Sacred Sunday at Mill Valley
September 21, 2008
The Mill Valley Arts Festival is one of my favorite things to do each year. I went there yesterday to stroll among the talented artists and the gorgeous redwood trees. The festival is held in the Old Mill Park at the foot of Mt. Tamalpais in the middle of a grove of beautiful redwood trees. The smell of the trees and the feel of the thick carpet of leaves and bark is soothing and relaxing. There is even a stream flowing through the end of the park which makes it even more appealing to me. It’s the perfect setting. The sound in the park is muffled by the trees and the heavy carpeting of fallen leaves, but during the day there is usually live music played at one end of the park. The groups they select blend well with the feel of the park; mellow and uplifting.
2008 Festival Poster
One year we saw Huey Lewis at the festival partaking of festival food with his family. We were reminiscing about it yesterday when we looked up and there was Albert Brooks sitting with friends and visiting. It’s such a relaxing place, even actors and musicians can come and relax among the big trees and feel sure they won’t be bothered by cameras and publicity. How nice is that?!
Two-time Emmy Award winner Rita Abrams and her Strawberry Point School kids captured hearts and airwaves worldwide with their chartbuster hit song, “Mill Valley.” For a blast from the past check out this video. You will have to scroll down on the linked page and look for the video as it is not on YouTube directly anymore. http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=mill+valley+art+festival&fr=yfp-t-501-s&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8
Here is a guide to the great outdoors in Marin County. Enjoy! http://www.marintrails.com/
Enjoy a walk in nature in the next few weeks and embrace Fall and the transition from one season to another.
Gail Brokaw
http://www.embracethepossibility.org
The Big Island, Hawaii Vacation
May 3, 2008
I just got back from a week in Hawaii on the Big Island. It was spectacular! The rainforests were amazing with plants that were so huge and dense that it seemed a dinosaur could appear at anytime. The island seemed quiet except for Kilauea which was belching sulfur dioxide enough to cover the Big Island and all the other islands in the chain with dense clouds of the gas. Though we seldom saw any blue sky during our week, it was warm and bright. I especially loved the Hilo side of the island as it seems more like the old Hawaii versus the Kona side which is geared more toward the tourists who are looking for beaches, restaurants, and entertainment. It was a nice balance to see both areas during our week.
One day we drove to Pahoa to walk the old lava fields and view steam rising from the ocean where lava is now flowing from Kilauea. We could see steam rising from places all down the mountain where cracks in the earth were releasing the sulfur dioxide gas. The lava flow we were walking on had hardened into shapes and ropes and now ferns and other plants are coming up out of the black rock. Land owners who’s property was completely covered by lava flow are now rebuilding out in the middle of the lava rock field. One house was spared the lava and sits alone, surrounded by lush green plants that are surrounded by acres of lava rock. It’s an oasis in the middle of a lava field. There were realtor signs in the rock lava announcing property for sale, if you would like to buy a nice piece of Hawaii! Talk about owning a piece of the rock!
How about you? What location could you recommend for a relaxing and interesting vacation?
Rainbow Falls, Hawaii
Discovering new paths
March 27, 2008
This last weekend I walked with a couple of friends in a beautiful wooded area near the local lake. I found an easy hike since we don’t do this regularly, and we headed out for a walk hoping to find sign posts along the way for direction. None of us knew where we were going. We dodged poison oak, enjoyed spring wildflowers, and made choices about the way to go as we approached a fork in the path with no clear direction. We hoped it would take us where we were heading. We found the lake, and along the way made friends with a woman and her dog, who was having a blast retrieving a stick from the lake over and over again. Such joy and energy! The temperature was just perfect to be out in nature, the quiet was refreshing and we actually saw some wild turkeys and heard a few birds singing above our heads. We had a great time visiting, talking about future vacations and just laughing. It was a great day. On our way back from the lake, we took a path that lead us to a different destination than the one we wanted. We received differing advice from fellow hikers about how to get to our destination. Of our choices, we decided to take the quicker but steeper path up the hill. I couldn’t help but see the similarities of our hike with the path we take during our lives. We start down our path with no specific map telling us which fork in the road to take along the way. We try to dodge things that are not good for us, find friends and happy experiences along the way, receive lots of suggestions from others telling us which way to go, and sometimes take the trail that involves a struggle but sure feels good when we’re successful. It helps to keep your wits about you, have friends and supporters close, and listen to the voice inside, telling you which path seems right for you. Enjoy the journey.
Gail Brokaw, Life Coach You CAN create the change you want in your life.
