Watching the Wheels

Bicycling is the nearest approximation

I know to the flight of birds.

~ Louis J. Helle, Jr.

Watch out!

it's a long way down

the wildflowers sway in the wind

they draw me to the edge

the sun in my eyes

the earth soft underneath my feet

one shot...but I got it! oops!

Frolic

Is there any better display of pure joy 

than a dog running full tilt just for the fun of it.

Bouys Will Be Bouys

The little boat that could...

Vessels large may venture more, 

but little boats should keep near shore. 

~ Benjamin Franklin

Follow the sun

At the beach life is different.

Time doesn't move hour to hour but mood to moment.

We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun.

Just another bikes-at-the-beach photo...

The bicycle, the bicycle surely, 

should always be the vehicle 

of novelists and poets. 
~ Christopher Morley

Let's Go Surfing

Surfing, alone among sports, generates laughter at its very suggestion, 

and this is because it turns not a skill into an art, 

but an inexplicable and useless urge into a vital way of life.
~ Matt Warshaw

life is a wave...

your attitude is your surfboard
stay stoked and aim for the light!

Summer Vacation

We hit the sunny beaches where we occupy ourselves keeping the sun off our skin, 

the saltwater off our bodies, and the sand out of our belongings. 
~ Erma Bombeck

A Day at the Races

Monday, last week, was a beautiful, warm, sunny day...a perfect time to take our boat out for the first time this year.
This Great Blue Heron watched over us as we launched in Huntington Harbour.

The temperature was a balmy 80 degrees and yet
we could see a bit of snow still up in the mountains.

After a short cruise around the harbor, we decided to head out to
Long Beach Shoreline Village for lunch.

This nest of Herons can be found just across from the Naval dock.

Nearing Long Beach we came upon a lot of sailing activity.

I set my camera on continuous and proceeded to snap nearly 300 photos.
It turned out that was none too many, thanks to the
rocking of our boat, as half of them showed nothing but sky or water.

These sea lions slept through all the action going on around them.

I noticed that the referees' boats said Alamitos Bay Yacht Club and with a little googling,
I later learned that this is what we were watching:

CISA Advanced Racing Clinic
Long Beach, California
www.cisasailing.org/content/view/18/11/

An Unfortunate Ending to a Beautiful Day

It was such a gorgeous day yesterday...80 degrees and the Santa Ana winds were merely mild breezes along the coast. My husband and I decided to go the San Pedro's Point Fermin to take in the sunset. Unfortunately our visit took a sad turn as we were to discover when, with the blaze of sirens seemingly coming from everywhere, the fire department, police, four rescue boats and eventually 2 rescue helicopters arrived at the park.

We learned that a woman fell down the cliff and was seriously injured. We watched as numerous firemen made their way down the cliff to rescue this woman, strap her into a carrier and hoist her up into the helicopter. Rumors were flying about as how horribly injured she was and that her boyfriend had proposed to her shortly before she fell. As I was taking photos, tears were welling up in my eyes. This was a very emotional experience and I just couldn't help thinking of what pain she must be in. A very brief article in today's Long Beach Press-Telegram states that she was 50 years old and although in serious condition, her injuries are not life threatening.

What was so very rewarding was watching the outstanding teamwork that went into this rescue. Something I've never witnessed before. There must have been nearly 50 people from the various departments involved in this effort. It's reassuring to know that they are there for us when we really need them.