I skipped out on the Jack London Square concert as I knew I would. Just too much after shooting the Murmur for over an hour and then walking back home having either missed the bus (I was a minute or two late for a bus that usually runs a good ten minutes late) or the drivers are still calling in sick and the bus (again) did not have a driver available for the time slot. A decent picture or two (above) of a gondola on the lake came out of it, so no complaints. A decent picture is worth whatever effort might be required is my credo. After the fact, anyway. I've been known to bitch while still in the middle of it.

So a good night's sleep after all that, off to breakfast and the papers, getting up at six, back now before eight on this overcast and quite cool morning. The farmer's market is underway down the way, maybe a walk over later to see what they have in the way of apples and peaches. For some reason, after walking through the farmer's market on 9th Street yesterday, I've been thinking of apples and peaches. A moment's conceit. Probably nothing to it.

Later. A bus ride downtown feeling in a mood to be outside, thinking there might be something in a restaurant there I might find to eat. A cup of coffee and a chocolate bar in front of Peet's. Nothing too unusual about that, no new ground explored, although that small chocolate bar ran three dollars. Hell, for three dollars you could buy a gallon of gas! (OK, I'll stop. I'm embarrassed. No need to take it further.)

A walk back along Broadway down to the first bus stop turning on Grand to catch a bus to the Grand Lake Farmer's Market, crowded and going full tilt when I arrived. A walk farther on to browse the photography section in Walden Pond, one of the better book stores in the area. Actually, one of the only book stores left in the area that hasn't gone out of business. Sad to think. Great used book section, though. Naturally, saying this, I buy most of my (new) books at a discount from Amazon, although I've bought my share of both fiction and photography from their used book sections.

A Caesar salad and an iced tea at the usual place. It was crowded out on the patio with but one table becoming available just as I arrived. Still, nice to sit for half an hour and watch the people pass. I'm good with sitting and watching people walk by, so many shapes and sizes, so many ways to carry yourself, so many expressions, so many scowls. Well, on a sunny afternoon like this, not so many scowls.

Back now with a plan to get in a full two hours on the guitar. I'm to the place where there's no more notes and chords to be learned (in this first book of lessons), finishing now with a big bunch of songs to learn and play. I'm up with learning and playing songs (the end product of all this practice, I'm thinking), the more, the better. I'm curious to see how long it takes to reach a place where a third person might recognize them as music. Or is that too ambitious? Just kidding. The mood is good. No complaints.