Surfboarding for dogs!

These collies are cool in more ways than one!

As San Francisco swelters in an Indian summer, Jack and Kelly took to the water at Mission Creek this afternoon.

They cruised serenely and comfortably on their surf boards past the row of houseboats, leaving their owners to do the dog paddling.

The dogs enjoy surfboarding and are often out on the boards, their mum called out across the water, adding that they have a sailboat moored nearby.

The pics were taken at about 4 pm as the weather website, intellicast.com, were posting a temperature recording of a high of 73F and 'feels like 77F.'

Trolley Dances 2008 (2)

The Fifth Annual San Francisco Trolley Dances leapt, flew, hip-hopped, rolled, cartwheeled, back-flipped, sung and strummed into action yesterday all around the T-line near Mission Bay...see previous blog for first report...

As the tour started at Mission Creek, we were treated to a very original production by Scott Wells and Dancers, a company described aptly as being known for '"kamikaze", often humorous and well-crafted dances.'

It was different and had the audience laughing!

Young dancers leapt into each others arms, rolled, embraced, seemingly fought and romanced and made imaginative use of the space. They jumped and rolled over, climbed and balanced on, walls, railings and benches. One girl flew at three boys and sent them falling like dominoes and Sebastian pretended to nearly hurtle into the creek.

Set to continental-style music and performed smoothly and often with deliberation, and given the large size of the group, this unusual dance had the audience on their toes.

Durga, a young San Fran resident, said, 'It's very well done. It was very engaging.

"You couldn't even blink your eye because you didn't know what you're going to miss!'

As we then rode the train to our first stop at Bayview Hunters Point, this abstract piece of theatre made for interesting discussion. Did it have a theme? I asked Kyle, a helpful tour guide.

'I'm new to it myself!' he admitted.

We turned to Becky, a student from Sonoma State.

'I liked it. It was very different. You had to have a lot trust in your partners,' she began, referring to the catching.

But what do you think it meant? Kyle and I were looking at her hopefully.

'There was a bit of fighting. A bit of romance at the end. The first part they seemed to be meeting each other,' she said. 'Relational' was where she was going.

She was right!

At the end of the tour, I went back and met Sebastian, Kellye and Liz.

It shows a 'city in which people communicate through feelings and touch. As humans we're eye-dependant, so it shows what happens when you relate to people in other ways,' said Sebastian, adding for my interest that his father is British.

Liz said that it showed 'people in their more animal nature. It's taking down the barriers that people put up, more back to the core of what it is to be human rather than the things that 'come onto' us in a society.'

But as the earlier chat with Kyle and Becky ended, we were pulling up at Bayview Hunter's Point, where nearly 100 of us disgorged onto the mid-street platform. Across the road we were surprised with black soul group The Seastrunk Brothers, who had us clapping and bopping to the Motown song 'Love Train' as they led us along the sidewalk and into the Bayview Opera House.

After a second popular song, they gave way to Zaccho Dance Theatre whose troupe sprung into a high-energy show with a theatrical interlude that presented the ethos of the theatre. In monologue, Victoria, proclaimed, 'I see so much talent, unborn hopes, dreams...' held back by fear.

'Here you can be yourself. This place demands it!'

For nearly 20 years, Zaccho through it's youth arts programme has given free school classes and performance opportunities to young people. See www.zaccho.org for more info.

Then there was African Brazilian martial art presented with the singing of spiritual songs and playing of traditional musical instruments. This group stood out in that it encompassed different ages from boys to older men. With it's roots in slavery, Adigun Sipho Capoeira Angola teaches respect for African heritage.

Mastre Terry Baruti said that slaves from Brazil, Cuba and Martinique had brought their art to the US.

Outside, as we waited for the train to ferry us back to the UCSF Mission Bay campus, Jennifer leant against a platform hoarding.

'I was really excited to be in the Opera House,' she said, 'because I have lived just a mile from here for 16 years and I have never been in the Opera House before.

'I guess one of the most exciting things about this performance was seeing the different ages. I love the communal feel that comes from young boys to men of all ages performing together.'

Next, as we arrived at the new UCSF campus that is still under construction, we met Jean Isaacs' San Diego Dance Theater who were sitting on a low wall by the sidewalk.

This was to be a 'moving site' said Jean, who proceeded to tow a musicblaster on a small trolley after her small group that set off up the plaza, dancing and sitting, reading and climbing over benches.

'What is special about this piece is that we created it here on location and that it really feels like a combining of elements of what San Francisco is,' said Lauren, referring to the education on the campus, the train and arts.

'This group of dancers, we've all worked with Jean at various points in our lives and she's trained all of us'. With some of the group having moved to the city, Lauren said, 'It's nice to have this transition of being here together from San Diego.'

Of the dance, she commented 'The piece is moving, which feels representative of all our lives - I know that sounds cliched!' she said as a quick afterthought.

And then we moved, too, further up the campus to the Genentech Hall and the Roger Evans Terrace, where a Greek operatic tragedy with dancers was being played out on the wide, stone steps.

This final piece was by Epiphany Productions with Kim Epifano playing a role.

Singer Melinda McLain is a ten-generation American whose Scottish ancestors with a clan motto of 'Conquer or Die' came from the Isle of Mull.

'It's lots of fun,' she enthused at the end. 'This is Genentech Hall, the city's cutting edge of science is going on in this building, so for me this is about how ancient wisdom can inform our contemporary explorations.'

'The words that I'm singing are from the Oracle of Delphi.'

Quite what Genentech workers would make of Greek drama on a Monday morning, one can only imagine.

The idea of Trolley Dances was conceived by Jean Isaacs who established them in San Diego in 1999. Her aim was to bring dance to people using public transport and to introduce people to new places.

As Trolley Dances rolls out for a second day with it's vibrant street performances, that aim is being achieved in San Francisco.

Pics show: Scott Wells and Dancers; Epiphany Productions; Jean Isaacs' San Diego Dance Theater; the Seastrunk Brothers at Bayview Opera House

Click here for album of pics

Trolley Dances 2008

The Fifth Annual San Francisco Trolley Dances leapt, flew, hip-hopped, rolled, cartwheeled, back-flipped, sung and strummed into action this morning all around the T-line near Mission Bay.

By mid-afternoon, hundreds of people had ridden Muni trains for a tour of street performances of dance and music that reflected a variety of cultures and styles.

The pieces were designed to fit in with the physical and cultural environment of the dance sites. Starting at Mission Creek, this quiet, conservation area, a haven for wild birds, was suddenly accommodating quite a different species!

As people were booking in, Tiger Hip Hop were giving a fluent and energetic display. Their young choreographer, Philein Wang, is striving to blend dance of different cultures to help bring harmony among immigrants.

Using a blend of Shaolin Style
Tiger Claw, ballet, Tai Chi, modern dance and hip hop she is drawing from the continents of Asia, Europe, Africa and America.

Philein, whose Chinese name Zi-ru means 'freely, smoothly and with facility', is a Chinese-American dancer, musician and poet who trained with the Beijing Ballet Company and has been a soloist in several companies.

"Because I divide my time between

America and China, and as I understand my roots and where my parents and ancestors were from, I really wanted to create a style which encapsulated a culture from which I originated, and I wanted to do it in such a way that it wouldn't just appeal to people in fine arts but to teenagers and minorities,' she said.

'I wanted to potentially be like a light-post for somebody trying to feel their way.'

Her troupe includes Brendan, Derek and Meegan, with Simon on percussion, who were well appreciated by a growing audience.

'Seeing as my dance company is new to town, it's been a great experience. It's also very refreshing to perform outside,' said Philein.

At the end of their display, the tour started with a short stroll up the creek to where the next dance group were ready to perform.

The event is organized by Kim Epifano's Epiphany Productions Sonic Dance Theater in partnership with the San Francisco Public Library and supported by the city's MUNI train service.

Kim, Artistic Director and Project Coordinator, said in a press release, 'We feel fortunate that we have been able to create this free city-wide spectacle for five years now. The magical way that it brings communities together and becomes the genesis for such amazing art - it's such an indulgence in all the good and surprising things our city can be.'

Mid-afternoon Randy Symank, the Administrative Director of Trolley Dances 2008 Production Team, was helping at the booking-in table outside Mission Bay Branch Library.

'It's gone very well,' he said 'There's been no major hang-ups or disasters!'

He said the numbers of people per train were 70 but the performances had a larger audience. 'The neat thing about this whole event is that random people will walk up and start watching.'

The tours last for 90 minutes each and will start tomorrow, as today, at 11 am. Tours will run every 45 mins with the last one leaving at 2.45 pm. All performances are free and need only a city transport Fast Pass or train fare of $1.50.

But organizers warn that there are a limited number of places per tour, and these are given out at the booking desk on a first come first served basis. However, this year there are also bike maps being given out. The distance between Mission Creek and Bayview Hunters Point, the furthest point, is about three miles.

A full report will be posted tomorrow.
For more pics click here

Pics show: Brendan and Derek; Philein and Meegan; Tiger Hip Hop on Mission Creek; queuing at the booking-in table outside Mission Bay Branch Library

Mission Creek Sports Park - Charity

Saturday saw the Grand Opening of the visionary Mission Creek Sports Park beneath the freeway at Mission Bay...see previous blogs...


The Grand Opening of the Sports Park was not just about having fun. This dedicated team are in a desperate race against time to save the life of their friend, Michelle.

Their quest is to find a suitable donor for a life-saving bone marrow transplant, and so at their table by the creek they were collecting cheek swabs from willing volunteers.

Michelle Maykin is a 26-year-old who grew up in the Bay Area and in May found herself relapsing with leukemia. Her family, friends and co-workers rallied to help her.

At the creek, Claire, Mary Eric - pictured - and Mary's husband, Kim, are on a rota for a team that juggle work schedules to go out into the community every day they can to find possible donors. It is a dedicated act of love.

In the apartments in Mission Creek, Mary has been putting up posters.

For Michelle, the need is for an Asian-American donor, but the campaign is working for donors for all patients, said 25-year-old Eric, a friend and accountancy firm consultant.

Michelle, who graduated from UC Berkeley, was originally diagnosed in February last year. As she began to improve with treatment she launched Project Michelle to find bone marrow donors for others who needed help.

Her bombshell news of her relapse came in May of this year.

Project Michelle has now become a national campaign, said Eric, reaching places including Hawaii, New York, Wahington DC, Boston and Texas. About 15,000 people have registered as potential donors.

On Saturday they collected 25 swabs, a low number given the numbers of people at the Grand Opening, but unfortunately their table was on the creek path to the side of the main activities.

Eric, though was not downbeat.

One of the great encouragements to him that day had been that Mayor Gavin Newsom had spotted their table, posed for a pic with the posters, and encouraged and supported them.

Secondly, he had the memory of recently collecting 1,400 swabs in Berkeley in two days.

And thirdly, he has a positive attitude: 'We're happy even if one person turns up,' he said.

Also pictured doing his bit is Brooklyn, a cross between a Jack Russell and Westie.

For more info on Michelle and a lovely pic: http://projectmichelle.com/project-michelle-about-michelle/

Mission Creek Sports Park - Artists

Saturday saw the Grand Opening of the visionary Mission Creek Sports Park beneath the freeway at Mission Bay...see previous blogs...

Ginny is an artist living what one imagines to be a romantic life on one of the houseboats on the creek. She also volunteers many hours as a conservationist caring for the wildlife and nature around her.

Ginny's tasks involve 'supporting the tidal community,' as she puts it, and looking after the banks and wildlife gardens, including one for butterflies - 'it's not been a great butterfly year,' she said.

She stood at her stall, one side representing her work for the Mission Creek Conservancy, the other her art.

Speaking first as a conservationist she said the small creek, amazingly, is a habitat for over 60 different kinds of birds. She handed me a blue sheet of paper which held a record of their sightings, although I later realised that they date from September 1987 to February 1988.

Nevertheless, spotted on the creek have been birds with exotic names such as Northern Mockingbird, Red-throated Loon, Bonaparte's Gull and Black Phoebe. There is even mention of a Budgerigar.

Western Gulls, Rock Doves and European Starlings were the most common.

Generally today, gulls and cormorants seem to be the most visible birds - there is a group of four cormorants that are often seen socializing on some pilings - while last week a lone brown pelican spent a few days swooping over the water and perching on a piling.

But beneath the water is a world, amongst others, of tiny invertebrates that live on the pilings, rocks, and boats.

'I wouldn't have known it existed if my daughter hadn't done a science project,' said Ginny.

The fascination of learning of these creatures living round about her was what drew her into conservation work.

It illumines her art and brings an unexpected bonus: she can swim daily in the creek knowing that if certain little beings are alive and well, then the water is safe for her!

As an artist she works in fabric - 'material is more alive than wood or bronze' - fashioning her wildlife. A plump, green, velvet giant sea anemone with pink fronds waves out of her contact card.

Next to it, as we looked at her display board, were a sea squirt and an acorn barnacle. A deep- blue Pacific mussel stood on a sea of green, it's mouth gaped open.

'Do you know,' she said, 'that mussels sift 33 gallons of water an hour?'

Her gallery showpiece, however, of which she is immensely fond is a 16ft pink velvet earthworm.

Ginny, who works in wood for other things, has created perches with floating islands of drift wood on the creek and has been commissioned to provide permanent perches around Mission Creek.

Her floating islands attract the same gull family every year.

'They know me. I know them,' she says. 'They share everything - time on the eggs, getting food for the kids. They've brought a lot of baby gulls into the world.

'It's been interesting raising a child and hearing this other family outside.'

Another artist of quite a different hue but making a visual impact was Jim Tulare, whose inventions are made mostly out of trash!

'It's just junk!' he said, 'Things out of trash cans!' We were looking at his water-pump contraption that used a lot of plastic bottles, the trash for which came from a Tenderloin apartment.

'But aren't you cutting-edge San Franciscan?' I said.

'Yeah, right!' he replied with wry humour.

Behind him, the Spoon Moon Jogger with Mystery Sails made with old bicycle wheels was turning in the wind.

'Do you know what the sails are made of?' he asked.

I didn't.

'Laundry baskets,' he said. And the wooden spoons, he added, came from a sale at Walgreens.

But his piece de resistance was his interpretation of a three-wheeled bicycle. Children especially loved pedalling it by the creek.

Throughout the day, a fascinated stream of people peered up and down and around his inventions.

At 76 years of age, he has spent the last ten years recycling and building things.

HIs motivation is simple. 'I was trying to build something I could sell to get out of the Tenderloin!' he said.

'Is there a big market for this sort of thing?'

'No!' he said.

But for fun and entertainment at public occasions, we say...

Keep 'pedalling' Jim!

pics show Ginny Stearns with her conservation work and art; the puzzle of the water-pump with the Spoon Moon Jogger behind; Jim Tulare with two-year-old James

Ginny can be contacted and her work viewed at: Ginnystearns@gmail.com and www.partnersgallery.com

Mission Creek Sports Park - Sports

Saturday saw the Grand Opening of the visionary Mission Creek Sports Park beneath the freeway at Mission Bay...see previous blogs....

One of the outstanding achievements of the sports park is to have the only beach volleyball court in San Francisco.

It sits at the end of the creek and, like the basketball court opposite, is under cover of the freeway and sheltered from the weather.

Little could the designers have known when they conceived their plans that Misty May and Kerri Walsh would catapult the sport into the headlines by


winning their second Olympic gold medal.

The court has been ready for a few weeks and is already popular.

'I think it's wonderful they have this court available,' said Erin. 'This is the second time I've been here. It is a great environment and a nice resource.'

Erin and Cassie, both in their twenties and regular players, were sitting on the side at a picnic bench watching a match.

Cassie said that up to now they had been having to travel as far away as Santa Cruz to play so it was great to have a city court.

'Only we don't want it to be too popular!' quipped Erin.

Since Cassie discovered the park, she has been organizing games of both five or six a side, and twos, she said.

Does she have any aspirations to be the next Misty May and Kerri Walsh?

She laughed, joking about her age of 25 years. 'I realise that if I'm not on that track by now, I never will be!' she said.

The basketball court across the path was full of people from early morning enjoying practicing skills and playing games that were organized by volunteers.

'I think it's really great that they have all these volunteers to set something up for the community. It gives us a chance to meet our neighbours,' said Ada.

Later in the day some were trying out the new fenced-in tennis courts on the other side of the freeway.

Others took advantage of the bright sunshine and paddled up the creek in bright red and yellow kayaks past picturesque houseboats.

The craft are stored in an artistically designed Kayak House alongside the creek that is especially eye-catching at night. Styled as a hull of a historic wooden ship with a translucent blue skin, it is lit at night and shines like a beacon down the path.

More a lighthouse than a Kayak House!

A plaque on the side describes it as 'a small dramatic structure that adds a whimsical sculptural element to the park's experience.' That it certainly is. It's designers are MK Think, an architectural and designer firm, and the kayaks are owned and run by UCSF Campus Life Services and are able to be hired by the public.

During the Grand Opening party, children had their own spot too. A long table had been set up near the volleyball and basket ball courts where they could sit and crayon and have their faces painted by Fairy Willow.

Dad Frank, sitting with one-year-old Kenton on his knee and four-year-old Kelly playing alongside, was very happy with the park.

'I like it here,' he said. 'This is good to meet people and know how to get community,' he said.

And if you didn't want to engage in sports, you could simply stroll around the beautiful gardens or sit by the side of the creek admiring the view and listening to the band, the aptly named Pollo del Mar.

pics show the volleyball court; Fairy Willow, Kenton (1), Frank, Kelly (4); basketball with Ada, in pink.

For more pics click here

Unique 'Pooch Park' at Mission Creek

Saturday saw the Grand Opening of the visionary Mission Creek Sports Park beneath the freeway at Mission Bay...see previous blog...




The sports park is not just for two-legged members of the community!

Aware of the popularity of dogs in San Fran society, designers have included a unique dog park.



And to mark the Grand Opening, beloved pooches had their own sports and social programme!

Situated at the end of the new sports facilities, the small park is completely closed in with secure fencing and gates. It is covered in tiny stones rather than grass, with a path and benches along one side and newly planted trees in the middle of the lower end.

While those of the two-legged species played ball games and paddled kayaks on the creek, high-spirited, agile members of the four-legged community practiced their sporting abilities too.

They leapt over bars, padded through a tube and dunked in paddling pools for balls, all the while keeping up with their busy social lives.

Sitting on a bench were proud parents Katie and Josh, watching Riley.

Katie was full of praise for the park. 'They made it especially for dogs. I think that's pretty cool,' she said.

What particularly attracts her to this 'pooch park' is the fact that it is a secure enclosure. 'This is the only one with a fence around it. You can sit here and read and play music while they play,' she said.

Riley, an appealingly cuddly miniature golden doodle - a cross between a poodle and retriever - was attempting a run through the tube.

At first cautious, he made a few footfalls into the tube and retreated each time, even nipping round the side in between attempts to keep up with Miss Maddie and his other pals.

However, with gentle coaxing from Christine of the San Francisco SPCA, who were supervising activities, he soon made his - maiden?! - master run.

And with his new skill tucked firmly under his fur, he was off, tail high and nose down moseying along the path to find his next adventure.

'He's too bright for his own good!' said Katie.

Not only bright, but as a dog that resembles a giant teddy bear, he is a showstopper wherever he goes. Car drivers when they spot him, Katie said, seem compelled to call out of their window at him, 'Teddy Bear!'

Skipping around Riley was Miss Maddie, a pretty, white Havanese, and Bogie, an alert, nimble-footed chihuahua, who also navigated their way through the tube.

A few moments later, showing great gamesmanship, they raced away to join an excited cluster of bigger dogs that had bounded over to scale the agility bars and chase each other.

Miss Maddie's mum, Anita, liked the park. 'I think it's great,' she said, but also commented, 'I would like more grass but I think the maintenance is expensive.'

'The most positive thing is that you get to meet more people,' she added.

Anita and Miss Maddie are already familiar with the sports park, which has been open informally for a few weeks. In the summer Anita held Miss Maddie's first-birthday party there at the picnic tables on the grass beneath the freeway.

'I set up a nice little spread, a lot of the dogs were there,' she said.

Bogie was one of the guests and mum, Davi, was complimentary of the park.

'I think it's great for the community and what they did today is excellent,' she said. 'The park's been open for a while but not many people know about it. It needs a grand opening.'

Another party guest enjoying himself was Ace, a cute mini schnauzer whose dad, Jack, agreed with Anita about the surface of the dog park.

'I think grass would be preferable,' he said. 'A lot of us were over at the park on the other side of Mission Creek. One, it's ten times the size of the ground and it's easier for dogs to play in.

'Unless they're chasing a ball, the dogs tend to stay on the path. And it's dusty. The big dogs kick up the dust.'

Lending a helping paw in public relations that day was Capone, sportily dressed in a sloganned tee-shirt. He was supporting dad, Rob, a lawyer and co-owner of Who Let the Dogs Out!, in their canvas booth on the other side of the fence.

Rob was impressed with the overall development of both the sports park and area. 'This is starting to become a robust neighbourhood,' he said.

'This was a blighted, run-down area of San Francisco. They've done a great job in rennovating it. It's also good because it's got lots of affordable housing.'

Of the dog park, though, he was more reserved in his comments.

It needs more shade and a natural surface,' he said, also mentioning dust levels. But he conceded that the difficulty for the city of grassing the area lay in maintenance.

He pointed to a clump of trees in the distance on Potrero Hill and said that was the park he used.

His company are familiar in nearby streets with their smart red vans and large white lettering, and offer dog walking and jogging, vet and groomer taxi services and boarding.

By the entrance to the dog park was the SPCA stall with Tracy standing there. 'Agility classes,' she said of the activities in the park that day, 'are a great way to exercise high energy dogs and to work on their training. And,' she added, 'it's a sport.'

She said the organization provides an education for training, agility or obedience, and in San Francisco works exclusively with dogs and cats. All SPCA units are autonomous so some work with a wider range of animals, she explained.

With so many young people not getting married or having children until later in life, she said, the dogs are their children, so an important part of the SPCA's work is to foster good relationships between tenants with dogs, and landlords who are reluctant to give them a home.

Not only do the SPCA work with owners to train their dogs but they provide a canine resume proving all-important 'good tenant' qualifications.

Overall, Americans spend $39 billion on their dogs each year and, Tracy said, 'There are more dogs in San Francisco than children - and that's licensed dogs!'

She was philosophical about the park's stony surface.

'I think maybe the dogs would prefer grass or sand because the stones can get stuck in their paws. But these dogs are having a good time!' she said.

Christine, who had strolled over, agreed. 'I think they're so happy to be off leash,' she said.

And of the lack of shade, she said, 'These trees are going to grow. Eventually they are going to give shade. This is a new park.'

pics show: dogs enjoying the agility bars and tube; the lower end of the park; Jack & Ace, Davi & Bogie, Anita & Miss Maddie

Happy belated birthday wishes, Miss Maddie!

Click here for more pics.