Fog Carpet

Photo taken from the top of Cutting Bvd. in El-Cerrito (not too far from our school)
You can see the fog behind the buildings.

Those who live in Northern California are quite familiar with the fog that shows up come Spring time and remains the whole the Summer long. Starting from the Pacific Ocean in the early evening hours, the fog unfolds like a carpet and rolls and rolls and rolls, as it makes it's way East. It rolls across San Francisco, it rolls across the Bay, blankets Berkeley, Oakland and the surrounding cities (both north and south) until it meets the Berkeley Hills where it hovers and settles, wrapping the entire East Bay Area in it's cold mist.

The fog seems territorial in that way. On rare occasions it creeps over the hills onto the other side of the Caldecott Tunnel where Orinda, Lafayette and Walnut Creek are found. But more often the hills and the tunnel are the divider. Often, when Berekley/Oakland are shrouded in the cold low laying fog clouds, a quick drive towards Orinda can mean sun and heat. For those like myself who run from the cold, the Orinda side is a haven. However, on the days like recent ones, when the digits reach the 80's and 90's, a drive in the opposite direction can bring relief as nature's natural air conditioner keep the other side much cooler (the fog and breeze it brings with it.)

Where we live is not quite on either side of the tunnel. We are just northeast of Berkeley, closer to the Orinda side which means we can have sun in our yard and about ten degrees warmer than just a few miles down the road where it can be totally overcast. And because we are not quite near Orinda, we are usually ten degrees cooler so it gets warm but (usually) not too warm. (we can get to Berkeley via 80 which runs parallel to the Bay or we can go towards Orinda and through the tunnel-which is my favorite route.) And San Francisco, it can be 50-60 degrees on most foggy days but a drive across the bridge may mean warmer weather and sun. It's no wonder Mark Twain made that famous statement about San Francisco summers ("The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.")

The fog seems to like the Bay Area; it hangs out till late morning then rolls on out  to the ocean, only to return a few hours later. This goes on almost all summer long. I don't like the cold and wind that the fog brings with it but I do find it mesmerizing, almost meditative to watch. On days like today, where I get a birds eye view of the fog carpet atop one of the many hills in our area, I find it hypnotizing and peaceful, as long as I have my warm jacket near by!

These photos are of San Francisco as the fog rolls in. Eventually, she is not visible at all. It's a bit eerie!