The Beauty of Marin

January is usually dreary, rainy, and basically somewhat depressing. This year however, the flowers are confused, the grass is growing, and everyone, I mean everyone, is smiling. Twenty-nine days of January sunshine and more to come in February. Okay, we are all worried about global warming and a summer drought, but for today -- it is magnificient!!! Every which way we look it is beautiful. Yes we miss France and its beauty, but we are thankful for the bright sunshine on the blue pacific bay and the clear, crisp stunning acqua sky. Hiking up Ring Mountain in the sunshine, dressed in capris, shortsleeves and running shoes we stop to view the Oakland Hills across the bay, the stillness of the water and the clear view of small dotted islands on the farside of the Richmond Bridge. On a clear day, you can indeed see forever. Pantoufle bounded up and around and in and out of the grasses, sniffing her way down a few foxholes. Zoe-Pascale dreamed she was in Switzerland scampering up the path and putting her foothold in the large boulders jutting out of the terrain. Winding our way around the big loop trail we gratefully thanked the day and the sunshine for it's glorious warmth in the middle of winter. ....

 And the week before we walked the shores of Stinson Beach. I don't know who had more fun us or the dog!