Walk, Work, Wine

Yesterday, Thursday was our office meeting. Each Thursday the Alain Pinel crowd gathers (now at the Wipeout in Greenbrae, used to be at E & O Trading Company in Larkspur) for our weekly sales meeting. I woke up early and thought... maybe I should walk the 6.5 miles to the meeting.

Since I have a weekend away planned, I knew that getting a predictable walk in might be difficult so the early walk meant if I left by 7 I would have a chance to make the 9 am meeting. Walking around 3 miles an hour when I am not rushing, I figured I could make up that 1/2 mile if I just walked faster.

I dropped my car at the Mill Valley office, and headed out about 7:05.

When I walk alone, I usually have a song in my head. Depending on what song it is you walk faster or slower. Its my mental Ipod and it has a million tunes in it... but the one I know gets me walking at the right pace is "The Can-Can" I know, I know... that's weird, oh well. But it works!

The path I would walk is a familiar one. When my office used to be in Corte Madera, I walked this route often during my training last year. You start down the Mill Valley - Sausalito Bike path .

The bike path has a few placards along the way they tell you about marsh birds, or the history of the area. This one showing pictures from when the Richardson Bay Bridge was built. It used to be the only way to Tiburon or Strawberry would have been the long way around, past Tam High and then around and up East Blithedale.

But the bridge improved things a lot. The only problem with that bridge???? No bikes or walkers allowed.

I saw this bird in the marsh along the way. I have never seen one before a woman was taking a picture she said it was a night heron. Steely grey and white, it stood like a statue.

That's it there waiting to grab a fish taken with my Palm Centro... below a picture I grabbed from the Internet....by someone who has a good camera....

of what it really looks like.

Early in the morning on the path there are runners and bikers some going to work, some trying to squeeze in a little work out before work. The path was busy and most everyone seemed "on a mission". You will notice the grey skies of a summer morning in Mill Valley. Since the 4th it has bee that way every day with some areas not clearing at all until dinner time.

Last night we had everyone over for dinner (the Botts and the Shaws). Being the tough Tam Valley girl I am, where the skies looked like stew and staying inside... I bid beer chicken on the BBQ. Yup I am tough alright!

On the path this morning I saw this woman with really really long hair rolled in dreadlocks, walking and singing to herself. Who says Marin isn't diverse?

The Community Center and its fields were empty... too early for summer camp.

The path was a little less traveled as it crossed Camino Alto heading toward Corte Madera.

There used to a be a tunnel, long ago boarded up. There is a plan to reopen "Alto tunnel" but, right now, in order to get to Corte Madera by foot, you need to cross that big old hill somehow. The way I go has always been to take a right at Lomita and walk to the freeway. There is a bike path that goes this route and then travel adjacent to the freeway up and over the hill.

Here there is Horse Hill - left undeveloped

Leaving the bike path you are at the junction of Casa Buena and Meadowsweet. The nicer, quieter way is Meadowseet... well except for the weed whackers.

There are Bay Views and houses, apartments and some open land that looks like there should be sheep grazing there.

Oh and the name sake of the road, the old Meadowsweet Dairy, now an artist enclave.

Once you walk down from the hill you are a couple of Car dealers, and Petes, and Banks... then cross Tamalpais and you are at the Town Center.

I kept walking along Tamal Vista until I came to our office in Corte Madera. Getting close, but not there yet....

You need to keep walking along the Freeway on ramp from Sir Francis Drake.
Notice how the skies have cleared. Mount Tam and rowers on the Corte Madera Creek.

Then finally you have reached the Bon Air Shopping Center and "Wipeout". the time???? 8:58 for an 9:00 meeting! Not bad, not bad at all.

My morning plan had been to walk back to the office, but I was asked to go see a property by my manager after the meeting, so I snagged a ride back with Carllie. I know I don't look uber professional when I show up at meetings with my walking clothes on, but boy, I feel good knowing I got in that walk.

Last night we had dinner at Patti and John's houseboat in Sausalito. The Shaws came along too. John made curry (still breathing fire from that "mild" curry as yummy as it was). We celebrated Glenn's b'day a second time... Now, its off to get ready for our big weekend.

Trust me, we will have some fun.

More later.....