Author: Sheri Baer

A s I’ve been chronicling in these pages, we had to move out of our family home for an extended time while it was being renovated. Recently, we made the big transition back. Moving (in this case twice) is, was and always will be one of life’s most unpleasant tasks.

We have boxed and reboxed and boxed again. Each time, we made the three distinctive piles: keep, donate, throw away. Each time, the donate and throw-away piles are extensive, and yet, like a plate of unwanted food at a formal dinner, the pile of boxes just doesn’t seem to get any smaller.

But one good thing keeps happening: the discovery of long-lost or forgotten mementos that capture a moment, time or place that brings back joyful recollections. I’m not one to throw away these fragments of my children’s lives—each one a perfect treasure, a moment in time that I can never revisit now that those children are grown, their childhoods distant. I don’t possess a mind that can easily remember the past; I need the physical reminders to help me recall the happy events of my life.

For parents, these fragile relics, when read years later, can provide a snapshot of the life your child was headed toward. Of course, their whims and wants can and do change, but often the mark is there. I speak from some experience, since I started my first publication when I was eight.

During our latest unboxing exercise, I came across a three-page letter from my then-11-year-old daughter, Arielle. She is now married with two sweet boys, ages five and three, and a newborn little girl. Finding her missive was a bit like unearthing a clutch of arrowheads during the excavation for a new building in Santa Fe—everything stopped, and I slowly read this newly re-discovered treasure:

Dear Dad,

How are you doing? I love you so much and I think I should be able to choose where I put things! My room is already too grown up for me and I need to put more colors in it. I know that you want my room to be just right, but I’m sorry that I’m not 20 but I am still 11 and I’m still only a kid. If I could just pick where I put my bulletin board, I would be very happy.

Remember it’s not yours, it’s my room. And if you can’t deal with that, then you just want everything to be perfect but to tell you something not everything can be perfect (but really nothing can be perfect.) Please try to just think about it. Try to make it a kid’s room not a 20 year old person’s room, I’m not even going to be here when I’m 20. Oh—on the next page, I show you where I want it to be. If it’s in the corner, then no one will be able to see it and I will just forget about it.

Remember, I’m not 20.

Thank you.
I love you, Ari.

The true beauty of this letter was seeing the creative spirit emanate from my daughter—her divinely-inspired gift revealing itself at such an early age. Her first, gentle effort to redo her room led to four more attempts to make her room her own, including new paint, doors removed and furniture rearranged. Finally, it was to her liking.

Today, Arielle is a noted interior designer. With ease and confidence (and incredibly creative style), she has designed dozens of beautiful homes in Atherton, Menlo Park, Beverly Hills.

And now, when I see her designing rooms and deciding on the multitude of choices in a home, I can’t help but think of her first little drawing of her own room.

Yes, my dear Arielle, you can rearrange your room!

I love you, Dad.

Words by Margaret Koenig

Built in 1924, The Cardinal Hotel in Palo Alto is an important historical landmark that remains fully operational 101 years later. The three-story hotel was constructed under the auspices of the Palo Alto Improvement Company, part of an early effort to encourage downtown development—an initiative that proved largely successful, thanks in part to projects like The Cardinal. With entrances on Hamilton Avenue and Ramona Street, The Cardinal is part of the Ramona Street Architectural District, known for its historic Spanish Colonial-style buildings. Prolific California architect William H. Weeks, who designed the building alongside renowned local architect Birge Clark, put a classical twist on the Spanish Colonial style by incorporating ornate marble pillars, and framing the windows and entryways with a decorative terra-cotta border.

 

Today, much around the hotel has changed, but The Cardinal’s essential character has remained the same as it was a century ago. The hotel has been owned by the Dahl family since 1945. They bought it after leaving Hawaii and moving to California following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Bjarne Dahl served as its manager from 1975 until his death in 2009. There have been modern upgrades over the years, but The Cardinal retains many of its distinctly Art Deco touches, from its tile floors to wrought-iron chandeliers and sconces. The hotel’s original dining room has been converted into an antique store, and period items can be found throughout the lobby, like a well-preserved switchboard desk and two wooden phone booths, plus an antique piano, classic radio and vintage chess board.

As told to Margaret Koenig

Hello there! I’m Palouse—an unusual name for a dog, but in my case, a very fitting one. I was found in the Palouse region in eastern Washington, an area known for its rolling hills of wheat. In mid-summer before the harvest, the hills perfectly match the color of my coat. As a terrier mix with expressive eyebrows, fiery brown eyes and a tufted beard, people often say I closely resemble the Fantastic Mr. Fox from the Wes Anderson film. In 2020, when I was six months old, Callan adopted me from Adam’s County Pet Rescue in Othello, Washington, and we only recently moved to Menlo Park. While I miss the snow in Washington, I’ve found that when it comes to the great outdoors, the Peninsula has an awful lot to offer. I’m an avid hiker, swimmer, kayaker and chaser who’s always up for an adventure—a recent favorite is hiking Windy Hill Open Space Preserve. Callan says I’m incredibly sweet and loving, but I do have a bit of a naughty streak: I’m an opportunistic counter-surfer who once managed to steal an entire steak. And I’ll admit, I do find it amusing to dry myself off on the nearest human after I go for a swim. Let’s just say that with me around, life is never dull!

Calling All Dogs: If you've got quirky habits or a funny tale (or tail) to share, email your story to hello@punchmonthly.com for a chance to share a page from your Diary of a Dog in PUNCH.

For a peak patriotic display, this red-white-and-blue starburst fits the bill. PUNCH photographer Gino De Grandis captured this ethereal Independence Day display at Foster City’s Fourth of July fireworks show. Gino prefers a high vantage point for the view of the inky blue Bay in the background.

Image by Gino De Grandis / luiphotography.com

Calling all Shutterbugs: If you’ve captured a unique perspective of the Peninsula, we’d love to see your Perfect Shot. Email us at hello@punchmonthly.com to be considered for publication.

Words by Kate Daly

How does Heidi Richards of Portola Valley describe some of her experiences as a professional mountain guide who has reached the summit of the seven highest mountains on all seven continents? “A suffer-fest.”
Fortunately, Heidi is the kind of person who enjoys challenges. “The physical demand, and the simplicity of it all, is incredible,” she explains. Heidi attributes her endurance in such a challenging field—she led climbs for more than a dozen years—to being “very clever and very resourceful” and staying in great shape.

As she approaches 60, Heidi’s no longer a guide but she exercises every day, hiking up and down Windy Hill Open Space Preserve and on trails in Palo Alto’s Foothills Nature Preserve with friends. You can find her surfing with her family in Santa Cruz and skiing in winter. Heidi says the “high of exercise” is something she thrives on. “I feel really lucky it makes me feel good,” she says.

Of course, a mountain guide’s challenges are far from just physical. “Climbing mountains is a great opportunity to develop your mind … There’s a lot of time for reflection.” Case in point: the time Heidi spent 11 days in a tent waiting out a storm at 14,000 feet on Denali, also known as Mount McKinley, in Alaska.

Photo by Annie Barnett 

“You can’t get out of your tent without your skin completely covered, and those are tough times because you have to keep physically active.” If you don’t, you won’t be prepared to make it to the top at 20,310 feet, Heidi says.
It pays to expect the unexpected on Denali. On one expedition, Heidi says it took 28 days to climb, due to bad weather delaying the summit until day 26. Winds could be howling at 30 mph with wind chill making the temperature drop to 10 degrees below zero.

Guides typically carry 30 to 40 pounds of supplies—from long underwear and insulating layers for rain, snow, extreme heat and sun, to rescue gear, first aid kits, freeze-dried food and white-gas fueled stoves to melt snow. On Denali, mountain guides pull sleds to and from base camps, adding to the hardships.

Heidi says the key quality needed in an expedition leader is a “mental edge.” “Not only are you stronger than your clients, you’re a million times more efficient in everything that you do because you have so much experience,” she observes. One of her mountain-guide hacks? Heidi pre-stuffs her coat with snacks, so there’s no delay when she needs to eat and no disrobing needed to get to the food. “We don’t let ourselves get cold or too hot, but if we do, we can handle it because our tolerance is so high for physical discomfort,” she says of mountain guides.

Tap and Heidi raise their arms in triumph on the way down from the summit of Mount Everest. / Photo: Courtesy of Heidi Richards.

Heidi grew up in Tacoma, Washington, on a ranchette where hard physical work came with the territory. After high school she went to massage school and in 1994, when she was in her 20s, she switched to mountain guiding for Rainier Mountaineering Inc. There, she met her future husband, Tap Richards, and over the years, they often worked together. Heidi started guiding international trips in 1997.

In 2001, an American client hired a team that included Heidi and Tap with the goal of climbing the seven summits in five years. “He was a tough guy, mentally very tough; we had to climb year-round to keep his goal and stay in shape,” Heidi says. He made it to the top on six of the climbs, but on his last try at age 53, he did not complete the seventh summit in the Himalayas. Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world at 29,032 feet, “just proved to be too much,” she says.

Heidi estimates the whole trip— including helicopters, Sherpas and yaks—cost about $400,000. Heidi recalls the group spent two and a half months on that expedition in 2006, starting with a two-week-long walk to Everest’s south-side base camp at 17,500 feet. The team worked its way up to Camp III and Camp IV, before attempting to summit via the South Col route.

Heidi and husband Tap celebrate back at base camp after reaching the summit of Mount Everest in 2006. / Photo: Courtesy of Heidi Richards.

The client made it as far as Camp III before having to turn around. Heidi, her husband Tap and two others made it all the way to the top. The couple spent about 15 minutes up there, took photos and used a satellite phone to share the news with their dads before making the difficult descent. A photo taken of the group at base camp the day after they summited captures “one of the happiest days of my life,” Heidi says. She was 39 and ran into a friend along the route who told her that after this Everest trip, she was going to start a family. Me too, Heidi replied.

In 2008, she and Tap welcomed their daughter on the same day that mountaineering legend Sir Edmund Hillary died. Back in 1953, the New Zealander and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first confirmed climbers to reach the summit of Everest. Heidi and Tap considered the date to be a good omen.

Almost a decade earlier, the couple had a brush with another famous mountaineer on Everest. In 1999, they were involved in a research expedition to locate the body of English climber George Mallory. He and Sandy Irvine died on the mountain in 1924 while attempting to summit the north side, and it is still unknown whether the pair of Brits ever succeeded in making it to the top. The team found a frozen body and Tap spied the nametag on its shirt: G. Mallory. The group performed a burial ceremony on the spot and recovered some artifacts.

Since summiting Everest, Heidi has climbed Mount Rainier several more times, adding to her total of guiding more than 100 trips there. After leaving the professional mountain guide life behind, Heidi was a real estate agent in Seattle until the couple moved to the Peninsula 10 years ago. Currently, Heidi is a personal assistant for a local family and offers massage therapy for a small group of clients.

After all that time in the Pacific Northwest, Heidi and Tap are enjoying the Bay Area’s fair weather and love that so many of their friends and neighbors are outdoorsy and game to go camping. Their daughter is a rising high school senior who has done some climbing in Yosemite. “She does seem interested, and is a very strong athlete,” Heidi says. But it’s a bit too soon to tell if she will follow in her parents’ adventure-filled footsteps.

Words by Johanna Harlow

At Crystal Springs Reservoir, the midday heat isn’t keeping anyone away. A flock of about a dozen pedestrians stroll along the Sawyer Camp Trail, followed by a pair of coworkers in business button-ups and an older couple with walking poles. Next, several joggers zip by, their sneakers drumming against the pavement.

“This trail almost didn’t exist,” says Ranger Katherine Wright, who’s happy to walk and talk about this local gem. The noonday sun glints off the gold badge pinned on her shirt and dazzles off the man-made lakes. “When they were going to create Highway 280, they had discussed building it closer to the reservoirs and basically eliminating this road. But a lot of people fought to keep it.”

Cover Photo: Courtesy of Bgwashburn / Photo: Courtesy of Neeta Lind

A fortuitous move. These days, the area sees over 325,000 visitors annually. Thanks to an easement with San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which owns the watershed, San Mateo County Parks maintains the area and keeps it pristine. “It is the most popular trail in the county now,” says Katherine. Not only does the trail present stunning views of the reservoir that fills the rift valley formed by the San Andreas Fault, it also offers accessible paved paths. “It’s a great place to come out and recreate in whatever fashion you want to,” Katherine says. Even cyclists, skaters and equestrians are welcome.

Considering the numbers, you’ve probably visited the reservoir at one time or another. But how well do you know this local gem? It’s time to take a deep dive into all things Crystal Springs.

Photo: Courtesy of San Mateo County Parks

Down the Path of History

Though you’ll see cyclists and strollers on the reservoir’s trails today, take a moment to imagine stagecoaches rumbling and rattling along this road. During the Gold Rush, travelers used the route to get from Millbrae to Half Moon Bay (known back then as Spanish Town).

“There was a little inn to stop and stay,” shares Katherine. A man by the name of Leander Sawyer resided somewhere around the halfway point of the trail we’re currently treading. At Sawyer’s Camp (the trail’s namesake), Leander provided food and lodging for travelers, while also raising cattle and training circus horses.

Katherine heads the interpretive division of the San Mateo County Parks department in charge of education and community engagement. “Trying to connect people to parks as well as parks to people,” she summarizes with a smile. She adds that American settlers weren’t the first ones here. Before them, intrepid Spanish explorers traversed this region—Gaspar de Portolá camped here with his 1769 expedition, as did Juan Bautista de Anza several years later. Long before they arrived, the indigenous Ohlone hunted and gathered on this bountiful land.

Photo: Courtesy of Becky Matsubara

Flourishing Flora and Fauna

As we rest on a bench in the shade, a western fence lizard starts doing pushups, striving to impress us. “There are large sections that aren’t shaded, so it heats up really nicely, which the reptiles like,” says Katherine, noting it’s wise to keep an eye out for the occasional rattler or king snake.
A considerable number of critters call Crystal Springs Reservoir home, with nearly 50 species of mammals sighted here. Mule deer and brush rabbits nibble on its shrubs—also attracting the coyotes, gray foxes, bobcats and occasional mountain lion that consider them a tasty delicacy. Over 180 species of birds have also been identified around the area, including turkeys and towhees, sparrows and scrub jays, hawks and hummingbirds.

Excitingly, a pair of bald eagles have chosen to take up residence at the reservoir. “They found the first nesting pair in this county, here in this watershed,” says Katherine. “It was in 2012, for the first time in almost a hundred years. We see them every year, re-establishing their nest and having young.” It’s always a good sign when the wildlife chooses you.

Photo: Courtesy of Charlie Day

Most exceptional among the area’s flora is an ancient bay tree, which holds court above the buckeyes and blackwoods. Aged over 600 years, this natural wonder is the oldest of its species in the state. It’s called the Jepson Laurel, after dedicated botanist and pioneer explorer Willis Linn Jepson, who wrote 71 field journals with observations on local plants, geography and history.
All too soon, Katherine and I have returned to the trailhead. Somewhere a songbird warbles a farewell. “I grew up in San Mateo,” she tells me. “It’s nice being close to places like this that feel kind of wild—but then you go back home and you’re in a neighborhood!”

Reservoir Lore

It’s rumored that the reservoir is teeming with huge trout. These tales, however, are unconfirmed since you aren’t allowed to fish (or swim) in the reservoir, and officials will slap a large fine on anyone caught with fishing gear in their possession. Wistful anglers can only dream of the impressive beasts lurking in the reservoir’s depths.

Photo: Courtesy of Mark Doliner

Damming History

My Crystal Springs quest is not yet at an end. The reservoir has its own history to tell—apparently with its fair share of drama. To get to the bottom of it, I turn to podcaster Olivia Allen-Price, who has covered the topic in an episode of her KQED show Bay Curious.

It starts back when the promise of a gold grab exploded San Francisco’s population. Water became increasingly scarce, Olivia explains. “Spring Valley Water Company buys up a lot of the land south of San Francisco, and it’s this private company that’s providing water to San Francisco, at what a lot of people say were not very fair prices.” Their stranglehold on this essential commodity became a serious problem.

Photo: Courtesy of San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library

Around the same time, a resort village with a dairy, farms and several hotels rose up in a luscious valley south of the city, according to Redwood City Pulse. They called it Crystal Springs. For a time, well-to-do San Franciscans planned their getaways here. But it was on leased land belonging to … Spring Valley Water Company. Looking to expand its watery empire, the company started planning a reservoir where the village stood. The hotels were demolished and by the late 1870s, the area had been completely abandoned. In 1888, the water company completed construction of the dam—at the time, the largest concrete structure in the world—and what was left of this ghost town was consigned to a watery grave.

Fast-forward to the catastrophic San Francisco 1906 earthquake and fire. It was estimated that the fires caused somewhere between 80% and 95% of the disaster’s destruction. “There was difficulty putting some of the fires out,” Olivia notes. “Sourcing water becomes a hot topic.” After a long battle, the city finally managed to buy out the water company in 1930, acquiring 62,500 acres of watershed land. Four years later, San Francisco began pumping in millions of gallons from Yosemite’s Hetch Hetchy reservoir.

Photo: Courtesy of Navaneth KN

Waters in the Wilderness

To celebrate this rich history, pay a visit to the Pulgas Water Temple, a grand structure with fluted Corinthian columns just down the road. Constructed to commemorate the completion of the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct, it was erected right above the huge water pipe’s terminus. A plaque with a biblical inscription from Isaiah 43:20 reads: “I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people.”

Peer down the grate-covered hole at the temple’s center and you’ll find a watery vault below. “ We talked to a lot of people who were around in probably the ‘60s and ‘70s,  and would go there as young people,” recalls Olivia. “Back in the day, apparently, there was no grate. So high schoolers would jump into the water temple. It was  like a water slide that would then spit you out into the reservoir—which sounds terrifying, but also pretty fun!”

We recommend you conclude your visit by raising your water bottle to those who found a way to bring a steady stream of water to our homes on the Bay, then taking a long, refreshing swig.

Words by Johanna Harlow

Olivia Allen-Price wants answers. “If I see something, I’m pulling out my phone and looking it up—and then finding myself down a rabbit hole of Wikipedia clicks, 10 clicks deep,” chuckles the San Mateo resident. It’s a mindset that suits her career as a journalist. “Getting to immerse myself in all these different worlds from week to week keeps me on my toes,” she says. “Bay Curious is that, on steroids.”

Bay Curious, a KQED show that Olivia hosts, fields Bay Area-specific questions from listeners. Why are there ships buried under the streets of San Francisco? Why do we have so many palm trees? Is there really a volcano in the East Bay Hills? Olivia and her team track down the truth.
The program started as a pet project while Olivia worked as the radio station’s engagement producer. When they asked her to act as the show’s official host, it came as a surprise. “My background has been as a newspaper reporter. I was comfortable with the written word… I had never spoken into a microphone.” Olivia breaks into a smile. “It was kind of my lean-in moment.”

Cover Photo Courtesy of: Chronicle Books / Photo Courtesy of: Adam Groosberg – KQED

Over the years, Olivia’s evolved as a host. “Early on, I was kind of figuring out, ‘What is my personality as a host? Am I funny? Sincere? Snarky? Irreverent?’ Trying on some different adjectives and trying to figure out what felt like the right fit for the show.” Her verdict? “I try to embody curiosity because that is at the heart of the show,” she reflects. “And to me, curiosity is an openness to learning whatever’s going to come your way.”
Recently, Olivia published a book fueled by the podcast’s previous episodes as well as some brand-new stories. “I truly think almost anything can be interesting if the right person is telling you the story,” she says.
Stay tuned for a few answers to questions you’ve probably been wondering about for years.

Are the rumors about the Stanford Dish searching for aliens true?
There’s something about a behemoth satellite dish pointed heavenwards that seems straight from sci-fi. But this 150-foot-wide radio telescope sprouting from the Stanford foothills was built not to listen in on little green men, but to Soviets. Motivated by the Cold War—specifically the Soviet Union’s launching of Sputnik 1, the world’s first artificial space satellite—the Department of Defense commissioned the Dish’s construction. This allowed Stanford University scientists to listen to Soviet signals as they bounced off the moon. Later, the Dish communicated with several NASA space probes and helped map Venus’ atmosphere via signals sent to the Mariner probe. Still operational today, it aids in satellite calibrations and spacecraft command. Olivia says (a little enviously) that her KQED field reporter got invited to step into the Dish’s observation deck to check out the control console. “All the buttons and switches are Sputnik-era, like a 1960s throwback,” she describes. “It’s almost like you’re on a movie set.”

Photo Courtesy of: Mandy Padgett 

Did Monterey Jack Cheese really come from Monterey?
Olivia acknowledges that Monterey, our neighbor to the south, has laid claim to Monterey Jack cheese, crediting it to David Jacks. This Scottish scoundrel was among many hopefuls flocking to California for the Gold Rush. “He didn’t have much luck with gold, but still amassed a small fortune selling weapons,” Olivia says. Later, he acquired most of Monterey County through a series of shady land deals and money lending. “He wasn’t a beloved local figure,” she notes. “He becomes kind of the de facto landlord of a lot of the people who are living in Monterey.” This included a multitude of dairies—one of which was making a mild white cheese. He stuck his name on it. “That’s the predominant story,” Olivia says. “But there’s an alternate version.” Enter Stefano Mori, an Italian immigrant who settled just south of Pacifica, on what’s now known as Mori Point. “A family friend steals that recipe and then starts making it at the dairies down in Monterey,” Olivia says. “So the next time you’re at a deli ordering a sandwich and you get it with Monterey Jack, you can shake your fist—maybe it should actually be Pacifica Jack.”

What was the original purpose of Hangar One at Moffett Field?
The lofty Hangar One was built to house a 785-foot-long dirigible called the USS Macon. It was constructed soon after Santa Clara County residents sold Moffett Field to the U.S. Navy for the price of one dollar back in 1931. “Quite a deal, even in its time,” Olivia says. Used for reconnaissance, the Macon could carry four airplanes, then release them via an arm called the trapeze. “The airplanes would do their scouting mission and then come back and get caught by that arm and brought back into this giant blimp,” she describes. “Ultimately, the USS Macon met a tragic end.” It went down off the coast of Big Sur, after less than two years of flights. “Two people died in that crash—but 81 didn’t … Ultimately, dirigibles went out of favor because they almost all crashed. The Hindenburg happened a couple years after that.”

Why do people park on Highway 101 near Brisbane?
There’s a stretch of road along Highway 101, between the Bay and the Brisbane Lagoon, where you’ll regularly find cars pulled over on the shoulder, disregarding several signs that shout: “NO PARKING.” So what’s worth risking a ticket? This place, known as “the tubes,” allows fish to swim between the Bay and the lagoon to spawn. “There’s a fish highway right there on 101,” Olivia quips. Fisherfolk, taking advantage of the schools swimming in and out, wait at the entry to catch halibut, striped bass and even stingrays. “Fishermen are so wily,” she says. “It’s like the whole food chain’s congregating there.”

Olivia adds that this particular podcast episode segued into a larger story about local fishing spots—and Bay Curious’ field reporter ended up crab fishing on a paddleboard. After bringing her catch back home to Berkeley, reporter Katrina Schwartz recalls, “I had to pull them, alive and angry, from a cooler using these tiny kitchen tongs that were not up to the job.” One of the crafty crustaceans tried to flee the premises. “It was crawling towards her door,” Olivia laughs. “What if this crab had gotten out and it was just roaming around Berkeley? Lost crab!”

any questions? – kqed.org/baycurious

Words by Sheryl Nonnenberg

Take a drive on Alpine Road to the Ladera Country Shopper if you want to see the old adage of “do what you love and love what you do” put into action. At the far end of this popular neighborhood shopping center, you’ll find Ladera Garden and Gifts. Mercedes and Juan Navarro, who have owned this business since 1981, are not only passionate about flowers, plants and gift items but also about providing the best, most personalized service to everyone who enters their shop.

The Navarros only have time to talk to me on a Monday—the one day the garden center is closed to the public. The rest of the week finds the couple happily helping customers. Juan, who is outgoing and gregarious, jokes that he has no other hobbies because “work is a hobby.” “I like plants—they keep me entertained,” he says. Mercedes, soft-spoken and a bit shy, lights up when describing how much she enjoys finding the perfect plant or flower arrangement. “It’s fun and exciting,” she smiles, “and we love it.”

The American Dream is alive and well for the Navarros, who are something of a textbook case. They were both born to large families and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, though that’s not where they met. Both came to the United States in 1970 looking for opportunity. Juan grew up on a farm raising crops that helped keep his family fed. Upon arriving in the U.S., he took any job he could find, including a factory position where he met Mercedes. A part-time job in a nursery soon led to a full-time position and Juan was hooked.

In 1979, he and Mercedes began working at a small nursery located on the same site as the current Ladera Garden and Gifts. It was owned by an older couple who were planning to retire. They encouraged the Navarros to undertake a sort of apprenticeship, which lasted for two years. “I learned on the job,” Juan says. Even after working closely with the previous owners, Juan and Mercedes both admit that they still had a lot to learn about running a business. “It was a risk, but we didn’t have much to lose,” Juan jokes.

The pair formally took over in 1981 and immediately began to make it their own. Mercedes, who had some previous experience working with cut flowers, decided to start offering flower arrangements. She created a space inside for florist services and indoor plants, while Juan focused on the outdoor nursery business.

When a retail space adjacent to the nursery became available, they expanded into several rooms that became the gift shop. “We have three businesses in one: the garden, the flower shop and the gifts,” says Juan. The evolution of the gift shop in 2006 was clearly the brainchild of Mercedes. She invited two longtime customers, Mary Adams and Patty Brady, both locally known interior designers and artists, to join the business and fill the new space with glassware, candles, soaps and art pieces. “They do all the interior displays,” explains Juan. “They do a beautiful job.”

Everything from French soaps, decorative vases, specialty houseware items, jewelry and perfumes are carefully curated and displayed in a manner befitting a high-end boutique. Inventory changes frequently and Mary and Patty refresh the displays every Monday when the nursery is closed. Mary and Patty get a little emotional when talking about why they joined the Navarros. “We were friends and customers of Juan and Mercedes before we started here and we both admired them so much,” says Mary. “It has been a match made in heaven.”

To source the shop’s unique items, Patty says the four of them travel to Atlanta every January to attend a huge gift convention. “We split up, shop around and meet at the end of the day for a cocktail,” she laughs. Although there are thousands of objects to see, she said that by now, the group has figured out where to go and what to avoid. She and Mary have a good sense of what will sell in Ladera and say that the trend now skews toward contemporary items.

Even with the advantage of being a one-stop shop for plants, flowers and gifts, the Navarros say that it’s not easy to own a family business. They have a small staff and it really bothers them if their customers have to wait in lines. A bad Yelp review can totally ruin Juan’s day. “We have great customers and we can devote more time to them,” says Mercedes, “and when people go home happy, that’s a good thing.” When it was pointed out that people often have to search to find any help at the big box stores, they both laughed. “We cannot compare ourselves to Home Depot. We can’t have a price war because they will beat us,” reasons Juan. “So, we have to be something different.”

Juan says he knows his clientele so well that he can anticipate their needs months in advance. And he has the advantage of being able to order unusual or rare plants that you just won’t find in a typical big box store. “People like the experience of coming here,” Juan notes. “They may walk around and see something they have never seen before.”

The Navarros encouraged their three children to pursue whatever careers they wanted. Daniel is an electrician who works at San Francisco International Airport but Adrianna and Marco followed their parents into nursery work and now own the Ladera Garden and Gifts in the Carlmont Shopping Center in Belmont. This is clearly a source of great pride for both Mercedes and Juan, who laughingly observes, “They are learning the ups and downs of this business.”

Even after all these years running Ladera Garden and Gifts, Juan and Mercedes say they have no plans to retire. They recognize that they are filling a unique niche for Peninsula residents. “We appreciate people who support us; they know it is a family business and that we are providing work for our employees,” explains Juan.

He worries that people may think their location in Ladera is off the beaten track and points out that Interstate 280 is just up the road. “We draw customers from Sunnyvale, Palo Alto and Redwood City,” he says proudly. With a huge smile, Juan adds, “Come and check us out!”

green thumbs – laderagardenandgifts.com

As told to by Margaret Koenig

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but at 15 years old, I’m picking up new skills on the regular. My name is Jake, and I’m a Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever, a busy breed that’s notoriously hard to manage. My family loves our intelligence, humor and loyalty, so Lynn and Rick were happy to welcome me into their lives. Tollers love to retrieve—I’ve made fetching an art form—but when I first arrived, I was the one who needed retrieving after I fell under the house’s deck and refused to come out. Later, I deliberately pushed Maisie, another one of Lynn and Rick’s dogs, under the deck, which convinced them to remove the darn thing. Mission accomplished! Despite this less-than-auspicious start, my family fell for my lively demeanor and cheerful attitude. I’m a refreshing change from the high-strung personalities of many tollers. I may be a counter-surfer and a thief, but I almost always return my ill-gotten gains (if I haven’t already consumed them). I mentor my brother Wubbo, Lynn and Rick’s Kooikerhonje, teaching him to howl along with passing sirens and overcome his fear of large stuffed animals. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with a heart condition, so Lynn and I took up Rally, a low-impact dog sport. I progressed from novice to advanced so quickly, people often mistake me for a much younger dog. My heart may be weak, but my spirit is as strong as ever.

Calling All Dogs: If you've got quirky habits or a funny tale (or tail) to share, email your story to hello@punchmonthly.com for a chance to share a page from your Diary of a Dog in PUNCH.

These graceful oaks are a favorite subject of photographer Irene Searles, who finds herself driving past them on Portola Road so frequently that she’s come to think of them as “her trees.” “Sometimes horses from The Horse Park at Woodside are there, sometimes not, but I always find them to be beautiful,” she says.

Image by Irene Searles / @irenesearlesphotography

Calling all Shutterbugs: If you’ve captured a unique perspective of the Peninsula, we’d love to see your Perfect Shot. Email us at hello@punchmonthly.com to be considered for publication.

Founder of Iwaki Bonsai and San Mateo resident talks tiny trees, favorite places and how his passion first took root.

Who introduced you to the art of bonsai?
My father, Ted Taikio Iwaki. He would host backyard parties where his friends would gather, drink beer and talk about these plants. One friend, (author and bonsai master) John Naka, seemed to command the respect of all. I found out much later that these and other backyard parties were the start of the first bonsai movement in Southern California, maybe even the West Coast.

What was it like growing up with a backyard bursting with bonsai?
While we didn’t have a traditional backyard, this miniature forest made a great place to play army with my friends. And more than once, I was scolded for breaking branches during an assault.

Why is bonsai such a unique pastime?
You’re nurturing an ever-changing living sculpture.

How did you get involved with the Kusamura Bonsai Club in Palo Alto?
They originally invited me to do a demonstration and made me an honorary member. To this day, they allow me to show a tree or two in their annual show. I lead five workshop groups and half of my students are Kusamura members.

What’s a quote that really resonates with you?
“The object is not to make the tree look like a bonsai, but to make the bonsai look like a tree.”—John Naka

What are some pointers you give people starting out?
Be patient. It’s the process, not the result.

What’s your favorite garden to visit?
Filoli! I feel lucky to live so close to this historical treasure that has a variety of beautiful gardens and nature trails, but also has legacy bonsai as part of its collection. With the Kusamura Bonsai Club maintaining its collection, Filoli’s trees are doing better than ever.

Do you have any favorite hiking trails?
I like the Ancient Oaks Trail in the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve because of its old gnarly oaks. It faces west to the ocean and offers panoramic views of the coastline. Also Purisima Creek Trail south of Half Moon Bay and all the west-facing trails at Mt. Tamalpais.

Tell us about some of your favorite trees to work with?
With junipers, the foliage is tight and very flexible to allow you (with the help of wire) to train branch pads. Many bonsai collected from wild junipers have incredible deadwood. Redwoods are easily collectible and found in the nearby Santa Cruz mountains. The best ones have large bases tapering up to the height of the final bonsai. Many times, I’ll carve the top to make it look like lightning hit it.

What is your most cherished possession?
My father’s trees, especially a double-trunk juniper he started 70 years ago.

Words by Margaret Koenig

Nestled in the heart of seaside Pescadero, bordered by ancient trees and encircled by Pescadero Creek, the charming McCormick House has impressed since the town’s earliest days. James McCormick, an Irish immigrant who played a critical role in the community’s development, built it in the Classical Revival style in 1868 for his new wife, Julia Shaffre. It’s fitting that these days, it’s not only a bed-and-breakfast but also a wedding venue. For Lisa Tune, who runs the McCormick House Inn with husband Mauro, the home’s origin story is part of its magic. “James McCormick took great care to design a home for his beloved Julia that was architecturally exquisite in every detail, and the end result is a modest-sized house that feels truly grand,” Lisa says. Owning the historic house was long a dream of hers. It spent 40 years as a rental property after it left the McCormick family’s hands. “Then one day there was a ‘for sale’ sign in the front yard, and we became the very proud owners,” Lisa recalls.

She and Mauro moved in and began making renovations in 2004, striving to preserve the integrity of the original architecture. They replaced “unsightly” 1970s vinyl flooring with centuries-old fir. Mauro built floor-to-ceiling windows from salvaged redwood to match the originals and they removed “aesthetically unfortunate” details in the kitchen in favor of a simple farmhouse aesthetic. “When we were finished, we decided it was just too lovely to keep all to ourselves,” Lisa shares. “We quickly discovered that hosting tiny events means we can share the McCormick House with even more folks, which makes us exceedingly happy.” In the spring of 2018, the McCormick House hosted its first wedding. “I cannot describe adequately in words how extraordinary it was to see this beautiful old place filled with so much love and joy.”

A Half Moon Bay fisherman talks conservation, crustaceans and being at home on the water.

How did you first get interested in commercial fishing?
One of my friends needed help and I needed some money.

What’s your boat’s name?
Bare Bones, because there was nothing on it when I got it, other than the motor. It’s a G35.

Where do you dock your boat?
My fishing boat is at Pillar Point Harbor. I also have a 40-foot motor yacht. I am a legal liveaboard.

What’s your favorite seafood dish?
Rock fish, salmon and crabs. A little butter, lemon, pepper—you can’t go wrong.

What is the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Bluefin tuna, right as it’s cut off of the fish.

Do you collect anything?
Recently, a lot of seashells.

What’s your personal motto?
I say what I’m going to do, and then I do what I say I’m going to do. I try to be a man of my word.

Which age would you choose to be again and why?
Probably high school, when I was still innocent.

Where did you grow up and what was great about it?
Indianapolis, Indiana. We rode our bikes everywhere.

Where is your favorite go-to spot on the Coastside?
Pigeon Point Lighthouse.

What’s something people are always surprised to learn about you?
Evidently, I don’t look 72.

What’s the most perilous situation you’ve been in?
Crabbing. It’s hard, dangerous work.

Do you have any phobias?
Not really. Just a healthy respect for Mother Nature.

What is the biggest challenge you’re facing lately?
Staying up on rules. The regulations change all the time and you have to keep up on them.

How do you feel about ocean conservation work?
It needs to go hand-in-hand with the fishing industry. You can’t have one and not the other.

What advice do you have for the next generation of fisherfolk?
You could have good years and bad years. You gotta plan for both.

What was your first job?
Dipping ice cream at Lindner’s in Indianapolis, a store that my mom managed Saturday nights. When the Little Leaguers would come in, we would have the shake and malt machines humming.

If you had to choose a different line of work, what would it be?
I have done a lot of jobs. This is as good as it gets.

The e-bike tour guide and co-owner of Ride California shares his favorite trails, travel dreams and a timely whale tale.

Tell us about the route you’ve created for Ride California.
Our Half Moon Bay e-bike tour covers the historic downtown and the scenic Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail, which is above the majestic ocean bluffs. We’ve also added a Santa Cruz tour and just opened one in San Francisco this spring.

What makes cycling such a special way to encounter a region?
Getting outside and slowing down, you can see all the details you would miss in a car. You can breathe in all the sights. Plus you can see much more of our amazing Coastside cliffs and beaches.

Can you share an interesting fact about Half Moon Bay’s history?
Half Moon Bay was the first town settled in San Mateo County. During Prohibition, Half Moon Bay was known as a favorite place for bootleggers because of its fog and coves.

What’s at the top of your bucket list?
To e-bike in Hawaii, France and Colorado.

What’s a cool historical building in Half Moon Bay?
The old train station that has been converted into a house by Poplar Beach.

Do you have any fond bike-related childhood memories?
My dad had me and my sister do a triathlon when we were growing up and I remember thinking then—and still to this day—that the bike ride was the best part.

What age would you choose to be again and why?
I’d be 24. You have some money and all the freedom in the world.

Which coastal trail do you highly recommend?
My favorite hike is the Cowell-Purisima trail, which is three miles along the steep ocean cliffs. You can access Cowell Ranch State Beach, a 20-minute hike from the parking lot. It’s my family’s favorite beach in the area.

What’s your dream bike?
Santa Cruz Heckler SL. It’s a full-suspension mountain e-bike.

Who else is behind Ride California?
We’re a family-owned and -operated business (iridecali.com). My father and sister are partners—we all have a thirst and love for sports and the great outdoors.

What do you collect?
Guitars. I likely have 20 or so right now and at one time I had 100.

Any memorable tales from past rides?
On one tour, I mentioned that whales had been migrating through Half Moon Bay that week and that we might see some … and they didn’t believe me. At the end of the tour, I made an extra stop at a special lookout—and our guests were delighted to see a magnificent gray whale jump sky-high out of the ocean!

Words by Johanna Harlow

Once upon a time—1955, to be precise—a man with big ideas opened a small independent bookshop. The man was called Roy Kepler; the shop, Kepler’s Bookstore. And it wasn’t long before this ardent owner and peace activist started attracting the like-minded to his little store. At Kepler’s, inquisitive minds and restless spirits found a place that welcomed the sharing of ideas and social causes. The shop harbored Stanford staff and students, Beat intellectuals and pacifists—even celebrity patrons like singer/activist Joan Baez and the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia. Former President Jimmy Carter stopped by for a visit.

Progressive Roy also helped popularize the paperback. Back then, many “serious” booksellers refused to carry these soft-covered books, resolved to have no association with lowbrow, penny dreadful shenanigans. But while some saw trouble, Roy saw the future.

Roy has long since passed away—but the bookstore he built perseveres. This May, it reaches the venerable age of 70. To commemorate this anniversary, Keplerites share their memories of its milestones. What could be more fitting than to celebrate this seller of stories with a few fond tales? Find your squishiest armchair and settle in for storytime at Kepler’s.

A Childhood Among The Shelves: Dawn Kepler

The smell of coffee always draws Dawn Kepler, oldest of Roy’s children, back to the bookstore. “My dad, coming out of the beatnik era, thought that a little coffee bar was important,” she reminisces. Though as a child, she admits being more preoccupied with the store’s display case of gracefully-layered baklava and brightly-colored sodas. “All of these were forbidden fruits at home. My mother didn’t believe in sugar,” Dawn says. But at the store, Dad always let the kids pick out a treat.

Dawn’s appetite for books rivaled her sweet tooth. She feasted on the written word while perched on the bookshelf’s edge, keeping as close as possible to the source. “There were chairs. There was even a sofa. But I would just sit right down there,” she laughs.

So bookish was Dawn that she once tried reading on a river trip. “(The book) came home with me four times its original size—because it was pulp,” she chuckles. On another occasion, she got in trouble for reading while cycling. “It was very safe,” Dawn wryly protests. “I had a basket on my bike. I had propped my book up on it, and I put my sweater in to hold it open.”

Dawn’s dad was also a creative problem-solver. She recounts the time Roy moved Kepler’s entire inventory to its new location via shopping carts from the grocery store down the street. “I don’t know how dad wrangled that, but my father always did deals. ‘What would help you? What would help me?’”
“It was fun to live in a bookstore,” Dawn says. Today, she runs Kepler’s Facebook page, an account she’s grown to 23,000 followers. “It’s my connection to my childhood,” she explains.

Larger-than-life Characters: Clark Kepler

Early Kepler’s employees knew Roy’s son Clark as the little boy with the Mad Magazine obsession and the black feet. Back when the store did business out of a converted auto body shop in the 1970s, “the cement floors were still stained with oil,” Clark recalls. “And people were also smoking and throwing their butts on the ground.” He also remembers the store’s larger-than-life characters, like its first employee, Gandhi scholar Ira Sandperl, who “probably held court at the bookstore more than he actually worked.”

In the ‘80s, Clark took over running the store. “I was at Sierra College when my dad asked me to come work a summer for him,” he recalls. “That summer got extended to 33 years.” During his time at its helm, Clark weathered plenty of highs and lows. There was the store’s devastating closure in 2005—and the community’s herculean efforts to revive it. On reopening day, people came in droves to support Kepler’s. Dawn baked her father’s favorite sugar cookies, handing them out to customers as they waited in a checkout line that stretched out the door. “That whole experience was life-changing and humbling,” Clark says.

Of the many events Clark has hosted at its current location downtown, the Harry Potter book releases have been among its most popular. Over the years, the festivities have ranged from scene reenactments to tales with Hagrid in the Gryffindor Common Room to Diagon Alley-themed stalls. Cafe Borrone transformed into the Death Eater Enclave, cheerfully serving macabre treats. (Cockroach clusters, anyone?) And many dressed up—including a memorable Moaning Myrtle costume that involved a toilet seat around the wearer’s neck.

“Every time you open a book, you’re entering a world, somebody else’s world—and you’re doing it with your imagination, not with your eyes or ears only,” muses Clark. “When your imagination is involved, it resonates much deeper.”

The Next Generation: Praveen Madan

Kepler’s current CEO Praveen Madan had not been in the book business long when Clark handed him Kepler’s reins. In India, “public libraries were terrible,” Praveen recalls of his childhood. “We didn’t have great access to books.” Excluding textbooks, he didn’t own his first tome until after college. “One of the first things I did with my first paycheck was buy a few science fiction books,” he recalls. Stepping into an American Barnes & Noble for the first time blew his mind.

But after moving to the States for an unfulfilling career in management consulting, Praveen underwent a crisis. “I started having this unease,” he recollects. “Was it really worth my one and only life?” Somehow, he and his wife found themselves revamping The Booksmith, a longstanding San Francisco bookstore. “I was fascinated by this dilemma,” Praveen says of the plight of the 21st-century bookstore. “What can possibly be done to evolve the business model of a bookstore so it stays relevant?” It tickled his problem-solving brain.

So a few years later, when Clark told Praveen of his plans to either pass Kepler’s on to the next generation or close it for good, Praveen wasn’t deterred by the store’s declining sales. He said yes. “It was touch-and-go for a while,” Praveen admits of the intense restructuring process. Understanding that bringing this conversation to the community would be essential, he hosted a conference and asked publishers, book sellers, authors, donors, staff and customers to help him reimagine the thriving community bookstore of today. “A lot of times, we have an instinct to try to control an outcome or make a certain decision—but often it’s better to listen, let things evolve.”

One change to Kepler’s has been its hybrid model and the addition of its nonprofit events branch. At one speaking event with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Kepler’s gave free tickets and books to 120 high school kids (many from East Palo Alto and Belle Haven), then arranged a backstage meeting for them. “One young girl said to her that she was hoping to become a lawyer and eventually a judge,” Praveen recalls. “And Sonia Sotomayor said to her, ‘You call me, and I will personally swear you in.’ I still tear up thinking about that.”

Bookworm’s Haven: V.R. Ferose

When V.R. Ferose, author and head of SAP Academy for Engineering, visits a new place, he has a tradition. From Tokyo to Dubai, “one of the first things I do is check out the independent bookstore,” he says, adding that he can tell a lot about a country based on its bestseller list. “It’s basically a reflection of the conversation that people are having … What is a priority for them?”

As soon as Ferose walked into Kepler’s, he knew this place was extraordinary. “It stood for community, it stood for a larger good—and it continues to do that,” Ferose explains. Since then, Ferose has attended countless author’s events and booked Kepler’s speakers at SAP. The affection is mutual and Kepler’s carries Ferose’s books. One of his most recent, The Invisible Majority, explores the resilience of “India’s abled disabled” and includes a foreword from the Dalai Lama.

His most recent collaboration with Kepler’s—and with Oscar-nominated director Doug Roland—is a documentary film titled Reimagining Independent Bookstores. “All the documentaries that I have seen about bookstores have been looking backwards. They are seeing bookstores from the lens of nostalgia … I wanted to turn that around and say, ‘What does a future bookstore look like?’” Ferose explains. Naturally, Kepler’s was his first filming location.

If anything competes with Ferose’s love of books, it’s signed books. As a serious collector—with signatures from Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi and the last 11 presidents—many of Ferose’s 3,000 autographed copies come from his favorite Menlo Park bookstore. “My wife is not amused that I’m using all the wardrobes to keep books,” he chuckles.

A Family Affair: Amanda Hall

“Kepler’s isn’t just a retail store,” muses the bookstore’s COO Amanda Hall. “Yes, we sell books, but it’s really a place to gather, to share information, to learn, to grow up.”

People even fall in love here. Recently, Amanda saw a couple who’d spent their first date bantering and browsing the bookstore return to Kepler’s to pose for engagement photos. “We are a part of family traditions,” adds Amanda, remarking that she sees a large number of families visit the day after Thanksgiving—right after a big breakfast at Cafe Borrone.

Amanda’s own daughters have made many memories here. “They grew up in the bookstore,” she says, recalling her older daughter’s thrilling encounter with Hunger Game’s Suzanne Collins at an event. “Authors in our world are rock stars.”

Amanda’s younger daughter, a big fan of the Babymouse series, also got to meet her idol. “I would say she was a reluctant reader, and these silly graphic novels were what started her love of reading. So for her to get to hang out for a day with Jennifer L. Holm, with a cupcake crown, and be a part of the event and the reading, that was amazing.” In later years, both daughters would come to work at the store.

People may have come and gone from Kepler’s, but there’s one constant: its staff has faithfully tended the bookstore’s flame, keeping it shining from one generation to the next. Thanks to them, patrons old and new are still finding books that expand their horizons, 70 years after Roy Kepler opened its doors. “It makes you feel honored to be the steward of something that is so important to them,” says Amanda. Your last name doesn’t have to be Kepler to be a part of this ever-growing bookstore family.

story time – keplers.com

Words by Jennifer Jory

You’ve probably driven past Olsen Nolte on El Camino Real in San Carlos numerous times, noticed the horse perched on top of a simple sign saying Saddle Shop, and wondered: How has this business lasted so long? If you walk inside, you’ll meet one of the main reasons it’s stood the test of time. Owner Al Baglietto started working at Olsen Nolte in 1957, back when he was still in high school. “I have never left,” he jokes. “I was just a kid interested in horses.”

He fondly recalls being 11 and taking Junior Rider lessons with Myra Duncan at her farm at Woodside and Kings Mountain roads in Woodside. Now in his 80s, Al still rides Western-style and keeps a horse with a trainer. His wife Nancy used to ride English, but has since hung up her saddle. The couple lives in Portola Valley and is known for being knowledgeable about all things horse-related.

Long ago, Al and Nancy decided that the best way to work together selling Western and English riding gear and apparel was to divvy up the responsibilities. “He buys equipment and I buy the clothes,” Nancy says, pointing out that she insists vendors send her fabric swatches so she can touch the products before ordering them. “This is a business you have to know and appreciate.”

Al is also a strong proponent of selecting the very best. “A part of what’s made it successful is that safety is the No. 1 issue. Choosing quality will make sure equipment won’t break,” he says. Most of the products sold at Olsen Nolte are made in America. In fact, most tourists who stop in request items that are marked “Made in the USA.”

Olsen Nolte last made its own saddles, bits and spurs in 1985. The business dates back to 1936, when saddle-maker Al Nolte opened up the original store at Third Street and Newcomb Avenue in San Francisco’s Bayview District, then a hub of stockyards, trains and boats. John Olsen joined the company a year later and bought out his partner in 1939. Al likes to honor that momentous year by always wearing a silver belt buckle the shop made to commemorate the 1939 World’s Fair at Treasure Island.

In the early days, Olsen Nolte’s customers were cowboys—some were seeking new gear and others wanted repairs. A life-sized papier-mâché horse named Mitch was used to fit harnesses, and now stands in the back of the store. The San Carlos location opened in the early 1960s, replacing Olsen Nolte shops that had been located in Redwood City and Palo Alto. The Bagliettos bought the business in 1965 and still remember when stockyards were located near Broadway and the train tracks in Redwood City. “This is just a convenient location, close to two bridges and the airport, and we get a lot of people from across the Bay and the coast,” Al says.

Nancy describes today’s customers as “more pleasure riders, not working cowboys anymore—more wannabe cowboys” who are buying boots for line dancing and hats and shirts for costume parties or vacations at dude ranches. “We carry a lot of the traditional stuff and a lot of the fun party stuff, party shirts that are embroidered,” she says, noting the American flag shirt is popular for both the Fourth of July and concerts.

Celebrities such as Bing Crosby and Neil Young have shopped at Olsen Nolte, as well as Tennessee Ernie Ford, who turned heads when he sang his trademark tune, “Sixteen Tons,” while in the store. The couple still smiles when talking about the time singer Art Garfunkel showed up barefoot. Other memorable shoppers include the San Francisco 49ers, who came after the team made it to the 1982 Super Bowl in Michigan and wanted to get outfitted in cowboy boots and hats.

Even non-celebrity customers have made lasting memories at Olsen Nolte. One time, a group of Islamic shoppers were in a panic because they needed a place to pray. The Bagliettos accommodated them by setting them up in a private room with horse blankets to use as prayer rugs. And Nancy has to laugh about the cheeky mother and grandmother who came in about 10 years ago with little kids who tried on clothes and climbed on saddles. After taking pictures, they left without buying anything but thanked Nancy on the way out for helping them come up with a cute Christmas card.

Over the years, Olsen Nolte has provided complete outfits for TV commercials advertising everything from McDonald’s and GMC trucks to pharmaceuticals and cookies. The shop used to make things for Disneyland’s Frontierland, including gear for its horses and carriages, and gun holsters for the cowboys. Scattered around the store are many items for sale that come with their own histories, such as the custom-made Olsen Nolte saddle from the late 1940s and a sterling silver Visalia bit that was hand-forged in the late 1930s. Artifacts decorating the walls and ceilings lend themselves to even more storytelling. If you stop by, ask about the harness that businessman Ralph K. Davies acquired when he bought an old fire house in San Francisco.

The Bagliettos clearly delight in working among all the old and new items. They just wish more people were bitten by the same passion they have for all things equestrian. “Our children are all grown up and ready to retire. Our grandkids have their own careers, and no one is horsey,” Nancy says. “Horses, in general, are not as prevalent as they were 20 to 30 years ago,” she observes.

Even so, Al remains optimistic about the enduring loyalty of their many longtime customers. “We’re seeing third and fourth generations. If grandmothers are horse owners, you can believe granddaughters are involved. We’re seeing a revolving door, basically.”

Words by Margaret Koenig

Guarding the entrance to Willow Oaks Park, Brian Goggin and Michael Ekerman’s “Convertibles” sprouts out of the earth with vigor one wouldn’t typically expect from a towering statue of couches. To Brian and Michael, this stony sculpture is not just a salute to the sedentary but also a reflection on the evolving relationship between the land and its inhabitants, from the Indigenous peoples who lived in relative harmony with nature to the European settlers who sought domination over the environment, gradually transforming it into the suburban landscape of Menlo Park today. The sculpture uses “this image of couches to attract the attention of the suburban mind,” Brian explains. They erupt from the earth and climb toward the sky like a blooming plant reaching for the sun. After enlisting Michael, a local artist who specializes in stone masonry, they labored throughout the cold, wet winter of 1999-2000 to bring their vision to life. They dug the foundation by hand (with some help from Michael’s 90-year-old father-in-law), manually built the rebar for the statue’s internal framework and painstakingly tied individual stones into the sculpture, a process that took around six months. “It was a challenge building something that big and that crazy, but I like doing stuff that hasn’t been done before,” Michael says. The river rock cobbles create a flowing, expressive look that borders on the abstract, allowing the sculpture to be, in Brian’s words “part of this collaborative, artistic, three-dimensional conversation” with viewers and with the earth itself. “I’m interested in having my work opening up like a flower that has beauty, humor, thought and an invitation to interact with consciousness.” Most of all, the two artists hope that the piece will resonate with viewers for years to come. “Human life is so short,” Brian says. “However, the life of a stone sculpture can be very long.”

As told to by Margaret Koenig

At first glance, I may look like a pampered lap dog—but I have no problem getting my paws dirty. Fannie adopted me after an extensive search process to find a canine that fit her criteria: athletic, non-shedding, highly intelligent, social and able to fit under an airplane seat. Lucky for her, she found the perfect pup—that’s me, Beau, a papillon with big ears and a bigger heart. As the first of my four siblings to venture out of the whelping box to investigate the world, I’ve always possessed a natural curiosity and easy confidence—traits that have served me well in my life in Atherton. I spend my days off-leash, hiking trails, playing with my many four-legged friends and hunting down small bugs (this last hobby resulted in the “chip” on the side of my tongue, a souvenir from a run-in with a venomous insect). I’ve also taken up agility training, where my speed, energy and fearlessness make for a thrilling time. I love racing around on the course, even if it’s not always in the correct direction. (But we’re working on it!) I’m as skilled a fitness trainer as I am a trainee, and I often coach Fannie during her own workouts, offering motivation by perching on her stomach while she does crunches. Really, what could be more inspiring than that?

Calling All Dogs: If you've got quirky habits or a funny tale (or tail) to share, email your story to hello@punchmonthly.com for a chance to share a page from your Diary of a Dog in PUNCH.

Words by Sloane Citron

I’ve gotten a lot of grief recently for not eating enough, or for being too skinny. I explain that my BMI is right in the middle of the “normal weight” category, and that I weigh the same as I did in high school. Still, I get annoying comments. Food has never been something I much cared about, and I’m afraid my life experiences have turned me into more of a “eat to live” guy than someone who lives to eat.

My mother did her best to have a good dinner for us every night until she left home when I was 12. From then until I left for prep school at Andover, I mostly was in charge of my own dinner. I opened lots of cans while my dad was out dating. It was a quick way to get skinny. I didn’t much mind, since it was better than having to go over to some strange woman’s home and eat there.

In the mornings, my dad would make breakfast, and he loved his eggs so raw that they were runny. I would choke on them and tell him that they looked like snot. He would yell at me to eat them. I gagged them down, but I was well into adulthood before I could enjoy eggs.

When I went away to school at 15, it was the start of seven years of being served mediocre cafeteria food until I finished college. The next two years, while I was at Stanford Business School, most dinners consisted of Top Ramen, which was my main food source, or cereal, usually Trix.

After Stanford, my wife and I lived for a year in Jerusalem, and we had almost no money. Late on Friday afternoons at the open-air market, Machane Yehuda, the left-over, third-rate food was abandoned. We, along with other poor folks, gathered it up to see us through the week. Along with some cheese, eggs and bread, we survived.

My wife made wonderful meals while we raised our four children, while most of my energy was focused on controlling the rambunctious kids—getting them to the table, shutting down arguments and petty fights, using parental tricks to get them to eat something and forcing them to take their dirty plates to the sink. My other role was doing the dishes—which I do well. It’s a chore I’d much rather undertake than cooking—something I don’t do well.

It seems like such an extreme effort—go to the store, buy all the ingredients, get them home, figure out the recipes, chop away, look for spices, cook everything and then, in a heartbeat, most of it is eaten up. The whole effort seems like a colossal waste of time, especially when you could be watching reruns of Bonanza or The Middle.

These days, finding dinner is a challenge. Occasionally my overworked wife has a moment to make some chicken soup or stew. Once a week, I’ll throw some chicken (and occasionally, if there is any in our home, red meat) on the grill and wait 16 minutes until it’s done. That I can handle. Often for dinner I have a piece of chicken with a microwaved bag of Trader Joe’s broccoli, and I’m content.

Of course, keeping kosher complicates things. Unless I have the foresight to bring meat up from Los Angeles when I am there, I’m dependent on Trader Joe’s for its few kosher meat items, mostly chicken. (Don’t get me wrong—I’m eternally grateful that it carries any kosher meat!) But they only stock one type of steak, and that only during the summer, so I don’t eat much red meat.

For a good portion of my life, food has been something that I’ve not been able to enjoy much. Instead, it’s been more of a burden and that is why, I’m quite sure, that I eat to live. But I’m okay with it. When I’m in Israel, the meals are incredibly delicious, and I’ll remember how good food can taste.

These days, after I finish my work at PUNCH and go for a run, I head down to the kitchen to figure out how to fill my stomach with the least amount of effort. And generally speaking, it’s that old but incredibly reliable option, Top Ramen. Though the price has shot up from around 20 cents a pack when I was a graduate student to 80 cents today, it’s still the tastiest, most filling meal that one can have. All you need to do is boil some water and open a packet. And that’s something even this dispassionate cook can handle.

Words by Jamie Duddy and Jill Johnson

Step inside five stunning homes and discover the latest in interior design at the 43rd SolMateo Signature Kitchen Tour on May 16. This self-guided event runs from 10AM to 3PM and offers a rare opportunity to explore beautifully remodeled properties in Hillsborough and San Mateo—all in support of a meaningful cause.

May is Mental Health Awareness month and SolMateo is committed to bringing attention to this important topic. For nearly 50 years, SolMateo has been a proud supporter of mental health organizations on the Peninsula, with proceeds from the Signature Kitchen Tour benefiting local causes. SolMateo is the largest private donor to the Mental Health Association of San Mateo County and the StarVista Crisis Center, which operates a 24-hour helpline.

Ready to join SolMateo for a day of inspiration, beautiful designs and a chance to make a difference? Your ticket includes a full-color tour book, offering a closer look at the beautiful details and features complementing each home. Purchase tickets online at SolMateo.org.

White Colonial Dream House

This colonial home embraces both traditional elegance and warm family comfort. Walking through the front door one can see the beautifully appointed formal dining room to the left and a classical formal parlor to the right. Step a bit farther inside and be welcomed into the large kitchen, casual dining and family space. The chef’s kitchen features a large Calacatta Oro Franchi Supreme polished island with cabinets below in Benjamin Moore Mopboard Black. In custom traditional style, the kitchen cabinets are in Simply White and are enhanced by a Bianco Carrara Polished Roman Brick backsplash. With bespoke swivel chairs along the counter and custom-crafted vintage cane-backed chairs in the dining room, the space is elegantly furnished.

Nearby, the family room has been curated for comfort and style with WH Signature Elements sofas and a Jaunty Mystique Collection rug. The home combines tasteful marble and wood elements with the blues and greens of the lush outdoors, making it a true dream house.

 

Charming European-Inspired Ranch

Surprise and delight await as you enter this inviting ranch-style home in verdant San Mateo Park. The aged European cottage feel of the newly renovated kitchen creates a welcoming warmth, as do the views of the garden outside. Each detail works in harmony to create a bespoke English Country kitchen, from the uniquely sized backsplash tile over the sink to the charming light fixtures curated from deVol in England. The marble shelf over the range is both an elegant detail and added bit of practicality.

As you wrap up your tour, make sure to peek into the family room to appreciate the bar cabinet to the right. It blends with the room’s aesthetic, while also being excellent for entertaining. You can also step outside for a refreshing garden stroll..

Colorful French Regency

If the eye-catching front door of this French Regency home, painted in Benjamin Moore’s Mystic Grape, is any indication of what’s to come, prepare to be wowed! Passing through the main home’s accessible foyer, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors invite you into the backyard where you are greeted by an enormous azure swimming pool and a cheery, newly-completed ADU painted in a bright coral.

This gem of a retreat sparkles in a vibrant palette of blues and greens. A large covered patio is surrounded by mature trees and lush greenery. The fully equipped kitchen features all-stainless appliances, accented by indigo blue Wilsonart slab laminate lower cabinets and topped with crisp white quartzite counters. Hand-cast unlacquered brass dogwood flower pulls, originally sculpted in clay, adorn the white upper cabinets. Artfully glazed stoneware raku tiles, in a symphony of variegated blues, complete the backsplash and frame the windows. This accessory unit is a perfect addition for entertaining, both inside and out.

Contemporary Mediterranean Retreat

Nestled within a timeless Mediterranean-style estate originally built in 1930 and meticulously remodeled in 2024, this enchanting home epitomizes versatile living. Bathed in natural light, the airy interior seamlessly integrates views of lush gardens and the serene Bay from nearly every vantage point. From the jewel-box teal powder room off the foyer to the sueded wall finish in the game room and the deep blue of the media room, thoughtful use of color and texture reigns supreme in this well-designed family home.

The spacious, bright kitchen features contemporary selections like state-of-the-art appliances and a custom Escalante 5 pendant light, harmoniously blending with classic materials such as honed Caldia marble counters, zellige ceramic tile and a plaster hood, creating a culinary haven ideal for both daily family life and grand soirées.

Outside, a meticulously landscaped Mediterranean sanctuary beckons, offering a picturesque backdrop for relaxation, entertaining and cherished family moments. This seamless flow of light and color, effortlessly connects indoor elegance with tranquil outdoor splendor.

Old-World Spanish Colonial

This Spanish Colonial residence blends timeless architectural elements with contemporary design, creating a dynamic and functional space for a busy family. The exterior is distinguished by a grand, front-facing arched window and a terracotta-tiled roof, epitomizing classic Spanish Colonial architecture. The interior is adorned with intricately-carved banisters and doors, reflecting the rich heritage of old-world craftsmanship.

The bright and airy kitchen features a soothing palette of blues and grays. Catering to culinary needs with a Viking stove and Waterstone fixtures, this space also acts as a family gathering spot with custom Shaker cabinets, Vadara quartz countertop and porcelain tile floor. A thoughtfully designed pass-through bar area with a Biseau Verdigris Blend Hexagon Gloss tile backsplash is a striking connection between the kitchen and the entryway, facilitating effortless entertaining.

Throughout the residence, bold accents of blues and greens infuse rooms with depth and character, reflecting contemporary design trends while maintaining a timeless appeal. This home stands as a testament to the enduring allure of Spanish Colonial design, thoughtfully updated to meet the demands of modern family living.

solmateo.org

Editor’s note: This story corrects an erroneous version of the Old-World Spanish Colonial description that appeared in the May 2025 print edition.