Creek Walk, with Kids

March 10, 1995

Author

*San Francisquito in flood*

My daughter Emily took this photograph of me at San Francisquito Creek, in flood, in the background. It is 3 o'clock in the afternoon. For the past two days it has been raining, gusty and warm, about three and a half inches altogether here in Palo Alto. The headline in this morning's San Francisco Chronicle is:

Another Wet, Wild Punch

David Rodenhuis, director of the National Weather Service Climate Analysis Center says of the odd winter we have been having, "We cannot go back in history and find anything like this."

September 4, 1995

Late summer, end of the dry season. My son Kevin and I explored the creek on this bright Sunday morning, stopping at one of Jane Stanford's sad monuments to her lost son Leland. This one is near the old Stanford house where Leland explored the creek seeking arrowheads. Kevin and I have assembled our own collection, we will add a picture soon. I made this sketch of Kevin standing in for young Leland. I hope it makes Jane feel better. Kevin wrote the captions to the photos.

*Kevin, at Jane Stanford's sad monument*

I saw this butterfly fluttering along and said,"Hey dad look at that butterfly". He said, "Wow good eyes, Kevin!" Then he knelt down and took a picture of it.

This is a picture of the Stanford creek. My dad told me to take a picture in this spot because he thoght the tree leaves would be a good border for the picture and he was right because if you look closely you will see that the trees are good borders for pictures. The creek has a lot of poison oak so if you have never been there watch out for it.