book: 30 pages of art finished! Cover and a few other pieces still to go.

Treated to a private viewing of some new work by Anne. This one's a detail from Raven.

Carmen and Tom get a close look at Back on the Beach.

Coastal Trail   6:44 p.m.

Ocean Beach   6:59 p.m.

Found in the sand.

Ocean Beach   6:02 p.m.

Ocean Beach   6:27 p.m.

Work in Progress (Almost Finished)

I mean it this time! Winding up 20 Hidden Picture illustrations.

Ocean Beach   6:25 p.m.

Ocean Beach   6:37 p.m.

Summer

Today was the hottest day of the year here.   6:46 p.m.

 A lonnnnnnnnng walk. The Coastal Trail at 7:01 p.m.

Little Moon

from Sutro Park   7:01 p.m.