Happy Fourth of July 2020

I was at a local park and saw this, if you can't read the words it says "Without darkness there can be no stars". To me that pretty much sums up where we are this Fourth of July holiday.

But hold the presses, we need to remember that 244 years ago some of our forefathers told the English to "Kiss our Behind" and declared their Independence from the British. They were branded as traitors, the highest possible crime.

Statue of Ben Franklin in San Francisco

So they struck out on there own and here we are 244 years later, 50 states and the 48 contiguous states which are about 3,300 miles long from ocean to ocean. Basically that is like going from London to the Russian border.

Somehow we have kept it together for these last 244 years. We have had our problems and still do. 2020 hasn't been a great year with COVID-19 going around and with our country facing our racial issues and past. But I am seeing a glimmer of hope as individuals are opening dialouge with each other and taking care of each other during the health crisis. Yes, there are Jacks running around acting the fool but it will be us as individuals to band together and make this country better, not the government which on both sides of the aisle have shown that they would screw up a two-car funeral.

With all that being said Happy Birthday to United States of America and please remember our troops this holiday:

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July.

I Think I Am A Hoarder

A Navy Foam Head Piece

I have been cleaning up my Casa Patrick lately and I am finding out that I hoarder somewhat. I am finding boxes with crap in closets and places. Here is my latest finds:

It is an eching of the clubhouse at the famed St.Andrews golf course

Found a ton little bags like this

Did not know that lizards can write books

My son made this mini-blanket for me when he was in Cub Scouts 15 or so years ago

This next one is from high school. It is my track hoodie from high school (over 30 years ago) with my high school nickname on it:

And a couple more of those mini-sports towels:

This one is in the shape of a hockey jersey from the 2019 All-Star Fan Fest in San Jose

From the 2019 College Football Playoff

Go CSU-Monterey Bay

Go San Diego Padres

Who knows what I may uncover next at Casa Patrick

Walking the Bill Lockyer Trail

I went out and walked the Bill Lockyer Trail on Hayward Shoreline the other day. Lockyer was our local state assemblyman when I was growing up. He went on to become California's Attorney General and State Treasurer.

In 1987, he wrote up legislation to create a Bay Trail which he envisoned as a 500-mile-long hiking and cycling path, a continuous recreational corridor with bayshore parks and protected natural habitats, that encircled the San Francisco and San Pablo Bays. Thirty-Three years later, there is 293 miles open to joggers, walkers and cyclists. I walked the segment of the trail along the Hayward Shoreline named after "The Father of the Bay Trail":

Those are the salt flats of the San Francisco Bay and you can smell it

After walking for a while you get a nice view or two:

The Bill Lockyer Trail is a great place to walk and enjoy some nature.

Music Monday: Songs for America

Music Monday: I know that we have a lot of interesting things happen in 2020. We have this country's Independence Day coming up on Saturday. Here are some songs for this country:

And because I believe we really it in this country:

Hope everyone has a wonderul and safe Independence Day. 

San Felipe Park

This one goes way back in the Patrick time machine. I was driving the other day and drove by San Felipe Park in my city of Hayward. I hadn't been there to walk around for decades. When I was young I used to spend a lot of time there during the summer as they had a cool free rec program that was run by the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (HARD) and it had almost everything a kid needed for the summer. They had organized games, trips, lunch, you could just hang out in the rec center and play pool and ping pong or do art. It was the best. It kept a lot of us off the streets during the summer (like this hood rat here). Sadly in the early 90's, due to the budget cuts they had to get rid of the summer rec program. Another cool thing is that it was at different sites around the city. It helped out a lot of kids back in the day.

Anyway, I went and walked around San Felipe Park and it is still a nice park. The only that changed about it was the playgraound structure. Other than that it, it is still the same great park:

This white cement used to be the swimming pool

The Rec Center with the murals below:

Growing up, San Felipe Park was the best and it looks mighty good.

Just Some Old Magazines

Right before the whole Shelter-In-Place thing happened a friend of mine, hooked me up with old magazines from the late 60's and early 70's. They are a pretty cool thing to look at. To see how the world was back in the day.

Just love reading these old magazines. My friend said that she found some more. Can't wait to see them.