Fort Funston is the place to dog watch.  Sitting on a bench, the gentle ones will approach you to say hello.  One such recently was the backlit-golden-haired, deer-like, lightly-hopping, mixed-breed Tasha who stopped by for a few pets.  Dogs rule.  Unfortunately, no picture of Tasha.

The pelicans are back!  No pix as my camera is on vacation with someone else, but the mightiness of these great birds fills me with awe and always puts a smile on my face. 

This entry's title refers to the birds' Spanish name, thus "Isla de las Alcatraces," or in English, Alcatraz.  Pelicans = good.

This dude can fly.

The dolphins and pelicans are back.  A hummingbird flew a crazy U pattern time after time right in front of me.  Encountered a friendly swarm of Shih Tzus.  No skunks in the neighborhood lately.  Met two pit bulls and a whippet hanging out together.  Made friends with an Italian Greyhound in the park.  Another beach encounter with Lucky the grey tabby.  Missing Tule, a neighborhood black lab who likes to crash into your legs.

I had heard that Chris Isaak had a show, but didn't realize that he was a local or that the show was shot here.  There were people buzzing about how this meant the show was being resurrected, as it's been out of production.

I'd never seen it and was mainly familiar with him from "Wicked Game," and some of his acting roles.  The shoot was next to the duck pond at the Palace of Fine Arts.  Easy drive.  Ancient Presidio parking wisdom.  Thought I was going to be background but was one of several  person-on-the-street interviews he did, asking what the show should be called and what it should avoid and feature. We were coached by a guy briefly to just be natural, no acting, don't try to be funny or witty.  So the spark began to glow inside me. 

I did manage to avoid coming up with any crazy jokey material before the interview.  I did think of my name for the show, "The Life and Times of Chris Isaak," beforehand, but I made sure to offer it up on camera as a serious suggestion for a real classic kind of show title.  He took it into a red furniture kind of direction, and I was supportive.

Then he asked me what they should not do on the show.  In all honesty, the first thing, not having seen the show, was that I just wanted to make sure there would be no bug or animal parts eating on the show.  Yuck, right?  So, I don't know if they'll have interpreted that as me being actorly or trying to be funny.  I wasn't being goofy.  I really meant it. I think he kind of took it in stride.  When asked what the show should feature, I said lots of dogs.  They had already shot stuff with tons of dogs in it, so he was stoked and said we were definitely covered.  After cut (I shook hands goodbye and walked out of frame), I called out about the animal parts thing, and I was all, you know, Fear Factor and stuff, it just grosses me out, and he was all, yeah, totally, or something to that effect.  But, naturally, the camera had been turned off.  Nice guy.  Tall.  Tastefully proportioned and chosen entourage.  Mellow resonant glow.

Don't know whether, how much, or where the footage might be used.  Teaser?  First new episode?  We'll see.  Kudos to Meghan, Sarah, and Joe for keeping us organized, looking good, comfortable, and paid.  A beautiful three mile commute, free parking nearby, upgrade over background expectations to speaking bit with star, on set for only an hour-and-a-half, paid same day, now that's what I'm talking about. 

Also, there was a spectator dog being walked by her owner.  Gentle Domino was seventeen years old and on her last legs, but still moving with a floating grace, her coat still lustrous and healthy, a beautiful black and white Aussie Shepherd mix.  Good times.

Go trout!  Butte, Montana stream courses with ichthyoid life after a very long time.  

Oscar the seal was in close to shore, hanging around yesterday.  The fuzzy white Samoyed surveyed the street from his wrought iron balcony this morning.

Big dragonfly migration buzzing just above the water at the beach today.  Photo by Pilar Woodman.