These are a few of my favorite things

SAN FRANCISCO--With apologies to Rodgers and Hammerstein, I must sing the praises of this city by the bay.
The Wandering Naturalist list of stuff I like about S.F.:

1) Recycling--Curbside makes it so easy to recycle waste paper, bottles and cans, all sorts of food scraps, plastic containers. Hooray! And for all you recyclers out there, keep up the good work!

2) Millennium Restaurant--Where else but in San Francisco could you find a gourmet vegan restaurant, this one at the Savoy Hotel? I'm not gonna say every naturalist should be a vegetarian; that's a very personal choice. I'll just say this is the best thing that's happened to my mouth since I became one.

3) Parks, Community and National--I love my neighborhood parks. An elementary school has started restoring native habitat at Pine Lake Park; Stern Grove contains actual redwoods. Golden Gate National Parks and their partner, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy care for a restored wetland at Crissy Field, beautiful public lands near the Bay, historical landmarks like the Presidio and Alcatraz Island. Three cheers for preservation and restoration!

4) Gardens and Pets--I delight in my landlord's garden and the free-running dogs at the park. Our closest connection to nature may be the plants and animals we "own." Let no one scoff at showering attention on pets, as though it were obscene when there are starving humans. Is love limited? Are not those who care for a creature considered "dumb," "mute," more likely to consider the cries of other suffering creatures even a continent away? We're all in this together, you know. Let's hear it for responsible pet-owners and gardeners!

5) Wild Things--My heart soars with the macho hummingbird who attains great heights in order to dive-bomb intruders. Banana slugs amaze me with their seeming ooziness which isn't, actually. Touch one. Watch how they can retract their antennae. Wild. Chickadees have no fear of me and fill me with a joy that makes me want to call all of you (with a W.C. Fields accent) "my little chickadee."

Thank you, San Francisco, and you, my little chickadees, for all the wonderful things I mentioned and all I have yet to discover about you. Give yourself a big, hearty pat on the back!