On Saturday in the mid-afternoon, we walked up the hills of Berkeley to the Big C. In an attempt to cross one of the things I must do before I am 30 list.

First we stopped by Safeway to pick up a 4pack of flavored sparkling water. Safeway brand, of course. Then we swung into the Hillside parking lot and started climbing the hills paved with rocks. At some point, we took the wrong turn. He said, “I think it’s this way.”

I willingly followed through the shortcut. Prickly leaves and weeds stabbing my shins because I decided not to wear socks, thinking that the trail would not be this…grassy. And it was warm anyway. But somehow we found ourselves in a thicket of grass on uneven soil. We started moving down the steep paths where I lost my balance several times. And putting out my right hand to catch myself. Fortunately I wasn’t still in a fragile state. I tumbled the rest of my way down. And when I got to the end, I said aloud in a sulky voice, “I am not doing that again.”

But then, I had a brillant idea of looking up the Big C on my phone. And to my surprise, on one of the search results, a picture loaded. He immediately knew where to go. And about 10 minutes later, we found it. Because of its angle, one cannot see it from below. We stood there. He tried sliding down, but unfortunately yes the paint was dry. We sat on a bench nearby taking in the view of the Bay in its busy stillness.

Then wild turkeys arrived. One buried its hand in the sand. The other gobbled into the air, hoping for a mate perhaps? They gobbled and he gobbled back. They responded, thinking he was one of their own. I tried to catch one, but they got away. And the rest of the turkeys sauntered away with knowing looks.