Fog Magic
One recent overcast Saturday morning, I set out in full regalia, walking to my exercise class, which was just down the road.
It was foggy, not an unusual state of weather in San Francisco. However, instead of dull and dismal, the softly filtered light and shrouded landscape felt mysterious and magical. I remembered a book from my childhood entitled “Fog Magic”, in which a young girl encountered a magical world only visible in the fog. How did the fog change the look of things?
Intrigued, and going on instinct, I walked right past the church where my Jazzercise class was now surely in full swing. The air itself was soft, damp, and seemed full of possibility. I was on an adventure…and heading West, towards the water.
The pastel colors of the buildings were muted further by the fog, softened, yet distinct. I was struck by the difference in hue, yet similarity in value of a row of house colors which seemed to nest like colored Easter eggs, side by side. They reminded me of the “rear view” house colors I was moved to write about in a previous post.
I have always been intrigued by this very private abode, and have perused it many times while walking west towards the ocean. It emits a strong Japanese sensibility, its plain frontal facade, and very specific landscaping distracting attention from how far back it stretches.
The blend of cultures, ethnicities , belief systems and their myriad expressions in the Bay Area pervade its neighborhoods. Weather-dusted gems such as the unexpected Buddha can appear anywhere, such as the end of a condominium walkway across from Ocean Beach
The pop of a red door seems even more intense in the fog. White body, blue trim, and gray-blue accent give new meaning to the term “white picket fence”, and all that term implies. This neat little dwelling is bright in the sunlight, and a grayed down version of flag colors in the fog.
Slightly north stands the stately enclave of “Sea Cliff”, home to movie stars, moguls, and probably a lot of moms, too. Here, the trail of vines spreading across a picturesque stone wall creates the inspiration for a mural composition. The rich fuchsia color jumps out against the green and gray in the overcast light.
Fog magic is mysterious and powerful. Days don’t have to be bright to be illuminated, or objects well-lit to be radiant. Through the softly veiled, diffused light of the foggy overcast we so often live within here, we can see the glow of treasures we might otherwise overlook, blinking in the sunlight.
Has a walking adventure changed the way YOU see things recently??
If you feel so moved, please share about it with us here.
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Remember, we are all adventuring through this thing called Life, together.
Take a bucolic Santa Monica walk with me…one of many. Enter though the archway.
Feast your eyes on the magnificent purples of the Jacaranda blooms, punctuated by white paper lanterns round as moons.
Purple butterflies and pink flamingos strut and flutter across this yard.
Buried deep in the foliage of fern and palm, this house hosts garden sculpture and pink blossoms.
Intricate painting on a front gate door is enhanced by picturesque peeling, showing the effect of wind and weather.
Further Jacaranda glories line the street. Tis the season.
Intense purples collide in colorific harmony…
Passing though? Or living here…don’t miss the delights of walking Santa Monica’s leafy avenues…hidden treasures and abject pleasures await those with patience, willingness, and an attentive eye.
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