Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda for January 14, 2022
Over the past several weeks, nature has been putting on quite the show! I have been collecting examples from my December walks so that I could include a collection of nature inspired images for you. I wanted to confirm that all these are unedited images. No CGI or AI enhancements. Just my inexperienced human companion using his iPhone and following my artistic direction.
First up on my list has got to be the ever-changing mosaic patterns created on the sidewalk as the leaves turn color, fall to the sidewalk, and are rearranged by wind action or paws and feet walking along. The sidewalk becomes a canvas, and the leaves are the colors in the palette, with the elements creating the design.
My good friend Catherine McClure Lindberg coined the phrase “Alameda Snowfall” to describe when the leaves cover the sidewalk and parked cars. With the storms of this past week, there were plenty of examples of this meteorological phenomenon.
There was “fungus among us” this week because of all the moisture we got from those storms. Mushrooms were popping up everywhere. As a reminder, please don’t eat any of these guys, since most are poisonous.
This past week, I got a chance to walk down to Park Street with my human companion to get his green tea latte with one scoop of matcha powder and oat milk. I told him it was a little pretentious. In response, he sang out (very off key) “Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce. Have it your way at Burger King.” WTF (“What the fur”) did that mean? I did some research and found his obtuse connection. Here’s the link to the commercial he was referencing if you are at all interested.
But, I really digress.
I also noticed several of my furry friends anxiously waiting to savor a puppuccino from their favorite java house.
In other news of the week, some early images of Mickey Mouse are now part of the public domain. By coincidence, that original black and white Mickey showed up hanging from some car.

In my previous segment, I was keeping tabs on the progress of the Caltrans Encinal Avenue project. On the good side, all the crosswalk striping is done, and I captured the process and put it in a video.
But, on the “OOPS” side of the equation, I found two “Construction Ahead” signs still covered. Isn’t about time to take all of them down? The heavy work is done. I have been watching the new signal poles get installed and the crews connecting all the wires. The new signals should be functioning any year now. Fingers crossed.
I wanted to let everyone know that since the Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda is a regular feature on the Alameda Post, you can find all my past reports collected here.
Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Day, and many folks get time off from work. Please keep in mind the meaning of the day.
Mouf, Roving Reporter
Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda
Mouf and his human companion can be reached via [email protected]. Their stories are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jeff-Cambra/. All photos by Jeff Cambra.