Where I lived in California: between the places

When we moved to California, I first lived in Sunnyvale, then we moved to downtown Santa Cruz before living on the west side near UC Santa Cruz. You can make a cutout map like this at https://betweentheplaces.glitch.me/:

Sunnyvale and Santa Cruz, California

Late fall snow

 

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Jamie grew up in Santa Cruz, so this was his first significant snowstorm. Once he figured out that you sink in to the snow, he loved romping and chasing his favorite soccer ball.

Late fall in Cambridge

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Rolling into Massachusetts

After eight days on the road, we rolled into the Berkshires this morning on a stunning fall day.

Massachusetts Turnpike, near Stockbridge

On the road

 

Mojave Desert, near Needles, California

West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz

 

Santa Cruz, California

More street art, Santa Cruz

 
It started in DC (see my original Street art post from June, 2020). Many cities are following suit. Santa Cruz volunteers painted this on Saturday.

Street mural, Santa Cruz city hall

Garlic harvest

Santa Cruz, California

Street art

I have a feeling this mural that was created on Friday morning will have a lasting impact (even if it is soon removed from the street). The photographer is not credited, but it came from an article in This is Colossal.

16th Street NW, Washington, DC

Update (10 August, 2020): Google Maps' satellite view now shows this street art leading up to Lafayette Square:

Black Lives Matter Plaza, Washington DC via Google Maps

Fog at the track

East Field, University of California, Santa Cruz

It was a windy, foggy day at the UC Santa Cruz track today. For a more typical day here, see Track of Dreams.

Jamie on the road

Santa Cruz, California

Jamie leading the way to Cave Gulch (beyond the trees).

Empire Grade fog

Empire Grade meadow, opposite UC Santa Cruz

The fog persisted well past mid-morning today. This old road heads south toward Moore Creek before turning east and leading into the Cave Gulch section of Wilder Ranch State Park.

Track of dreams

East Field track, University of California, Santa Cruz

The track at UC Santa Cruz is not a standard distance (just a tad over 800 meters), but the setting is sublime, sitting high over Monterey Bay. It merits a mention in Outside Online's list of the most scenic tracks in the country.

UCSC slug billboard

The signs on the side of UCSC's barn theater change every couple of weeks. A few weeks ago, they seemed (in retrospect) a bit too prescient:

University of California, Santa Cruz 

On Monday (4/20), normally a very busy day in Santa Cruz, I ran past the barn theater and found Jim Urban painting these over with a new billboard that has a timely message to banana slugs everywhere. (The banana slug is the UCSC mascot and students and alumni are also referred to as banana slugs.)

UCSC barn theater

Jim Urban has been hand-sketching and hand-painting these billboards since 1978. More on Jim Urban here.

UCSC trails

UCSC, Santa Cruz, California

The parks, trails, and beaches of Santa Cruz were closed last week to cut down on gatherings during Easter weekend. They have reopened, and I was able to run on some of the trails on the UC Santa Cruz campus this morning. This has to be one of the most unique college campuses in the country. There are meadows and fields full of cows, deer, and coyotes. And there are wild turkeys in the redwood forests and ravines. Somehow, they manage to hide 20,000 students up here in the hills.

Math is real

From YouTube (produced by Priorities USA): Exponential Threat 

Unfortunately, you cannot make exponential growth go away with lies. See the video at Exponential Threat.

San Francisco without the crowds

San Francisco, California

From this eerie drone video of San Francisco posted on March 23, 2020.

Sunrise at Moore Creek

Moore Creek Preserve, Santa Cruz, California

Early morning run at Moore Creek from last October. My knee has been out of commission (for long runs) for a while, but I'm hoping to get back there soon.

WFH commute

Santa Cruz, California

23 cases of COVID-19 in Santa Cruz County today, up from 15 on Friday.

Sunset over Buffalo

Lake Erie, New York

We flew to Boston last month, as the novel coronavirus was just ramping up in the United States. That seems like ages ago.

Left turn lane

Somerville, Massachusetts

WFH commute

Pogonip from the Lookout, Santa Cruz, California

After a week of working from home, I've figured out that I need to replace my morning and afternoon bike commute to and from the bus with something similar. A bike ride, a run, a walk. I miss both the activity and the contemplation, especially on my evening ride. And the routine is comforting too. I do not miss the long bus ride, however.

We have a long way to go, and I'm sure my routine will evolve, but I'm also sure that an afternoon or morning ride/run/walk will be part of it.

Poison oak in Arroyo Seco Canyon

Fall colors in California.

Santa Cruz, California

Blowdown in Moore Creek Canyon

Moore Creek Canyon, Santa Cruz