Easter Sunday at the Oceanside Jolly Roger

The family tradition of meeting for brunch on Easter began back when Don and I were in school (me with Library Science, he with Computer Science) --which would make it sometime between 1996 and 2001---I'm not sure what prevented us between 2001 and 2003--perhaps the mountain house, or maybe we were spending Easter with my Mom who passed away in October 2003...and then I worked weekends from March 2003 to November 2004---so we missed the first several gatherings. Sunday (yesterday) was actually the first time the meeting was at the Jolly Roger since Don and I started participating. The first time we participated it was going to be there, but the restaurant couldn't accommodate our group, once Don and I added ourselves to the number at the last minute. So we all went to the nearby Monterey Bay Canners where a buffet is served and walk-ins of large groups are pretty well accommodated. The meal and atmosphere were so enjoyable that the next couple of Easter gatherings were held there as well. This year it was decided that waiting in the long buffet line might not be as desirable as being seated and served--so Jolly Roger was the unanimous choice. Attendants this time were Stewart Douglas (Dad), Julie Douglas (Step Mom), Vincent Douglas (brother), Sharon Douglas (Sister-in-law), and Tom Mallow (Julie's Dad), and Don and Tracie Hall (us)....and a great time was had by all!

Stewart (Dad) and Don (Hubby)

Sharon (Sister-in-law) and Vincent (brother)

Sharon, Vincent, Don (partially obscured while sitting on bench behind Vince), Stewart, Julie (Step-Mom), Tom (Julie's Dad--seated on bench).

Vince & Don

Julie, Sharon, Vincent

Dad and his Father-in-law, Tom (he-heee!)

I kept trying to explain to my camera that Vince and Don were back lit and needed flash-fill but my pesky camera (erroneously) insisted that they didn't need it.

Dad and Tom

Oceanside Harbor with Jolly Roger background

For more Harbor shots, click HERE.

Anza Borrego Desert State Park March 14, 2008

OK, 'can't promise that I won't go historical on you again--posting old photos before moving them off of my laptop---but it's time to get back to the present. Last Saturday Don and I drove out to Anza Borrego. We used to camp there frequently before there were so many critters in our lives.
The drive too and from is almost too long to do in one day...but taking three boisterous dogs on a camp-out is less appealing, so drive to and fro in one day is what we did.
This was the first time we actually made it during the week or two that the wildflowers bloom.

For the rest of the images click HERE.

San Pedro, June, 2006.

Great Egrets November 2005

Don and I used to visit Balboa's Agate Street, near the ferry nearly every weekend. We still frequently take the ferry, but it's not as common anymore to find us sitting at the nearby outdoor tables reading, or strolling along the sea wall.

For the rest of this set follow THIS link.

Long Beach 2005

Another group of photos that must move to the external drive. Just a few images from one of our many trips to Long Beach. We used to own a studio apartment about a block from this coffee shop on 4th Street and Pine.

There's a couple more of images at THIS link.

Old photos

As I mentioned on the Home Home on the Range blog, my laptop has asked me to kindly remove some of the old photos. Well, not so much "asked", as "threatened".
So I thought I'd post a few of the old ones before moving them to an external drive. This is one from Don's and my visit to Oak Canyon Park in Ahaheim Hills in June of 2005.

The rest are at THIS link, on Flikr.

Sunday, February 24th: School Chums

Wow! Really? I haven't updated this blog since December's trip to the Long Beach Acquarium? Yikes!
Well, it's true we haven't been getting out as much lately. Don has needed to work at home quite a bit of late. In fact, he was working when I took these pictures. He had to go to Toronto on business, so I got up early Sunday morning for a 7:30 a.m. reunion with my Junior High friends.
Margaret (was Hardesty, but for many years now has been Flynn thanks to the late and wonderful Laurence [Larry] Flynn) who has just recently returned to Dana Point to care for her Mom.
Rene' (was Postal, now White) now lives in Aliso Viejo.
And as you know I'm in Westminster.
It having been given to me to choose the meeting spot, I could have chosen a middle ground but am not too familiar with Aliso Viejo, so, I decided on a place I knew was familiar to us all, the Dana Point Harbor Jolly Roger.
I had every intention of taking photographs when I arrived and asking a waitress to photograph all of us together, but alas, I was so thrilled to see them both and so engrossed in our conversation that I forgot to take even one! This, despite the fact that I'd just taken some on the way there of our old Junior High.
So I apologize that all you get to see here are photos of San Juan Capistrano's Marco Forster Junior High School...rain bespattered...behind locked gates. It was fun for ME because I hadn't been on these grounds since attending the school in 8th grade---not going to tell you how long ago that was, but I can tell you that nothing neighboring it now was there then. My two friends were unimpressed to learn I'd just come from photographing it, as they've been there more recently with their kids (Neither had a child that actually attended the school, but both had been to one special event or another). So pretty much my only hope at finding someone who might be pleased to see the place is my friend Penny (Benz, now Slingerland---and may-haps her husband, Douglas), who I get to see this April when she comes out from Washington on a brief business trip. I met Penny in Science, Rene at our neighborhood bus stop in Capistrano Beach, and Margaret in Drama class. From the moment I first set foot on the grounds I loved the school. I'd just moved from Garden Grove. I mentioned when I first started this blog that as a child I moved quite often. I'd never realized before landing in San Clemente for 7th grade that a person might love a home for it's location. I'd always gotten fond of homes because of people I'd met but when I landed in South Orange County it was the first time I was fond of the area first, and then the people. San Clemente was one of our shorter lived moves however and I all too soon found myself finishing 7th grade in Costa Mesa--but apparently Mom had loved the area too and 8th grade found us in Capistrano Beach so I was back with my friends and making new ones at Marco Forster. And these were friendships to last a lifetime.
Before I leave the subject, best I not leave out three of the other great friends in our circle; Arlene Rodriguez (sorry--I've forgotten her married name. She passed on with Cancer the same week that Princess Diana left us), Mary Morrill (now Lovejoy) who lives in Northern California, and Tracy Ramirez (now Kenoyer) who was a 9th grade San Clemente High add-on to the circle, as she was living in Seal Beach, I believe, when we were all at Marco Forester. Tracy is now in Arizona.
Sorry if this has all been very boring. If yes, than I'm afraid the photos won't inspire you either.
Be that as it may, here they are.