Watching The River Flow

Not exactly a river, but a little rivulet next to the lagoon that seems to have no beginning, goes nowhere, and abruptly ends without a trickle. We haven’t had rain for weeks, months even, so there’s no real explanation for the existence of this body of water.

I can relate to the meandering path of aimless inertia; of stagnant apathy. I guess that’s the feeling for today, likely generated by last night’s powerful full moon energy.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

And of course because I’m obsessed, I searched for a Leon Russell musical connection. “Watching the River Flow” is a song by Bob Dylan; masterfully produced by Leon Russell. it was written and recorded in March 1971.

As always, I love Leon’s version the best…

I Found Love 💖

I found love in the form of a perfectly heart-shaped beach rock. I looked down and there it was, right next to my towel.

Angel Girl calls them “love hearts” and isn’t that a wonderfully joyful and jubilant way to describe any heart?

This one is particularly heavy and solid, smooth to the touch — could it be basalt?

Of course this love heart came home with me to be added to my growing collection. Never forget that love is all around.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

Whether it’s merely an indication of beaches and oceans and erosion, or a message from the universe, it always makes me happy.

💖

Incoming Tide

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

This particular beach is a favorite for locals to surf and tidepool, so we are always a bit vague as to the specific location to protect it from being overrun by ill-mannered tourists who trash our beaches.

NO KINGS! Attend June 14 National Day of Action

I’m so proud of the San Diego community that stood strong to protect and defend the ICE kidnapping that happened on May 30 at a local restaurant, Buona Forchetta.

A video of the ICE raid showed heavily armed and masked agents (modern day Gestapo) dressed in full tactical gear surrounding the restaurant. A large crowd of community members pushed back at the ICE agents, surrounding their vehicles and yelling. The ICE agents deployed flash bang smoke grenades which broke up the crowd.

A local politician questioned why ICE agents were carrying machine guns and “aggressively shoving people against the walls,” handcuffing all the employees. He said the warrant for the raid, which was signed by a federal judge, instructed ICE agents to arrest everyone and detain all the employees.

“I don’t know how a federal judge signs off on that,” he said. “What about the rights of those citizens?” He said the warrant didn’t indicate reference to any of the workers having committed violent crimes.

Another politician said that the TWENTY armed agents who burst into the restaurant traumatized the staff and the owner.

Can you believe this is actually happening? And THIS, too…

The orange POS has planned a military parade in Washington, D.C. for his birthday on June 14. This display of might is intended to intimidate opponents and solidify his image as a strongman on our dime—we won’t stand by while that happens.

Instead of allowing this military farce to overwhelm the day, we will make action everywhere else the story of America that day: people coming together in communities across the country to reject strongman politics and corruption.

It’s significant that the new Pope also chose this day to appear in Chicago as hopefully millions of people gather and celebrate the election of its native son — and first North American pontiff — Pope Leo XIV.

Have you seen the news that the orange POS sent the National Guard to Los Angeles EVEN THOUGH our Governor did NOT request their presence?

Did you hear that the orange POS has made it ILLEGAL to wear masks in public UNLESS you’re a member of his ICE gestapo?

Do you understand what is going on? This is not a drill; democracy is in trouble. According to the nonprofit, Third Act, our role is to bring the power and wisdom of elders to this movement, to ensure our voices are heard loud and clear to protect our democracy and our rights.

I think I’ll join my friends and neighbors locally on June 14. Rise up! RESIST!

June Birds: Bursting With Color

I’m beyond ecstatic to report this awesome news that for the first time ever a California Scrub Jay momma is building her nest here at Casa de Enchanted Seashells.

I’ve been feeding a Scrub Jay family for a long time and they’ve become so trusting that they eat out of my hand, but I’ve never before had one take up residence. The birdhouse is in a fruit-bearing mulberry tree and it’s going crazy this year. Sometimes I harvest all the fruit and make jam and cobblers; haven’t decided if I’ll do it again this season.

I can’t wait to hear and see the babies! Scrub Jays are known for their high intelligence, particularly their abilities in memory, problem-solving, and social cognition. They excel at hiding and remembering food caches, learn new tasks by applying general rules, and even appear to understand the perspective of other jays when deciding where to hide their food.

If that wasn’t awesome enough, check out this (uncommon) Common Yellowthroat OR American Goldfinch–I can’t identify it for sure. I was able to snap a few pictures as they snacked on spent lavender blooms.

What an auspicious start to summer!

Happy June!

Wistful Wisteria

The welcoming fragrance of this wisteria is an intoxicating blend of lavender, honeysuckle, and lilac. You can smell it half a block away. I’ve never before seen such exquisite wisteria. Once upon a time I planted it in my garden but it didn’t thrive, I’m sad to say.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

Wisteria symbolism is associated with romance, devotion, and good luck. In Japan, it represents longevity and success. It can also symbolize humility and endurance, 

Tides Fall and Rise

The day returns, but nevermore
Returns the traveler to the shore,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.


Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

POGs Revival!

Lately it seems that I see POGs popping up everywhere on social media.

Do you remember them?

For a brief, crazy intense moment in the ’90s, POGs and slammers were everywhere. If you grew up during that era, you might remember collecting the colorful cardboard discs, the thrill of slamming your favorite POG stack, and swapping the ones you didn’t want with friends on the playground.

During that frenzied time, I was involved in a business that not only produced POGs (milkcaps) as business promotional giveaways but created a line of them called The Safe Neighborhood Club, complete with an inserted educational booklet. Some of these designs were included in books about POGs.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

For a time, POGS were even outlawed in a few school districts, that’s how popular they were.

The story of POGs began in Hawaii, where children used caps from Haleakala Dairy’s POG juice (passionfruit-orange-guava) to play a simple flipping game.

Alan Rypinski bought the POG trademark in 1993 and transformed it into a global brand. With the World POG Federation at the helm, POGs exploded into toy aisles and schoolyards, becoming an integral part of ’90s culture. POGman, the game’s cartoon mascot, became as recognizable as the discs themselves. He made millions during the craze but was out of the game when the bubble burst.

By 1997, the POG market had imploded. Oversaturation, school bans, and changing fads pushed the once-beloved game into obscurity. The discs that once sparked heated debates and trades among kids now sat forgotten.

Now, nearly three decades later, whispers of a POG revival are surfacing. Can a nostalgia-driven resurgence bring this playground staple back into the mainstream?

Why Revive POGs Now?

I can’t explain it, but POGs definitely ARE making a comeback, not just as a nostalgic collectible but also with a digital component and a focus on both physical and digital gaming. 

The World Pog Federation launched new physical sets and online games to engage a new generation of players. They are also exploring partnerships and collaborations to expand the POG brand. 

I’ll have to dig around in the garage ‘cos I know I still have a massive collection stored in binders and I can’t wait to show them to the Angels. Maybe they could start it up again at their school; wouldn’t that be awesome?

Further reading:
–Here’s a link to a cool article written just last month about the POG revival:
https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2025/04/dig-up-that-slammer-this-week-were-talking-pogs.html
–Another post from Hawaii: https://www.lanaitoday.com/news/another-chance-to-scoop

My Spicy Girl: Peppermint Party Climbing Rose

This is an update to a previous post about transplanting this awesome Peppermint Party Climbing Rose. It’s been a couple years and she’s really blossoming and super spicy!

I don’t give her too much attention except for a hard prune every January, and cross my fingers that she’ll grow back healthy and happy.

I took this photo when it was sunny. I woke up to rain which was totally, unexpectedly, but absolutely welcome, especially since we haven’t had any sky water is quite a while. Any little bit helps.

This was one of my most successful transplanting of a mature plant. I moved this Peppermint Party Climbing Rose from one arbor to another and it’s been thriving ever since.

Late afternoon sun on these stripey petals caught my eye:

And a closer view…

Happy Sunday!

All photos by Enchanted Seashells

Oceanside Rock Garden

 This sounds like so much fun! I guess it’s where you can find me when Mom and Dad are here and I’m with the Angel Kids while they’re out surfing.

Oceanside Harbor staff created a Rock Garden for free family fun. It’s located in the far northeast area of the Harbor near the “A” Dock.

All are welcome to leave a painted rock, take one home to create rock art, or work on one at the nearby picnic table to leave with the others. Spread positivity! Kids can stack rocks, too–make a cairn for others to admire.

(I’m not sure who took this photo because someone shared it with me, but credit to whoever it was.)