Good morning Cooper

Happy Birthday! You’re two today!

1 v. 2

This was you on your first birthday (the day before we moved house, so you can see some boxes in the background… never again!):

And this was you a couple of days ago:

Updates

New House

We moved house the day after your first birthday. The first thing we did when we moved in was properly celebrate your birthday:

Note that we needed two cakes for your birthday. I’ll return to your very strong appetite in a moment!

Nursery

You’ve continued at Poppins, which has been going well. You’re now taking naps while you’re there, which makes a huge difference to your mood when you get home. You’re about to move up to the ‘big boys and girls room’, after a few test days.

Holiday – Mallorca

We went to Mallorca for a couple of weeks during the summer, which was great. You had a great time – especially in the pool. You also managed to share a room with Kirsten pretty successfully. We were sure that one of you would chat / sing so much that the other didn’t sleep. But I guess you were so knackered from swimming that you slept, well, like a baby!

Who is Cooper Anderson?

An anecdote might help with this. We had a birthday party last weekend for Kirsten in a gymnastics gym at Kelvinhall. All the other kids were five and older. There were some party games at the beginning, including musical chairs (except with hoops). All the other kids were playing (because they understood the game) and, while the music was playing, you were running around, stamping your feet in time, waving, and screaming with laughter. I can’t remember seeing someone have so much fun. But there you were: having an absolute ball!

You’re a happy wee guy almost all the time.

In relation to things you like to do: anything with wheels is good; you love books (and picking them from the drawers at bed time); you’re discovering scooters; and you love playing with your sister. Most of all, you like to be on the move. You’re a perpetual movement machine. Meals are like a pitstop in F1 – you take on fuel and then want to be on your way.

You were sort of ‘all or nothing’ with walking, and I think you’re heading the same way with speaking. You didn’t walk all that much for a while but now you never sit still. Thank god we have the playroom. You also weren’t fussed about talking, but you’ve started to say a lot more in recent weeks. You’re particularly good at saying “no” in a very definitive voice… and saying “peasss” (please).

You are a sensational eater. You eat as much, if not more, than Kirsten, but more rapidly. We were out at DiMaggios over the weekend and you demolished an entire bowl of pasta, plus garlic bread, in less than 10 minutes. Then you started reaching for me and mum’s plates, as if no-one’s fed you at all. It’s brilliant that you’re becoming such a big strong lad.

Family

Family is of course ultra important, and you’ve spent loads of time with family this year:

Confidence

There’s a song called “Holiday” by Confidence Man that keeps reminding me of you. It’s quite, as your mum would say, jolly, and you dance about to it when I put it on.

But I think it reminds me of you for other reasons:

You’re a confident wee guy, for a start. The dancing at Kirsten’s party was honestly brilliant. You’re always chatting away to people and very happy to get stuck into whatever is happening. That’s all your mum’s personality, and I’m delighted that you have that.

But it also reflect how I feel about you and your future. I mentioned last year that you weren’t well when you were born, and we were a bit worried about that. I also said last year that I was optimistic and that I was confident about how you were developing. You’re such a strong, energetic, happy boy – my confidence levels are, if anything, higher.

Hence: confidence.

I can also see more of your personality coming through, and I like what I see. I particularly like how affectionate you are. It’s guaranteed that I get a big cuddle if it’s me that gets you in / out of bed. That’s one of those things that’s difficult to put into words. I hope you get to experience it with your own kids one day.

The picture below sums things up for me. Neither of us are in focus but you can see from my face how much I’m enjoying hanging out with you. I remember it well: it was in a cafe in Battlefield on a Sunday morning and you were enjoying playing with some toys. It wasn’t a remarkable morning, really, but I’ll remember it all the same.

Until next year!

Love,

Your Dad.

Good morning Kirsten

I can hardly believe that I’m typing this, but you’re FIVE today!

4 v. 5

This was you on your fourth birthday (the two of us went on a disastrous trip to Rothesay which was aborted due to bad weather as soon as we arrived):

And this was you a few days ago:

Updates

The changes for you have continued at-pace this year. In order:

Moving house – October 2024

We said “goodbye” to 142A Queens Drive and “hello” to 28 Newlands Road.

The move was a blur, to be honest, and maybe the hardest day’s graft I’ve ever done. I’ve just checked and we took zero photos of moving in.

Although we had hired perfectly capable and professional removal people, I decided that I should try to make myself useful and try to help them. Suffice to say that I was not match-fit and needed electrolytes within about 10-minutes of getting started. I don’t remember your mum carrying anything… but she’ll no doubt correct me.

Holiday – July 2025

We went to Mallorca for a couple of weeks during the summer. We stayed at a golf resort about 10 minutes outside Palma called Arabella. It was pretty nice, and Palma itself was great. You swam every day and became highly proficient at diving for ‘sinkers’.

You started School – August 2025

A proper biggie in the context of life events:

So far, at least, school is going great. There have been no issues with you settling in; you seem to really enjoy it, and have lots of friends; you’ve come home with stickers and certificates for good behaviour; and you’re doing your homework. Long may all of that continue!

I’ll come back to school below.

What about you?

You’re a great kid.

You’re really into drawing and colouring-in, and dressing up. If you’ve drawn one rainbow, you’ve drawn a million. You’ve also started to draw our family, which has been nice. Although I must say that some of your depictions of me have been quite, how shall I say this, authentic (they’re hate crimes, frankly!). You recently drew me wearing a bow tie (I don’t think you’ve ever seen me wear one) so that I would “look smart“.

You enjoy watching any Disney film (Peter Pan has been a particular favourite) and, believe it or not, a programme called K-Pop Demon Hunters. I’m still not sure how you managed to sneak that one past the monitoring protocol of mum and me. You are living the dream in the new house insofar as you now have a dedicated play room, including a projector screen.

You have sort of learned to ride a bike. I say “sort of” because you haven’t really been interested in it. You prefer to ride your scooter.

We’ve had a summer of fantastic weather and you’ve enjoyed playing in the garden, especially in the paddling pool and on the trampoline (which I’d much rather we hadn’t bought but I was out-voted).

You’re generally brilliant with Cooper. You increasingly play together, now that he can sort of keep up with you. The favourite game is currently “King and Queen Nap Time“, which involves you both pulling blankets and cushions from couches; lying on / under them for c.2 seconds; then running around with the blankets over your heads.

Music, of course, remains important. The anthem for the year is most definitely Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan, although Tataki (by Argy); Xumba Xumba (by Mainline Magic Orchestra); and Holding Out for a Hero (by Bonnie Tyler) have all received serious air-time. We have to have Pink Pony Club on all the time in the car, between listening to the Tales of Narnia audiobook!

Family

Time with family remains one of, if not the, most important things for you. You’ve had a great time with everyone this year:

Max Q

SpaceX is currently developing rockets that are intended to take people to Mars. Maybe by the time you’ll have read this, they’ll already be there! They’re doing stuff that seems out of science-fiction: like catching rockets when they land.

I mention that because, during launches, SpaceX calls out the point at which the vehicle reaches “Max Q” i.e., the moment of maximum dynamic pressure – which apparently is exactly what it sounds like.

I feel like your mum and me are at Max Q right now, and have been for some time. We have two small(ish) kids, which is brilliant but non-stop; a new house, and all the work that comes with it, to do and pay for; school; busy jobs; etc. Maybe there will be points in our lives with more going on, for a prolonged period of time, but I sure hope not!

The difference between this year and last year is that we (or at least I) am starting the feel the benefits of all of the effort. One moment that has stuck with me, and which I photographed at the time with the plan of mentioning it to you, was your first day of school. We all left our nice house, in a good and safe part of town, where you and Cooper have plenty of space, to walk / scoot along to the school that we had the option of choosing for you:

That was cool. And it wouldn’t be possible unless we were pushing ourselves for you and Cooper. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’m hoping that our current upwards trajectory will continue but it would also be nice, one day to find ourselves in a steady orbit.

Finally: this was also cool. I think it’s my favourite photo of us this year – taken on our last night in Mallorca:

Until next year, pal.

Love,

Your Dad.

Good morning Cooper

Today is your first birthday: happy birthday!

As I’ve been doing for your sister, I’m planning to post each year about how you’re getting on; what you’re like; and any ‘big picture’ issues that are on my mind in relation to you. I’m hoping that when you’re older you’ll be able to look back at these posts and understand a bit more about how you grew up.

New v. 1

This was you a few days after you were born:

And this was you a few days ago:

Updates from the year?

The most significant update from the last year is that you were born! So everything is an ‘update’. The other major update happens tomorrow… when we move house!

There was a major difference between your first few months and Kirsten’s (other than there being no global pandemic…): I had three months off work with you, along with Mum and, for most of the week, Kirsten. With Kirsten, I had less than two weeks off work. That change was brilliant and meant that we got to spend a lot of quality time together.

There’s one other issue that I need to cover here. However, I am confident that, by the time you read this, it will be far behind us. That issue is what happened around the time of your arrival. The gist is that you were unwell when you were born and we were worried about you. I’ll level you with: as things stand, there’s still some residual concern about whether there will be adverse issues in the future. I am optimistic about the future (see below), and you needn’t worry, because we know the following to be irrefutably true:

1. As of today, you are a healthy boy. We have been to several appointments with specialists and all of them are happy with your progress. Primarily thanks to your mum, you are a big, strong, healthy lad (with a fine head of hair). All of that is good.
2. No matter what happens in the future, we will deal with it together.

As I say, I am optimistic. My levels of confidence about how you’re developing are very high. You need only look at how you’ve grown this year to see that you’re in good shape:

Who is Cooper Anderson?

We’re still getting to know each other because, while you can give us a good idea of what you want, you’re not yet speaking. But I like to think that we have a good idea of who you are:

• You’re a very happy boy. You are constantly smiling, laughing, waving, rolling your ankles, etc.
• You’re active. You are now fully crawling and using that new found mobility to explore.
• You could eat for Scotland. You are in something like the top centile for both weight and length. So you’re massive, but proportionately so. Uncle Mark says “sleep is anabolic” and, because you’re a decent sleeper, you’re piling on muscle in your sleep!
• You love balloons and cars. I can’t stress this enough. You have a red balloon (see above) that you can’t get enough of. You also enjoy a red bus and cars that Kirsten got for her birthday.
• You are Kirsten’s biggest fan (and vice versa). Seeing how the two of you get on is just brilliant. You scream with laughter at anything she does. My prediction is that your relationship with Kirsten will be a very special one as you get older.

You get the gist: you’re a joy to be around. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. You’ll see from the photos below how much everyone enjoys spending time with you:

Interstellar

Almost exactly 10 years ago, I posted on this very site about a film called “Interstellar“. My observation then was that it wasn’t about space; it was about being a dad. I’m more certain than ever that’s right. Me and Mum recently managed to go to see the tenth anniversary release at the iMax (shout out to Gran and Pappie for babysitting). The film definitely hits harder once you have kids of your own.

You’re named Cooper after the lead character in Interstellar. I think that was my idea (Mum might correct me) because the film, and character, have stayed with me ever since I first saw it. I think it’s the optimism that Cooper has for his kids’ futures (he also has a son and a daughter), and the fact that he travels through and space and time to get back to them, that speaks to me on a molecular level.

I’m already looking forward to watching this with you:

It has a been a brilliant first year as a family of four. Here are some of my favourite photos of us (if Mum isn’t in the photo it’s because she took it):

Until next year!

Love,

Your Dad.

Good morning Kirsten

You turn three today: happy birthday!

2 v. 3

As in previous years, this was you on your second birthday:

And this was you a few days before your third birthday:

What have you been up to this year?

This year hasn’t been as action-packed as 2022, at least as far as holidays go, but we have been busy.

The usual routine is still that you spend three days at nursery each week, often seeing Gran and Pappie during one of those afternoons; two days with Mum, going to lots of classes and seeing friends; and two days with Mum and me, going on “Mummy / Daddy adventure days“. We still see Uncle Mark most Saturday mornings and Grandpa on Sunday mornings.  

You’ve got into trains in a major way.  It doesn’t matter what type or size: you love them all!

We’ve been going to Troon a lot for tea.  You seem to really enjoy ‘picnics’ in the car (i.e., fish suppers from the Wee Hurrie) and watching the waves.  A couple of times ago, we saw a big sailing ship and we all decided it must have been pirates!

We built your new ‘big girl bed’ together and you’re now very happy in it.  No escapes, so far.  

You continue to enjoy music, thank god. The Encanto soundtrack is your current favourite:

When the weather has been good, we’ve spent time at the beach.  Playing in the sand is up there with your favourite things to do.

We went to Girona for our summer holiday.  You had a great time there and, If we’d let you, I think you’d have lived in the pool.  You also bottle-fed fish at the Barcelona aquarium, which I didn’t know was possible.

We took a gamble by taking you to see some of the cycling World Championships in town.  Turned out you enjoyed it!  Belgium next, I think…

You’ve also spent lots of time with family, of course:

What are you like?

I’ve been thinking about how to summarise you at this point in your life:

You love everything: from cats to umbrellas; your parents to conkers; everything.  And you show it.  

• You love to sing and dance.  Particular favourites include the Encanto and Lion King soundtracks.  

• When we ask you how you’ve slept, and whether you’ve had any dreams, you tell us that you’ve dreamt of rainbows, unicorns, Spider-Man and ice cream.

• You listen out for planes overhead and say that you’d like to fly in a plane yourself.

• You go up to other kids at play parks and introduce yourself.  You also ask other kids to help you onto climbing frames that Mum and I have said are too big for you.

You get the picture?  You’re incandescent.  

Take a look at these reactions to things:

I hope your outlook on life continues like this.  

Thoughts for the year

My thought for the year is: forks.

Mum and I have been watching a programme called The Bear.  Season 2 just finished.  

An episode of Season 2 is named Forks and, in my opinion, it’s a perfect episode of television.  

It involves a character that’s been drifting and knows himself that he doesn’t have a purpose in life.  During the episode, he discovers the thing that gets him out of bed in the morning and in which he takes pride.  He’s a changed man after making that discovery. 

I’ve been thinking about that in the context of what we can help instil in you.  Where I get to is that we should encourage and help you:

• To do something that gets you out of bed in the morning.  We don’t mind what the thing is for you, and maybe you’ll need to try a few different things, but you’ll work it out. 

• Once you have found the thing, to take pride in it.  I distinctly remember your Gran (and my Aunty Margaret) rubbing out untidy homework and saying “if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well”. I think that’s right.  In The Bear, learning to take pride in the little things – forks – was the catalyst for the change in the character’s life:

• To constantly try to improve the thing.  In my experience, this is where things start to get fun. This is about fulfilling your potential and doing the thing at a level that you couldn’t have imagined when you started out.

• To teach the thing to others.  Someone other than Mum and I will, along the way, take extra time to explain something to you, or give you a bit of extra confidence.  You should pass that on. 

If you can do that, and maybe even find more than one thing, I’d like to think that it will contribute to you having a fulfilling life and, maybe experience days like this every once in a while:

A few final words in relation to The Bear (can you tell I like it!?):

• The main character is Carmy: a Michelin star chef who has returned to his family restaurant following the death of his brother. 

• His brother used to tell Carmy to “let it rip” when he needed encouragement.   I’m a fan of that.

• He and his brother had a complicated relationship but it’s obvious that, for better and worse, Carmy has been heavily influenced by his brother.  Their thing was the same.  

• At the end of Season 1, there’s a very brief montage of them cooking together.  They don’t speak – they just glance and smile at each other – and I think the scene is in the show because it’s a pivotal moment in Carmy’s life.  It may be the point at which he and his brother were at their happiest.  

Your brother is about to arrive and I’m sure that the relationship between you two will be special and important.  I hope that you can throw him the odd “let it rip” or smile of approval; I suspect it’ll matter more to him than you realise.

By the way, this photo of you reminded me of that scene:

Until next year.

Love, 

Your Dad.  

Good morning Kirsten,

It’s your Dad, again – here to mark your second birthday: happy birthday!

As I think might become a tradition in these posts, this was you a year ago today:

And this was you a few days ago – climbing, no less!

What’s been happening?

… Loads, is the answer.

You still go to nursery three days a week (spending the other two weekdays with Mum); you still go swimming and to music classes, etc.; you still see your grandparents and Uncle Mark most weeks; you still love reading books; and we get out and about together every weekend.

We’ve also been able to get out and about more, this year. We’ve been on three holidays:

We went to St Andrews for a few days over Easter:

We were in the South of France a couple of weeks ago for John and Paloma’s wedding:

And, of course, we spent three weeks in California with most of the family for a wedding of our own:

It’s been a busy year.

How have you been?

… Incredible, is the answer.

The pace at which you change remains unreal!

This time last year, you were still a baby. Since then, you’ve become a fully-fledged wee person:

• You can walk, run, jump and hide;
• You can talk;
• You have friends (Josh and Sadie from nursery, in particular);
• You can play with and pat the cats;
• You can (and frequently do) ask for cuddles;
• You insist on putting hair clips on Bertie the Bear and Tombliboo (I’m still not quite sure what they are);
• You sometimes throw almighty tantrums; and
• The thing I enjoy to do most with you: you dance and SING!

You have a brilliant sense of humour; you’re mischievous; you’re affectionate; you’re observant; and you’re bright.

One of the particular highlights of my week is currently our Sunday morning routine. We usually have a bit more time on our hands and we spend it playing “slamming tunes” (I can sense your mother eye-rolling, even now) and dancing, while we eat breakfast.

A favourite track of yours is “Tate” by Fred Again. We were having breakfast this morning (a Sunday, so the tunes were slamming) and you demanded that I put on “broskis” – you’ll understand why you call it that, if you listen to the track (I try to turn down the bad language at the beginning…):

Thoughts for the year and What’s Next?

Do me a favour please, Kirsten, and hit ‘play’ before reading on:

[Who knows whether in 20 years Youtube will still be a ‘thing’ so let me also tell you that it’s “Photograph” by Arcade Fire, from the soundtrack of an excellent film called ‘Her’.]

For me, this feels like our last year.

• It’s called “Photograph” because, in the film, it’s used in lieu of a photo to capture a moment in two people’s lives together (we’re lucky in that we have plenty of photos).
• There’s a definite rhythm to it, but with changes of pace and key.
• The track is also instrumental, which sort of reflects that we’re not quite at the stage where we can speak properly with each other.
• Importantly, I think it’s hopeful…

Speaking of which, you’ll hopefully have a sense from everything explained above that your second year has been brilliant – there’s nothing that I would have done differently.

As for ‘what’s next?’ (the eternal question), we’re thinking hard about the future: there are decisions to be made about where we’re going to live; where you might go to school, etc. By the time you read this, you’ll have an opinion as to whether we made the right decisions. All I’ll say is this: you can rest assured that we’re trying our best for you. We may not get everything right, but that won’t be for lack of effort.

I’ll leave you, for now, with two things:

First: some photos of you with your loved ones this year:

Second: a ‘Tash’. There aren’t (currently) any photos of me keeping an eye on you as you play / dance / do any of the other things that keeps you busy, but I imagine the expression on my face is similar to this (Joaquin Phoenix, ‘Her’) – he’s mesmerised.

Until next year, Kirsten.

Love,

Your Dad

P.s. If you read / look at photos at the same pace as me, “Photograph” will just be ending. Please don’t tell me if that didn’t work: I spent more time than was reasonable playing around with it.

Good morning Kirsten,

Who knows when you’ll read this, if ever, but you turn one today: Happy birthday! 

In some ways, your first year has flown by.  In others, it feels like a lifetime. From your perspective, I suppose, the latter is exactly what it’s been.

I have tried in this post to jot-down some of the things that I remember most about your first 365 days on Planet Earth.  I reckon that’s important for two reasons: first, perhaps you’ll enjoy reading about your younger self one day.  Second, because you change so quickly, I want to make sure that I don’t lose any of the memories that I’ve accumulated this year.

To start off, and illustrate just how much you’ve changed during your first year, here’s what you looked like when you were three hours old:

And here’s what you looked like when you were 363 days old:

The most important thing about the first year of your life is that you’ve been healthy and happy.  There have been times when you’ve felt a bit under the weather (e.g. after starting nursery, you seemed to catch every bug imaginable, including chickenpox) and a bit grumpy (like me, your sugar levels need to remain topped-up in order to be on top form), but they have been few and far between. Most days, you’ve been like this from the moment you wake up:

Of course, playing is your favourite thing to do, preferably with something you can chew on.  When you’re really enjoying something, you laugh, clap and roll your ankles. You’ve also recently started to bop along to music and nod your head when one of your favourite songs plays (I’m particularly delighted about that!). You get a kick out of books; especially ones with windows that you can open and things that pop out. For example, there’s a book called “I’m Hungry”, by Rob Campbell, which includes a pop-out tiger at the end.  You could read that book all day and still laugh every time at the last page.

This is one of the first times that we read a book together (shortly before you overtook me on the hair-front…):

You now really enjoy your food. You tend to eat at least some of whatever your mum and I have, whether we like it or not!  We also go out lots at the weekend. A current highlight of the week is brunch almost every Saturday morning with Uncle Mark at a café called Patricia’s. We’re there so often that they know how you like your toast and that you enjoy your orange juice from a takeaway espresso cup! 

You go to lots of classes (swimming, dancing, gymboree, etc.) and have had no trouble settling into nursery. Your mum has opted to spend two days each week with you this year. You get up to loads of fun things but you especially like swimming:

I could write loads more about what you do but maybe you’d be more interested in what you’re like. I’m biased, of course, but I think you’re a joy. You have your own distinct personality: you’re developing a sense of humour (you hide under your bath towel, for example, and play peekaboo); you’re interested in the world around you (I remember when you were very small and we used to walk beneath trees while out for a walk because you liked to look at the leaves); you enjoy company (just this morning, you were waving and talking to people while we were out and about); and you’re confident.

You needn’t take my word for all of that. Just look at how much folk enjoy spending time with you:

You’ve brought more joy into all of our lives than certainly I could ever have imagined. That’s especially the case for your mum and me but also for your grandparents and Uncle Mark (to name but a few). The world is simply a better place with you in it, and that’s before you’ve learned to speak and tell us what you think! It’s miraculous, really.

We have some fun things planned for your second year. I’ll check-in here to let you know how they went. Until then, as you’ll gather if you scroll down, the key question for you is: What’s Next? I can’t wait to find out how you want to answer it.

Love,

Your Dad.

P.S. This wouldn’t be a proper TF without a Tash (I’ll explain that to you one day). I’ve gone for Steve Carell on the basis that he played a dad in a great film called “Beautiful Boy”. I don’t think that I would have properly understood that film before you arrived:

At the risk of extending an already mammoth TF, I’ll also leave you two of the tracks that remind me most of your first year: the first is a ‘recomposed’ (whatever that means…) version of a Bach’s “Cello Suite No. 1”. I don’t really understand the names of classical pieces but this one seems to be called “Prelude“. I distinctly remember it playing during the drive home from the hospital after you were born and thinking that it was perfect for that moment. The second is “Treasure” by Sampha. It’s the soundtrack from “Beautiful Boy” and, again, it seems perfect for you. You’ll no doubt be sick of hearing both of them by the time your old enough to read this post..

Good morning Tash Appreciators,

It’s been a while!

Back when TF was in everyone’s mailboxes at 5am each Friday, it was usually drafted while I was on a minging, over-priced, Scotrail train on the way back from Edinburgh.  However, this edition, for the first time ever, is being written (Sierra Nevada in hand) from TF’s spiritual home: the tiny bit of coastline midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles called San Simeon.

Mr Tash Friday Senior (aka Dave-Dawg) likes to check in with me every now and again to make sure I haven’t done something stupid.  Earlier this week, he text to ask where I was and that I wasn’t dead in a ditch somewhere.  When I explained that I was in Yosemite and that I was going stargazing at Glacier Point that evening his reply was:

“…you always find the great add ons…”

I should first mention that if you’re ever in Yosemite overnight you must go stargazing at Glacier Point.  Glacier Point (as mentioned in previous TFs) is where John Muir (a serial Tash) persuaded Teddy Roosevelt (he of “Daring Greatly” fame and also a serial Tash) to make Yosemite a National Park.  It looked like this the other night, as the sun set and moon rose:

It’s a long drive to get up there at sunset and it seems even longer when you’re going back down in the dark but it’s inspiring stuff: no photo can do it justice.

I hadn’t thought of the trip to Glacier Point as an add-on.  I had just thought: “I’m here – let’s do it“.  Now I think about it, I wasn’t always like that.

A few years ago, I’d have said “it’s too long a drive” or “it’s too dangerous to drive those roads at night” but I’m more inclined to have a go at things now.  I think a lot of that stems from people’s reaction to TF.  The positive reaction to TF (and Operation Zorro in particular) was a real boost at a time when I was swithering about what to do with my life.  I think that’s why my attitude to things now is to think “let’s give it a bash and see what happens“.  Sometimes all it takes is a little encouragement, you know?

This week’s Tash has to be John Muir.  If it wasn’t for him, I might not have had the chance to see the Yosemite which I saw the other night.  He said in 1912, about “The Yosemite” that: “[e]verybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.”  Having seen the place, I know exactly what he means.

TF might not be as regular as it once was but the question on my mind is the same as ever:

What’s next?

Have a great weekend folks – hope you’ve got some time off coming up.

Post-script

While I’m talking about fun add-ons, I should share what I’ve found this trip:

(1) Kirby Cove – San Francisco

This is only really do-able because of the wonders of Uber.

Kirby Cove is on the Marin County side of the Golden Gate Bridge (i.e. the far side).  There are a couple of ways to get there: either get an Uber all the way there or (the more fun way) get the ferry from Pier 39 to Sausalito and then an Uber from Sausalito.  You’re then heading for the first observation point on Hawk Hill (overlooking the Bridge).  Once you’re there, there’s a path which runs down the hill to a small beach.  On the beach, there is a swing over the sea…

It’s not a lot to look at in this photo but the views of the bridge are the best you’ll find and there’s no-one else there.

(2) Moonstone Beach – San Simeon

I’ve banged on about this before.  If you’ve never been (and, if you haven’t, you really need to take a long, hard look at your life choices), it looked like this tonight:

I’d rather spend a day here than anywhere else in the world.