Cruisin' San Ramon

OK, this may be the dumbest blog post ever, but I wanted to get one more in before leaving this Thursday for Hawaii. Also, I was looking for an opportunity to go to the top of the hill on Bollinger near Canyon Lakes to photograph the flowers and the view. (Thanks John H. for showing me how to hyperlink the words in red.)

So, I cruise up the hill on a beautiful day in the convertible. Perfect day in San Ramon for having the top down.

I get to the top and wander around the back of what used to be a restaurant. I walk to the edge to get some pics and am shooting away. Here's Chevron Park (the dark building in the distance) next to Bishop Ranch (the white buildings.)

So, I'm snapping away behind the old restaurant, when a back door opens and Ms. Saberarahimi, the business manager of Canyon View Dining Hall, comes out. Although her English wasn't so good, and she didn't say exactly this, she clearly indicated, "Hey, what the f#$% are you doing back here?"

I explain that I am just taking pictures, and after a half-minute pause, she asks me to come inside and take pictures of her dining hall and gives me her email address so I can send them to her. Her message is clear: the price to stay out back and take pics is to take ones inside for her. I felt like a prostitute. (I have no problem with this at all, I just wanted to say how I felt.)

I agree to take pics for her and to email them to her today in exchange for total access to the back of her joint. Actually, I was impressed that she had any confidence in me at all to get a decent picture. In fact, I now feel like I have a job and need to get this right.

So, to get access to photo this,
I agree to take this, along with a half dozen others for Ms. Saberarahimi. The cute thing was that she ran over to the little water fountain and turned it on. She was very pleased when I took a photo of it.

By the way, here's how I got caught -- I see the back window of the Dining Hall and think that this may be an interesting shot. She is on the inside looking out wondering what I'm doing there.

After this, I figure that I'll cruise over to the park to get more shots of flowers. Perfect day for cruising, listening to the Jersey Boys soundtrack, and taking photos.

I get a few good ones and then wander around the park. I'm walking along and see, after living here for nearly nine years, a time capsule!

Check this out. I love time capsules! It opens in 2033, about 26 years from now. I searched the Internet to try to find more info about it, but couldn't find it's contents. Let's all meet here in 2033 to see what's inside this baby.

Time to leave and cruise on back home. I drove slow just listening to the tunes and enjoying the sunshine. (Yes, I took this pic myself.)

And finally, pull into the driveway at home-sweet-home.