MY SWEET CHARLEY

Earlier this evening I returned home from a four day visit with my granddaughter in New Mexico. Due to circumstances beyond our control Charley & I are no longer able to see each other on a weekly basis.

This was my first visit with her since she & her mother moved on October 20th. It was a huge relief to see her smiling face & be treated to hugs & kisses galore. We played & read & watched movies just like always & I cherished every minute of my time with her.

One of my favorite activities is snuggling up with Charley while we watch movies, Octonauts or Curious George.

Charley, Daddy (my son, Darrin) & I spent a few hours at her favorite "Blue Playground", explored the aquarium, went out to lunch a couple times & generally spent every minute together.

Charley takes after my sister, who she calls Zizi, when it comes to being photographed - she doesn't like it! Selfies with Daddy are about the only time she doesn't protest having her picture taken. I didn't get any good ones at the aquarium or the bugarium.

We won't be the least bit surprised if Charley is competing in American Ninja Warrior in fifteen years. As Darrin says, "Pretty much anything than can be climbed, will be." 

My camera has a 35x zoom so I can sit across the playground, zoom in & get close up shots - at least when I'm not being ordered to play a part in one of her movies or told to "Run, Gaga!"

As Charley & Daddy drove me to the airport this afternoon, my little sweetie must have said "I'm going to miss you, Gaga" about twenty times. I held up pretty well telling her I would miss her, too, but we'll see each other next month & talked about all the fun things we will do.

As I received several enthusiastic hugs & kisses from her car seat while saying good-bye, Gaga started to lose it. I managed to keep my voice fairly even as we said our traditional farewell. Me: See ya later alligator. Charley: After while crocodile. That was followed by more "I love yous", smiles & waves.

I turned to hug Darrin good-bye & was pretty much weeping. Thank goodness I had on my sunglasses. After one more big smile, several waves & a few blown kisses, I turned to walk into the terminal. Once inside I had to sit down, grab a few tissues & compose myself before checking in for my flights.

It hit me again about ten times on the flight home. This little girl has wonderfully & amazingly changed my life forever. Sometimes my travels & my life can be really emotional.

GETTING MY OCEAN FIX

For as long as I can remember when life is weighing heavily on my mind, heading to our Northern California coast seems to lighten my load. Today my son, Darrin, & I took a ride to Half Moon Bay looking for some much needed peace of mind.

Every year, sometime between November & March, a big wave surfing contest is held about a mile out from this site. It is called Mavericks & is quite famous in the Bay Area. Waves can reach 50 feet or higher when conditions are right & surfers have died attempting to ride these enormous waves. Competitors have 48 hours to get to there once conditions are right. In all the years we've been coming here, neither Darrin or I have explored Mavericks, so today we did.

An old pier & building in Pillar Point Harbor which is just north of Half Moon Bay about 20 miles south of San Francisco.

We only spent a few hours at the ocean but we saw a variety of things in the space of about a mile long hike along Mavericks Beach & the cliffs above it.

This seagull was exploring Mavericks Beach along with us.

After a long time just watching the surf from the bluffs, we turned around to see this "pirate ship" leaving Pillar Point Harbor. Actually my research found it was the "Lady Washington" which travels around the country giving tours.

Paddle boarding was popular with people in the fairly calm waters. This man took his best friend along for the ride!

A vulture soared overhead & I was able to snap this photo as he glided past with his wingtip feathers extended.

There must have been a sailing club or competition that these colorful boats were taking part in since they all left at the same time. They remained in the harbor circling pylons.

Several times we simply stopped & watched the waves crashing on the shore. I've always found it soothing to think about those waves washing ashore over & over & over for thousands of years. And they will continue breaking on the beach for eternity. It tends to make a person feel insignificant but in a good way - like there are things so much bigger than your problems.

I have always felt renewed & calmed by the ocean. But I have a healthy respect for it & don't necessarily want to be in it or on it, just observing it from shore. My friend, M'Lynn, had a term for it as she told me her father had "a spiritual connection to the coast". Yeah, I get it - me, too!

These three pictures were taken from various locations in the span of maybe 300 feet but just moving a short distance completely changes the perspective.

The weather was just gorgeous & the waters looked so calm. It is hard to believe that huge waves will be breaking a mile out to sea sometime in the next few months. We even saw whales spouting water off this point today.

It renewed my spirit, opened my heart & calmed my soul to share this time with my son when we are both so much in need of these things. Now that he has moved back to Hayward, he is only 45 minutes away from the ocean again.

 

Here is another view of Pillar Point Harbor from the bluffs overlooking Mavericks.

Right after he took this photo, Darrin announced that you can't be at the coast & not have a beer & some fish & chips! So, we headed down to Half Moon Bay Brewery for a great lunch!