Just a day in the life…
Caring for a friend’s old and adorable cat for a couple of days…
Chasing butterflies in the garden…
The clouds hung around after a bit of welcome rain.
A whole lotta bicyclists ride down the beach highway.
There were supposed to be waves up to eight feet but not here, I guess. It was kinda disappointing, but still a beautiful Pacific Ocean scene.
Happy Sunday from sunny Southern California!
First thing this morning, directly outside my bedroom window, I was greeted by not one, not two, but THREE bunnies! I knew right then and there that it was going to be a great day.
I could see this gigantic ship pretty much all the way from my house and I don’t think it moved at all, or very slowly, by the time I made it to the beach. Going north or south, I can’t tell. It was quite a few miles offshore, that’s why it’s not a clear photo.
It’s about seventy degrees and GORGEOUS. No whales or dolphin, just a couple surfers having fun in the smallish waves.
I was sitting crosslegged on top of a cement picnic table on the sidewalk overlooking the beach when someone walked by and told me I looked quite peaceful. Maybe it’s because of the way I was sitting, meditatively, but the thoughts in my head weren’t so serene. It was H-O-T and I was not looking forward to the long UPHILL walk back to Casa de Enchanted Seashells. In addition to those thoughts, I had to use the restroom and the beach bathroom isn’t the most luxurious, but when you gotta go…So I did and then I could no longer delay the inevitable — I walked home.
Dorothy said it: “There’s no place like home.”
I got up super early and went to the part of the beach that never fails to provide a variety of plentiful rocks for all my projects. This time was no exception. The irony is that there are no seashells here; only rocks. My local beaches aren’t known for seashell collecting, but rocks are welcome treasures, too.
There was the bluest of sunny skies but it was windy and sand was blowing all over the place from another mild Santa Ana.
I was able to find all the rocks I needed, joined by an audience of seagulls and shorebirds. It was so early there were few humans so we had the beach to ourselves.
Every rock is so beautiful and unique; I have a hard time choosing who comes home with me. Just look at them!
On a more positive topic than local murders, here’s a quiet day at Tourmaline Beach, located between Pacific Beach and La Jolla. I haven’t been here in decades. It was a balmy seventy degrees and sunny, barely an hour before the foggy marine layer rolled in.
Sadly, no seashells or whales or dolphin, but I’m always looking for the magic. Also…no gems at all including zero tourmaline. What a disappointment!
The waves were a little blown out and not very big, in case that’s something you care about.
And nope, I didn’t surf, although I wish I had that Chanel board. I don’t go in the water. The last time I tried to surf, I got hit with the board, so it’s not the sport for me.
Last Tuesday I had my annual ultrasound to check on the status of a tiny cyst that’s been attached to my gall bladder for years. The abdominal ultrasound also checks everything else plus pancreas. I’m especially freaked out about that organ because of my mom’s cancer.
It was a fasting test which is no big deal because I don’t eat breakfast anyway, never have, but coffee isn’t allowed either, and THAT was a bit of a hardship. I brewed some before I left and stored in an insulated cup so I could gulp it down as soon as I got back to my car after the test.
The woman that actually did the test was literally one of the most enlightened, awakened angels I’ve ever encountered with a spirit that calmed me down as soon as she introduced herself.
She was four months pregnant and we talked about that and the grandkids and how I was lucky enough to be present for both of their really long ultrasound appointments and we talked about the ups and downs and lessons of life’s journey. It was more of a therapy session with a healer than having my abs squirted with WARM jell so she could see all of my inner working parts.
She let me know the size and location of the cyst hadn’t changed and everything else looked good. I know they’re not really supposed to TELL, they’re supposed to wait until the formal results from the doc, so I really really appreciate that she didn’t make me suffer for a few hours.
We hugged. I told her she was going to be an amazing mom and she teared up a bit.
What a brief and significant connection with a random human! Her spirit infused me with a positive and happy glow.
As I drove home, sipping my still hot French roast, I got a call that my new glasses were ready to be picked up.
I drove to my downtown village area near the beach and tried on my new frames to have them adjusted and fine tuned. This time instead of Versace or Prada, I got Salt, a brand that was new to me, but really adorbs.
Salt Optics was started by a couple of surfers and a guy from Oliver Peoples. They are ultra COOL.
“SALT is committed to using only the most premium handmade cellulose acetate in the world. Our acetate is created from cotton seeds and wood pulp, which allows it to be hypoallergenic and sustainable. We partner with Takiron Rowland, a Japanese acetate factory that has been producing handmade acetate for the better part of 100 years.”
OK, good to know. I love them because they fit my small face yet they’re bold and make a statement.
Cute, huh?
It was about 11 a.m. and I decided to walk to the beach, something I never do this late in the day, mostly because it was already hot and dry with the Santa Ana weather. I thought it would be overrun with loud and obnoxious tourists, but it was still relatively quiet.
I felt like I needed some vitamin sea because I was so grateful for a good test result. Every year I stress about it, wondering what’s going on inside of me and if the cyst migrated to a duct or grew which could mean a whole other diagnosis and necessary treatment.
But it didn’t, all was good, and I might even be lucky enough to see a whale or a dolphin, so I started walking.
The Pacific Ocean was a lake, no waves to speak of, no whales or dolphin, but it was lovely to breathe in the salty air which reminded me of my new Salt frames lol, and after a couple miles, I turned around to head back to my car.
I was parked near the consignment shop where I’ve found treasures in the past, but I left empty handed; nothing caught my eye.
There’s so much to be grateful for every single day, not just on Thanksgiving.
Lake Pacific:
Surf lineup, that is!
Happy Bio/Step/Deadbeat Daddy Day, whichever one applies.
Walked the beach last night and the sunset was spectacular. No Green Flash though, and no whales or dolphins either, but it was the first warm evening with a hint of the summer to come.
The beach was crowded with happy people emanating positive thoughts and cheery greetings because it appears that we are collectively anticipating the rise out of darkness.
I had a fun chat with an adorable high school boy who had come out of the water after the sun went down. I told him how I used to pick up my son at the beach and he would be the only one still out in the water after dark. If you listen closely, I bet you could hear faint echoes of my voice yelling at him, “GET OUT OF THE WATER NOWWWW!” I sent the young man on his way with the admonishment to stay safe ‘cos moms worry.
Another day, another sunset. Mother Nature is magnificent.
We’re enjoying a wintry Santa Ana wind event here in SoCal. It’s warm and sunny with gusty winds about 15-25 miles per hour–not bad enough to cause damage. I hear it’s much windier north of us.
The National Weather Service defines a Santa Ana as “Strong down slope winds that blow through the mountain passes in southern California. These winds, which can easily exceed 40 miles per hour are warm and dry and can severely exacerbate brush or forest fires, especially under drought conditions.”
It makes for beautiful ocean views and a bit of spindrift, spray blown from the crests of waves by the wind. Also one of my favorite words because it sounds magical.
Spindrift.
Even though there were no whales or dolphins this time, it’s still the ocean and that’s plenty to be grateful for.
Mother Nature gifted us with rain, wind, hail, snow, and surf.
Yesterday was so windy, it almost knocked me over. Trees and power lines were down all along the coast.
I think it’s astonishing that I can see these mountains sixty to eighty miles away when I stand in the middle of my street right in front of my house. I live exactly three miles away from the Pacific Ocean. It’s a bit hazy and the camera lens is trying as hard as it can to capture the snow capped hills.
After walking up nearly fifty steps to the very top of my garden, this is the view facing east to either Palomar Mountain or Mount Laguna (I can’t tell the difference) where they had about a foot of snow.
The power lines are actually quite far away; they seem closer than they actually are.
These apartments are an ugly blight on the landscape, ruining the mountain pic. This city has zero sense about the value of open space.
I would love to drive up to Mammoth Mountain to ski ‘cos I hear they received eight to ten feet of new snow in the Sierra Nevada, but I had a bad experience driving to Snow Summit and have never been able to shake the fear. I had taken my son skiing for his thirteenth birthday and we had a really fun day together but on the way back home, my brakes went out and we almost crashed. REALLY! Actually, we ran off the road at a Ranger’s Station and we’re lucky to be alive. Highway Patrol arrived and we were towed to San Bernadino and the shop was able to repair whatever brake issue caused the malfunction and we drove home. Ever since then, I’ve been too afraid to drive to the mountains. That was about the closest to death I’ve ever been and it traumatized me. Not my Angel Boy though; he’s fearless, and that’s the way it should be.
After the rain, our beautiful ocean is still a little agitated, and the next storm’s clouds loom on the horizon…
Thank you, Mother Nature.
It was one of those days where everyone was looking up and toward the horizon.
For me, looking back provided a fresh perspective of tonight’s magnificent sunset.
The sky beautifully metamorphosed all day, culminating in this fiery red-orange sunset. The beach was packed at sundown with people taking pics. I found a place to park, looked in my rear view mirror, and decided THAT was the money shot.
The rest of the day spoke to me, too, in colors and textures.
(All photos by Enchanted Seashells)
Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud 