Trip to the Beach

Out of all the days to go to the beach today should not have been one. After stuffing our faces with croissants and doughnuts on the 101 freeway we took the scenic route up Kanan Road to the beach. We got there early and we ended up leaving early. The fog was a thick as pea soup. We spent about two hours just watching the waves, the surfers, runners and walkers, and the funny little birds that seem to run 20 mph looking for sand crabs.

Even the ocean was a drab gray.

A massive clump of seaweed.

And a very brave, and unrelenting, seagull.

So we didn’t get to swim in the ocean. But we did get home, where it was stick to your car seat interior HOT, and went swimming with Scout. Gotta ♥ having a pool.

Beach Bum

Sunday we drove to Point Dume, (in Malibu), and had a nice afternoon eating turkey sandwiches, crispy Pringles and juicy grapes and nectarines.

We took in the ocean misting against our faces. We lathered sunscreen onto the baby and still managed to miss those thin little creases in the back of her knees and neck. And butt. Can’t forget the sandy little tookus that picked up every grain of sand known to man.

Scout enjoyed her first adventure into the high tide and showed us that she can shovel with the best of them.

We enjoyed the sunshine and the cool 74 degrees that the coast provides as compared to the low 100’s that the canyons and deserts have been providing.

We had the opportunity to watch Pelicans in formation while they dipped and dived for fish in the sea and whatever other foods they could scavage on top of the white capped waves.

It was a pleasant Sunday. The pictures bring back the memories of Scout’s first trip the ocean. She made us laugh as she shoveled the sand and ran around with mud on her butt. She made us smile when she laughed at the waves. She’s adventurous and wants nothing more to play in the water all day. For now she’ll have to be happy with the pool. Lucky for us that beach weather continues to October around here. Once will never be enough for her.

Tourist for a day

Yesterday we had to get out of the house for 5 2 1/2 hours so the carpet could be replaced. They arrived late and left early. But in the meantime I took the kids down to one of L.A.’s tourist traps: Venice Beach. You’ve seen it on TV. A place to buy bongs, cheap incense, and get a tattoo on a whim. There are street performers, tarot card readers, artists and bums. You can get any variety of food: polish sausages, Big Daddy’s Pizza, frozen yogurt, and funnel cake. There are scam artists, salesmen, and tourists. Lots and lots of tourists. The Venice Beach I knew as a child is vastly different from the Venice Beach that seems to be the hub of beach life. You used to be able to swim in the water, not quite so now, (though many people do, I still prefer a trash free, clean beach). The same type of strangers are there, (think The Doors, “People Are Strange”). Many are good strangers, some not so good. It’s easy to make friends if you try. And it’s easy to be enamored by the shops, the food, the art, and the beach. I can see why tourists flock there in the summer months. See for yourself.

One of the many murals that is painted on the sides of a business:

Another mural, against a cloudy sky:

Some artwork on the grafitti wall, (don’t worry, it’s allowed only by permit):

I like the Teddy Bear in this one:

Sailing away on a sailboat:

And one of the biggest and most bad ass pit bulls I’ve seen:

His name is Rocko and he is one of the sweetest dogs I’ve come across in a long time.

* Now I know there are some pit bull hatin’ people out there. I ♥ pit bulls. I’ve worked with them as a dog groomer and as a veterinary assistant. I’ve been a pit bull owner. While their reputation has been tarnished by many bad dog owners, I firmly believe that they are not aggressive killing machines like many people would like to believe. In fact, the other day I read an article about how Daschunds are more aggressive than pit bulls, rottweilers and Rhodesian Rhidgebacks. Hard to believe, isn’t it? The stats say that 20% of Daschunds have bitten strangers. I can’t say I’ve ever been bitten by a little Weiner dog, but I have been bitten by a Sheltie and had a four day stay in the hospital after the wound became infected. I had to have bone scrapings for weeks. So I’ll get off my soap box now.

And lastly, Scout had a great time running around with the ocean breeze whipping around those curls:

Other than that, well life has been very leveled, (lack of a better word). Today we ran errands, which included running to the bead shop so that I can finish up the necklace that I’d like to take with me on Thursday. I just wanted something special. Shawn said he will make me a pearl and sterling silver ring as well. Gotta be pretty to keep my spirits up, right? So far the afternoon has allowed me a little knitting time. I’m so close to finishing up the tank and I am very excited to share some pictures of it with you. So I best be going so I can check that off my list!

Happy Saturday!