Nice day for the beach

Perhaps you're someone who favors sunshine and crowds. They have their place, but I often prefer drizzle, and almost always, given my druthers, seek locations that offer an ambiance of intimacy. So this morning's briefly gray sky prompted Don and I to indulge our wanderlust, in hopes that it was discouraging the majority of our community from venturing outdoors.
Where did we go, you ask? You didn't ask? Ohh, but-ja-gotta ask.

I'm waiting.

Thanks! Well, actually, you might be disappointed, because we've been there before. Which means you've been there before. Well. You've been there if you've read earlier posts....and you count mental excur----Get on with it?
OK, OKay.

At about 9:15 a.m., under heavy drizzle, we headed down the coast a short piece to Crystal Cove. We parked on the North side of PCH and took the van, for a dollar each, to the "Beachhouse" on the South side of PCH.
Where the van dropped us off, we were met by a lady draped in a bright blue hooded cape piloting a golf cart. The couple we'd shared the van with hopped in so Don and I said we'd walk. The driver insisted we climb on, as the going would get muddy. There wasn't room on the jump-seat for three of us, so I sat in Don's lap....in my raincoat...ducking under the golf sized umbrella in Don's hand. Picture not included.

Prices are a little steep at the Beachhouse, but having already had breakfast, we contented ourselves with shared servings of sausage and fruit, accompanied by a large warm cup of steaming Mocha.

Mocha

Intimate wasn't exactly the ambiance we'd landed in, but still, it wasn't as crowded as other times we have been there. There is in and outdoor seating. In case I didn't post all of my previous photos of the place; the outdoor seating is generally under large umbrellas, which, not being closed up for the night, can drip mercilessly on unsuspecting diners. (If you go, bring a hat.) This morning, however, the entire outdoor patio was covered by a large tent (with pales dotting the patio to catch the leaks). Heaters were strategically placed, but the one in the corner we'd been ushered to was reported to be there but not functioning. Don commented on this later, "Why'd she even announce it was there, only to succeed the declaration with the disappointment that it doesn't work?" I agreed. Did she think we'd like pretending that it was on, or that it was like an attractive fireplace that didn't have to be lit to be enjoyed? (Not).
So we took a comfortable booth inside this time. We took a few pictures for you but despite the cloud-dimmed sky, the contrast between in and outdoor light was still too great for my small camera (today I was carrying the smaller Nikon, the "Coolpix L6") so I hope it's not too challenging to get the feel of the place.

Oh look! A pale indoors too (upper right)!

Yes, that's one of those attractive heaters in the background that you might like to sit near even when it doesn't work.

Nice high ceiling--I was trying, actually, to encourage the flash to trigger by aiming at the dark ceiling. I should have just turned the flash on. Oh well.

A little blurred without flash.

A little contrasty with flash.

It wouldn't be fair to post a soggy Don without posting a soggy Tracie.

As we prepared to leave we noticed a line of people forming at the exit, waiting, apparently, for the golf cart. We decided to brave it and take the scenic route, by foot, up to the restrooms around the corner. We stopped along the way a few times to take a few more photos for you.

After visiting the restrooms we headed toward the tunnel that goes under the Pacific Coast Highway, leading back to the parking lot....

"Uhhh . . ."

"Errr . . ."

"Let's take the van back to the parking lot."

"Yeah, OK. Lets."

After taking the van, we are safely back on the parking lot side.

1/27/07 Test Shots

Thursday Don found a used Tamron 28-300mm, f/3.5-6.3 lense for my Nikon D70S. A lot is made by professionals of the quality of a lense being a primary factor in the clarity of the image...and in fact, an instructor at Brooks Institute of Photographic Arts and Sciences in Santa Barbara, who has long since retired from teaching (but doubtless---being rather opinionated, holds the same opinion he held in 1986), emphatically impressed upon his students that zoom lenses were inferior to fixed length lenses. I couldn't then, (and I'm not sure I can even now), actually detect a discernable difference between one lense and another simply by viewing a set of images taken from each, but back then Leica's and Hasselblads were all the rage with students and locals for their excellent optics (and the latter for it's larger format film as well). No one ever complained about Nikon and many professionals preferred them, so I always felt comfortably equiped with my Nikon (can't remember the model of SLR I had back then but it's claim to fame was a fast 1/400 sec. shutter spead--FE2? Yeah, I think that was it) and I'm still satisfied with Nikon--so why risk a different brand lense? Well, because it's compatible with Nikon's auto-focus cameras, it actually seems to be of comparable price (not always a reliable gage of quality I realize), we wanted a wide angle lense, and there's a 30 day return policy.

So this morning I took a couple of test shots in the back yard; Mr. Bunny and Merlyn, and a few hours later found Don and I at the Orange County Zoo at 1 Irvine Park Rd. (North end of Jamboree).
The zoo has been there forever I guess, and yet the only local zoo I've been to, or even known of, is the Santa Ana..and even that one has not seen my face in more than a decade.
Many of the signs claimed there were critters within the cells that were no where to be seen, but we probably hit it just after feeding time. They were doubtless sleeping off lunch in some rock crevice or hollowed trunk. If you wish you could see the cute critters up close and personal, the zoo opens at 10:00 am. Parking is $5.00 (on weekdays it's $3.00) and entrance to the zoo is $2.00 a person, unless you are 2 years of age or younger, in which case it's free (but you may never know because you can't read this). See http://www.ocparks.com/oczoo/ for further details.

"I asked the groomer for the Goldie Hawn look. Did she get it right?"




The 102nd use for Duct Tape?






"What's that up in the sky?"




"I'm auditioning for a remake of "The Excercist.""

1-20-07 Big Bear Lake

Well, it's been since before we got Merlyn that Don had checked on our house in Running Springs. We were getting a little anxious with all the rain, snow, and wind about the condition of our house. Had Don's roof repair held up? Was the Oak tree still standing?
So we decided to drive up in the Camry Saturday and check on it (that's the only one of our cars that handles snow well and that has a paint job that wouldn't be any the worse for a little snow pelting).
There was still snow on the ground from the last storm so Don shoveled clear a little path to our front door for me.
All is well. (See "Home Home on the Range" for a few photos) The roof is still intact. The oak tree is standing. The heater and the hot water heater work, and the porch is still standing. (....and no elves finished our paint job for us--some day we'll get past the front door and railings!)
"Cool! So, let's go for a drive!" --like the 2 hour drive there wasn't enough, hah? I know, but the mountain is so pretty with snow on it--we just HAD to explore.
It was all pretty but the past part was Big Bear Lake.

San Juan Capistrano December 2006

Hi! Bet you thought I was gone for good, hah? In your dreams. As the line goes from Poltergeist, “I’m ba-ack.” I’m claiming “poetic license” on the pronoun.

So how’ve you been? How was December?

We had a fairly good December. It started with us going to a party at the El Adobe in San Juan Capistrano (home of the Swallows, where their return is heralded every March 20^th with a parade) hosted by a pair of very dear old friends. It was a bitter-sweet experience. Larry, the person the party was in honor of, has a rare Cancer and it is feared he may be leaving us soon, so his wife, Margaret, threw him this fabulous surprise party.

We arrived early, so took the opportunity to stroll around the neighborhood. It’d been ages since Don and I had visited the town. We hadn’t been there since our wedding reception (also held at the El Adobe) . . . .in 1990!

So these are a few images of the neighborhood and the party.