san francisco: huge trees and ocean breezes

Last month's trip to the west coast offered up so many treats for the senses. Visiting a new place and seeing things you have never seen before is so exciting. For me, it makes me approach the world with a "beginner's mind," connecting me to the kind of vital curiosity and delight that children bring to their discovery of the world. I had never seen trees as tall and as immense as these - and they were in a city park! And although I am accustomed to the Atlantic coast, the vast Pacific conjures up a different feeling. Around San Francisco, the water seemed to almost bubble with energy and the winds had swept sand over the sidewalk, a reminder of the power of nature.