Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Pedaling around Oakland

We wrapped up our bay area trip with a stay in Oakland's Dimond District at the lovely, sunny place of our dear friends Jeremy and Gena. Isn't this back yard an enticing spot for a sunbath?


J and G have put a lot of time and effort into little details of their garden, including this sweet trellis decorated with chainrings:

 

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

A day in San Francisco- Huckleberry Bikes, Cafe Mojo, urban growth and adaptive reuse

After our lovely time in Marin and Davis with friends and family, we made our way to SF.  One of our first stops was at Huckleberry Bicycles, a labor of creativity and love by our good friends Zack and Jonas. The shop has grown to a thriving business which is playing a big role in the revitalization of the Market Street corridor in SF's financial district.

Photo from the Huckleberry Bicycles website

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Santa Cruz beach time and Marin mountain biking

 We took a break from home remodeling and November Seattle weather to visit friends and family in the Bay Area.  We spent a lovely weekend in Santa Cruz for a wedding of a dear family friend, and enjoyed a quick dose of beach time.  


 Chad and I on the pier at Santa Cruz


Sea lions hunting

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Installing Doors and Windows

One of the more interesting discoveries inside our walls was this old door. Some prior owner no longer wanted a door to the back yard, so they sided and framed right over the door, as well as an old window next to the door. Although it was a cool find, it had to go.  The wood was rotting and the paint, almost surely lead-based, was bubbling and chipping off in a disturbing manner. I did take some time to salvage the cool hardware, however- an old door knob and a very cool latch that still works great.  We'll find another use for them soon, I'm sure.