Morning joys and Quiz 9 in Theory, including material derived from Charles Ives's Serenity, Scott Joplin's The Entertainer, Claude Debussy's Children's Corner and Preludes, and Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring -- then off on an early break to Marin, with clouds building up over Mt. Tamalpais.
After the usual errands, seems appropriate to try to capture some local landmarks, such as the Big Rock Ridge (north of the Terra Linda section of San Rafael),
and Mount Burdell (above Novato).
Cruising across the Sonoma lowlands, with a signature Red Barn, Sears Point Mountain comes into focus
in light and shadow,
and cows and canyons,
before turning north towards Route 24 in the Southern Mayacamas Mountains (dip in road...)
for discrete colors of forest, chaparral, grassland, vinyards,
stones, and walls,
near the lone oak at the Napa border,
where the view opens up across the Valley to the distant Vaca Mountains and Mt. George.
As it's indeed only a stone's throw to Old Sonoma Road, cannot resist a detour to continue the personal Bay Area Ridge Trail by returning to the scene of two-Saturdays'-ago-last-Napa- walking crime, and proceeding from the beginning of Congress Valley Road to its next major intersection,
where an old farmhouse lazes amongst palm and other greenery.
Return is via the viaduct of Route 29 over the Napa River,
past a flaming eucalyptus windbreak,
with one last look of George-and-company vincinity.
Previous to all this, in early a.m., finish notation for first movement of Vocal Sonatina No. 1 ("Spitzer"), with words drawn from news items re the Emperor's Club V.I.P. and Ashley Alexandra Dupre (a.k.a. Kristen).
