Pics that make me smile.....no subject

Jack in the box, a walk through Laguna with Kate, purple poppy

I hope you are smiling too

At the beach!

I am vacationing for a week in Laguna.  Whitney, Ryan, Kate and Ella are all having fun at the beach!  There is no place better

Laguna Beach lifeguard station

Laguna Beach lifeguard station, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Those of us who have been to Laguna Beach and have been lucky enough to know this landmark and the stories behind it have this image in our mind when Laguna Beach is mentioned. I worked on this painting 2ft by 3 ft to hang on my living room wall for days just like this one. It is a blizzard outside in Denver; but inside it is a day at the beach. "Beam me up, Scotty"

Vacation to Laguna Beach

Board skimmer surfers, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

What does a California transplant to Denver go for vacation? To the beach of course. Last week my Denver family and I went to Laguna Beach for a fun filled vacation.
I have lived near Laguna for most of my life but I have never taken the time to be a complete tourist. Laguna is an art town and it is apparent in the local structures such as benches and beach tables. The boardwalk is really made of boards. The population of California brown pelicans has increased. The new water sport is board skimming with a little surfing at the end of the skim.
Come with me for a Laguna Beach tour:

Lifeguard tower

Lifeguard tower, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Boardwalk

Boardwalk, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Jump off the boardwalk

Jump off the boardwalk, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Seagulls, Pelicans & Sandpipers

wave break, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

sandpiper

sandpiper, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

cliff succulants

cliff succulants, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

What a beautiful Saturday! I decided to start the day early with a yoga class in Laguna Beach. When I left the house at 8am it was 72 deg. The sky was a beautiful blue already so I was optimistic that it would be clear at the beach. The Yoga class about killed me but the beach was calling me to take a walk on its shore. I crossed PCH to the Montage Resort and then down to the water. It was a bit overcast but burning off so I took my camera. This time of the year the tides start to shift the shoreline. In the summer the beach is flat but in October the water relocates the sand....first by berms and then steep verticals. The wave breaks were powerful and loud leaving rough deposits of sand much different than the soft sand of summer. Very few people this early. My friends were the seagulls, pelicans and sandpipers.. After my walk on the beach I went home to a temperature of over 90deg and it wasn't even noon. More birds at home: the hummingbirds were feeding off of my lavender, nasturtiums and salvia. A pair of yellow throated warblers hopped up onto my front porch to look for food. What a great way to start my day

Gifts from the sea

gifts from the sea, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Today after my yoga class I walked down to the beach at the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach. This is a public beach that just happens to be the frontage to a fabulous resort. I don't remember the first time I went to the beach as a child but I still and always have enjoyed walks on the sand...barefoot of course. The sand feels so good as it meets the bottom of my feet. Some beaches have very fine delicate sand. Some have rocky pokey sand and some, like today's, have larger grain sand that massages the soles of your feet with a little crunch. Today the tide was very low and it allowed me to look into the tide pools and find the hermit crabs scurrying from place to place underwater. There were a couple of skimboarders enjoying the little waves, a woman reading her book and a couple trying to capture the perfect photographic opportunity. But for me I found a few treasures along the beach. The mussel shell (such a gift to find them connected) was freshly washed up. The tumbled shell was an old soul and the seaweed....well it was just common stuff. I enjoyed it all. Beats work anyday

Local seaside Pride of Madeira

local seaside Pride of Madeira, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Pride of Madeira in many shades, on the grounds of the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach. I am so lucky that my Yoga studio is across the Pacific Coast Highway from this gorgeous spot and after a session of practice I can top it off with a walk through the grounds and down to the beach.

Life's a Beach, Morro Beach, Laguna

Morro Beach
Originally uploaded by cabanagirl

Another day in paradise!
A couple of years ago the people who lived here lost their lease. There were about 50 mobile homes squatted here with absolutely paradise type conditions. This is what it looks like today. They are still clearing away the concrete slab foundation. Yes, it is more pristine but it has lost its beachcomer charm.  Today was another 90+ degree day!!!