Monterey/Carmel

On Bird Island, these two unusual birds were nesting. I wonder what they are called?

China Beach in Pt. Lobos is closed to the public right now. There were more than 10 seals frolicking in the shallow water.

At the Pt. Lobos Reserve just south of Carmel, I caught this wave breaking.

Walking through the streets of Monterey I spotted an open warehouse. I looked inside. I wonder what this person does. I think I'd like to know her/him.

I enjoyed Monterey - the crisp air, the sunshine, and the healthy sea. Flying out of San Francisco and looking down on the ocean I could spot pods of whales, dolphins, and other large fish swimming in the clear waters. Flying over southern California, I saw mostly seaweed and birds.

Downtown, San Diego Comes of Age

We went downtown tonight. San Diego has come of age I realize in this trendy see-and-be-seen Photographic Exhibit at the Lyceum Theatre. They serve wine, Kendall-Jackson instead of two-buck-chuck, and tiny appetizers that never make it 5 steps farther than the ad-hoc kitchen doors. I bring my camera and shoot my first night-time society event. My camera is 1/10th the size of the professionals and my hand is unsteady but I am learning to look at people in the same way I look at landscapes.

The Week in Review

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The week started badly. I was stressed out and bitchy. I couldn't sleep. I had a dream about my mother and woke up with a profound sadness within. I went down to the beach (there's not a lot that saltwater can't cure) on Tuesday afternoon. (1) The waves were huge. (2) Surfers were lined up to go out. I saw a surfer catch a left off Luscombe's and ride it all the way to inside Indicators and then hop-skip his board to connect with Needles. I've never seen anyone ride through those 3 reefs. My mood lightened as I contemplated the probability of miracles.

On Friday I called a gym friend, Tom, who has been in the hospital since his knee replacement surgery of more than 2 months ago. There were complications. Grave complications.

Tom's voice slurs as he confides to me that his doctor is pressuring him to hurry up and make a decision: he can continue as he is and hope that the injured leg and foot will heal (even though he cannot feel that foot, or move his toes or ankle); he can cut off the damaged leg below the knee (the preferred option for future mobility but complicated by the knee surgery and festering wounds that currently surround the knee); or he can most extremely cut the leg off above the knee - the quickest-to-heal option but more permanently crippling than the others.

Tom asks me, "How can I make this decision while doped up on morphine?"

Monday, I'll go see him and see if I can help in any way.

Today I wake up to the sunshine streaming in my window. I hop out of bed and go down to the beach. I surf OB pier and hang around for a bit to watch the beach scene develop. Summer is a'coming (3) and the Capoeira club is practicing on the beachfront grass (4).

Signs

On Saturday, the day between Good Friday (when Jesus was crucified) and Easter (when he rose from the dead), a dark cloud threatened the sun from dawn to dusk. A dark cloud lurked in the background of my mind. I was raised Lutheran but I admit that the notion of original sin and a belief that an enlightened being such as Jesus had to die to redeem us all from that original sin does not resonate in my soul.

Soul Window

Who is that person in the window with the bright sun-shiny head? Self-portrait, this window into my soul reveals my white shoes.