Worth Repeating
Edged by towering trees, blue sky and puffy white clouds, a grand lawn is dotted with people lounging as if posing for a pastoral landscape painting. Giant pink petals framed by geometrical branches blaze against a blue sky. The fuzzy bud of a magnolia blossom-to-be is backlit by the sun. A river of pink and white blossoms flows toward us from above. These are things I see every year at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Each year around January and February, the impressive petals of magnolia blossoms put on a grand show at scattered locations around the garden grounds. We don’t write it down on a calendar. Driving around town, we spot magnolia trees blooming here and there, and are reminded to make our annual magnolia visit to the Botanical Garden. The trees continuously grow and change. The weather and lighting is different for every visit. Some years many trees blossom all at once and others there’s a trickle of one variety blooming to the next. My fellow hiking/nature/disabilities blogger friend Marjorie Turner Kuhl Hollman often shares posts marked, “Worth repeating,” I make sure to stop and take a look. Sure enough, she’s found something worth appreciating, thinking about, and remembering. The magnolia trees are always worth making a repeat visit for, even for a quick half hour stroll. Though I like to try hiking at new places as often as I can, I also love going back to old favorites. There’s a comfort in mixing the familiar with the new. Enjoy opportunities to repeat things that lift your heart. Smell that favorite flower, read that favorite book, drink your favorite tea from your favorite cup! Keep putting one foot forward! This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Magnolia Stroll-San Francisco Botanical Garden (reshared each year), highlighting the Botanical Garden’s collection of 200 magnolia trees representing 63 species. The magnolias are just a fraction of the wonderful plants on view at the garden, but are a special treat in the early months of the year. This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives: (Original Hike Notes 46): Magnolia Stroll-San Francisco Botanical Garden Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
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Across the Water
Standing on the San Francisco side of the Golden Gate Bridge, I look north across the Golden Gate—the water beneath the bridge that connects the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay—and think longingly of what Marin hike I might do next. There are plenty of great walks filled with natural wonders—plant, animal and mineral—on the San Francisco side. Yet familiarity dulls our vision of the treasures at our feet. The thought of battling traffic to cross the Golden Gate Bridge becomes a mental obstacle, but in truth crossing the bridge to the Marin side usually takes only a few minutes. Standing at any of countless Marin side vista spots, I look back across the water and see the San Francisco skyline and the contours of its western edge. “Look, Sean,” I say to my autistic son, pointing toward Ocean Beach in the distance. “Our house is over there.” “House!” he says. We enjoy a Marin hike, long or short, and drink up the views whether we’re at beach level or high in the mountains. And every time we drive back along the curves and through the tunnel that frames a postcard view of the Golden Gate Bridge, I look forward to being on our side of the water again. Going a short distance that offers a different vantage point can give us a fresh appreciation of our everyday stomping grounds. If you can’t go out, try looking out a different window to see the world from a different angle. May we all make opportunities to freshen our perspectives! This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Fort Baker, a historic site in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, offering iconic views back to the San Francisco skyline from a cozy cove by a fishing pier, marina, and historic military sites. This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives: (Original Hike Notes 126): Fort Baker Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 Unexpected Memories
Our autistic son Sean had a magical young teacher who passed away suddenly (In Memory and Thanks). We were devastated. My mind swirled with memories: activities he’d done with Sean, his words of wisdom, the hope we experienced through his work with Sean. I learned that grief is not a predictable force following an orderly progression. Just when I thought I had no tears left, a flickering shadow, a leaf skittering across the sidewalk, or a song on the radio would bring on a wave of renewed pain. This past year I lost both my parents. In contrast to the sudden loss of a young person, though the initial shock of knowing we’ll never hear a person’s voice again is still jolting, when an aging loved one has been suffering with health troubles, there is also some relief that the person will be at peace. The grieving starts before they’re actually gone. My dad was a best friend who I loved talking to about everything under the sun. Hearing a Dave Brubeck tune or a Beethoven piano sonata on the radio can bring a wave of memories: my dad playing the piano at night with the sound wafting upstairs, an unintended lullaby for my brothers and I listening from under our blankets. I don’t have as many everyday memory triggers for my mom. Today, though, suffering from a bad cold for the first time in ages, I felt frustrated, tired and ready to cry, just like I did when I was a child staying home from school with the flu. All I could think of is that I wanted a bowl of hot soup, and we didn’t have any. My mom was kindest to me when I was sick. I don’t know how many cans of Campbells Chicken and Stars soup she served me over the years, but she knew that specific soup with some saltine crackers broken over the top made me feel better and she always had it on hand. The memory of her bringing me soup when I was a kid brought a bigger wave of tears than I’ve allowed myself in all the four months since she passed away. Maybe fear of the overwhelming pain of losing a parent leads us to suppress the grief. Our autistic younger son doesn’t really understand that his grandpa and grandma are dead. By the same token, he doesn’t really understand when we explain that his big brother has gone far away on an airplane. I don’t know what sets off his memories of grandpa, grandma, or his big brother, but he says their names and looks at photos of them on the computer. Is loving someone without understanding the finality of death easier? Is not understanding the concept of someone living far away harder? I don’t know. My son’s language challenges mean we can’t have a conversation about it, so we plod forward with our unique views of how the world works, finding a way to make each day a good one in some way. I still talk cheerfully about grandma and grandpa when my son looks at old photos, and that makes me feel better, too. I wish everyone the occasional cleansing cry and the ability to keep moving forward! This week’s Hike Notes, Old Mine Trail- Mountain Theater to Pantoll, takes readers on the descending leg of a loop hike from Pantoll Campground to the Mountain Theater (Cushing Memorial Amphitheater) and back, featuring some of Mt. Tam’s most stunning view spots. Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries. If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 New this week: Hike Notes 196: Old Mine Trail- Mountain Theater to Pantoll Behind the Mist
Many cultures have a tradition of reflecting on events of the past year and expressing hopes for the coming year. I heard, “Hoping next year is better,” more often than usual this time as we celebrated the transition to the New Year. Every year has devastating challenges. Every year has positive highlights. If terrible things happen toward the end of a year, we tend to remember the whole in that negative light. If it ends with a big positive bang, we feel hopeful. The future lies behind a misty veil. We can make educated guesses about the paths of our lives, but there will always be surprises. That makes life both challenging and exciting. There is a beauty in that mysterious fog obscuring our view. Appreciating the spot we’re in right now and accepting that the future is hazy by nature is a skill we can practice for living with less anxiety. May we all learn to embrace the moment we’re in, and to walk through the curtain of the unknown with a positive spirit. Keep putting one foot forward! This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Devil’s Gulch, where hikers experience mossy, damp, shady trails, as well as open sky spaces with grassy spaces sometimes covered in mist, and turkey vultures flying overhead. This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives: (Original Hike Notes 123): Devil’s Gulch Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 Together and Apart
My older son moved to London for his job two years ago. It felt like he was disappearing forever. Fortunately, the magic of video calls makes me feel like he’s right next door chatting. The helpful illusion of video calls doesn’t work for our autistic son for some reason. Despite his big brother talking to him face to face on screen, Sean has to be prompted several times to even acknowledge him. With a year-long gap between holiday visits, Sean doesn’t fully believe his big brother is here in person when he first arrives home. Once he fully accepts that his brother his physically present, though, Sean doesn’t want him out of his sight. “Alec, couch! Alec!” he yells repeatedly when his brother is out of the room. “He’ll be right back,” we reassure Sean. “He’ll sit with you for dinner.” Holidays over, with our older son flying back to London for work, we can’t tell Sean that he’ll be sitting with him for dinner. Sean can feel it in the air when his big brother is getting ready to leave. “Mommy! Dad! Alec!” he has been yelling the last couple of days. He wants all three family members to be together with him as we have been for the last several weeks. My heart feels a little stab every time he calls his brother’s name. He will go back to holding hands with one of us parents instead of his brother when we hike. He’ll ask someone else to sit with him. We will shift back to our routines and adjust. And we will yet again be grateful for the magic of video chats. May we all find a way to hug the ones we love, even virtually, and keep putting one foot forward! This week’s Hike Notes, Easy Grade Trail-Pantoll to Mountain Theater, leads readers on the ascending leg of a loop hike from Pantoll Campground to the Mountain Theater (Cushing Memorial Amphitheater), a moderate climb through woods with some open view spots along the way. Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries. If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 New this week: Hike Notes 195: Easy Grade Trail-Pantoll to Mountain Theater Abundance of Riches
Reflecting at the end of a year of traumatic news stories (every year seems to qualify) and great personal loss (I lost both parents in recent months), I still find countless things to be grateful for. Among the many things I’m thankful for, the healing power of nature stands out every year. It is a consistent force of goodness that has helped me since earliest childhood, improved my severely autistic son’s life, and helped our family move forward amidst extraordinary challenges. Sorting methodically through two or three hundred hike images to choose ten photos for each Hike Notes post allows me to revisit a trail. Choosing a single photo for a standalone Insights post can be tough. Last week’s “Persistence” Insights featured a sunset shot that I chose after winnowing down from over a hundred shots to eighteen. I struggled to make a final choice. For this week’s image , I wanted to share four of the runner up photos from that sunset visit to Lovers Point in Pacific Grove. One location in a brief visit offered a treasure trove of stunning images. As we look toward the new year, may we all recall people, places and events that brightened our past year. Let us celebrate the positives as we navigate the inevitable negatives. Keep putting one foot forward! This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Asilomar State Beach, another stunning beach in Pacific Grove, California, close to the site of the sunset images featured in this post taken at Lovers Point. This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives: (Original Hike Notes 76): Asilomar State Beach Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 Persistence
Sensory overload and the need for routine make it difficult for my severely autistic son to take even a nearby overnight trip. It’s not that he doesn’t want to see new places, but it’s hard for him. For years it was difficult for him just to get out of bed, to step out our front door, or to get in the car, much less get back out of the car to interact with the outside world. He was frozen, and so were we as a family. Despite discouragement, we make it an ongoing process to help Sean join and enjoy family excursions. Having our older son home for the holidays was a rare opportunity for us to take a short road trip together. With so much hectic activity around the holidays, leaving home the week before Christmas felt a little overwhelming, but this was our chance to visit Monterey and its famous aquarium. We drove south along beautiful Route 1 from San Francisco, zipping past usual hiking stops in Pacifica and Half Moon Bay. “Straight!” Sean said several times, excited to go farther than usual. We got to Santa Cruz and stopped for lunch at his beloved Chipotle. Lunch after a drive and a hike usually means time to turn back home. Back in the car, when Sean realized we were still driving onward, he loudly repeated, “Mel’s! Mel’s!” meaning, “I want to go home!” Driving past Mel’s Drive-in is part of Sean’s “going home” driving route in San Francisco. Though less panicked than when he was younger, Sean was not happy when we took our bags into a motel. Walking outdoors being one of Sean’s greatest calming factors, a bayside walk and a stroll around Monterey shops helped. Gluten free pepperoni pizza in a cozy restaurant helped even more. We were able to reply to Sean’s repeated call for “Mel’s!” that yes, we WOULD drive past Mel’s to go home, on Thursday, after sleeping two nights at the motel. Sean surprised us during lunch the next day by saying “Notebook! Pencil pen!” He chose two spiral notebooks at a store before we returned to the aquarium to tire ourselves out before our last night in the motel. I put the notebooks and pen on a bed. He opened both notebooks so two pages each were open, and then drew lines to create four blocks of drawing space on each page. Next time I turned around, every quadrant of every page had the exact same word written: “Home.” Sean was more at ease after solidifying his message on paper. Knowing we’d drive home the next day, he enjoyed our sunset walk around Lovers Point. We’d stopped briefly there on a previous trip, but this time it was a one-minute walk from our motel. Despite a few quirky moments in crowded public spaces, the trip was mostly a happy success. We have photos of Sean smiling in front of the giant kelp exhibit with his dad and brother, happily eating pizza next to me, and looking calmly out at the ocean scenery to prove it. Anxious as I get when I plan trips like this, it’s important to make the effort. Not giving up—even when things feel impossible—would be a disservice to Sean and to the rest of us. To readers feeling daunted by life circumstances, don’t stop trying! Even small incremental progress, and “two steps forward, one step back,” is worth working toward! This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Lovers Point Sunset Stroll, a small park in Pacific Grove near Monterey that produces magical colors at sunset. This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives: (Original Hike Notes 104): Lovers Point Sunset Stroll Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 Leaves and Shadows
Leaves and their shadows fluttering in a breeze highlight my favorite trail moments. Add a wooden footbridge and I fall into my own little hiker nirvana. I don’t know why the leaf-and-shadow light-and-motion combination brings a visceral wave of emotion. I’ve logged most of my hiking miles in California as an adult, but I wonder if the deeply entrenched memories created in childhood are part of why I feel this inexplicable “high” with flickering leaf shadows. Leaves were part of the seasonal lore of my Upstate New York childhood. Seasons evolved as much by leaf status as they did by temperature and whether we had sun, rain or snow. Bright, neon green leaves meant spring was upon us. Full, deeper greens meant summer was in full swing. Just as we felt the summer warmth, the leaves would start turning, in a mixture of browns, yellows, oranges and reds, eventually dropping to leave bare branches. Having sun to make shadows and a bit of a breeze to move the leaves was enough to entrance me when I was little. There were no wooden footbridges in the fields and forests around my house, though. (We waded through creeks, or walked over them when they were frozen enough.) Now I hike trails where there are many small bridges, so I get a double whammy of leaf-shadow-induced nostalgia combined with the mysterious charm of a wooden footbridge looming ahead in a forest. Sensory observations that switch our brains to positive vibe mode are treasures. Allowing small details around us to temporarily occupy our psyche muffles the busy noise in our brains, helping clear stubborn negative thoughts. I wish everyone several moments each day of sensory positivity, whether outdoors in nature or in some other environment that brings you a happy welling of the heart. Keep putting one foot forward! This week’s Hike Notes, Matt Davis Trail-West Point Inn to Bootjack, takes readers on the return section of a loop hike between Bootjack Campground and West Point Inn on Mt. Tam (covered in three separate posts: Old Stage Road to West Point Inn, Nora Trail-West Point Inn Connector, and Matt Davis Trail-West Point Inn to Bootjack). Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries. If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 New this week: Hike Notes 194: Matt Davis Trail-West Point Inn to Bootjack Winter Light
Right before the pandemic, which feels like forever ago, Sean and I went for a December hike with our long-standing autism-support hiking buddy. Changing schedules reduced opportunities for hikes with him, but we found an open afternoon. Mid December meant we were close to the shortest day of the year, with the sun setting well before 5 PM. Our late afternoon start had us hitting the trail close to sunset. We chose old, familiar turf so we wouldn’t get lost as it got dark. The twilight highlighted driftwood sculptures as we made our way across Rodeo Beach in Marin. The last bit of sunlight gave an orange tinge to the sandy trail leading up the bluff. We saw another pair of hikers, red jackets popping against the dark green brush covering the hill. Red tips of ice plants mixed with their green bases, like a sea of Christmas decorations waving over the ground. We found our way to a vista point bench before the sun was truly down. On the horizon, one bright light appeared, then another. Crab season had started, and the lights of the crab boats created their own constellation on the water. By this point, we were out of sunlight, and we wandered off track through the ice plants as we made our way back down the hill to the beach. Like a string of holiday lights, the distant crab boats led us back toward our starting point. A coyote walked ahead of us nonchalantly, not caring about us hikers. Chilly ocean air, lights on the ocean, and dramatic blues and rosy oranges above the black horizon brought back memories of childhood winter walks in snowy Upstate New York. I’d start a subzero evening walk with just enough time to be back for dinner. Trudging through deep snowdrifts, the glow of the snow and the lights on the windows of our old house guided me home through the dark. There is a peace in twilight and cold that only comes in winter, a time when we contemplate family and loved ones, and reflect on the year behind us. Walking in the cold and dark also has a cleansing effect, eliminating cluttered thoughts, allowing us to simply feel the bite of the cold on our cheeks and instinctually find our footing in the dark. I wish everyone moments of quiet contemplation as we walk through the darkest days of the year, ready to move forward into brighter days. This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Rodeo Lagoon Loop-Marin Headlands, a 1.5 mile loop hike that circles a lagoon, rises up for higher views, and also features a beach walk. This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives: (Original Hike Notes 110): Rodeo Lagoon Loop-Marin Headlands Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 Across Time and Space
Two years ago in an Insights post titled “Connections,” I wrote about my severely autistic son’s behavior toward his big brother, who was about to move away to London. Language-challenged Sean reverted to actions we hadn’t seen in years. Unable to verbalize his emotions, he showed frustration by trying to bite his brother’s arm. Processing the concept of a loved one moving away or coming home to visit for a short time is not easy for Sean. He does, however, have a powerful sense of intuition. Though he did not explicitly understand one morning two years ago that his brother would be on a plane by the time he got home from his support program, Sean engaged his brother in long eye contact and smiles before he left for his day. He knew somehow that it was time to show extra love to his brother. Now, for a second year in a row, big brother is coming home from England to stay through the holidays. Typically, instead of big hugs and smiles when Sean first sees his brother after a long absence, he almost ignores him. It’s as if he’s not sure to trust that his brother is actually real. Before a full day passes, though, Sean will be sitting close to his brother on the sofa. He’ll hold his hand on family hikes. Sean will revert to his old habit of yelling his brother’s name loudly and repeatedly for the duration of his visit, his way of insisting that his brother stay nearby. And then when the holidays are done we’ll start all over again as big brother flies back to his job in London. Being the sibling of a special needs sister or brother is not a typical life experience. It can be very challenging, but also presents the opportunity to be more patient, more understanding, and more adaptable. Cheers to all the brothers and sisters who do their best navigating their own lives while being supportive of special needs siblings and caregiver parents. They are members of a hidden club who don’t receive enough acknowledgement! This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Stinson Beach, one of Marin County’s most iconic beaches, great for long walks whether in summer or winter. This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives: (Original Hike Notes 147): Stinson Beach Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page. Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. See products with inspiring designs that support the efforts of HikingAutism under Support/Shop. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777 |
Lisa LouisSharing insights and hiking highlights (Hikes, Hike Search by Area) from the special needs caregiver front in San Francisco. Archives
April 2024
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