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By Roz Rogoff

About this blog: In January 2002 I started writing my own online "newspaper" titled "The San Ramon Observer." I reported on City Council meetings and other happenings in San Ramon. I tried to be objective in my coverage of meetings and events, and...  (More)

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Go fly a kite!

Uploaded: May 24, 2012
When I was growing up in the 1950's, if someone said "Go fly a kite," it meant "Go away kid, you bother me!" This weekend in San Ramon if someone says "Go fly a kite," he or she means head to Central Park for the Art and Wind festival. Not only can you fly a kite there, you can watch demonstrations of kite flying from the professionals (are there really professional kite flyers?).

Last year I went to the festival early on Monday morning to see the balloons lift off. Unfortunately the wind was blowing in the wrong direction and the balloons were not allowed to take off. They inflated them, so I was able to snap a couple of pictures, but that's all. They were then deflated and hauled away.

A few years earlier I met a friend in Central Park for the balloon launch at 6 am on Monday morning. I'm not an early morning person, so this was the first time I woke up early enough to be there in time for the takeoff. We walked across the field and a crowd was milling around, but the balloons were on the ground. After waiting for about an hour, we were told the wind was in the wrong direction and it would not be safe for the balloonists to take off.

After that experience and the one last year, I decided I'm a balloon jinx; so I won't try to see them take off this Monday morning. If you see balloons flying overhead you know it's because I wasn't there. Oh to have such power!

After the launch was cancelled my friend and I headed for Bollinger Canyon Road to have breakfast at Nicole's Diner. That was years before they were raided by ICE and closed down. The festival didn't officially open until 10 am, but vendors were setting up their art and knickknack booths as we walked by. I spotted a hat booth, which I didn't expect to see at an event like this. The owner was just putting the hats out and my friend said I try some on.

I did and bought a navy straw hat that I wear on special occasions. I often receive complements on it. There's even a photo on the City's website now of me in my hat next to Hassan Sharifi, owner of the Golden Skate, taken at a City Council meeting several years ago. It's a nice photo and a nice hat. The full photo accompanies this story. I don't remember what was on the agenda that night, but the Council Chambers were packed as you can see.

I don't need any more hats, but I bought a pink garden hat at OSH a few weeks ago and wore it to last Tuesday's Council meeting. Nobody took my photo in it, but Councilman Scott Perkins asked if it was a replacement for my usual Tilley hat. No I said it is an Alternate hat, the way I am an Alternate on the Arts Advisory Committee. The pink hat fills in when I am wearing pink, which I was from head to toe (yes pink shoes too) at that meeting.

If you have read this far you are probably asking yourself, "Why am I reading this? She should go fly a kite!" OK, see you at Central Park on Monday, but not until after the balloons take off.
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Comments

Posted by Roz Rogoff, the San Ramon Observer,
on May 28, 2012 at 3:06 am

Roz Rogoff is a registered user.

Well I did it again. I bought another hat. This one is Western style with blue and tan suede. There are quite a few hat booths this year, so check them out.

The Art & Wind Festival was lovely on Sunday, not too crowded or too hot. It is open on Monday, so if you haven't been yet, go already!

Roz


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