Monday, September 22, 2008 - Touring Oakland

Views of a pond area near Oakland

Mt. Vernon pond and farm

Pond View - I sat on the dock and painted (even though "no trespassing")

I awoke at 6:30 am to take a short walk and go for a kayak ride. I wanted to see if I could spot the eagle once again. It is quite cool this morning, but bright and sunny. This is such a beautiful and serene lake. After some breakfast, I was ready to explore the area on bike. I am prepared to sketch and paint as much as possible. I expected to only do 25 miles, but ended up doing 42miles. The terrain here is has deep valleys and very high vistas. The views from below and above are all fabulous. After visiting the local bike shop and attempting to visit the library, I set out for more country. The destination was a pond area off of Castle Island road. Along the route, I spotted a sign for an art gallery in Mt. Vernon. It added some distance, but still curious. There happen to be some extreme hills leading to the area. I arrived at the gallery, only to find out that it is closed. The town was very cute though. I stepped in a cafe next door and had some excellent carrot cake while chatting with the locals. They were impressed with my trip and expecially interested in the bike with little wheels. They gave me advice on what route to take to Belfast. I had a great ride back, taking many photos and doing a good amount of sketching. I arrived home at 5:30, just as it was getting cool and the sun was seting. Every day it is a bit sooner, so I must keep that in mind. We had another terrific vegetarian meal of tofu, beans, guacamole and quinoa.