What happens when a self-driving Waymo gets lost, drunk or simply confused beyond repair? A tow truck comes and picks it up and takes it to a garage… just like all those other cars. I have seen this a few times. There is always someone driving the tow truck which is reassuring for us humans. This time however, it does seem a bit funny.
“I like got totally confused! People jockeying for position. Some moving right. Some going left. Very confusing street signs. Some aiming for the eggplant stand others for the strawberries. I decided to call it quits, smoke a cigarette and call a tow truck. It’s the weekend people. These are just fruits and vegetables. Relax!” Waymo post-towing comments and download
People can be so intense when shopping for organic vegetables!
Sorry. I can’t talk right now. I’m working… – rumbero talking overheard
San Francisco Carnaval 2026 took place on May 23 and 24, 2026. The tradition continues! It is a very local festival celebrating the cultures of Latin America, Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, Chicano culture, even Black culture from the southern United States. It may be the last place in San Francisco where there are no big tech or corporate sponsors. There are always a lot of local dance groups, school groups, amazing costumes and floats, way too loud local DJs and very good local bands.
This year there were a lot of groups in the parade from Colombia. The Mexican animales costumes (I know not where this tradition comes from) were off the charts. The parade is always on Sunday, starting at around 10am. It was a mild sunny day. Later in the afternoon the wind came up (as it does this time of year) out of the northwest – swirling around the Mission. Big kudos to Carlos Franco and his All-Star Band who pulled off a very challenging windy situation on the 17th and Harrison stage. Imagine a high pop fly in the gusty winds of summer at Candlestick – I’m not sure how they caught those things. Music was flying everywhere. Letter C everyone!!! Yes. The mambo!!! More clothes pins!
On Sunday near the end the Radio Havana Rumberos had the spot on Harrison by 21st. Amazing all-star cast of musicians and the drumming and dancing were off-the-hook. “Sorry. I can’t talk right now. I’m working…”
San Francisco Carnaval 2026 – 17th Street Stage
San Francisco Carnaval 2026 – 17th Street Stage and Carlos Franco’s Allstar Band
San Francisco Carnaval 2026 – 17th Street Stage and Carlos Franco’s Allstar Band
San Francisco Carnaval 2026 – 17th Street Stage and Carlos Franco’s Allstar Band
San Francisco Photos from October and November, 2025. Always nice this time of year between rains. The sunset are are often spectacular. It gets dark around 6 pm.
Weekends at Sunset Dunes Park
Weekends at Sunset Dunes Park
Ocean Beach by Waste Water treatment plant. This is the farthest south west part of San Francisco. One day, it may be a park.
No Kings Day on October 18, 2025 in San Francisco was a day of peaceful protest. There were over 100,000 people that turned out. Below are photos from the march from the Embarcadero BART to the Civic Center.
IF GEORGE WASHINGTON was alive he’d be MARCHING on NO KINGS DAY! – Sign held by protester at the October 18, 2025, NO KINGS DAY! march
No Kings, No Thrones, No Crowns – October 18, 2025 – San Francisco, CA
WAKE UP, THIS IS A FUCKING COUP
THESE CRIMINALS DESERVE DUE PROCESS (arrow pointing to photo of Trump. Miller and the rest)
SOME OF THE SIGN’S MESSAGES – So many clever signs!
No Health Care For You Peasants, But a Ballroom For The Queen.
No Kings in America SINCE 1776
WAKE UP, THIS IS A FUCKING COUP
Take Back Our Government
No Kings, No Thrones, No Crowns – October 18, 2025 – San Francisco, CA
No Kings, No Thrones, No Crowns – October 18, 2025 – San Francisco, CA
HEY AMERICA, are you feeling GREAT YET?
HEY AMERICA, are you feeling GREAT YET?
THESE CRIMINALS DESERVE DUE PROCESS (arrow pointing to photo of Trump. Miller and the rest)
RADICALIZED BY BASIC DECENCY
No Kings in America SINCE 1776
No Kings, No Thrones, No Crowns – October 18, 2025 – San Francisco, CA
No Kings, No Thrones, No Crowns – October 18, 2025 – San Francisco, CA
THESE CRIMINALS DESERVE DUE PROCESS (arrow pointing to photo of Trump. Miller and the rest)
No Kings, No Thrones, No Crowns – October 18, 2025 – San Francisco, CA
No Kings, No Thrones, No Crowns – October 18, 2025 – San Francisco, CA
HEY AMERICA, are you feeling GREAT YET?
No Kings, No Thrones, No Crowns – October 18, 2025 – San Francisco, CA
MORE MESSAGES – CLEVER!
WANT TO END ANTIFA? STOP DOING FASCIST SHIT
IT’S GETTING SO BAD, EVEN THE INTROVERTS ARE IN THE STREETS PROTESTING
October is a special time of year in San Francisco. The fog usually moves out and the long period swells start rolling in. The surfing gets good. This year we have had some early season rain which is quite welcome seeing as fires have been a major problem of late. With the cumulous clouds in the sky the sunsets have been magical.
There is no reason to send in the National Guard or troops of any kind into San Francisco. As you can see by the photos there are no major disturbances. There is a fentanyl problem but that was actually started by the U.S. pharmaceutical industry and both the City of San Francisco and many non-profits are working on the problem and helping those involved. On Saturday many of us will take to the streets for a No Kings – No Thrones – No Crowns protest. If George Washington were alive, he would surely be joining us.
We are not crazy. We are the Americans.
No Kings Protest – Saturday October 18, 2025
Lake Merced
Lake Merced
Ocean Beach San Francisco
Ocean Beach San Francisco
Ocean Beach San Francisco
Ocean Beach San Francisco
Ocean Beach San Francisco – By Sloat avenue where the ocean always wins and the parking lots get eaten for breakfast
If you want to get an idea of how San Francisco was in the early twentieth century, it is fun to check out the photos at https://www.opensfhistory.org/ Not too long ago people got around on horses and entire neighborhoods had dirt streets. Empty lots where now there are houses that look like they have been there forever. Less trees.
Excelsior Playground – 1912
It is a bit shocking to see how a neighborhood on the south side of the city, the Excelsior, looked a little over a hundred years ago. At the time there surely were farms close by. Cows, goats and sheep. I attempted to get the same shot today of the photo above but so much has changed and the angle was tricky. There is a baseball field there now where you see the lumber. The playground today has fences, basketball and tennis courts, a kids playground and a clubhouse.
Excelsior Playground – 2025
If you go north of here, there is a similar story with Bernal Heights.
Here is looking up Cortland from San Bruno. Now, every speck of land is a lot with a house on it.
On the other side of Bernal going west, looking down to Mission Street. Too bad the trains are no longer running. Now you can take the 24 Bus.
Above is the “proposed” Alemany Boulevard. Now Alemany Boulevard runs next to a massive interstate interchange where 101 and 280 meet and go their own ways. Cars and truck roar down raised concrete highway cloverleaf structures, banking to the left and the right. A hundred years ago it must have been very quiet with probably hundreds of rabbits hiding in the brush.
No collection of historic San Francisco photos would be complete without a photo from 1906, the earthquake and the fire that destroyed a lot of the city.
San Francisco Carnaval in 2025 took place on May 24 and 25. Both days were mostly sunny with strong westerly winds in the afternoon. I caught a little of the 17th Street stage on Saturday. Sunday we went to the parade. True to form, San Francisco Carnaval is an amazing display of the diverse cultures in San Francisco from the Latin American and Afro-Caribbean worlds – Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Bolivia, Puerto Rico, Trinidad. I am sure I missed some countries. It is festival and parade were there are no corporate sponsors. So refreshing! It is a once a year event not to be missed.
Lots of horns this year. Banda bands showed up!
Loco Bloco
Loco Bloco
Loco Bloco
Loco Bloco
Classic!
Recology, the garbage collectors do their thing.
Ray Martinez y Los OG’s playing the after-party and Blondie’s’s
Miguel Govea and Edgardo Cambon in a rare photo. Two outstanding musicians and band leaders
The Valencia Street Bike Lane Project is really pretty much done. They got rid of the ugly silly center lane earlier in March and repaved that part of the road with fresh blacktop. The bike lane now zig zags around parklets. Cars have to park further into the street (I like it how now car folks need to watch out for the bikes when walking to the sidewalk – the narrative is flipped). Also, there is plenty of space for cars to drop off people. This is the plan that I thought would work best a few years back. It is like how the bike lane was implemented originally at 14th Street. Bravo!
With the advent of the Great Highway closure and Sunset Dunes Park at the beach, San Francisco is becoming a fine bicycle town.
Cars are still getting use to the bike lane. This driver thought that green zone means that is where you park.Valencia at 22ndValencia at 21st. As bicyclists we are use to going around stuff.
Valencia Street Bike Lane looking south at 22nd Street
Valencia Street Bike Lane looking north at 22nd Street
In celebration of Earth Day here is a song I wrote last year in 2024 named High On a Wire. Paul Lyons on guitar and voice. Bird recording is from the Kickapoo River in Wisconsin at dusk that I made while on a bike tour (there are seven different bird songs). Indeed, we are “burnin’ this place down.” I have a strange feeling that the birds will again outlast us.
Em7/B A7/C# Am7 G
VERSE 1
Those are birds
that sing them songs.
Been doing that
all along .
Those are birds
that sing them songs
Quite alright
to sing along.
VERSE 2
High on a wire
they sure looked tired.
From that flying
around.
High on a wire
They sure looked tired.
Chased away
by a fire.
CHORUS 1
D C G //
We’ve been burnin’ this place down.
Just like they said we would.
Got to move now
to higher ground.
A7 // D7 //
The river’s rising all around.
VERSE 3
Up in a tree
they build a nest.
Looks like now there’s
thirty-three
Up in a tree
they dance around.
And sing their songs
because their free
CHORUS 2
D C G //
Sixty-five million years ago
her grandma once roamed these same lands.
Had a big tail and very small hands.
Never played in no rock-n-roll band.
VERSE 4
Those are birds
that sing them songs.
Been doing that
all Along.
Those are birds
that sing them songs.
If you want
just sing along.
Photos of opening day at the new park on the Upper Great Highway at Ocean Beach. They call it Sunset Dunes. People will probably always call it “OB.” It is great how they got things in motion so quickly. So many great ideas! Skate park, public art, open pianos, great spots to view the waves at Noriega Street.
Sunset Dunes Park – Ocean Beach in San Francisco
Sunset Dunes Park – Ocean Beach in San Francisco
Sunset Dunes Park – Ocean Beach in San Francisco
Sunset Dunes Park – Ocean Beach in San Francisco
Sunset Dunes Park – Ocean Beach in San Francisco
Sunset Dunes Park – Ocean Beach in San Francisco
Ocean Beach view from the Cliff House in San Francisco
On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday you can ski at Donner Ski Ranch for $69 which they call Old School Days. You buy your ticket at the counter which you attach to your jacket with a metal wire. Ask your dad.
Donner Ski Ranch is one of the last family owned ski resorts. It is a medium-sized place with a lovely backside where on power days runs can remain untouched into the afternoon. It is an historic mountain where the early California skiers made some of the first turns. On the top is Signal Peak.
In early January, as the fires blaze in Los Angeles, the Sierra has clear skies and a diminishing snow base. The slopes are a bit icy and the groomed trails are the way to go. I headed up to Donner Ski Ranch to try out some new boot liners. I had a great day on a sunny Wednesday. Even though it was Old School Days, I basically had the hill to myself.
After skiing I headed down Highway 89 to visit and stay with a friend and then did a day exploring South Lake Tahoe and then headed to Echo Summit, just to look around and figure the place out. Think snow!
