San Francisco is having a glorious streak of beautiful weather, which was especially delightful after the rainy cold days in Seattle.

with a few spare hours, we took the boat trip to Alcatraz, which is a huge tourist attraction. Due to the time of year, tickets were easily available. The boat trip was beautiful. When we arrived, we rode the tram to the top of the Rock, a boon for bad knees. I must say I found the Prison very depressing. The cells are tiny and spartan. The men there were worthy of a high-Security prison but they lived in cages fit for animals. I wanted to leave as soon as we could.

At night, there was a wonderful event at Kepler’s Bookstore, which is deservedly an institution. The a Grateful Dead and Joan Baez sang there, and many distinguished authors spoke. Being in the heart of Silicon Valley, only a few miles from Hoover, I wasn’t sure what to expect and was delightfully surprised to find a great independent bookstore, which regularly invites authors who dissent from the conventional wisdom. The interviewer was Angie Coiro, an extraordinarily well-informed questioner whose book was filled with post-its. The audience contained many teachers, who asked good questions.

A great event.

i still have  remnants of the flu from last weekend, which gets subdued only with a ready supply of Ricola.

I’m having fun!

Tomorrow Balboa High School in San Francisco!