Showing Edwina's Secretary San Francisco...

[AmberLee]

As some of you know, Edwina's Secretary was in the San Francisco bay area this weekend where she taught a class. It wasn't ALL work though....

Her husband Don accompanied her and they went sight-seeing on Friday. On Saturday, KAK and I picked them up and we went to Filoli (http://www.filoli.org) where we met Wolflady, her husband, and her parents and toured the gardens and the house. After we ate, Wolflady and her husband, Edwina's Secretary and her husband, KAK and I went to the Winchester Mystery House (http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com) and toured there, too. We went back to the hotel and had snacks and talked CATS and looked at photos of our furry loved ones...

On Sunday some of us went to Golden Gate park in San Francisco. Warning: You do not want me to drive you anywhere in San Francisco! :eek: :rolleyes: :p :eek: We lived to tell the tale, however. (Yea!) We saw one of the ponds in the park and admired the turtles and the people sailing model boats; we toured the AIDS Memorial Garden, the Shakespearean Garden, and the Japanese Tea Garden before we had lunch in Chinatown. I thought Chinatown was in the flat area of SF. WRONG!!! :eek: I had a blast, and think the others did, too. My photos will take a while to process, but several of the others took pictures with their digital cameras. Perhaps one or more of them will post photos to share of a mini-Pet Talk meet-up in San Fran.

{{{hugs!}}}

[gini]

It sounds as though you really had a great time together in an equally great city.

Look what Karen and Paul have done - given us the opportunity to meet wonderful people from around the world.

I hope that Edwina's Secretary will need to teach a class in Los Angeles sometime soon.

I'll be looking forward to the pictures.

Oh, who took care of Edwina??? Boy I bet she is mad now!

[krazyaboutkatz]

Yes, I also had a great time. :D I took quite a few pictures with my digital camera but most of the pictures are of flowers and landscape. Here's a picture of the four Pet Talkers when we were at Filoli. It's very beautiful there and I highly recommend it.



http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid56/p5949c3e506350ed1b16edcd8597ee743/fc71c68f.jpg

From left to right: Sara- Edwina's Secretary, Pauline-AmberLee, Karen-Wolfady, and me Tracey-krazyaboutkatz

[NoahsMommy]

How fun!!! I'm so glad you all got to meet and spend time together! :)

[Barbara]

Oh you must been having a wonderful time in all these great gardens!
A pity we cannot meet together with the cats:)

[Randi]

Thanks for the reports. It sounds as if you had a great time, and the places you went look beautiful! Wish I could have been there with you! - Pauline, I think I'd take the change with you as a chauffeur. :D

A great group photo! ); More please!!

[Pam]

Major envy here! Boy I wish I could have been there! I am thinking that there were 8 kitties at home wondering where their Meowmies were. Now wouldn't that have been quite the meeting - Cassie, Livvy, Edwina, Marius, Scooter, Sunny, Storm and Cirrus together in one place! :D I'm glad you had such a nice time and the weather looks great, not to mention the view! I'd love to see more pictures.

[HayleyRosie]

Originally posted by Pam
Major envy here! Boy I wish I could have been there! I am thinking that there were 8 kitties at home wondering where their Meowmies were. Now wouldn't that have been quite the meeting - Cassie, Livvy, Edwina, Marius, Scooter, Sunny, Storm and Cirrus together in one place! :D I'm glad you had such a nice time and the weather looks great, not to mention the view! I'd love to see more pictures.

I agree with Pam and I also envy you guys. Sounds like you had a great time.

[lbaker]

Karen/Wolflady, now I know what you look like so I'll recognize you when we meet in 2 weeks for dinner here in DC :eek: then meeting some others the end of April in PA & LA in July:D I am one happy PetTalker:D I've spent some time in San Francisco and wish I could have joined you all. MORE PICTURES PLEASE :D

[kimlovescats]

How NEAT that you all could meet in person! I don't think any PetTalkers live close enough to me in Tennessee! BOO HOO HOO!!! I love the picture of you four.... you look so happy!!!!
Thanks for sharing your nice visit with us!:D

[Logan]

I totally missed that you were all getting together! So much fun!!!! :) I'm always so happy to read about each and every one of these meetings and a little green with envy each time too!!! :)

[catmandu]

:cool: :D It is always wonderful to see the faces with the names , it makes it more friendly than the nick names that we have to assume on the computer. Especially Edwinas secretary , with whos Cat Juke Joint Joseph has such a crush!You are having So Much Fun , Congratulations!:D ;) :p

[Edwina's Secretary]

My hostesses were the absolute mostest!!!! Even arranged fabulous spring weather! Gardens, gardens gardens.....such fun!

This is in the Japanese Garden at Golden Gate Park (yes....we found it!!)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid56/pd2ee3d49084ec5c726f1f81e6f5a2407/fc715e93.jpg
Tulips
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid56/p337e2849050ede421b9be6dfd264f480/fc715d2f.jpg
More Tulips (I love tulips)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid56/pfd032e056cbcd19a76fc0e027cf01a14/fc715d27.jpg
Amberlee makes a new friend
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid56/p7eedac577d8eb8e3682a658725d23385/fc715d29.jpg
Two-legged Friends
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid56/pcb8f11e7b86074fff929560fe3dc98cf/fc715d22.jpg

[Vio&Juni]

Major envy half a way around the globe too ;)

I love those tulips!!!

[wolf_Q]

I'm jealous! Looks like you guys had a great time! I wish I could meet some Pet Talkers. :(

Do you have any more pics? :D

[HayleyRosie]

The tulips are beautiful. Looks like you had a great time. I would love to meet some pet talkers.

[wolflady]

Yay! I was hoping that the digital pics would be posted! :o It was such a pleasure to meet up with 3 other fabulous Pet Talkers! Edwina's Sec is such a delight, as is KAK and Amberlee! I found it quite amusing that we found cat-related items in the gift shop at the Winchester Mystery house. I bought a white head-bobbing kitty and Edwina's bought a grey head-bobbing kitty! LOL LOL Leave it to the animal lovers to find animal-related gifts!
I also very much admired Don's cat socks! :o ;) :D :cool: Now, if only I could get my husband a pair! :eek: :o

Did anyone else notice the car club at Filoli? That, of course, is what my dad and husband noticed when we first pulled into the parking lot...but then my husband looked into it further...and had to wonder if it was a gay man's car club(because it was a bunch of random makes of cars...and random years too)! ;) Hmmm...guys, cars....gardens...;)

**hugs**
I sure hope Edwina's had a great time, and we look forward to having her again!

[Vermontcat]

Great pics! It is so nice to see you all together!:)
Where did Amberlee find that cute Tux kitty? Was it part of the garden tour?

[wolflady]

LOL LOL Yup, the kitty was part of the garden tour! Once again, leave it to the animal-lovers to find the animals! I think all of us were drawn to that kitty, and he/she got lots of lovins from all of us! :o

[wolflady]

Originally posted by lbaker
Karen/Wolflady, now I know what you look like so I'll recognize you when we meet in 2 weeks for dinner here in DC :eek: then meeting some others the end of April in PA & LA in July:D I am one happy PetTalker:D I've spent some time in San Francisco and wish I could have joined you all. MORE PICTURES PLEASE :D

LOL LOL I'm glad that the pic didn't scare you away from meeting up with me! :eek: LOL LOL ;) Just kidding:D
I can't wait! I'm really looking forward to it! :D It's really amazing the network of friends that Karen and Paul have enabled us all to meet!

**hugs**
Karen

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Well, I'm jealous too! Not only a trip to SF, but to meet up with other PT'ers too!

Looks like you had a wonderful time, and those gardens and the Mystery House look like wonderful spots to tour. I'll have to remember those if I ever make it to SF.

I'm glad you all got a chance to meet up. We should do more of that around here. ;) :)

[Barbara]

KAK how many cute cat sweatshirts do you have?

And this nice kitty:) :)

[julijul]

Sounds like a good time! Next time there's any gatherings in SF area let me know!!!! :D

[AmberLee]

Originally posted by Vermontcat
Where did Amberlee find that cute Tux kitty? Was it part of the garden tour?

It did seem a little eerie (but wonderful) how we kept finding cat related things along the way both days.

The gorgeous tux in the photo was sunning him(her?)self on a bench at one of Filoli's gardens -- the Chartes Stained Glass garden, I think? A delightful plush darling that just cried out for tummy-rubbies! Such a cute face, too!

There were a number of cat related things at several of the gift stores along the way. (I didn't buy much, well too much... :p)


KAK spotted an adorable Tortie (?) in the shrubbery in Golden Gate Park's Memorial Garden -- the furry miss was in a hurry and not within touching distance, but she added a grace note to our Pet Talk get-together on Sunday, too.

Other animal related items of interest -- Did I mention the turtles sunning themselves on a turtle statue in the pond in Golden Gate park? I think there were a half dozen, and I was fascinated by them, but it was Edwina's Secretary who spotted how very appropriate their perch was! There were lovely koi (a subset of carp?) in the Japanese Tea Garden. Oops, there was a life-sized frog statue there, too, that at first we thought was a dead frog! Startling! ... Oh bother! I can't remember them all. Hopefully when my film is processed it will remind me of more fun doings from this weekend.

WL -- you're right! E.S.'s hubby's socks were adorable! How could I have forgotten? The men were patient with our almost never ending cat discussions, but somewhat ... bemused, is that the right word?

I had a blast and am so excited that E.S. took this opportunity to teach the class out here. It was a marvelous chance to meet her and share some of our favorite spots.

[AmberLee]

Originally posted by julijul
Sounds like a good time! Next time there's any gatherings in SF area let me know!!!! :D

There is a local cat show in early April that KAK, WL and I are talking about attending. Are you interested? I'll find the details and start a new thread.

[Cataholic]

SF is one of my most favorite cities! And, to meet other PT? That would be so fun!!!!!! What a great time you guys had, and the sights, oh, the sights...It makes me even more excited for this weekend's Findlay trip!!!

[Miss Meow]

Cats, Pet Talkers, tulips in March - I'm sooooo envious!!!

Thanks for posting pictures, it looks like you all had a wonderful time :)

[AmberLee]

We had kicked around the idea to have matching tee-shirts to wear to surprise Edwina's Secretary when we first saw her. We were done in by the tee-shirt place in the mall closing down and then no answer at the only one found in the local directory. I started it with a daydream, and Wolflady made the cutest design. What do you think of them?

The front of the tee-shirt:
Oops -- where did I store them -- be right back!

Sppfftt! See the next post, I've horsed this one up!

[AmberLee]

Shirt front:


(Isn't it cute? Didn't she do a great job? Wish we'd been able to carry it off...)

[AmberLee]

Shirt back, design #1:

(In tribute to Filoli...)

[AmberLee]

Shirt back, design #2:

In tribute to Pet Talk --

(Note, I was driving myself crazy trying to decide which back design was cutest. :p :rolleyes: :D I never could decide!)

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Oh Amberlee, that T-shirt would have been wonderful! Too bad the place closed down. :( I can just imagine how surprised Sara would have been when you all showed up with that T-shirt on. :D
You guys are too funny. :D

And you know, it is a tough choice on the back. I like them both for different reasons, and they're both great. :D

[AmberLee]

Originally posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom
Too bad the place closed down. :(

Yeah. Bummer. :( (I 'tricked' E.S.'s tee-shirt size ahead of time and hers was going to read "I AM ... Edwina's Secretary". Doesn't that sound adorable?)

Otherwise the weekend was great. (Even when I got lost in SF twice over!!! trying to find Golden Gate Park.) KAK and Edwina's Secretary make good navigators though and Don picks out great Chinese restaurants. I recommend this crew for SF outings every time.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by AmberLee
Yeah. Bummer. :( (I 'tricked' E.S.'s tee-shirt size ahead of time and hers was going to read "I AM ... Edwina's Secretary". Doesn't that sound adorable?)

Yes, it sounds absolutely adorable! That would have been great if you could have pulled it off.

But, you know what this sounds like to me.....

Sounds like a great reason to plan another SF PT meeting!! Sara, any more classes out there you could teach? ;) :D

[Edwina's Secretary]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid57/p3a4e77b9af5d2130b281a0115a27c7b5/fc70d822.jpg

and sea lions in the San Francisco Bay

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid57/p898593eb04885ea8986614049f680dbc/fc70d817.jpg

[CathyBogart]

Drop me a line next ime you want to get some PT'ers together in SF! I'm less than an hour away, and I'd love to meet some of you!

[krazyaboutkatz]

Originally posted by Barbara
KAK how many cute cat sweatshirts do you have?

And this nice kitty:) :) I was wondering if anyone would notice these. :) I only have these two which I bought at one of the cat shows. :) I do have many cat t-shirts though.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Here are some more pictures from the Filoli gardens. Enjoy. :D

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid57/p8769bc8dd88eaebe547a6a274952b2b1/fc70816c.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid57/p8956567b1e172d7a97a05ed15a9f42f7/fc70816b.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid57/p4d991261bdd36c7aaafdb80cf1c5f23e/fc70816a.jpg
Yes, this is a dove in the cage. :)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid57/p0e85bd2699ba21e74202371432f0569c/fc708007.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid57/pecbd50b82b0392f7a25ad4419e44798b/fc708006.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid57/p9e064c3dcfa9619db9ad51a19201f21e/fc708003.jpg

[AmberLee]

KAK and ES,

Thanks for posting the flower photos from Filoli -- it makes me so happy seeing them again!

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

WOW!!
Such beautiful ladies.. and beautiful flowers!!
This makes for a cheery thread!
I am glad you guys had so much fun... hopefully I can meet some PT.ers one day.

[AmberLee]

You're not going to believe this: guess what I found when straightening up my office tonight? Yep, the street map of SF!

In what was (to me) weirder news, we stopped off at a pharmacy and I tried to buy a street map when I gave up and confessed I was lost the first time (Sunday) and they were sold out of them. I bought a general area map with selected streets that eventually got us to Golden Gate Park, but it wasn't detailed enough in my opinion. (Why didn't we try at another store? ... blush, blush, mumble, mumble, I didn't think of it, okay?...)

I'm putting the map in my map box (not sure why I ever took it out and put it in the office....) so we're set for the next time. by gum!

[Barbara]

The T-Shirts -what a wonderful idea. A pity that the shop closed down. I think I would have preferred back #1 but both are so creative and beautiful:)

[Corinna]

Looks like you all had a great time Just for your info for next time . you can make iron on transfers from your computer. All you need is a picture and a special paper. My hubby made one for our son when he was gone for a month. He had to have his 2 kids (kitties) with him. If you was instructions on how to for next time . just e-mail me and I'll get hubby to explain, I'm not to handy on the computer.
Just a note too I start back to work in Glacier park in April if any one is planning a trip stop in and say Howdy.

[lynnestankard]

I'm so pleased - and dead jealous!! - you all had such a wonderful week-end.
AL - I reckon getting lost can always add to the fun - I wouldn't worry about it!
The photo's are wonderful - so colourful. The tulip pics., remind me of a wonderful week-end I spent in Amsterdam some years ago and we visited the tulip fields and a huge garden - forgotten the name! - it was breathtaking - I've never taken so many photos., as I did during that visit. The colours had to be seen to be believed. More of the lovely pics., would be appreciated.
Shame the shop was closed - those T shirts would have been a hoot.

Lynne

[AmberLee]

The gardens were delightful. I just wish that the wonderful smells - especially in the entry way and in the tea room could be shared. It was heavenly!

[tuxluvr]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid42/p1a5a3dc7d24d7a1c485145d6998f9a6e/fcf02718.jpg

Heeyyyy, what's RITZY doing in San Francisco!! :) .....oh, Ritz said she doesn't have that much white on her tummy...I did do a double take, cuz that's one of miz Ritzy's favorite positions, always begging for a tummy rub!

Looks like you guys had a great time!http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid56/p7eedac577d8eb8e3682a658725d23385/fc715d29.jpg

[AmberLee]

:D :D We did have a great time. As wonderful as the tours and meals were though, I think the sharing and chatting was among the best of the best times. :p ;) :D :cool: :D

We talked about how you and Cataholic would flip if you could see that sweetie sunning in the garden! Such a sweet tuxie love bug!

[Randi]

Great idea with the t-shirts and creative design. Now you just need the cap to go with it. ;) Glad you all had fun! Great pics!! :)

If you plan to meet somewhere again, try this link! You can zoom in and out as you please - and print out the area you need.

I've no idea where the Golden Gate is, so you can zoom in to the right area here:

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=-13610000&Y=4535000&scale=1000000&width=500&height=300&gride=&gridn=&coordsys=mercator&db=&addr1=&addr2=&addr3=san+fransisco&pc=&advanced=

[ramanth]

Wowee! I'm so envious. ;) :D

I love the pictures and I'm glad the weather cooperated for your meeting. :)

Any more pics?

[AmberLee]

Originally posted by Randi
...If you plan to meet somewhere again, try this link! You can zoom in and out as you please - and print out the area you need....

One of the things I found so frustrating was I'd printed out tons of directions for ALL our outings, well, all but Golden Gate Park which I've been to before. For this outing, I trusted my memory. Unfortunately!

Randi, yours is a different online directory than I'm used to, it has some neat features. Thanks for the link.

Ramath -- I have some photos in my camera, but it needs to be processed. It may take a while. I think Wolflady's camera is film-based, too...

[AmberLee]

Finally, I got my photos back from the processor and posted on-line. Unfortunately, the only place I've figured out how to use is Webshots and they won't let me link. If you would like to see some shots (and comments) I made from our Pet Talkers outing to Filoli (http://community.webshots.com/album/68685492BPCfRT) you can go there and click on slide show. Hope you enjoy it.

I had a blast putting the slideshow together. (No, Livvy and Cassy didn't get to go to Filoli, but it felt wrong to put together a Pet Talk briefing without them. :rolleyes: :D ;) If you know what I mean. :p :rolleyes: Enjoy!)

[krazyaboutkatz]

AmberLee, thanks for sharing your pictures with us. They're great. :) I'm also glad that you included your furkids too. Cassy and Livvy are adorable. :)

[Edwina's Secretary]

I distinctly remember Cassy and Livvy being with us at Filoli!!! In spirit and in mind!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Great pictures, Amberlee. Filoli looks like a really beautiful place. I would like to order one Tea Room for my backyard please. :D

Adn you're right, it wouldn't be right without Cassy & Livvy. Livvy looks like she's in kitty heaven with all that catnip around, and Cassy looks like he's having a good time with his toy. :)

Thanks for the pics. :)