Spring Returns to Filoli Gardens 2015

I look forward to visiting Filoli Gardens every February.  The gardeners present spectacular displays of tulips and daffodils.  Since we continue in a period of drought, most displays are in pots.  The daffodil patch was still beautiful, but not as bountiful as in past years.

A Walk through Stanford University campus

 I took a walk today at Stanford University.  The architecture is Romanesque merged with Mission style.  Arches are a prevalent feature, and they frame the long walkways.  The Stanford's began the university as a memorial to their son who died of typhoid at age 15.  The Stanford Memorial Church is a memorial to Leland Stanford.  The Stanfords were religious, but did not belong to a specific denomination.  As a result, Stanford Memorial Church was the first non-denominational church in the west.  It was completed in 1903.  The interior of the church is stunning!

 The Rodin Scupture Garden is dedicated to Gerald Cantor, the primary donor of the Rodin collection.

 The Gates of Hell

 The Shades

Sunol Water Temple

So many years of living nearby, and I have never visited this local landmark until today.  The Sunol Water Temple was constructed in 1910 by the Spring Valley Water Company.  Three water sources for the Bay Area come together beneath the dome--Alameda Creek, Arroyo de Laguna, and the Pleasanton Well Fields.  The temple is fashioned after the Temple of Vestain in Tivoli, Italy.  Its Corinthian columns are lovely, as are the ceiling paintings.

 Two Bible verses wrap around the temple--
Isaiah 41:18b--
I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
Psalm 46:4--
The streams whereof shall make glad the city.

Year End Hike--2014

I enjoyed a beautiful California winter day at Sunol Regional Park.  Many walkers today!  The falls and creek supplied nice sound effects.

Scenes from Ireland