Where is the Port of San Francisco

For many years I have explored all the areas on the east side of San Francisco seeking views of the bay. So many areas are blocked off and it keeps getting worse. After 911 the security on the piers was increased which make it difficult to paint around there. I snuck out in back of the Noonan Building and onto Pier 70. The Port of San Francisco was a big hole in my ouevre ... I asked them from time to time but no luck.

Imagine my surprise today when I found I could drive all the way in there. It was not blocked off at all.
At first I was a bit scared to be there by myself and I tried another view of the silos which didn't work out.

I drove back and saw I saw a beautiful bird -- a kestral -- quite close. Then several families of Canadian Geese walking around on the road and in the dry dusty grass. There were large mounds of gravel and dirt around. There were seepage pools that I guess the birds were bathing in or drinking. One bird was lame. The young were quite large—about one foot tall at least. One goose had about 7, another couple had only one.

I decided this was the place to paint, in the car, but the birds went back to the shoreline.

Nothing beats a big pile of dirt and I found this view quite striking. I was a bit nervous since I didn't know if it was ok to be out there and it was quite remote and deserted. A 'sheriff' in a green car came to check me out but drove off. I haven't had a security guard yet chase me out of anywhere.

San Francisco is getting more and more closed in as it gets developed. I found it very exhilarating to have this sweeping 360 view of the fog on the hills and the blue blue bay.

So what happened to the Port of San Francisco? Is it no more?
And are they going to put develop this area too?
Can't they let anything alone?

[I was going to run for mayor once on the Landscape Artist ticket, to encourage meters for artists to park and paint. Almost the entire shoreline has short metered or NO parking. I would have gotten slammed for driving instead of biking.] I want to do a BART series but at the end of a painting session one is so cold, tired, hungry and bathroom-needy that it won't be easy.

I got totally flamed on email the other day for sending the Hunters Point yahoo group the endorsements from the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club recommends Yes on F and No on G—the opposite of what the community and the artists are recommending. It's really hard to know what to vote for. I thought the Sierra Club had some good points. You would think the people, the artists and the wildlife would be on the same side.