Central California Coast Mini Vacation - 1

I recently went on a mini vacation to the Central Coast of California.  Going north from Los Angeles, along Highway 101, you encounter the towns of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Leaving Highway 101 and taking Highway 1, you find the town of Morro Bay.  Our friends, Kent and Kathie Lee invited us to spend time with them at a home in Morro Bay that belongs to a member of our Stake Presidency.

Using Morro Bay as a base of operations, so to speak, we spent time in Morro Bay, walking, kayaking, eating, and having a pleasant time, but also visited nearby towns.  We went south to Los Osos where we came upon Spooners Cove, a lovely and interesting geologic place.  We also traveled north to the town of Cambria where we ate a wonderful meal and did some shopping.

Still north of Cambria, we visited a stretch of beach where thousands of elephant seals congregate (I believe they are the largest in the seal family).  Not far from the seals is the famous Hearst Castle, built in the early twentieth century by Randolph Hearst, a publishing magnate, and we went on an evening tour there.  Besides seeing the wonders of this castle which Hearst called a "ranch," there were people both inside and outside of the buildings in period costume (1920s-1930s), giving it a sense of how it must have been.

Because this blog not only serves as a showcase for pictures I take, but also as an historical document, I wanted to share my trip.

Morro Rock in Morro Bay in the Morning

Another view of the Rock

Look closely at the seals on the dock on the right in the above picture and on the left of the picture below.  What a racket they made!

Yet another view with a slightly different hue

It was very interesting to me how "soft" the Rock looked early in the morning, and that as the day wore on and the sun got higher in the sky, it seemed to me that it became "hard."  You can see the slightly different hues of the Rock in the three pictures.  I just was mesmorized by this monolith and kept taking pictures on different days.

A little bit closer to the noisy seals!

The day after we arrived at Morro Bay, we found Spooners Cove, and after doing a little hiking nearby, we explored this fascinating place.

Looking down at part of Spooners Cove

Another part of Spooners Cove

Part of the wonder of the Cove is the geologic formations

See what I mean?

As I explored the geologic aspects of the Cove, I was continually fascinated.  I want to learn more about its geologic history and obtain greater understanding as to why these formations occurred as they did.  For me, it was pure wonder!

Wow!

More wow!

Still more wow!

So much texture

Not only were there such interesting formations on many of the walls and ground, but there were so many rocks that had washed ashore.  They were usually worn flat (great for rock skimming!) and varied in their compostion and color.  I took a few pictures of them because they fascinated me.

Skimmer rocks to last a lifetime!

Flowers and Rocks

As I have written previously, one activity that gives me great joy is singing. I enjoy listening to choral singing, and I love to sing.  I have also written previously about my evolving photography talent and how much enjoyment that continues to provide me.  Likewise, one of the first postings on my blog was about yet another thing that I love to do: travel--and activity that I have been doing quite a bit of this summer, and one that I will do again within the next two weeks.  I will be going to San Antonio, Texas, to witness the graduation of my son Douglas from Army Medic Training.

A part of nature that I am beginning to enjoy more is flowers. Specifically, besides the pleasure I get from noticing them or stopping to smell them, I recently took an "ikebana" class.  Ikebana is japanese flower arranging, and having been exposed to it while living in Japan so many years ago, I am interested in learning more about it.  Like any other art form, it can be enjoyed on a simple level, but it can be very complex.  I would like to enjoy doing it without initially getting into its complexities and plan on taking more classes; I simply don't have the flexibility to dedicate great amounts of time to it.

Besides arranging flowers, last summer I purchased a plumeria bush/tree and planted it earlier this year.  Ever since I discovered this exquisite looking flower with an even more exquisite scent, I cannot get enough. This flower is often used in Hawaiian leis.  Each day as I make my way from the garage to the doorway of my home, I pass by this beauty and make the time to enjoy its splendor and smell its delicious scent.  I am deciding where I can plant other plumeria.

I love landscapes and really take pleasure in photographing them.  But I have always been fascinated on a micro level by rocks that are part of that landscape.  Often when I am hinking, I will look for rocks that are unusual, and at the risk of sounding a little weird, rocks that "speak" to me--that I feel I want to take with me.  I have amassed a little collection of them that I keep in the back yard and which I visit routinely to connect with them.  

I believe that God's creations have some essence or spirit to them, and extension of His love.  I believe that He organized or created this beautiful world that I inhabit, and I glory in them.  Flowers and rocks are part His love.