The morning walk toward the Golden Gate Bridge was filled with beauty of its own – from the sunrise at my host’s house, to Sausalito’s incredible view of San Francisco across the water, to the road that took me closer with each 100 paces to the Bridge’s North entrance. Wait, not quite so fast – I had a very steep switch back type road to climb that took me under the Bridge, past the Coast Guard station and up on the West side. All good! No, not yet…I had thirteen steps to go down, a short cross under the Bridge again, and thirteen steps to go up in order to be on the East side, where pedestrians and cyclists were making their way across. The great news is that my friends were waiting to walk across with me, and two of the guys were kind enough to carry the buggy down, then up the stairs. I glady accepted the assistance! Thanks to Fabian Müller and Chris Johnson!
While I waited for my friends to come save me from the stairs, I met Dave. Dave was interested in my shirt, and shared his experience of walking with a group of people across the country in 1982 – for nuclear disarmament. 
No, this is not a repeat story. (Dave was on a walk four years before Jerry, who I introduced you to a couple of days ago).
As we walked across the Bridge, my friends Kata Müller, Fabian Müller, Chris Johnson, Amanda Livermore, Annemarie Estess and Lauri Smith brought smiles, laughs, tears and love to this first of many milestones on the Walk for PEACE.
After we crossed, we rested. Chandler got to feel the earth beneath her feet again, and love was in the air…a day like this can definitely bring out the joy in folks!
Later in the day, as we walked to supper, this lovely sidewalk carving caught my eye.
Yesterday was a day full of sensory activity. Today has been a quiet day in the home of my beautiful friend, Katherine Olivetti.
Chandler made herself at home and enjoyed time with her friend, Patch.
I slept in, took a nap, played with the “pups” and celebrated the love of people I know well, people I have recently met, and people I have yet to know.
This post brings to mind a song by Carrie Newcomer called “The Gathering of Spirits.” The refrain goes like this:
Let it go, my love, my truest, let it sail on silver wings,
Life’s a twinkling, that’s for certain, but it’s such a fine thing.
There’s a gathering of spirits, there’s a festival of friends
and we’ll take up where we left off when we all meet again.”
What a beautiful experience to have your friends meet you and walk with you, and to be at the home of one of your dear ones!
Keep having a ball and remaining open to all the love around you