Postcards in the Air : WISH YOU WERE HERE

Friday, October 9, 2026

WISH YOU WERE HERE

Fall is slipping into San Francisco, which means we are getting our one chance of really hot weather. That doesn't stop the leaves from turning colors, but for people who love summer, this is a favorite time of year. If you are one of those, maybe you wish for one last day at the beach, or another week at the lake, or even a trip to sunny Tunnel Tops in the Presidio. This period is a time for nostalgia, of memories of good times. We used to call this time Indian Summer. MPRNews, the Minnesota public broadcasting station, explained the possible origins of the name, including references to the prairie fires set by Native Tribes in the fall. This Monday is Indegenous Peoples Day. We've understood that we need to honor the people who came before us with this memorial day. We used the name "Indian" so carelessly in our history, do we also need to find a better name for this time of year?

"Wish You Were Here at the Lake"

Bill and I took the train to Palo Alto late in the day last Friday for the opening reception of Pacific Art League's postcard exhibition. The league had accepted four of my postcards and we wanted to see how the creative minds from PAL displayed the small works by over 100 artists.

"Wish You Were Here at the Beach"

With three of the postcards, I used a cartoonish style to represent nostalgic times when we spent a week each summer at a lake in Minnesota while our son was growing up. This trio of cards is reminiscent of the one from the lake resort that I sent to my sister every year. Rather than sending a card showing new discoveries in Minnesota each year, I wanted to cement the idea of returning to a familiar place again and again. The original postcard showed the view of Lake Florida's beach with the Dickerson's Resort cabins strung like candy along the grassy area leading to the beach. I tried to capture with the trio of postcards some of the remembrance of a perfect summer vacation, of the faded Photochrome postcards that we received or sent, and of times gone by.

"Wish You Were Here at Tunnel Tops"

I was surprised that the league took all four of my postcards since the last postcard was a stand-alone card that offered the idea that "From One Seed a Forest Grows." It doesn't have the same nostaglic feel as the other three, but it is a reminder that little ideas can grow into movements. An idea that all of us can relate to.

"One Seed Makes the Forest Grow"

Postcard Exhibition at the Pacific Arts League Gallery, Palo Alto, CA

After we wandered through the gallery and took photos of the event and of my postcards pinned to the walls, we walked out into the early evening light, the autumn light that produces long shadows and deep colors. With the heat wave, the evening allowed us to sit outside for dinner. As we ate, the light darkened, and the sparkly strings of lights came on at all the restaurants in the blocked-off street. The outdoor seating along the street was lined with flowering geraniums. We felt we were back in Paris except that we didn't hear the piano concerts we often heard from the Cote d'Ivoire embassy at the end of our street. Last Friday was a perfect postcard night.