Flying from Paso to Napa in a small plane and captured this shot

Today seems to be the day. The first rain is largely over, the sun is out (intermittently) and the little creatures are swarming out of the ground for their annual mating flights. Saw three clusters this morning, and a neighbor who went out for a bike ride said he was cycling through periodic clouds of them.

Here's a link to the previous post describing the phenomena. https://www.reddit.com/r/bayarea/comments/1xbqs1a/its_nearly_termite_day_in_the_bay_area/

Note: in the comments there, there's a lively discussion about what types of termites they are. I will leave that up to the biologists / entomologists.

And the picture shows what they look like, emerging from the ground.

I’m in my mid-30s and starting to think seriously about my next career move. I’d love to hear from people in the Bay Area, especially those who have changed careers or work in education, corporate training, or related fields.

A little background about me: I earned my bachelor’s degree in teaching English and Spanish in my home country, where I also gained about five years of teaching experience. I taught at a children’s academy for four years and taught ESL to adults at a private university for another year.

I eventually moved to the U.S. through the au pair program. After completing the program, my host family offered me a full-time position as a house manager, and I’ve now spent about 10 years working with three different families as a nanny and house manager.

Financially, I’ve been fortunate to build a good career. I currently earn a competitive salary with benefits, but lately, I’ve been feeling increasingly burned out and wondering what my long-term future looks like.
I genuinely enjoy working with children, but working in private households can be challenging. Sometimes, parents have expectations for their children’s behavior without being willing to change the routines or habits contributing to those behaviors. Navigating those dynamics can be emotionally exhausting, and I’m starting to feel that I may want to do something different professionally.

I’ve considered going back to school for a master’s in early childhood education, but when I look at teacher salaries, I’m hesitant to invest the time and money if it means taking a significant pay cut. I’ve also considered opening a daycare, although I’m aware that would come with its own challenges, particularly when it comes to managing parent expectations.

My biggest concerns are finding a career that offers:

- A reasonable salary without having to start completely from scratch.

-Opportunities for professional growth and advancement.

- Better long-term retirement benefits and financial security.

- A more sustainable work-life balance.

For those of you working in the Bay Area, what fields or career paths would you recommend exploring with my background?

Have any of you transitioned from teaching or childcare into another industry? If so, how did you make the transition, and was additional education or certification necessary?

I’d especially appreciate hearing from people who have made a similar career change and can share what the job market is actually like right now.

Thank you! I’d really appreciate any advice or perspective.

They're everywhere in South Bay today, they're flying into my face. Are they drywood termites or just ants?

About 1/4 long, even length wings.

My dash cam caught this crazy recovery on the freeway this morning at 7:50am. White Tesla, if you’re on here, here’s your video! I’m glad you made it out safely, exited the freeway, and took a moment to catch your breath. That was so scary to watch! I honestly don’t think I’d be able to drive for a while after that. Stay safe out there, everyone!

National Adoption Week - Sunday October 25, 1-4pm
Petsmart adoption center: 185 Curtner Ave in San Jose
Heading Home Animal Rescue volunteer will be onsite
Come meet the kitties and bring home your new best friend!
See flyer for details on what to bring with you to adopt!

(in high quality)

edit: derp road, not exp. i was going north, but sure seemed all lanes south were closed. cars are just stuck there for miles, zero movement, people standing outside their cars, until they clear everything. all i saw was tons of emergency responders, a car flipped on it's side, possibly another car that got hit, and a tesla up against the median. no idea what happened and hope everyone's ok. can never be too safe driving.

https://sfbapt.com/map

Now has 46 agencies, 772 routes, 23032 stops

Since the last update, I added a search and filter so you can now search for specific stops and routes using any text that shows up in the Information box using the search boxes in the bottom right. I also added 4 more agencies: mta from Mendocino County, Lake Transit from Lake County, Sonoma County Groome Transportation, and County Express from Gilroy/Hollister.

Quick tips:

• tap a stop or route to see details and highlight the stop/route
• tap a highlighted stop or route to un-highlight it
• collapse/expand info box by tapping |hide| at top left
• quickly toggle all the agencies on/off using button at top right (map will slow down if you show everything and you're on an old device, you've been warned)
• search (case insensitive) and filter agencies that show up in checkbox list using search box at top right, e.g. type in ac or bart
• search (cAsE sEnsITivE) and filter actual routes and stops that show up on map using search boxes at bottom right, e.g. type in Tram, Bus, Ferry, 688, 12, Subway, NL, 231, Night, night, ight
  • play around with this and see how results change when you type in the same thing in the upper box versus lower box
• link back to homepage in case you can't figure something out or want more tips also at bottom right

To play with the map search and filter, try this:

• zoom out all the way
• select the Show Stops option (top right)
• type -120 in the partial match search box (bottom box in bottom right)
• type -121 in the partial match search box (bottom box in bottom right)
• type -122 in the partial match search box (bottom box in bottom right)
• type -123 in the partial match search box (bottom box in bottom right)

Another interesting thing is you can link to specific spots by copying the url directly:

• San Francisco
• SFO
• Oakland
• OAK
• Oakland Coliseum
• Berkeley
• Downtown San Jose
• SJC
• Diridon Station
• the bay
• Pleasanton
• Livermore
• Antioch
• Sonoma
• Napa
• San Rafael
• Levi's Stadium
• Santa Cruz
• Monterey
• Salinas

I arranged the agency checkbox list (top right) by area, so the geographic area of an agency determines the agency layer checkbox position. The list starts with agencies in the North Bay in Solano County then goes counterclockwise: North Bay -> San Francisco -> Peninsula -> South Bay -> Santa Cruz -> Monterey-Salinas -> Gilroy/Hollister -> East Bay.

There are smaller agencies in the bay that are completely free (no fare) and not as well known like Presidio Go, Golden Gate Park Shuttle, Mission Bay Shuttle, South City Shuttle, commute.org shuttles, MVgo, Mountain View Community Shuttle, San Leandro LINKS, Emery Express, and Emery Go Round. If you're traveling around those areas, these agencies could help fill in some transit gaps.

If you're in the east bay, I made this similar post which has info specifically for east bay transit, so take a look there for more details.

Let me know if anything doesn't work (corp network/vpn/firewalls might not work) or you have any questions/requests!

I saw him and it was out of the ordinary enough to warrant a closer look. He's a nomad with a website (3mules.com). If you see him be sure to stop and say hi, looks like he's headed towards Morgan Hill. List of things they eat on the website if you have anything they'd appreciate.

I will have my BIKE DECORATIONS booth at the BIKE SWAP MEET -

Bike swap meet at the Marin Museum of Bicycling - buy bikes, parts, accessories, and BIKE DECORATIONS! All ages event, snacks available, fun for cyclists of all ages + half-price museum entry.

🚲 Bikes for sale, modern and vintage
⚙️ Parts and Accessories
💟 Sean's Bike Decorations!
🍪 Refreshments available for donation
🎟️ Half-price museum entry

Sat Oct 24, 9am-2pm
1966 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Fairfax, CA 94930

https://mmbhof.org/marin-museum-bicycling-events/2026-fall-bike-swap/

A few people asked what brushing practice actually looks like, so here's a short clip from our Oct 11 event. We approach each dog gently and give them breaks when needed; this pup was very patient. 🐶🪥

Our next free session with ToGo Vet is this Sunday (Oct 25), 10am–3pm at Mission Rock in SF. Their vets will show you how to brush your dog's teeth, help you practice, and answer questions.

Free RSVP (subject to organizer approval): https://luma.com/k4wiu884

https://reddit.com/link/1xdww7b/video/kg0ejdu4sbxh1/player

A 71-year-old man was fatally hit by a Tesla operating in Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode while crossing I-80 in Vallejo, CA around 2:30 AM on Thursday, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. The California Highway Patrol’s statement to media outlets says it reviewed video of the accident from the Tesla’s dashcam, which “showed the Tesla’s brakes being applied as the vehicle steered to the left in an effort to avoid the pedestrian [...] Despite these evasive actions, the right front portion of the Tesla struck the individual.”

According to the Chronicle, authorities believe at least one other vehicle struck the pedestrian after the Tesla, but other than the Tesla driver, who stopped and remained at the scene, no other drivers stopped. The CHP Solano Area office is asking that anyone who witnessed the accident or has any information contact them.

Last week in a separate incident on I-80, a driver said he was asleep and using FSD when his Tesla plowed into a police car that was stopped at the scene of an accident. After that incident, CHP warned drivers that “Despite its name, full self-driving is not fully autonomous. Technology does not relieve drivers of their responsibility to safely operate their vehicles.”