I snapped these pictures on a recent hike in Baltimore Canyon and had to share. The sun was shining through the redwoods, but the ground was covered in what looked like a blanket of leaves.
Being raised in Arizona and the land of the cactus, I am truly inspired by the beauty of Marin and resources almost literally in my backyard.
It is hard to imagine that families in Marin are going hungry, but they are. We have begun hearing that the Marin Food Bank now has more than double the number of families needing their support this year. I have been told that in June of this year, the Marin Food Bank was providing food for approximately 1,200 people – three meals a day. By October, that number had risen to nearly 3,000 people. In response, Pacific Union’s Greenbrae office has kicked off a Peanut Butter and Jelly drive. When I first heard about it, I can honestly say I was a little skeptical. PB&J? How will that help the hungry?
Over the last week, I have heard stories from a few of my coworkers who, as kids, went to school hungry and had to use the services of a food bank or a “soup kitchenâ€. They have said that even if all they had had was a P&J sandwich to split between breakfast and lunch, going to school would have been so much easier than going to school so hungry. The food provided at places like Marin Food Bank literally changes peoples lives.
Favorite foods of the children are macaroni and cheese, green beans, peanut butter, jelly, canned chili – – easy-to-prepare, nutritious foods that the little ones will eat. The food bank is also in need of paper bags with handles and egg cartons. The paper bags are used to distribute food. Egg donations come in bulk. The egg cartons provide a safe and easy way to distribute the eggs.
My office attempting to get as much PB&J to the Marin Food Bank as possible. This year is a challenging year for many of us, but most of us don’t ever have to worry about having actual food on the table. For about six dollars, a large jar of peanut butter and a large jar of grape jelly can be purchased at Costco (we will be buying in bulk). If you have a few dollars to spare, please make a contribution to our drive. You can drop off PB&J, a check or other canned goods (non-perishable) at the Greenbrae office at 189 Sir Francis Drake in Greenbrae or contact me and I can arrange pick up. Don’t forget to drop off your paper bags with handles as well!
Additionally, you can also donate food directly by dropping canned goods at the Big Turkey display at the Town Center Mall in Corte Madera, or at food donation boxes in West America Banks and Safeway stores. Cash contributions can also be made online with the Marin Food Bank.
Every little contribution, even six dollars, makes a significant difference to people living in our community.
Image courtesy of Jennifer Palacio.
The Silver Peso is a Larkspur landmark in more ways than one. The bar is located in one of Larkspur’s oldest buildings. It has housed a blacksmith, a market and a tavern. The Silver Peso was born after World War II when an ex-GI purchased the Peso with silver pesos he recovered during a dive into Manila Bay. He had heard that the Philippine government dumped its national bank reserves into Manila Bay to prevent them from falling to the Japanese.
Today, “the Peso” is well known for being the local dive bar. Think Cheers, but seedier. I recently read the reviews of the Silver Peso on Yelp and got a good laugh. Here are excerpts from a few:
If you look at the majority of bars in Marin, this doesn’t fit the mold, which is probably why I like it. Casual, fun. A place where everybody knows your name. (Ok, maybe not that part- thankfully, or you might be hanging out here too often)
Did you know that recycling theft has become an issue in Marin County? It is hard to believe someone might want to steal my garbage, but apparently it is true. What do they want to do with all of my old wine bottles?
Apparently, thieves are looking for bottles and cans to sell back and earn money.
The Marin Sanitary Service reminds residents not to confront the thieves, but to call 311 to report the non-emergency crime and recommends getting vehicle information and time of crime to report to the police.
How do you prevent recycling theft? The Marin Sanitary Service suggests putting your recycling out before 6am instead of the night before. Rise and shine!
Yes, there I said it. I really love living in Marin County. Anytime I leave the area and return home, as I cross back over the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin County, I find a smile lights up on my face. I could have been vacationing on the Mexican Riviera, and I still smile when I come home. I think that says a lot.
I love the view coming through the Waldo Tunnel- the lights twinkling in the Sausalito harbor at night, crystal blue water during the day, Mt. Tam majestic in the distance. Oh, sometimes we are socked in fog, but often, I leave a foggy San Francisco and can see the skies open up in to glorious sunshine. Marin County truly has some of the best weather in the country- never too hot or too cold. Despite living in such an affluent community, I find most Marin residents are very friendly. I love all of the quaint downtown areas in places like Larkspur and Mill Valley. Sometimes I feel like I have stepped back in time- “quaint” downtown areas are non-existent in the suburbs of Arizona where I grew up.
If you are lucky enough to live here, you probably know how special it is. Sure, Marin housing prices are ridiculous. Part of the reason they are is because we live in such a special place- close proximity to San Francisco, easy commute, tons of outdoor activities year around,
Marin, glorious Marin. I am happy to call you my home.
If you don’t like living in the fog, these pictures demonstrate is an excellent reason to drive just a couple more exits north on the 101 freeway. As you can see, the fog sits on the mountains between Mill Valley and Corte Madera/Larkspur. While Mill Valley, Tiburon, Belvedere, Sausalito and San Francisco are socked in with fog, often the rest of Marin is sunny (and frequently 5-10 degrees warmer).
Unfamiliar with Marin? It is important to understand the many weather micro-climates of the communities. A few miles (even within the same city) can mean a substantial difference in fog, light, wind, sunshine, and even rain.
Well this is good news… According to the Marin IJ, Marin County has the lowest high school drop out rate in the State of California. The state average is 24.2 percent compared to Marin’s 6.9 percent. I firmly believe the strong school systems in Marin are a key factor for the relative stability in the Marin County housing market.
We often hear a lot about the quality of education in Marin elementary schools and Marin middle schools, but it is nice to know it continues on through high school!
Marin County makes the list of “America’s Best Places to Raise A Family†according to a June 30, 2008 article on www.forbes.com. Marin ranked #15 on the list of 20 best places.
Forbes used 10 data points for their ranking. Among the areas under consideration were education, housing, cost of living, crime, air quality and commute time.
As indicated in the article, the “rankings are skewed toward counties with good school districts.†This move certainly worked in Marin’s favor given the strong performance of our school system. The consideration of low crime, air quality (this summer excluded) and commute times were also likely favorable considerations for Marin.
Not in Marin’s favor was the cost of housing / living. The article cited a median home price of $901,900 as the most expensive on the list.
In case you needed it, the Forbes article is further confirmation of why people continue to move here. Despite the high cost of housing, people find value in the school system and quality of life. It is for these reasons that Marin’s home prices have held up so well in these difficult times for our nation’s housing market.
I am sure you have heard the updates that Marin is going to be sprayed for the light brown apple moth (LBAM). My sister and my parents live in Santa Cruz County where spraying has already taken place. This quote comes directly from an email my sister sent to me:
We actually did get a respiratory illness immediately following the spraying. It was a really hard one to get rid of. Dad and Mom also got the same thing we had and much worse. Dad who usually doesn’t question this kind of thing is totally convinced that his respiratory illness was from the spraying. They were sprayed directly while we just had residuals.
I just think they are spraying without doing enough research on the effects of the chemical on humans.
There is not enough proof that is kills the LBAM and every evidence that it is not good for humans. The CDC even has information on their website that the spray is harmful to humans and we should not come into physical contact with the spray.
I have asthma and any illnesses I get always go straight to my chest. I have enough problems breathing. I don’t need anything else to make me sick, thank you. More importantly, the children and the elderly don’t need respiratory illnesses.
Stop the spraying in Marin until more research is done.
I work up to this gorgeous Marin sunrise this morning. Happy March and happy Sunday!