let me start by saying i feel like crap at this moment. i called out sick last night and will probably be calling out again. there may be many typo's and nonsensicals in this posting. i just had to get out of bed for a few minutes. my head is foggy. i thought i was on the mend, having gotten a nice bronchitis in california, but it seems to have returned with a vengeance. who knew a person could make so much snot!! hate cold bugs....tuesday morning i accompanied my sister in law to victoria cove. they have a condo down there and she had to get it straigtened up for renters. easy parking for me. i took a walk on the beach. we were not a rich family, but my gramps had bought property in laguna back in the 50's and build a beachhouse. we spent a great deal of time there as we grew up, so though not weatlthy ourselves, we were spoiled rotten by this. nothing beats falling asleep to the sounds of waves crashing on the beach.
i switched residences on tuesday as well and joined my brother jeff, his partner wils and thier two kids, ella and ian. i was totally late getting to jeffs place, partly because i lingered too long in victoria cove, but mostly because i missed the street and found myself in bolsa chica instead of huntington beach. i felt terrible keeping everyone waiting on me. we met with rudy, my mom's widow, for lunch. it was great to catch up a bit with him. wish i'd had more time to just chat one on one with him. 
back to victoria cove. saw this hawk and thought it looked cool to get him with the helicopter.
don't see too many hawks out there, though i must say i saw 3 hawks that day. 
love to see the sun glistening off the waves. there are lots of shorebirds as well and they never cease to amaze me as they run back and forth with the wave action catching thier food in the surf. 
the constant wave action is soothing as are the colours that are created by the flow of water through the sun.
never got any decent low tides on my visit, but i always love tidepooling. the rocks of victoria cove offer up lots of sealife to enjoy when the tide is out. 
spent hours walking the shore looking at the various bits of sand and shells as well. here a bit of seaweed against the sand. the grains are so tiny and have been polished by years of sea action. the beach sand changes with the various seasons. 
i used to swim out in these waves as a kid all the time. often i got tossed about and had no idea which end was up. i'd be terrified to attempt swimming in these waves now. kids have no fear. i did enjoy wading in the surf on this visit. to my houseguests the water for cold as was the weather, but to me the water felt great and the 60 degree temperature felt wonderful and warm, especially when the sun was out.
what we called the rocks were around that bend. we had tough feet as kids and often went out there without shoes. we had no restrictions placed on us. my mom mostly chilled at the beachhouse, content to sit outside in the yard in the sun with a book. we'd show up for meals and then rush back down to the beach. we were given intructions to swim near the lifeguard stand and to check the flag. we were also instructed regarding rip tides. 
i've always preferred the beaches in the winter, just less crowds, much more peaceful.
my poor dogs today. i'm no good for anything really. we did manage a walk yesterday, rovers run. rio opted out. she does this at times, just settles herself on the couch and doesn't wish to budge. if i had been smart yesterday i would have joined her. i never warmed up on the walk which tells me it was probably close to zero or below. blossom was happy to get out. after my next nap i'll try for a loop of the bog perhaps. no matter how crappy i feel the dogs have to be walked most days. walking is a great indicator for me as to how i'm feeling. today, i really don't feel like walking at all. i also need to try and get the cat litter cleaned today. 
had great, clear weather all week and in the distance you can see catalina island. catalina is a fun island. my brother and i made a day trek out there later in the week. one summer our family spent a week out there. gramps had rented out houses. we had a great time.
the beaches of southern california are loaded with houses. if i were given a house on the water with access, i'd gladly move back...but alas, my finances do not put me in the house on the beach lifestyle. i'll just have to visit on occasion and dream of the life that wasn't. i'm quite happy in alaska, though i'd be happy on the beach up here as well. some people are lake people some are ocean people i've found. i'm of the ocean sort. lakes are lovely and all that, but nothing beats the sea in my opinion. i think it's just what you grew up with.
another picture of ian. that kid is always happy and smiling. it's rare that he has a moment of crankiness and that is usually easily remedied. 
i hung out with jeff and family most of tuesday, but slipped away to check out the sunset at huntington beach. i'd kinda decided that i was going to get as much beach/sun time in as possible. mostly, when i go to california i'm running around like crazy and i don't get to just relax and enjoy, this trip was very relaxing. it was great to just enjoy the beauty of the area. 
as far as sunsets go, this one wasn't incredible, but it was still lovely. we did hit huntington beach from time to time growing up. they have large fire pits and it's been a place to gather for years. 
the light was cool out there, even if the colours weren't spectacular.
body aches....this so bites...
it's cloudy out today, must be warmer. i've been trying to catch up on last weeks newspapers in between naps. not too much excitement, just the battle over the election results still. wish miller would just give it up already. what an idiot. hardly slept last night. kept waking up, miserable. sorry, i'm not good at the sick thing and tend to whine incessantly.
good to look at pictures from sunny california and escape for a bit. 
finished, "the girl who kicked a hornets nest" last night i think. just bummed there will be no more books to read in the series. the author died shortly after turning the 3 books into the publishers i guess. will have to check out the movies, always interesting to see how movies interpret books. can be disappointing as you get things in your head and sometimes whoever does the movie sees stuff totally differently.
chatted with my sister for a bit yesterday. she's hoping i head to her place next thanksgiving. haven't seen the texas contingency for a bit so we'll have to see. it has been a few years since i joined her family in northern california and had fun last time out.
took this when i was late for lunch. of course, as i was driving under this bridge i wasn't aware that i shouldn't have been going under this as it was beyond the turn i was supposed to have taken. i knew something was up when i hit bolsa chica.
back to laguna....
i'm always so out of order. my brain doesn't care today anyway. this tower is a landmark in victoria. it's actually someones staircase up to thier property. we used to try the lock all the time in hopes it would open and we could go up the steps. only once did i find it unlocked. i enjoyed taking those steps up and peeking out the little windows. just a totally differenet perspective on a beach i'd been at so many times. very cool day. no such luck today. 
the best tidepools are beyond the tower, you just have to keep walking. no time this day though.
the old pool is also a landmark of my youth. it's pretty full of sand at this time, probably winter sand. the waves crash over the top and fill it up. there was almost always some water to play in there. high tides were fun as the waves crashed over and you'd get all wet. the brave kids would walk along the outside. a hold was put in to keep the pool from getting too full years ago. my mom told us it had to do with the polio epidemic and fears that the pool was a way to spread the bug. 
the pool was actually emptying out pretty fast while i was there. ended up chatting with some guy. he said there are several of these pools up and down the coast. i'd never heard that before. wonder where they are.
looking back at the main victoria cove beach from the rocks. 
had to pay omage to the my gramps beach house. it was built in 1950 for a song. after my grandfather passed away the beach house was sold in '93 for $415,000.00. the day my mom had to sign those papers i saw a sadness in her that i've never seen before. it was a horribly depressing day for her. her brothers wanted to just sell it and she was powerless to buy them out. she never recovered from the loss of this house and the dreams of it. gramps had never intended to have it get sold, he'd hoped that it would stay in the family for generations to come. when i walked up there and saw that it was on the market i about burst into tears. i so wish i could slap down the money and bring the house back to our family where it belongs. they are asking 2 million now. the price has already been lowered as they were previously asking 2.3 million. they did some remodeling. it's not a big place so there is only so much they can do. laguna makes it difficult to make major changes to houses in remodels. 
so very painful to see the place on the marker and not be able to buy it. we, of course, looked it up. the web has pictures of the remodel. 151 dumond drive, laguna beach...a web search will turn it up with you have 2 million to part with. 
my bed is calling me. 
laguna will always be a second home to me. i later stopped by the house we grew up in over in south pasadena 2136 pine street. they've done some major landscaping in the front yard. looks the same over all though. the trees in the front yard have grown tremendously. i remember them being planted...now they are huge. it's noon and i bid you goodnight..
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