Farm Club Retreat in San Francisco – 2024 – Part 2

Here is the Part 1 blog post. I just realized that I got the timeline wrong. That restaurant dinner was on Friday night. The library visit was Saturday. We ordered dinner to be delivered from Kung Food on Saturday and had enough left over that some people had it for lunch the next day as well as taking some home.

Both evenings and during other parts of the day we arranged ourselves in the parlor and working on projects. The parlor is the room that we were surprised and dismayed last year to find out there had been severe water damage and it was closed for repair. The floors and ceiling had major repair work. The difference this year is that there is no carpet and some of us commented on the different feel to the room. It is still a lovely place to hang out. We were able to leave our “toys” there the whole weekend and come back to them when we felt like it. That empty end of the green couch is where I set up shop. I wove two rigid heddle scarves and spun on the e-spinner.

Some people knitted, some spun, and some just relaxed. Deborah used the time to finish the fringe on a v-shawl that she (and I) wove in one of my classes last year.

Sunday morning I decided that after all that food and a lot of sitting I’d better go for a walk. I love seeing these old houses. (One here serves as a church.)

Some of the houses are maintained remarkably well, but I noticed some as I got farther from this neighborhood that need work. I can’t imagine how much it costs to keep up the paint job and the window repairs on these houses.

I took this photo a couple of blocks from the Home. Now I wish that I had investigated at the time and we had gone back. I assumed that “made while you wait” would mean that someone has a circular knitting machine and they crank out acrylic beanies. NOPE! I have looked at the website, www.hampuihats.com, and these are felt hats, among others. The website is impressive and the process is interesting. I encourage you to look at it.

A different kind of home decoration, still beautiful.

I wasn’t able to get much of a photo here because of the angle. There is a cow in there (not real, but a good size). You can see the face between two of the bars in the cetner and the body between another two.

Isn’t this a wonderful house?

Buena Vista Park is across the street from that last house. I walked into the park and up and down paths through and around it. I came out with this view. Now that I’m looking at a map I see I was at the south side. I saw Sutro Tower and thought that it didn’t seem that far and I may as well head that way.

I walked along streets going in the general direction. Every so often you see a stairway that cuts between properties and takes you from one street to another.

I found another small park at the top of one hill and looked beyond it to Sutro Tower. Hmmm. Not as close as I thought. I knew I could still walk there but maybe I shouldn’t spend the time. I turned around and went back taking a different route through Buena Vista Park.

From there I looked to the north and saw the Golden Gate. You can see the towers just below those distant hills.

I got back to the Home and many of our group had gathered in the dining room. We finished off yesterday’s pies and spent more time in the parlor visiting and spinning before we headed home about noon.

What will next year bring? If the weather is good I plan to walk to Sutro Tower and maybe through some of the other parks in the city.

Farm Club in the City Again

I have to look back at my blog posts to know how long it is that Farm Club members have been going to San Francisco for an annual one-night retreat. It seems that the first one was in 2011 so this is the seventh. As always we had a fabulous time.

Eight of us met at the NDGW home Friday afternoon (see this post for some views of this fabulous home) and then went to FC member Stephany’s  home in the Glen Park District of San Francisco.

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Stephany and Ian invited us to see the recent addition to their yard, half of which has been inaccessible since they have lived there except for going half way around the block and through the property behind them.

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This spiral staircase, which was lifted OVER their house by a crane a couple of months ago, gives them access to the upper level.

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From the top of the staircase you cross this bridge to get to solid ground.

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There is a spectacular view of the city and the bay and Stephany and Ian have a wonderful garden spot with a sunny exposure that is often above the fog line.

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After enjoying afternoon snacks with Stephany she led us on an urban hike. The first point of interest was this tiny garden.

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Only two blocks from Stephany’s home we saw the 78-acre Glen Canyon Park.

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I had no idea that something like this exists in the middle of San Francisco.

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Note the rock climbers on the smooth face of that rock.

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This is us on the other side of that same rock.

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We walked a loop trail and returned to Stephany’s for more scones and brownies. We had dinner at Green Chili Kitchen, only a block from the NDGW Home…

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…and spent the rest of the evening knitting and spinning in the parlor.

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Janis showed off her snazzy handspun/handknit socks modeled after the sheep-motif Baable Hat.

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Three of us are knitting the Fleece Flight KAL.  Mary is working on the third triangle. Stephany’s is in blue and mine is the small one in Jacob wool.

Our plan for Saturday was to have No Plan.

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Well, there was one plan. Every year we have lemon pie for breakfast. We have bought pies across the street but this year Janis offered to bake them. I think this is now our regular routine. Lemon meringue, blackberry, and apple. Way to go, Janis!!

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The serving line. We each had a piece of all three pies. Of course.

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And while not eating pie we chatted and worked on projects. Amy almost finished a sock…

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…and I made progress on my Fleece Flight shawl.

What an inspiring, fun 24 hours. We may expand this to a whole weekend next year.