blended family and California photo's

 the moment above was really the only rain i saw while i was out there...and it poured for a few minutes.  this is in Laguna. lovely views from this spot.  many of the Laguna spots i've found outside of Victoria Cove i've descovered after i've moved away.  our family never really left the  cove that Gramps had his beach house in

 view from my brothers place.

 these are from Pinnacles National Park.

 our intrepid guide at work.

 yesterday was busy with Christmas stuff. got the tree decorated, packages ready to mail and Christmas cards ready to send out.  minor decorating for the holidays.  now i'll mostly have local stuff do to.

 4 of my eldest brothers 6 kids.  serious snap above and then below i told them to do their best tampax commercial look.  the boys needed a quick briefing but the girls appear to have taught them well.  they always look so crazily joyous in those commercials. i've never known any female to be that happy when "Aunt Flow" comes to town.

 another niece and her husband...2 brothers up from me...his daughter. i have 5 brothers.

 the Monday walk was back on track yesterday.  of course, 2 weeks away made me blitz on what time the walk starts.  i was sure it was at 11:30...it really starts at 11.  everyone kindly delayed until 11:30...i would have never made it there at 11 anyway.  the usual 3 and then SH joined us after for coffee.

 lots of family photo's...always nice to catch up on them all, even though it's brief.

 the idiot candidate (i'd rather not speak his name) put out wildly inflammatory statements yesterday.  those sorts of ideals are the ones that have in the past led to genocides occurring.  i really do hope the Republican Party will finally put a stop to this outrageous run for President before our nation is engulfed in some sort of idiot candidate induced death run.  Already many Muslims in the nation have had to deal with increased death threats and name calling.

 there are millions of Muslims in the world, alienating all of them will only make our situation worse with these terrorists.  San Bernadino has increased the fear in many.  it's not unreasonable to be anxious about the situation.  one of those terrorists was born here and turned and his wife was brought in on a fiance visa.  we have to find a way to make these terrorists groups less appealing, though what the appeal is i have no idea.  it's cult mentality.  cults have always been able to be a power even with highly educated people.  just proving that education is in no way any protection from being reigned in to crazy and absurd rhetoric.  it happens every day on certain news broadcasts.  intelligent people buying in to rubbish reporting.

 in my little world, the traditions of the season continue.  trees, cards, packages, music.

 wanted to hit the pool last night and then got lazy and didn't. i really need to kick my own butt and get my exercise program into full gear before i grow any larger.  pictures are reminders that you have gained a few pounds that need to be removed.

 also reminders that aging happens.  it is what it is.  i'm not one to make a run to a surgeon and have wrinkles removed. i'm more of the aging gracefully camp.  that doesn't mean i have to sit back and allow myself to get fat though. i need to and want to stay active.  walking is great but it's not enough to keep the fat at bay as i get older.  it's time for phase two...  haha.  i want to do yoga and help keep my body limber and i want to do swimming because that really helps my joints...especially my knee.  it's been a bit cranky of late again.  i need to hit the pool and the bike to loosen it up is all.

 have a lot of news to catch up on..local stuff.  it is always fun though, seeing what i missed.

 have work tonight and i still want to walk Blossom and hit the post office if possible.

 would also like to call a contact at REI and see if there is a possibility of setting up an event in the event room in Jan or Feb.  going to Round Island qualifies as an adventure and i'm hoping i can work with REI to use their room to educate the locals about Walrus and Round Island.

 i still have too many calendars to sell...gotta work that angle this month and get those sold.

 my nephews with the sunset in the windows...great kids...well men now i guess.  :-)

 boats occasionally wash ashore in Japan with dead people.  it's presumed these are originating from North Korea.  things have no doubt gotten worse and worse for those poor folks under the rule of an insane dictator.  are they trying to escape or just being worked to death.  you do occasionally hear stories from reporters who were briefly allowed in.  those poor folks have been kept in the dark about how the rest of the world is operating.  amazing how availability of internet can impact regular people.  of course you can also say the internet is responsible for some pretty awful stuff as well.  some of these terrorist groups for sure have utilized the internet for their gain.  freedom is not without risks.  i still prefer freedom though.  we do need a better internet fight against terrorists.

 loved that Canadian ex-model's story of joining the Kurds in the fight.  it seems to me she is doing video's and uploading them to combat the terrorists at their own game. i think we need more of that.  put it out there

 the main beach in Laguna.

 it was nice to spend so much time walking warm and sunny beaches over my holiday.  i do love winter though.  i get the same peace walking down our ice covered beaches.

 can't go barefoot up here though this time of year.  haha.

 fun to enjoy totally different plant life as well.  love the variety and abundance of nature that exists on our earth.

 there will no doubt be more polar bear/grizzly bear interactions as the ice melts.  in Kaktovik, it seems, the grizzly wins.  they are smaller yet they seem to be able to chase away their competition.  maybe a skill they have had to learn living their lives in close proximity to several other bears.  no doubt mixed breeding will also be a result...a polar bear mixed with a grizzly will be a mighty foe.

 the dead in Hong Kong are taking up too much space.  never mind non-cremated remains, even the ashes of relatives are left without a final resting place.  i've never been a fan of acres and acres of land with bodies laid out.  now huge buildings filled with urns and ashes.  one guy is now buring cremains at super high heat to make into gems for jewelry.  scattering seems the best way to go...still in some of these very compacted high population places scattering ashes could negatively impact the local ecology.

 there was a 2000 gallon diesel oil spill in Kiana...they are trying to divert it so it doesn't get into their water systems.  difficult to deal with these sorts of spills in smaller villages and in winter weather.

 another hazard of life in the villages up north is that occasionally a snow machine drops into an opening on rivers and sea ice.  in Alaska snow mobiles are called snow machines.  that is how it is.  they are commonly used as transport in villages. these same places change over to 4 wheelers in the summer months.  they use the sea ice and frozen rivers to move from community to community.  that doesn't always go well.  an adult went in along with 2 kids...thankfully they were all able to crawl out and survived.  that is not how it goes all the time.  often they are never seen again.  there is current under the ice and they get sucked in deeper and further from the opening.  no way to escape at that point.

 this is a mission in Soledad.

 avalanches also take Alaskans nearly every year.  i guess there has been some activity up in Hatchers Pass which has caused closures. a guy went missing up there while skiing on Nov 23.  no sign of him yet.  all year, every year, you will hear of these stories.  Alaskans or visitors to Alaska going missing.  it's a place of adventure but sometimes it is a place of death to the adventurous.

 this is another little beach in Laguna. it's at the end of Pearl Street

 love cool rocks and rock formations

 the devils bathtub in Victoria Cove has changed dramatically over the years.  the section closest to land used to be rock and there was a spout hole that would blow when the water was high.  this rock has all been worn away.

 easy to forget that rocks wear down...until you watch it over your lifetime.  it's pretty dramatic really.

 starting to feel pretty hungry.  started the morning with a headache.   headaches seem to be common in the family.  that seems to be going away...which turns that mild nausea into hunger.  that is good.

 back to Pearl St.

 pretty rocks!

 with an occasionally picture from the Soledad Mission.

 view from inside the arch

 this is actually the leftover below from the original mission, weather tends to return many of the old buildings back to a natural state.

 you can't rebuild that stuff.  these buildings were a cool refuge from the heat in summers no doubt but chilly in the winter months.

 the kids were more interested in the  life in the fountain...as it should be.  was great to be able to let them run around a bit before their long drive home.  very grateful to my sister and niece for making the drive.  really a fun little get together.  well worth it.

 guess i better get off the computer and head out for a walk and errands.  will be good to get stuff mailed and on it's way. less holiday stress that way.

 on the drive north...love route 101 and route 1.  wish i could have taken a week just to ramble up route 1 again.  always enjoyed that drive north in California.  not this trip.

grateful for:  A.  getting the business of Christmas done and enjoying the spirit of it more B.  that the good guys outnumber the bad guys in the world..those bad guys really can make some noise though.  C.  freedom of speech and the pursuit of happiness.