Escape from Fog City

May and June are the most precarious months for my mental health. Just when the weather is warming up in other parts of the country, we here in the City by the Bay are saddled with bitter cold winds and a suffocating fog that could make even the most Pollyanna-ish individual beg for mercy. Though Tuesday was not a particularly nasty day weather wise, the sky still held its average sullen appearance. So I headed off to Walnut Creek for some sunnier vistas.

My friend Barbara insisted on taking me on a nature hike very near her home. Along the route, we bumped into an enormous pepper tree growing in some one's backyard. Its weeping branches hung over the fence just low enough for us to grab some goodies. To be honest, I had absolutely no idea that people actually grew pepper trees in the U.S., let alone in my general area. I figured it was one of those things, like cinnamon, that had to be grown in some far flung Eastern country. Not the case.


Here's a pic of the booty. Looks like I won't need to buy pepper for at least a year.