Flying through San Francisco

A quick trip to San Francisco- the City by the Bay … Although not technically my first trip to the city, since the first trip through I never stepped foot on San Francisco soil, I have to consider this my first trip there.

That first trip, about five or six years ago was a jaunt through the city following an intensive three-day training in San Ramon. I left San Ramon at noon Saturday after a four-hour test on the training I’d just received. I was exhausted and when I got to San Fran that afternoon the traffic … the people … the hills …. It was overwhelming and I left the city heaving a huge sigh of relief.

This trip was different. It didn’t have the stresses of the earlier trip. I didn’t begin the journey with sensory overload. The trip was just too short!

Lisa & I flew in for two shorts days last month. Our friends in the San Francisco Ghost Society held a great paranormal conference at the Queen Anne Hotel. We were able to fit in a few adventures while there, but not nearly all we wanted.

We need to go back …..

--I didn’t have the time to see my friend Barbara, who lives two hours north of the city. There just wasn’t enough time. I would have loved to have seen her and catch up. I haven’t seen Barbara since she and her husband moved from southern California four or five years ago. Her 5th book is due out shortly and I’m proud to see what she’s accomplished as an author. (Check out her web page at www.drsinor.com)
--We missed Tommy’s Haunted Haight Walking Tour (http://www.hauntedhaight.com)
--We missed Shonna and Jay’s Historical Walking Tour (http://www.victorianwalk.com)
--We didn’t get to Alcatraz
--We didn’t get to Pier 39 to see the sea lions
--We didn’t get to the Presidio

The conference, held by Tommy, Shonna, Tony, Sharon and Anne, was outstanding. The superb organization showed in all aspects. It was good to spend some time visiting with our San Francisco ghosthunter friends.

The speaker lineup at the conference was great, including the ghost society members mentioned above and some out of area speakers. I finally got to meet Janice Oberding. I’ve heard so many good things about her and found them all to be true. She is a sweetheart. I can’t wait to read one of her new books, Goldfield: its history and hauntings, which we purchased while there. Janice was excited about having had the opportunity to tour Alcatraz at night with the TAPS team. (http://www.hauntednevada.com)

The Queen Anne Hotel, where the conference was held, was wonderful. Four floors of Victorian architecture and décor filled this historic hotel. The staff is superior. They were a delight to meet and they did everything possible to make our stay pleasurable. I highly recommend this top-notch establishment to anyone visiting San Francisco. (www.queenanne.com)

While in San Francisco, we enjoyed a bit of geocaching. We dropped off a travel bug we found in Texas at a cache at Alta Plaza in Pacific Heights, near the hotel. The large park in the middle of a bustling city was an enjoyable stop before heading to the tourist destination of Ghirardelli Square at Fisherman’s Wharf. After purchasing far too much Ghirardelli chocolate, we enjoyed strolling through several of the merchants, including Lola of North Beach and One of a Kind. One of a Kind (www.oneofakindsf.com) features stunning woodwork artistry by Bruce Abbott and other wood artisans. I could have spent THOUSANDS of dollars in there! (IF I had it, which I didn’t, so I didn’t.) Lisa did buy me a beautiful small vase, handcrafted out of seven different woods which I adore. The artistry displayed in the store is amazing and I had to drag myself out of there.

Saturday morning, before the conference started, we spent a few hours walking the neighborhood around the hotel. I enjoyed it immensely! We walked down Fillmore Street, enjoying the shops and the architecture. Breakfast at Bittersweet, a local coffee shop, echoed the flavor of the eclectic neighborhood. I enjoyed a ginger-pear muffin and a chai hot chocolate. Both were delicious and I came home with a bag of their chai tea and their mocha mix so I can enjoy some of it here in Texas.

The walk back to the hotel brought us through Japantown, although most was still closed at that time. The history of this area is phenomenal. One narrow, long little lot held a city pocketpark, which was quite a surprise. For such a small lot, it held an amazing variety of foliage and flowers. Paths through the little park were perfect for dog-walkers and pedestrians alike.

Before we knew it, a rainy Sunday afternoon was upon us and it was time to come back home. Too much traveling to do in this life. Now just to get to working and saving up some pennies for more trips, LOTS and LOTS of pennies!

Garden Junction: Printed in The Justin Texan March 1, 2010

Hello Justin! Welcome to Garden Junction, a new Justin Texan feature.
I’m Trisha Faye. I’m a transplanted Texan, from Southern California. I’ve gardened for most of the past twenty-five years. When the boys were young, I barely had time to tend the roses and landscaping plants. Occasional, very occasional, beds of tomato and bell pepper plants were transformed into homemade spaghetti sauce. About fifteen years ago I began exploring the wondrous world of herbs; for culinary use, fragrance, landscaping, herbal decorations and crafts and natural dyes.
My small, postage-stamp sized Southern California yard, filled to the brim with herbs and flowers, was traded in for a North Texas yard. I’m having fun with new vegetables and plants in this larger garden … until our Texas summer heat does me in for the season!
I’ll confess up front that I’m still adapting to gardening in North Texas. And whew, there’s a lot to learn here! My winters in California consisted of having two or three nights a year when I’d have to cover my scented geraniums (pelargonium’s) with sheets to avoid frost damage.
Another “challenge” for me, besides the colder winters, is our delightful fire ants. I’ve been initiated by fire ants very nicely, thank you! Remind me to drench the potatoes growing in the stacked tires before I try to harvest them this year.
I’m an organic gardener and use natural methods for fertilizing and pest control. I regularly compost. I’ve also played with worms, having a small worm bin under my kitchen sink for several years before I moved.
Let’s journey together in this fascinating world of Texas gardening. There’s a lot we can share with each other.
 Planting and gardening information
 Upcoming local garden events
 Information on local garden groups
 News and classes from local garden centers
 Questions from readers
A few weeks ago I anxiously watched to see if the groundhog saw his shadow. I hoped he wouldn’t. I’m ready for spring.
Mother Nature didn’t see it my way. The groundhog saw his shadow. Two weeks later saw us covered in a blanket of fluffy white snow.
I’ll go re-read the garden magazines. I’ll drool over the seed catalogs. I’ll plan out the new garden. I’ll dream of spring and a new planting season. What’s planned for your garden this year?
Mark your calendars for some upcoming events:
Lavender Ridge Farms in Gainesville re-opens for the year in March. (www.lavenderridgefarms.com)
The Justin Organic Gardening Community tours Elizabeth Anna’s Old World Garden in Fort Worth on March 27th. (http://thejustincommunity.ning.com)
Argyle Acres, in Argyle, holds their annual Iris sale from April 10 to April 25. (www.argyleacres.com)
Keep reading The Justin Texan and we’ll journey the gardens together.

Know about an upcoming gardening event? Have garden news you’d like to share with the community? Email me at texastrishafaye@yahoo.com.