The Mighty Pacific

~ More pictures added, scroll down ~
The first six years of my life I lived in California, in San Diego. The next eleven years I lived in New England, in Massachusetts. When I graduated HS I moved back to the Golden state. So I've never lived outside of a day's drive of one ocean or the other. I can't imagine what it's like to be 'land-locked'.

Looking west.

California poppies and purple lupine.

Bayview, south of Fort Bragg on the Mendocino Coast.

The wildflowers were everywhere that day.

I don't know the name of this flower but it looks a lot like a sea anemone. Appropriate don't you think? It's growing right on the edge of the cliff.

More poppies. All these flowers are growing low to the ground. Maybe they're trying to stay out of the wind!

There was this narrow finger of cliff that went out into the bay, so I walked out there to get a better look at things. You can see how much the wind is adding to the wave action and the misty-ness.

This is the view straight down from the cliff I was standing on.

This is looking south. There aren't a lot of bathers because the water is *cold*. But every once in a while you'll see some brave soul... usually a child, barefoot and wading.

Jonathan was there too.

We were at Jughandle State Park. There were wild irises growing in the woods on the way back to the car. They're so beautiful and no one tends them but the woodland faires. My favorite color too.

Sometimes called Red Hot Poker, these flowering plants could be seen along the highway and in front yards.

And the Rhododendron bushes... Oh, the colors! At least in our area they're affectionately called Rhodies.

On the way home we passed this sign advertising a local inn. I laughed so hard! Stop the car! I have to have a picture of this! Someone has a good sense of humor. :D If you're unfamilar with the quote, it goes like this "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." ~ Alexander Pope, Eighteenth century.

We headed home hoping for a fish and chips dinner on the way. But alas, the cafe we had in mind was closed. On a Saturday?? We had Mexican instead.

*happy sigh*