A sturdy, storm-enduring mountaineer of a tree...

Today is Sunday, which means a day of rest. But as the great John Muir once said:

"I wish I knew where I was going. Doomed to be 'carried of the spirit into the wilderness' I suppose. I wish I could be more moderate in my desires, but I cannot, and so there is no rest." - John Muir.

So, I used this Sunday to explore downtown Oakland. I wanted to go to the John Muir exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California, but alas I learned that the flyer I found from the library that said "Second Sundays" are free was mistaken. It is actually "First Sundays". Oh well, there are other things to do in Oakland, I assured myself. First stop, walking around Lake Merritt!

 I forged ahead, rounding the tip of the lake, to find a beautiful Bonsai Garden!

 ...where I ate my lunch of two plums, some broccoli, a muffin made mainly from brown sugar, and some slices of raw onion.

 I found a composting exhibit set up near the rear-end (pardon the pun) of the Bonsai Garden, and low and behold, there was a picture of my future house! (or at least one of the infinite possibilities)

 Of course, Alex's trip through Oakland could not possibly be complete without a visit to Benjamin Franklin's greatest gift to the United States...

 I breathed deeply upon exiting the library, thinking to myself, "What a wonderful day, I think I shall return home and eat some salmon." However, on my walk back to the BART, I happened to spy some commotion at the entrance to the Oakland Museum of California.

"The museum's not free today, but I guess I'll check out what's going on..."

The Oakland Standard presents "Seed Circus", a series of four events at the Oakland Museum of California organized by the greenhorns! Today was all about making cheese! I tried free samples of an amazing sheep cheese, some Mexican queso fresco, mozzarella, and even some blueberry, goat-milk, organic ice cream!

 Better yet, when I decided to walk further on into the museum, no one stopped me! I asked the ticket clerk where the John Muir exhibit was, and walked right on in. Of course, John Muir and myself share an upbringing in Wisconsin, where Muir spent his golden years between 1849 and 1864, before heading for California.

 The view from the top of the Oakland Museum of California. Lake Merritt and the hills are in the background.

This day left me with but one John Muir quote echoing in my head.

"As long as I live I'll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing... and get as near the heart of the world as I can." - John Muir