San Francisco Gymnastics

What to do with a little girl, full of energy,
who loves to run, jump, roll and twirl?

Let's see, maybe go down by the water and
do some peaceful and quiet sight seeing
by the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco?
OR... get a view of the bridge..
while doing a handstand or an upside down tumble at San Francisco Gymnastics!

Not a bad view at all, but Daddy was the only one who noticed...
Hannah had some trampolines and pads to focus on,
with some help from wonderful Coach Kara!

Look at this obstacle course! Heaven on earth for Hannah!
Getting to change into a special PINK gymnastics uniform
in a PURPLE changing tent
is always a great start to the class!

I'm ready!!!
First, all the Busy Bees do their stretching exercises in a circle...
Then they line up and, one by one, go through a specially designed routine.
Every week, the gymnastics room is set up with completely different challenges and obstacles...
"Hey... wow... is that the Golden Gate Bridge? That's pretty spectacular!"
A forward roll up over the bar with help from Coach Kara! Hannah, you coach is special. She truly loves to watch you tumble but she loves making you smile even more! Guess what? Coach Kara started tumbling when she was five, and sometimes she practiced up to five hours a day, doing as many back handsprings as she could! What she enjoys most about teaching you is watching you face your fears, going for it, all the while having fun!

Woah! The Balance Beam!
I did it!
Hand Stand Time!
Forward rolls, crawls, jumps and one-legged hops...
And Hannah's favorite activity to date:
the super-loooooooong-trampoline-jumping-and-shouting-while-turning,
"Hello, Goodbye,
Hello Goodbye,
Hello Goodbye,
Hello Goodbye!"
"Hey Daddy! I love gymnastics!"
"What do you like the most about gymnastics, Hannah?"
"I like the yellow, blue, orange and red and green,
and my pink uniform, and Coach Kara."

"Hey, Daddy! Look, it's Golden Gate Bridge!"
A pretty special place to tumble!
Thanks San Francisco Gymnastics!

Prime Real Estate, First Sunday in March

Looking North, along the edge of Chrissy Field, out towards Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin headlands: a perfect place to stop for a snack and take in the scenery. It is late-afternoon and the tide is low - and so the waters appear smooth... Minutes from the time of these pictures, however, slack tide will ensue. Converging currents will cause swells, and the tide will change directions and then quickly begin to rise. Today's afternoon is a Bay Area rarity, a perfect day: almost no wind at all. (It is so, so rare to not see a single wind-surfer or sail boat zipping over the waters). In several weeks, Summer days starting out like this particular Spring day will be fleeting and more susceptible to sudden climate changes. Wind is much more common. The average Summer day along San Francisco waters is a chillingly cold affair; while the sun cooks the valleys and bakes most of California, the cold ocean airs will be sucked across the San Francisco Bay to relieve the inland vacuum created by the rising heat, and the fogs will roil in and slam down like a garage door, shutting the city inside it's thick layers. So, Hannah, enjoy the views, because Summer is right around the corner!