A rocky view

A view from The Strand along the ocean in Manhattan Beach. You just have to get a little low to see this view. I love this river of smooth rocks and for extra credit we have the grey fog and sky in the background.

Life in Colour: black/grey

Thursday doors…when life’s a beach

Although the first several days of my southern California vacation were windy, cloudy, and a bit chilly, the sun finally came out, both in San Diego and in Redondo Beach and a good time was had by all. One of my daughter’s and my daily activities was taking a long walk, either by the beach or through neighborhoods with beautiful homes (and doors)…or both. We couldn’t see much of this house but they did have a lovely gate and some great planters and when there’s a four-lane road on the other side of the sidewalk, you want as much privacy as possible. Of course the other side, high above the beach and beach path, has a fantastic ocean view.

(Addendum: Due to traveling last Thursday, I forgot about the writing component of this week’s doors. Feel free to use any of these three doors as a writing prompt if you are so moved.)

If you have the money to have a home right at the edge of the hill overlooking the beach, you can also to afford enough vehicles to fill three garage spaces or perhaps you use one space for storage. But you definitely want your garage doors to match your gate.

Whatever vehicles went in those garage spots, this probably wasn’t one of them. I don’t think many people have a garage long enough for this classic beauty and certainly not with anything stored in front of it. We spotted this at the farmer’s market and it was in pristine condition.

for Thursday Doors 4.29.21

There’s nothing like a beach sunset.

for Squares: bright, Six Word Saturday, and Life in Colour: pink

Although I’m on the other side of the US from where this photo was taken, I might be seeing a beach sunset tonight. For Saturday, San Diego is on the agenda.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #137 – Soft

This week Ann-Christine challenges us to share images that are “soft.” “Soft” immediately made me think of fog…but Tina already did that beautifully. Then I thought about trying to do “Soft in the Desert”…but if you’ve been in the dessert, you know there really isn’t too much “soft” here! “Sharp” I could do for weeks, though.

After scrolling through an enormous number of photos, I propose a virtual visit Cape May, New Jersey, birding mecca (although no bird photos today) and a beautiful beach area and you won’t need vaccinations or a passport. We’ll start with the only bird-related image in this post, a soft feather.

Wouldn’t these make great dusters?

There was a lovely foggy day while we were there. I sneaked out with my iPad (these all iPad photos, by the way, as this was before I ever had a smartphone) and blissfully wandered through a world magically softened.

The sand wasn’t completely soft, but it was soft enough to take footprints, prints that faded into the soft distance.

This is one of my favorite views of that day and if you added a carriage, you’d have a wonderful scene from a historic horror movie! Can’t you just see it racing down the alley made by those trees pursued by a ghostly figure?

This soft land led to a soft, beautiful sunset which brings us to the end of our virtual visit. Wasn’t it great to be able to travel without problems?

Wordless Wednesday…last light

Black and White: On the Beach

Nevil Shute’s post-apocalyptic novel “On the Beach” thankfully has nothing in common with this photo except for the location.  This shell was found on Cape May, New Jersey and made the transition to monotone rather well, I think.  Once again, black and white highlights all the details of the shell, while the shadow adds interest.

I’m still have no internet most of the time.  I’ll be back in the groove next week.

The Great Escape…Coast Rica

On Sunday, our long-delayed and awaited mother-daughter trip actually began. Pipped at the post on our first attempt several years ago, we flew from this…

over this…

to this…

Twenty nine

Without you, life’s a beach,

but with you, it’s the cat’s pajamas. Happy 29th anniversary to my favorite cat.

Friday Fictioneers–Medley

“It’s that time of day, when you can say, ‘Head for the….beach, not mountains.'” (No Busch in my house, thank you!)  It’s midweek Friday, time to put on your thinking caps and trot out the old (or new) saws for everyone’s reading pleasure.  I really, really wanted to get away from feel-good stories, was looking for a good sci-fi type offering–even had the germ of an idea float by.  Float?  Beach?  🙂

Then my mind was overtaken, hijacked even,  by not one, but many flashes from the past.  I admit; I succumbed.  As Boz Scaggs once sang on his Silk Degrees album (CD these days):

What can I say
What can I do

Three a.m. It’s me again
And wouldn’t you know
Things would have to end this way

That’s what I’m talkin’ about.  You’ll see.

Medley

 We took the last train to Clarksville,( ‘cause we’d been California dreamin’), and a big yellow taxi to the beach. The fog looked like smoke on the water. The morning sun was shining like a red rubber ball.

Ignoring the beach boys, I spied a long, cool woman.  (No black dress!!)  Now I’m a believer!

My wife protested, “But we were happy together.”

I retorted, “We had a good thing, baby. I know it’s kind of a drag, but I was born to be wild.  Let’s live for today.”

She swung the green tambourine like Serena. Everything’s a purple haze.

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Can you find all the song titles?  There are fourteen plus one group name.  If you didn’t grow up in the 60’s. don’t remember the British invasion and all that not-jazz-but-rock-and-roll and didn’t see the Beatles for the first time on Ed Sullivan, you may refer to this page of 60’s song titles to see where I came from.  It’s not a definitive list (“Red Rubber Ball” is shockingly missing) but most of what I used came from it or from my memories:  http://largeflowerheads.com/id52.html.

It’s been suggested that I have a playlist, so here it is:

Last Train to Clarksville…..The Monkees
California Dreamin’…..The Mamas and Papas
Big Yellow Taxi….Joni Mitchell
Smoke on the Water….Deep Purple
Red Rubber Ball….The Cyrkle
Group–The Beach Boys
Long Cool Woman….The Holllies
Now I’m a Believer….The Monkees
Happy Together….The Turtles
Good Thing….Paul Revere and the Raiders
Kind of a Drag….The Buckinghams
Born to be Wild….Steppenwolf
Live for Today….The Grass Roots
Green Tambourine….The Lemon Pipers
Person–Serena Williams (not the 60’s, I know, but…)
Purple Haze…Jimi Hendrix

Driftwood

Dreaming of the Jersey shore…

Across the lonely beach we flit,
One little sandpiper and I;
And fast I gather, bit by bit,
The scattered driftwood, bleached and dry.
The wild waves reach their hands for it,
The wild wind raves, the tide runs high,
As up and down the beach we flit–
One little sandpiper and I

–Celia Thaxton