The Motherland

Twin Peaks Bar at the corner of Castro Street at 17th in San Francisco.

Most often, my blogs draw inspiration from photographs I find while browsing through my various laptops. These images prompt smiles and a sense of nostalgia for times past, as well as an appreciation for the present where, in many ways, little has changed.

For me, Castro is the Motherland—the place that propelled me out of my backward South Carolina past and shaped me into who I am today. That's why I consider San Francisco my home. It was the first place that truly accepted me for who I am and helped me to improve.

Now begins a new chapter in Peekskill and New York, filled with the wonderful people I've been meeting here...

Perched atop the hill, high above the Castro and behind the white row of buildings near Tank Hill, was my home at 216 Twin Peaks Blvd. Twin Peaks towers 925 feet (282 meters) above the city. While there were days filled with sunshine, often we found ourselves enveloped in fog.

Castro Street, San Francisco

Castro Street at 17th Street when gas was cheap!