Apr 27, 2009

Beach adventure yesterday . . .

It was such a perfect day yesterday.

Here is one of my best friends, Jolene and I walking on the beach. Me in my rubber boots (that I remembered this time). She's an itty bitty little thing. She's not even 5' 4" and maybe 100 lbs. I am almost 5'9" and 160something pounds. I feel like a giant around her in size but then she is the most caring loving person I have ever met and I feel very small (in a good way) around her. She lives life big in her loving ways and I want to grow as big as she is.



This is another of my best friends, Oz and I walking. Actually Oz and Jolene are my kids godparents. They are part of the family. They are the most like us couple we have ever met and we so enjoy being around them. Look at Oz wearing a sweatshirt for my daughter's old soccer team. I love them both so much. We had fun leaving funny foot prints in the sand (I tried to hop on one foot so someone would think there was a one legged person and then tried walking on my heals with no toe prints and hubby walked in some twisted way forever so that his footprints looked backwards) and watched the dolphins jump and play in the distance.



So, we went to one of my best sea glass beaches first and found a little. Did I think to have hubby take a picture of that? No. I wasn't thinking of blog pictures. I was in my other world, relaxed, happy with friends that make me giggle and let go for awhile.

We left the first beach in search of another sea glass hot spot and ended up at Rincon beach near Carpenteria, not far from Santa Barbara. We saw so many interesting things here. First, we saw a lady with a parrot like bird on her shoulder which was particularly funny because Jolene just seems to attract people with parrots on their shoulders. It's a long story but we had to hold in the snickers as we passed by the unsuspecting lady. Then, we walked to an overlook to see if the beach would have the necessary little rock piles in which one finds sea glass. The tides change the beaches here day to day. One day there will be rocks and glass and another there isn't a speck of anything to find on the sand. As we surveyed the beach below (FAR below, it was at least 60 feet my hubby says - seemed like 300 to me) we saw the most wonderful joyous lady dancing down the beach. I mean dancing like you've never seen anyone dance before. You know that saying, dance like nobody's watching? She was. She did the moon walk, the running man, twirls and spins and pow wow rain dances and funky gruntal moves. It was quite a show. We couldn't help but laugh out loud but maybe out of "you go girl" more than anything else. As we stood over the empty beach watching the pelicans dive someone came up and asked if we had seen the seals and their babies and we couldn't see any from where we were. So, we walked a bit further along the cliff until we arrived at the birthing beach. And there they were! Seals galore!



On the walk back to the car, Ozzy spied a gopher snake meandering along. It just need a little pettin', so he caught it and we did. We let it go on its meandering in just a minute or two.



Right where we parked was this inticing hot dog stand. The dinner of champions. We ate THE best hot dogs ever - 6 of us for less than $15 drinks included. It was perfect.



In the picture below is my daughter's boyfriend, Travis, then my daughter, Lauren, me (with eyes closed I might add), Jolene and Oz.



From here we went to Oz and Jolene's and laughed at hilarious stuff on youtube and then watched Oz's skydiving video again and said our goodbyes. It was a great day and I needed it - so happy and relaxed. Kent took some pictures of the kids walking and skim boarding but for some reason they will not upload.

I said I would post a picture of Lauren before her dance. Here's the only picture I could get to work. Something about my husband's camera and trying to post its pictures makes everything go haywire - the pix come out all neon. So here's the only one I could get to work. (notice the old picture in the background, Susan of Broken Heart Art)



Yep. She's 5'4" and he's 6'4". He's 16 and she's 15, both soccer players. They're so funny and cute together, always fun to have around. Ah, youth.

Today was so-so. Got chores done around the house. Spent many hours catching up on everyone's flickr's and blogs - the highlight of the day with so many pretty things to look at! Left a lipstick tube in my jeans in the dryer and ruined a load of clothes (tried everything - Dawn worked the best and saved a few pieces, 4 shirts have to be trashed). By the way, loved the laundry advice you all left me - underwear inside out and spray febreeze on everybody. You're so funny! And all I have to say is . . . Okay, AFTER you've done that a few times you have to eventually wash SOMETHING! (preferrably with empty pockets) The stupid thing is, I hardly ever ever wear lipstick let alone leave it my jeans.

9 comments:

roc said...

what a great day at the beach. loved those seals! how awesome to see them. isn't nature amazing?!?!

aliceinparis said...

Glorious day!!! Your daughter and boyfriend are a cute pair. I love entries like this that give me a chance to see your world and do some armchair traveling:)

*jean* said...

it sounds like you had a wonderful day...sorry about your laundry mishap...i've done that too...this last time, though, i don't know what it was (i think black trim on a running shirt) that left black smudges on a bunch of stuff..i hate it when that happens!!

young love...so sweet!

Judy C said...

You are so lucky to have those days at the beach. My kids are all pretty far away and so is the beach. However, I have planned a great day in the mountains for Thursday. I live in Tennessee and the Smoky Mtns are here so it is a great trip. Just an hour to get there. Your pics are super. Thanks.

Terri Kahrs said...

Thanks SO much for sharing your world! I sat here in NJ, enjoying your pics and my coffee - perfect way to begin the day!

When I read about the lady dancing on the beach with abandon, I just had to smile! LOVED the way you narrate a story - quite a gift, Marsha. You make us feel as though we were there! Hugs! Terri xoxo

Stacey said...

WOW! I just love reading your posts. It's almost as if I were there for a bit, looking at the lady with a parrot, the seals, and the dancer and the beautiful ocean. Oh how I'd love to live near an ocean.

What a cute couple your daugher and her foot taller boyfriend! :) Hope they had a great time at the dance.

Have a great day! :) ~Stacey

Becky Bunn said...

Any day at the beach is a great day. Looks like loads of fun.Hot Dogs taste so much better at the beach. Cute pic of your daughter and her "boy". My sons name is Travis. Thanks for your sweet and encouraging words

Tina(Taken over by her daughter, Nicole) said...

What a wonderful day you had and thanks for sharing it with us! Why does food always taste better on days like that outdoors??? And your dd is a cutie and her date is too, it's always fun with teens in and out of the house..you never know what's going to be said or done!

Melissa said...

Oh how I'd love to be able to walk/dance on the beach, but in PA, I'm sadly landlocked! What a great post, I really felt like I was there! I have to laugh about the lipstick....been there, done that....not a pretty site!
Lastly I had to chuckly b/c when Tracey and I are walking together, I too feel like a giant (I'm 5'8" and she's just a little bitty thing!)
Smiles-
Melissa