I left my [monkey] in San Francisco

This post is very sad.  

Brownie has been with Sebby from the beginning, the very beginning.  He has been lost and found so many times I can't even keep track.  He has been everywhere with us.  He is the best monkey.

Seb drew this right before we left on our trip

In San Francisco, we left him at a playground.  (The one in the picture above---perhaps in that very tunnel.  I can't look at this picture without getting teary.)  We were two hours south before we realized it.  We weren't planning to even go back through the city on our way home, but I kept imagining Brownie lying there, waiting for Seb.  I couldn't handle it.  The next morning, I asked Sam to take us back, and he (good patient man that he is) agreed, though with little hope.  Seb didn't seem that worried, even though we told him Brownie was probably gone.  I felt in my heart we'd find him too.  But we ran back into the fenced playground; rustled through every bush, rummaged through every garbage can, prayed.  Brownie wasn't anywhere.  Finally I couldn't justify looking any longer.

That night, driving into the dark towards home, crossing the Bay Bridge, it hit Sebby for real.  "Brownie!  Can we go back?" he sobbed.  I thought his heart was breaking.  He crawled up to my seat and I sobbed with him; his face in my shoulder, my tears in his hair.

I know.  It's silly.  Of course we'll get over it.  We do have Brownie Two (as Sam keeps telling me, when the starter goes down, it just means someone else gets more playing time).  Seb's fine.  I'm not quite fine, yet, though.  I miss that little Brownie, and who he was to my Sebby boy.  I don't like thinking of him all alone in San Francisco somewhere.  I don't like sad endings.

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My boys told me I can't call it "San Fran"

While Abraham was living it up in Seattle, the rest of us headed in a more southerly direction, to San Francisco. It's a great drive, excluding much of Nevada, of course. :)  We stopped for a look at the Salt Flats on our way out of Utah.  We were so surprised to find them mostly covered with water!  Apparently this is normal in the Fall/Winter (we've only been there in the Summer before).  So we didn't do any car racing (ha ha) but we stood on the shores and gazed out at the alien landscape.

The light was beautiful

Ky pretended to be a hang glider

Small girl in front of big . . . world

We drove by way of Reno and then through the mountains to Lake Tahoe, where we stopped for a few minutes.  It's beautiful.  There were some changing leaves in the mountains there, and the water was really clear.

Junie enjoying the pebbly sand

Another lovely spot where we stopped for a picnic---in the mountains just over the California border

We stayed a few days in San Francisco and then went to a couple State Parks where we could see Redwoods.  It was a lovely mix of scenery and activity.  We (though we missed Abey) had such a good time!  A few highlights:

Japanese Garden at Golden Gate Park---I still remember this as my favorite thing in San Francisco when I went there the summer before 2nd grade.  I loved the moon bridge, and how everything was green.  This time it was smaller, but just as pretty, as I remembered it.

Views of the city from a glass elevator in our hotel---endlessly fascinating.  Whenever there was no one else in the elevator with us, we rode up and down several times. :)

Hot fudge sundae

Ky tries to pet a birdie---perhaps Sid?---but without success

Daisy was delighted with the cable cars (as were the others)

Boat ride under the Golden Gate Bridge.  It was chilly and windy at first, and the wind blew our hair (but we are grateful she has any hair to blow)

On the other side of the bay, the sun came out and warmed us up

Sebby got to drive the boat!

And he cuddled Junie, of course

There were birds everywhere, so of course Malachi pretended to be a birdie much of the time

Pretty light by the water

Riding the carousel---cat and ostrich (Daisy rode a frog)

Golden Gate Park Playground.  Seb and Ky loved riding pieces of cardboard down these cement slides.

The beach.  There were lots of dogs here.  I think it was a dog party.  (No, really.)  Oddly, there are no dogs in this shot.

We love the redwoods!  They are so awe-inspiring.  Sam and I have seen them before, but the kids haven't, and it was so fun to see their delight.

Great place for a picnic

Beautiful green mountain overlook

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Abe's trip

Recently our family was (as my Aunt put it when she was urging us to come join them) "torn asunder" for a week or so---but for the best of reasons, as my Mom invited Abraham to be her traveling companion on a trip to visit her sister in Seattle.  It wasn't Abe's first time in Seattle; we visited there six+ years ago when I was expecting Sebastian, and Kay and Harold were the best hosts imaginable.  So we knew Abe would have the time of his life with Grandma---and to add to it all, he got to fly on a plane for the first time!

Abraham in Harold's Model T---then (2005) and now

Feeding the seagulls at Ivar's (then and now)

Monorail

Space Needle

They saw all the best Seattle sights, visited spots both well-known and less-known, and enjoyed themselves in inimitable Hancock style.  Abe loved his trip and we were so happy he got to go!  Thank you, Mom and Kay and Harold!

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