Saturday was "Tu B'Shvat", the Jewish version of Arbor Day. “Tu Bishvat, or the "Birthday/New Year" of all fruit trees, is a minor festival seemingly tailor-made for today's Jewish environmentalists. In fact, there is an ancient midrash (rabbinic teaching) that states, "When God led Adam around the Garden of Eden, God said, 'Look at My works. See how beautiful they are, how excellent! For your sake I created them all. See to it that you do not spoil or destroy My world--for if you do, there will be no one to repair it after you'" (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7.13).”
We celebrated it by spending it out doors in a beautiful San Francisco day. First we noshed on some bagels from Noah’s and then drove to the San Francisco Zoo. We wandered around the African Savanna section to see the giraffes and zebras. Then we spent time checking out the gorillas, monkeys and lemurs. Interesting fact: there is chicken wire wrapped around the trees in the Savanna area where the giraffes live. This is to keep the giraffes from licking all the bark off the trees and destroying them. We watched several giraffes lick the wooden siding of their barn.
After lunch we drove up the coast to just past the Cliff House to hike the “Lands End Trail.” The trail begins at a cypress tree grove above the Cliff House and Sutro Bath ruins. It winds along the rocky, rugged cliffs where the Bay meets the Pacific. Across the channel you can see the Marin headlands. There are many twisted and contorted cypress trees along the trail frozen in recoil from the relentless wind. The kids had fun finding walking sticks along the trail to carry and play with. They also counted the trail steps in one steep section…all 127 of them!
We celebrated it by spending it out doors in a beautiful San Francisco day. First we noshed on some bagels from Noah’s and then drove to the San Francisco Zoo. We wandered around the African Savanna section to see the giraffes and zebras. Then we spent time checking out the gorillas, monkeys and lemurs. Interesting fact: there is chicken wire wrapped around the trees in the Savanna area where the giraffes live. This is to keep the giraffes from licking all the bark off the trees and destroying them. We watched several giraffes lick the wooden siding of their barn.
After lunch we drove up the coast to just past the Cliff House to hike the “Lands End Trail.” The trail begins at a cypress tree grove above the Cliff House and Sutro Bath ruins. It winds along the rocky, rugged cliffs where the Bay meets the Pacific. Across the channel you can see the Marin headlands. There are many twisted and contorted cypress trees along the trail frozen in recoil from the relentless wind. The kids had fun finding walking sticks along the trail to carry and play with. They also counted the trail steps in one steep section…all 127 of them!
As the poet said, "only God can make a tree" - probably because it's so hard to figure out how to get the bark on. ~Woody Allen
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Just watned to let you guys know I am still around. Drop me an e-mail.
scottph3@gmail.com
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