Embarcadero Walking Tour -- December 18, 2016

Saturday I gave a walking tour along the Embarcadero from the Ferry Building to Fisherman's Whart to two people who won me in the community support auction at work.  We talked about how last week's king tide had lapped over the seawall.  We had lunch at Castagnola's.  The weather was cold but very clear.  

2013 Good Shepherd Auction -- April 21, 2013

At 5 o'clock mass yesterday, Father Jess said that we should do something to celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday, as other masses celebrate their patrons.  Good idea. 

After, we went to the Good Shepherd School auction dinner/dance. The theme this year was Havana Nights. The food was good and the people were nice.There was an excellent band.  We got a generous donation for our San Francisco History walking tour. 

Walking Tour #7 -- March 11, 2012

Today I did a walking tour for people who bid on me for an auction at a school on the Peninsula. They were a nice group who asked good questions. As usual, we met in front of Peet's Coffee in the Ferry Building and went on from there. They liked the murals in Rincon Annex and Jackson Square. The rain held off. We had lunch at the Irish Bank.

I was surprised to see that the Hippodrome has become an art supply store.  I remarked that they had stuff piled in front of the reliefs of naked women.  A member of the tour suggested that this was because children might be visiting to buy art supplies. 

I took the photo of Bliss and Faville's Southern Pacific headquarters many years ago.

Walking Tour #6 -- November 19, 2011

Today I did a walking tour for people who bid on me for the community support campaign. They were kind enough to win me for a second time. We did my new Market Street/South of Market tour. They said they enjoyed the details of buildings and objects and the stories. We had lunch at Kate O'Brien's. The weather was cold.

 Today I took the photo of the angel atop Douglas Tilden's Native Sons of the Golden West/Admissions Day Monument.

Walking Tour #5 -- May 29, 2010

Today we did the walking tour we donated for the Good Shepherd School auction/dinner dance. The family had three kids. Nice people.

The weather was remarkably warm and sunny. We did not go as far as usual because they had to get to an appointment. After they headed back, we went on to the fortune cookie factory, then had lunch at the Irish Bank. I've been looking forward to that.

We went to 5 o'clock mass at Good Shepherd. We were eucharistic ministers. Next week will be the last week for masses in the church. Then they'll fix the floor and we'll have mass in the gym.

I took the photo of Charley the Seagull (Two-Legged Charley) on 05-March-2010 behind the Ferry Building.

Good Shepherd Auction #2 -- April 25, 2010

Yesterday we attended the annual auction/dinner dance for Good Shepherd School. This year it was held at Nick's Restaurant, a Pacifica institution in Rockaway Beach. We donated a history walking tour for two families. There was a good turnout. I think they made some money.

I took the photo after we parked last night.

Before the festitivites, we went to mass at Good Shepherd church. When my wife got to work Friday, there were fire trucks parked around the church. It turned out that the baptismal font had flooded and covered the floor with water. Father Piers said that vandals had gotten into the pump room and opened the faucet to fill the font. There were fans and three big dehumidifiers set up to dry the floor. We hope they won't have to replace the hardwood. Why would someone do that to a church?

Walking Tour #4 -- November 7, 2009

Today we did a walking tour for people who bid on me for the community support campaign. They were a nice couple from the city. As usual, we met in front of Peet's Coffee in the Ferry Building and went on from there. They liked the murals in Rincon Annex and Jackson Square. We had lunch at the Irish Bank.

I was worried when it rained yesterday, but today was clear and a bit cold. Good weather for walking.

We were eucharistic ministers at mass.

Walking Tour #3 -- May 30, 2009

Today we did the walking tour we donated for the Good Shepherd School auction/dinner dance. My wife and a another teacher each had one family. All very nice people, with three kids between them. That was a nice change.

When we started at the Ferry Building, it was cold, so we went to Rincon Annex and spent some time looking at the murals and the fountain in the atrium. We went on and around and even got to see a funeral with the Green Street Mortuary Band in Chinatown. The kids got tired. We hit the Fortune Cookie Factory in Ross Alley, then had lunch at the Irish Bank. I took the photo on a much sunnier day, 11-May-2009.

We went to 5 o'clock mass for the vigil of Pentacost.

Today was Benny Goodman's 100th birthday. Lots of music on the radio.

Good Shepherd Auction -- April 26, 2009

Yesterday we attended the annual auction/dinner dance for Good Shepherd School. The theme was San Francisco. We donated a history walking tour for two families. The decor was nice and there was a good turnout. I think they made some money.

I took the photo last night.

Yesterday morning I went to the barber. He said that in the days of shave and a haircut, two bits, that the haircut was 15 cents and the shave 10. Now they charge 20 dollars for the haircut and 25 for the shave. He said the shave is more now because people don't ask for it much and it throws off their routine. However, it sounds as if they do a good one. I'll have to save my money.

San Francisco Walking Tour #2 -- November 23, 2008

Yesterday was sunny and cold. We did another walking tour for people who bid on me for the community support campaign. This year's winner wanted to hear about the Barbary Coast and crime, so we went from the Ferry Building around to Mission and Steuart, then up Market to Drumm, then over on Drumm to Pacific and Front, where I talked about Shanghai Kelly and the crimping business. Then we went over to Jackson Square and back over to Pacific to look at the Hippodrome. Then Portsmouth Square and south on Grant Avenue. We had lunch at the Irish Bank.

As we drove home from my mom's tonight we saw that some people had put up Christmas lights and trees. Far too early.

San Francisco Walking Tour -- December 8, 2007

We had a fun day. We went to mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception at 8am. We drove downtown and parked at Fifth and Mission. We took a Milan car on the F down to the Ferry Building. At the Ferry Building, we met with the people who had the winning bid on a community support auction we had at work. I offerred a history walking tour of downtown San Francisco.

Out front, I talked about what it was like in the early 1930s, when the Ferry Building was the second busiest transit terminal in the world (Charing Cross in London was first). We went on to walk over by Mission Street, then back to Market, out California, over to Jackson Square, around to the Barbary Coast and Portsmouth Square. I enjoyed talking about history. We remarked on how many things we don't see when walking down the street. Then up to the Fortune Cookie Factory on Ross Alley. We went up the hill to Stockton, then through the tunnel and up to Burritt Street, then on to Powell and Lefty O'Doul's. I had a corned beef sandwich.

That was fun. The winners were very nice people.

We went back to Good Shepherd for 5pm mass. Two candles on the wreath. I always enjoy the first reading about the peaceable kingdom.