The UC Botanical Garden plant sale had been noted in my calendar since the summer. We set out this morning to purchase local natives for three spots in our garden. I had no particular species in mind, just plants that would thrive in three conditions: below a roof spout with late afternoon sun; below a roof spout with intense afternoon sun; and below a thin-crowned shrub with afternoon sun. The outing was a miss for several reasons. One, the nearby parking lots were full (perhaps I should have biked but I don't have a carrier yet and my knees are quite sore from race training). Two, we realized that we did not bring enough cash. Three, the crowd was off putting. We did not want to be jostled by red wagon carrying buyers and other eager plant enthusiasts. I thought it might be too difficult to browse leisurely on such a fine day. Instead, we drove along Grizzly Peak, stopping to admire downtown Oakland and San Francisco from a scenic viewing area. After that we drove to