The Beauty of Here

[Terri(SO)]

You know, its so easy to get wrapped up in problems.
Money, job, kids, CD.

But I realize there is much to appreciate in my life, great beauty.
I drive over the highest hill in San Francisco everyday. Twice a day. The views practically take my breath away on clear sunny days, like we've had recently. On one side of the hill I see the Pacific Ocean laid out before me. Coming back down the other side I look to the left and I see the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands and I make a turn and the city scape and the bay and east bay hills (and even Mount Diablo in the distance) are in front of me. My City is a postcard. Sometimes I miss the seasons of New England, the colors of fall, but the past few days renewed my love for this place.

Tell us about the beauty you see around you that makes you forget your problems, if its only for a few minutes at a time.

[Bronny]

let me tell you all about my little piece of paradise. its very very different to SF thats for sure terri. but there are, funnily enough similarities. we both live close to the ocean and have stunning views. i, however live on the indian ocean coast line. i have white sandy beaches stretching north and south for miles. the soil i live on is red, the sky a vivid blue and the ocean a vivid turquoise. the land is very very flat and my town is probably the most isolated in australia. like SF tourism is big here but the main money spinner here is pearls. we have many pearling companies here growing and harvesting pearls all year round. my town is in the sub tropics and i expect we have a climate similar to florida. hot humid summers and warm dry winters. just perfect....and like my signature says....paradise

[SilverLady(SO)]

Here at my home with Virginia, I look out the windows and I am surrounded by trees and mountains, which abound with wildlife. Squirrels, chipmunks, cardinals, sparrows, groundhogs, and lots of deer, to name a few!! Just the other day, at dusk, we had 9 doe running across the road and into our yard. The deer stopped on our side yard, just grazing and looking up at us - looking down at them!! After a few minutes they walked to the edge of the yard - which is on a steep downward slope - and the deer disappeared.

While out driving in the Roanoke area, which is part of the Appalachians, the mountains are always in view and in 10 minutes I can be on the famous Blue Ridge Parkway, which is so beautiful. Drive but a few miles from home and I can be on any number of winding roads, going up one of several mountains, and while it seems like I am miles from civilization, I'm only 4 miles or so from the 'city'.

Yes, I am going to love living here in the mountains with all these beautiful views, especially now with the fall color change.

Please remind me of this if/when I gripe about the snow and ice, which will be here all too soon!! That is when I will really miss the sun and warmer year-round weather of Tampa - - but my soul mate Virginia is here and that makes everything so much better.



- SL

[Anita]

I rent the lower floor of a house in the Oakland hills, and when I walk out on the stone terrace at night, the view is wonderful. I can see the Bay bridge and its strings of lights, and I can see the skyscapers of downtown San Francisco, all lit up. The bay stretches out in front, as far as I can see on both sides, and the small mountains on the penisula below SF also run the whole distance.

I have been very grateful for this peaceful place, for the 15 years I've been here.

[Sally]

I live in a small coastal town of around 10,000 people on the South Eastern Coast of Australia in the State of New South Wales.

It's a beautiful place to live, we have the Ocean on one side and the Great Dividing Mountain Range on the other side, so we have the best of two worlds at our fingertips. We also have a salt water inland tidal lake which the town is built alongside.

It's a place where the stress, hustle and bustle of the big cities is forgotten, and it's the type of town where everybody came from somewhere else because the town only had about 400 original inhabitants, and most people mind their own business and enjoy the relaxed lifestyle and serenity which the town and surrounding areas provide.

http://www.sapphirecoast.com.au/merimbula.htm

Kind Regards,

Sally.

[Marlena Dahlstrom]

I'm further down the Pennisula, so I don't get the pleasure of driving over Twin Peaks every day (I'm very jealous...)

But I do get up to SF regularly with all the scenic views there. I'm particularly fond of South Beach where you get a great view of the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island. My current client is out in Redwood Shores and so driving out there I do get a wonderful view across the bay to the hills in the East Bay.

I do really enjoy taking some of the back roads over the hill (and through the redwoods) to the San Mateo coast. (If you're ever visiting SF, the San Mateo coast south of SF is a little-known gem.) I love driving it down to Santa Cruz, where there's a fantastic place to walk along the cliffs. I also really love the stretch coast between Bogeda Bay and Jenner, which I can drive up to on the weekend. Very wild and dramatic -- for you Ozzies, it's a bit like the west coast of New Zealand. OTOH, having to wear a parka to the beach is just wrong!

When I lived down in LA, I loved the beach along the Santa Monica Boardwalk -- it's still one of the things I miss the most years later. I also used to love the seeing the snow-capped mountain in the winter. On especially clear days, you could see them from the beach.

[Jaye]

There's not a lot of country to look at here. When I drive to Virginia to see my parents, there's a long stretch of 58 that runs through fields and cows and all that. I find that to be soothing on the drive. Around here, when I need to relax, or center myself, I go out to the airport, usually to the aviation museum. It butts right up against runway 18L/36R, and the jet noise washes off like waves from the ocean. It's very calming.

[Cindy Barnes]

This is the time of year that I spend my weekends in the North Georgia mountians. Its just a 90 minuit drive from home but there are a few spectacular views on the way up . I swear on a clear day I can see hundreds and hundreds of miles !! I stopped last weekend to take some pics (kinda worry about driving off a cliff if I look too long while driving ) but it was just a bit cloudy . Fall colors are peaking now so will try to get some pics again this weekend.
Cindy

[Carol Ann]

Where I live in SE Mo. there is nothing but Gods beauty. Trees, an creatures both large and small the colors this time of year are out of this world. Tomorrow opens youth deer season and I went out in this rain and put up the blind for my grandson who with grandpa's help will harvest his first deer.

SL I can totally relate to your words and I know you will love the rual area it is so wonderful. Now when it comes to chaseing deer I believe you have a dear of your own in or out of season .

[Jeannie]

Give me a freaking break! I live in Waterbury Connecticut! It's not Roxbury or Washington CT where Dustin Hoffman,Ron Howard and Kevin Bacon live! There is the Mad river behind my house and 5 years ago they built a freaking Mall on ther vacant property! I look across the river on my third floor deck and see a parking garage! It is great fun though I can watch people getting mugged.
I went out the back door of my printing shop this morning which is on the first floor and there was a bum(excuse me ,homeless person) relieving himself on the steps. Last week was a twofer. I found a hypodermic needle and a crack bag under my truck. I added it to my collection!
Three weeks ago my truck was parked in front of my shop and some jerk ran into in,pushed it up on the side walk and took off. I go down to the police department for the police report and I said to the cop"It wouldn't of mattered if he stopped. He probably had a suspended license,no insurance and an unregistered vehicle." The Cop started to laugh and said"Yeah! We know! We call that the Waterbury Trifecta!" At least the cop had a sense of humor!
A good neighbor here is one that won't break into your house and steal your stuff! My deck has a white small rope light around the perimeter. Mind you this is a third floor. I go to Clinton to help my GG friend with her house and come home that night and the deck is dark. Someone stole the freaking lights off the deck! (Don't say anything ladies but I think it was Virginia and Silver Lady! Those two are up to no good!) Gotta go I think I hear my car alarm or it's Mini trying to break in again! She relentless! I have two skirts and a pair of capris missing but I ruled her out. No way she can get into a size 8 petite! In her freaking dreams! Hugs


Love
Jeannie

[Carol Ann]

Jeannie my love,
You need to moved to SE mo. and live in the country. Hell we haven't locked the doors since we moved here 2 1/2 years ago. Only unwanted company you may get is a critter may walk in

[Jeannie]

Leaving the doors open here mean"Come on in and steal my stuff!" The only critters that come in are the two legged variety! I left my truck open in front of the shop after coming back from deliveries and when I went back out my ashtray was gone that had had change in it. It's was probably a printer who was out collecting cans! I found fingerprints in process blue on the door handle! They're a bad bunch.
You relax all day Carol Ann. I'll go down the shop and wash up three presses and do some numbering on the wind mill. It's in red ink so I'll wear a red blouse just in case! My daughter Katie is coming to help with the office work. Crap! Not only do I have to pay her but she always takes some of my clothes! I told her to eat some more.I want her to jump a dress size! I'm a sneaky little tranny! Hugs


Love
Jeannie

[Terri(SO)]

Thanks everyone!
Marlena, I live in South Beach, its grown so in the past few years. It was warehouses everywhere and the methodone clinic was a block away when I moved in the neighborhood, now its the place to be!
Bronny, I just had to Google Broome after hearing from you, I wanna visit Australia! So many great poeple there, I can tell (Sally, Penny, et al)
Jeannie, Thanks for shaking me from my missing Connecticut and reminding me why I left!
I'd love to hear from more folks! Its funny how we can find beauty in the strangest (strange to me that is) places. Jaye says airport is soothing because the jet wash sounds like waves of the ocean.

[Carol Ann]

Jeannie my friend,
Oh girl you make my heart sing and I just have to laugh and grin way down deep. Washup?, what is that? Haha hehe them days are long gone and my finger nails are clean. When this girl paints her nails she doesn't have to match colors anymore.

[Cindy Barnes]

Here is a veiw I came across this weekend. Its not the one I mentioned in my earlier post but was worth taking
http://cindy8082002.com/images/ftroop1.jpg

Cindy