yes virginia a gull did make these prints!
all week i look forward to returning to the mighty pacific. then at last, the weekend arrives. i set the alarm for 4 am friday night and am on the road before 5. takes me about 70 minutes if i don’t stop to use the bathroom. 80 if i do. yesterday when i arrived it was still dark. i could see orion flashing his belt at me and winking. not a soul around, but me. temperature was in the upper 50’s. i wore a light windbreaker and my hat. i always wear my hat.
after having mohs surgery to remove 2 sebaceous carcinomas from my cheek back in may, i am even more diligent about the hat. although sebaceous carcinoma is a rare type of skin cancer not caused by the sun, thanks to my dermatologist, i’m now a regular sunscreen user. other than looking like i’ve been in a knife fight, the 2 vertical scars on my left cheek are all that remain of the innocent looking tumors that grew there. if you have an occasionally bleeding pimple-like bump on your face or neck that doesn’t go away get it checked out. i did, strictly for cosmetic reasons, but turns out it was something serious. i waited till i was in the clear to write about it here on the blog.
i’m getting distracted. let’s go back to the seashore shall we?
i spent a few days in montecito recently. we had off the 30th for rosh hashana.
instead of driving home after 2 hours of walking and writing beachside, i was able to stay for 3 entire days.
that’s miramar beach above. as i walked, i fantasized about which house i would choose for my very own. i love the driftwood, fence, trees, and mountains in the background of this one. a small, simple cottage will do very nicely i think.
there were lots of clouds which made for pale shimmery sunrises.
honestly the beach at this time of morning is utter perfection.
like something j.m.w. turner might have painted at the isle of wight during the summer of 1827.
the air is fresh. the scent of salty ocean is intoxicating. the sound of water, divine.
i usually go for 2 beach strolls per day. one at dawn and one at sunset, but sometimes if the tide is low in the middle of the afternoon i go then.
i’m having weird color banding lately on some of my photos. you can see the green bands in the photo above. i don’t have time to find a solution so if you see the banding, know it’s not intentional.
what a pleasure to roam the beach at dawn. alone with my thoughts in the cool quiet of morning.
water, birds, sea grasses, kelp, shells, and stones.
these are the things i return to when working life gets tough. the ocean is a balm.
i am fortunate to have a nice group of kids this year. but no matter how nice, all the talking and being talked to is exhausting.
yesterday morning i walked and walked. the sand is like a cushion for my joints, especially my trick knee.
one day i will live close to these shores and will tumble out of bed, climb into my chariot and be here in minutes. maybe then i will make dawn drives to los angeles so i can walk at the huntington gardens before it opens. how odd and wonderful that will be.
yesterday, as i walked back up the hill to the top of the bluff, the sun rose. i sat on a picnic bench with my journal, coffee and binoculars. thought about what good therapy this is for me. how glad i am that i started doing these weekly drives.
ocean visitation.
i took some backroads home yesterday. through citrus groves and nut orchards. roadside farmstands selling strawberries, pumpkins, and avocados.
came home with 5 or 6 new shells and added them to last weeks bounty.
hope you’re well. hope you’re happy. doing things that please you. taking trips. staying put. reading books. making time for some creative work, however small. finding practices that keep you sane in a crazy world.
ON MY BOOKSHELF
the last 3 books are what i found when i did an internet search for “unputdownable books”.
my judgement may have become impaired now that i’m using my LA public library card to check out ebooks and read them on my kindle. oh the thrill of reading FREE books! look how quickly i can click the borrow button.
the only one of these that’s truly unputdownable is the first one and it’s a book-book. the oldie in the group. riveting. except i am putting it down to read the others while i contemplate the far future of our planet.
i’m enjoying hunger.
looker was a page-turner, but we’re not talking great literature here.
good as gone ding dong dumb, but i did see it through till the end.
as for novels, i’m currently on a fall of marigolds. the jury is out.
Your photos are beautiful! I’d love to walk on the beach, when there aren’t a ton of people. Love your sketchbooks!
My head and heart are full of noise tonight, I’ve put two small boys to bed on pallets and poured myself a glug of wine wanting to settle my thoughts so I turned to your blog. Thanks for the lovely images and words-you’ve given me something rare and beautiful to contemplate when I finally lay my head down.
xo
So glad you’re doing well after your skin surgery. I had a similar thing a year ago (basal cell from a small red dot on the surface). I still have scars, but no cancer, so I don’t mind. I love your posts, you sure do know how to live a good life, and then share it with all of us. Thanks.
where do you stay in Montecito ?
What an interesting shell that is, in the photo underneath your hand-drawn map! The shells seem to be different from the ones I have from the Atlantic Ocean. Never thought about it before!
Great to see your post, as always.
they are wavy turban shells from an algae eating sea snail! preyed upon by sea stars, whelks, and others.
A second comment, but I couldn’t resist sharing this with you when I read it this morning, it reminded me so of your weekend beach practice. It’s from Hafiz:
Awake, my dear.
Be kind to your sleeping heart.
Take it out into the vast fields of Light
And let it breathe.
i will write this in my journal this evening.
thank you.
it is so very…perfect
You’re very welcome.
As always, it is a special treat to read about your wanderings and pondering. The beach scenes are stunning and make me want to spend more time by the sea.
Thanks for the timely reminder to visit a dermatologist. I have already made an appointment. Glad to hear that you’re doing well.
Thank you, I feel refreshed fro your trip and beautiful photos.
Wonderful pix, as always…
Glad you are OK ~
Good to see a missive from our favorite traveler! I am so glad you are alright, and got the scary things removed. Goodness, things like that can unnerve us, and remind us of our mortality. And I am so happy you take your restorative trips to the sea. The ocean is such a healing force. I know you love your kids, but I also know how much you are looking forward to retirement. I just turned 66, and the older I get the more peace and quiet I need.
I am waiting on test results for an ultrasound I had, so am very nervous. Again with the mortality thing. I am trying to really notice things, and be in the moment. Today when I was outside I could smell so strongly the fall leaves, and smoke from my smoldering burn pile. I had a mighty bonfire the other day, but it is almost out now. We get many large branches and trees come down in windstorms which we make into a huge pile to burn in the fall. This afternoon I was visited by four deer looking for apples on my old apple tree. It was a small two point buck, a doe, and her two fawns from this year. They can hide from the hunters here, and be safe. Although, maybe not safe from the pack of coyotes that have been passing though every few nights. I shone my flashlight in the pasture the other night and saw seven pairs of eyes staring back at me, and I don’t think that was all of them from the sounds of the yapping and howling. There was also a cougar spotted one street over from us, and of course, the bull elk have been rutting in the cow pasture behind us, at night. I can hear them crashing their antlers together. I have never had so much wildlife encroaching as I have this year, and we have lived here 16 years now. It is both magical, and somewhat disconcerting. My dog and I are much too old to fight off a pack of coyotes or a cougar.
I have been trying to read a book my oldest daughter gave me. I am almost done, but gotta admit I am only reading it for her. It is just okay. Kind of a Historic Scottish love story. Not my thing, but I said would read it, and I am.
One awesome thing I did this summer was spend the day at Chinook Pass, which is magnificently stunningly beautiful! I had become online friends with a woman whose son went missing on The PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) that is a hike from Mexico to Canada. He has been missing since 2016, and went missing in the mountains near me. She had come out to have another search, and I went to spend the day with them, and hand out “Trail Magic” to the through hikers. So, I am officially a PCT “trail angel.”. I am definitely going to do that again. It is sad, that once again, no signs of the missing hiker. I was blessed to finally meet Sally, his mom, though, after communicating for three years online. Anyway, I blather too much. Love seeing your lovely pics and hearing the news of what MAM has been up to. Be well!
Do you watch Second Chance Hiker on YT?! He posted a video of that event!
you are surrounded by wild things. love that so much.
My heart lurched, moderately, as I read of your beach getaways. The ocean has always soothed and restored me, even in full-on storm. It is going on 8 months since I landed in the ER, much too long and unnecessary a story for here. I am still in a “facility” having just begun rehab in earnest and I miss on a cellular level what I have always loved. Your expression of such deep appreciation for this secret balm has curative power like the ocean itself. Being homesick is not an affliction but more a low-key celebration of what my soul misses most. So glad we inhabit this beautiful planet at the same time. xoxo
when i go this weekend i will think of that lovely photo you posted of yourself on F B recently…will send you ocean love – a direct pipeline to your house your room your bed. perhaps a tiny wave will lap at your feet and a shell make it’s way to your hand.
I love it all! Meanwhile, we’ve moved to Nebraska! Nope, I’d never been here before, but we’re loving being in a small, quiet town! And the prices of homes up here were not to be ignored for retirees! I’m loving it! 😄❤️
do tell more!!! what’s the name of your town? i’ve been to nebraska. maybe you’ll email me a picture sometime xo
such a good post . i love being on the beach in the early morning .
i alway look forward to your trips even if it is just for a few days .
xoxo
aw thanks kathy. you’re in SF right?
palm springs … but spend lots of time in sf , my daughter and her family live there.
That coastline! So beautiful. I envy you your proximity – 70 minutes. I’m a good 2 hours, or more with traffic. Although, our local beaches are only 15 minutes or so from my home. Luckily, this is my month to head north. I’ll land in Carp on Weds for a 10 day stay. Looking forward to those early morning walks right out the door.
oh marvelous! will think of you tomorrow landing. i’m 30 min. or so from a beach but i detest the beaches near me. most have too many people and too few tidepools, rocks, bluffs, and wildness. they are no comparison to the lovely worlds of sea in santa barbara county. enjoy your stay! i’ll be going for a week in november and i think i’m staying somewhere you’ve stayed before in carp..steps from the sand.
Probably where I ‘m at right now. Steps from the sand and steps from the salt marsh. Bright, open, and light with a great work table for my weaving and a kitchen bar with pull-up stools perfect for painting. Also patios front and back for basking in the sun and dreaming. I plan on being back in Dec.
I love to think of you on the beach at sunrise. I, too, love a deserted beach as the sun bounds above the horizon, making me squint and the water to glisten and twinkle. I am looking forward to going to Port Townsend on Friday for the weekend. That will be so restorative. I watched three of my grandchildren the last five days or so, and while they are of an age that requires little “sitting” it does require a lot of clock watching so I can transport them to their extra curricular activities in good time. I’m no longer used to living by the clock so I find it all a little nerve wracking. Lovely girls, though, and I am always astounded at how mature they are and how interesting. I love it that they want to sit at the table after dinner and just chat! Who would have expected that I would find that humble, family activity to be so extremely satisfying? It is and I love it. Love them all to pieces, too, while I’m on the subject.
I’ve no great book suggestions for you, sadly. Maybe one of the ones on my nightstand in the current line up will be more than satisfactory. I hope so!
Autumn is my favorite season. It reminds me of my Dad. It’s pretty. Not too hot. And the pumpkins and falling leaves are comforting and make you want to curl up inside, in front of a big window with a view of a large red and gold tree, and sip tea. Read a little. Maybe sketch. Just be. Lucky us.
your fall in the northern lands sounds nice, especially with those grandgirls. i want a seat at that big window – let’s open it. i still remember a great coffee place we went to in Port Townsend…
ahhh. the pacific delights even vicariously.
i still await a reply (ive emailed & msg’d) & want to send along a collage of collage materials
so sorry about not answering you. how rude of me. egads! i remember reading it and thinking i’d answer soon but the thought vanished into the mist. thanks for thinking of me but i don’t need any collage supplies for the kiddies at the moment. a friend of mine just gave me a tone of stuff and i haven’t even carted it all to school yet. but THANKS all the same. i so appreciate.
MAM thank you very much for your blog posts. They are always a balm to my sore yet also strangely joyous heart & spirit. I appreciate the head of the book list as the more I can learn about this beautiful.planet the better. I had been thinking about you the last couple of days and windering where you were. I am glad you are well. Maybe your scars will become raconteur-ish?!
In addition to your sea and wave soundings, I wish you many bird murmuration sightings….
Nancy Jane
murmurations would be pure magic…thank you for your wish