We had the most unbelievably wonderful day yesterday.   Rivka had a sleepover at her friend Lyla's house, and Noah, Carolyn and I made a fine bike ride down to the Zoo and our favorite cafe, Java Beach.  I had gotten up around 4 a.m. and read 30 pages of my current book, Moya Stol Dlinnaya Doroga by Henri Troyat.  (In the evening I read another 20 to finish with a highly respectable 50 pages for the day.)
Then Lyla's family joined us for a short hike to Kirby cove, an amazing beach that looks out on the Golden Gate Bridge and the city.  We saw jellyfish, sea anemones, mussels, barnacles, and several large rock crabs that people were fishing for.  There was very fun rope swing on the beach that the children and I enjoyed very much.  The air had an amazing clarity -- it seemed one could see every detail of the houses in the city.  It was warm too -- we all took off our jackets.  Afterwards we went for the first time to Gaspare's Pizza, an old S.F. favorite out on the avenues that Lyla's family enjoys.  An active, beautiful day -- to breath the air was like drinking wine.  Carolyn had never been to Kirby Cove, and I'm sure we'll return to it.