Snapshot

Pigs are smart. These two came in from the rain this week. In warmer weather they roll in the mud. Oh, that loving-the-mud thing? It’s not because they like to be dirty. It’s to prevent sunburn and cool themselves.

In the granite mountains of Yosemite National Park, in the upper plateau of the Hetch Hetchy watershed, lies Lake Vernon encircled by rock walls and piney shores. It’s home to crystal clear snowmelt water and beautiful rainbow trout...

The Bohemian Grove Club first met in San Francisco in 1872. Its founding was intended to help creatives flourish. Summer camping started in 1878. In 1899 the club purchased 160 acres from M.C. Meeker, but the grounds have now expanded to about 2,700 acres.

The e first Super Bowl took place in 1967. The Packers beat the Chiefs 35-10. There were 32,000 unsold seats; tickets cost about $11. This year’s average ticket price tops $8,000 and more fun facts from Pierre Ratte.

For those who haven’t been watching, this year’s World Cup is sizzling hot. Fuego! The Group Stage delivered nonstop fireworks and edge-of-your-seat drama. Insane goals, heroic saves. This is not the boring soccer matches of years past with routine 1-0 victories. It’s pure chaos.

Recognized as a perfect blend of classical architecture and landscape, the colonnaded pergola and vaulted ceiling-ed rotunda is surrounded by a lagoon on three sides. Architect Bernard Maybeck designed this S.F. landmark in the Beaux Arts style, characterized by grandiose structures with symmetrical styling often including elaborate detailing, classical columns, pediments, friezes and cornices.

Amazingly, lavender is in the mint family. Mint is known as a pick-me-up while lavender is a relaxant despite coming from the same botanical family: Lamiaceae.

Hot air. Sonoma summer. So much going on, including Sonoma County’s Hot Air Balloon Classic. Early morning reveille and revelry at the County Fairgrounds with gates opening at 4am. Although it was dark, once the hot air balloons “stood up,” propane flames and glowing balloons became a sound-and-light spectacle...

It’s mindblowing that Sonoma County is buried under a marine layer for weeks while the coast from Bodega Bay to Big Sur is sunny. Big Sur is having a spectacular streak of sunshine: no rain, no fog, no wind. Yeah, I know. Big Sur...

"Lawn Tennis describes the game we know.," writes columnist Pierre Ratte. "It’s played on a tennis court, as opposed to Court Tennis, which is played in a courtyard. Confused? Let me explain..."