Wide Open Spaces

So I'm taking a break from city life for a week. I came back to Kansas to go to my cousin's wedding and to visit with my family and friends. I always enjoy coming back. It's like a totally different world here. A world I spent 20+ years of my life in and love visiting, but one I think would drive me absolutely insane if I had to spend an extended period of time here. It's quiet. There is space everywhere, wide open green space. Unfortunately, it is totally land-locked. Below is a photo of my parent's yard/garden. They own about 1/2 of the block they live on.



Things are a little slower paced, not that I feel that San Francisco is particularly fast-paced, but definitely speedier than Iola, KS. Everyone drives everywhere. Wal-Mart is not only a store but a source of amusement and social interaction. There's a handful of fast food restaurants and a couple sit-down restaurants. People have yards. There is no public transportation. Diversity, not so much. People will always notice things and people that are different and usually have an opinion about them.

I don't say these things to be negative; it really just is the way things are. For some people, it works. For others, like me, a week is about all I can take. I miss the hundreds of restaurants in San Francisco. I miss my Muni chariots. I miss the ocean. I miss the neverending cast of characters I get to see on a daily basis. I miss things going on after 9pm, besides drinking and fornicating of course. I miss the anonymity. I miss everything I could ever want being at my disposal.

I will say, I do like the quiet here, and it's hard to find a spot where the stars are brighter at night. This place has it charms, and it will certainly always be where I came from; but being here always makes me miss San Francisco.

Backyards Galore!

As promised long ago, this post will be delving into the strange and sometimes elusive creature known as the San Francisco backyard. Given the fact that I live in the Sunset, backyards in my neighborhood are not that rare. However, they are definitely a different beast than the backyards I grew up with in the Midwest. In small town Kansas where I was born and raised, backyards were expansive and green. A blessing in the all the recreation they allowed for, but a curse in the work they required to maintain. In the city, the backyard is not a given. It is a luxury this densely packed area does not give up lightly or cheaply. With more and more condos being built, it is an amenity that many will simply live without. Being lucky enough to have access to a shared backyard, I relish sunny weekends like this one. Weekends where going to the beach or the park would be awesome, but for some reason you don't even want to leave your own backyard because it is just that perfect.

So you might ask, what is so special/weird about San Francisco backyards? First off, they rarely involve grass. You don't see many yards that are just grass fence to fence. I'm sure this has a lot to do with the soil out here being mostly sand and not very conducive to growing grass. They usually involve a lot of concrete or brick, something to keep maintenance to a minimum and to create a nice are for hanging out. For those that have the time and/or money, they are often meticulously landscaped. Sometimes they are just a strange conglomeration of whatever will grow and storage sheds. I think our neighbor's yard falls under this last category.

You can also see just how carefully the land here is parceled out. With houses so close together and yards so small, you definitely want to make sure everyone gets their fair share. Every time I look out and see all the adjoining fences it just makes me think of some crazy jigsaw puzzle or tetris game.

When it comes to our yard, it definitely has a life of it's own. There are parts that have been carefully cultivated and other areas that have just been allowed to grow as they choose. Of course there is the designated lounging area to enjoy our chunk of California sunshine.

Next door on the other side is cat heaven. This shady yard with just the right mix of plants, grass, and concrete is a favorite of the neighborhood cats. They can often be seen soaking up some rays and being lazy back there.

This is just a small snapshot of the diverse backyards that exist here in the city, a subject that is of great interest to me. When space comes at a premium how exactly do people choose to use it?