Sex, politics, city ambling and solid food

Hi, Wilson
Junior and I have had had a great time bonding this week. Since acquiring the Little Unbreakable from the One World Play Project on Monday, I've been introducing them to the World. Well, OK, the world of San Francisco.

A giant rainbow flag flies at the boundary of the Castro neighborhood in San Francisco.

One part of that world has its own flag, Pictured above. Remember a year ago on Valentine's day? I explained women to you and it was then that we accepted the fact that One World Futbols are pre-gendered and are assigned the third-person singular non-specific pronoun, "they." (I'm still forgetting to use that pronoun from time to time -- old customs are hard to shake.)

Well, San Francisco has a neighborhood--the Castro--where the residents have been clarifying their gender orientation for decades. And they recognize it's not an either-or. It's a spectrum, so they represent it with that geat big humongous rainbow flag.

A historic theater building is another identifier for the Castro neighborhood.

There are people who have trouble understanding that spectrum, and one of those individuals caused a lot of hurt last week. The Castro neighborhood showed solidarity for the victims of his rampage by gathering a big pile of flowers on a street corner in the heart of The Castro.

Junior visited a growing pile of flowers that expressed solidarity with the shooting victims.

This was the beginning of Junior's initiation: the harm humans can cause for each other and the role OneWorld Futbols can play in bringing people together.

San Francisco's Grace Cathedral welcomes those seeking immunity from intolerance.

The next day, when my other traveling companion, Valerie, and I were walking on Nob Hill, we visited Grace Cathedral, which is the epitome of tolerance and understanding, as indicated in the photo above. Valerie held Junior up so they could read about the commitment of this Episcopal church to offer immunity to all who enter: Immunity from the "ravages of religion," ... "inquisitions, crusades and witch hunts," and "religious military zealots, abortion clinic bombings and TV evangelists attempting to take power..."

At their young age, that was a lot to throw at Junior out of the blue, but they handled it well.

Twin Peaks

Sheltered from brisk winds on this staircase, Junior ascended one  of the Twin Peaks.

There was more to see in The City. Valerie wanted to see Twin Peaks, a couple of hills that overlook San Francisco. It's a steep climb, made shorter with the help of a bus that took us most of the way to the top. Junior was able to make it up the final steps, despite some really brisk winds, where they could take in the view of the city, in the photo, below.

View from Twin Peaks; the faint diagonal line in the center of the photo is Market Street, pointing toward San Francisco's Financial District.

The Haight

Junior and me in a botique that capitalized on the sixties' rejection of  materialism.

Afterward we hiked down to Haight Ashbury, another item on Valerie's bucket list. She shot this photo above showing me educating Junior about the Sixties.

Junior also got introduced to the concept of luxury during a brief visit to Laurel Court in Nob Hill's opulent Fairmont Hotel.

Junior ogles the Fairmount's grand staircase.

Not the world's crookedest street?

Despite the hills--or maybe because of them--San Francisco is a great walking city, and we walked for several miles on Thursday, including in our ramblings a visit to the crookedest street in the world -- part of Lombard street where  a really steep slope is made navigable by a series of Lombard's sharp switchbacks.

Actually, a Cable Car conductor observed, Lombard isn't the world's crookedest street. The top honor, he disclosed, goes to Wall Street.

Junior observed the passing of the cars on one of the many curves on Lombard Street.

Then we hit one of the great landmarks of the world -- we set off for The Bridge.

From the bridge we could view a smirk of pelicans passing below.

After walking the Golden Gate, Junior rested.

What to do after walking The Bridge? We introduced Junior to their first solid food -- at Ghirardelli Square. At more than $12, this was probably the most expensive banana split I've ever purchased. I couldn't believe they ate the whole thing.

Junior spies the Ghirardelli banana split...

...and leaves the plate pristine.

Well, Wilson, you obviously don't have to worry about me getting lonely. I've got Blue at the condo, and Junior to hike with. I've got summer plans for the Little Indestructible, but that's for a later dispatch.

Love,
Robert
(And Junior)