Hiking Instead of Biking

I was going to post a ton of pictures of our adventure today on Facebook and Instagram but decided to just write about the day on the blog instead.  This way I can share more pictures and say more about them. Lucky you.  Plus, I can tick that "pay attention to the blog" box in my life.  Lucky me.

Preface:

TJ had carpal tunnel surgery 8 days ago on his right hand.  

TJ usually rides his bike about 50+ miles on Saturday mornings and probably 50 more during the week.  This means that TJ burns a lot of calories and uses up a lot of energy during the week.  It also means that he is gone for many hours which leaves me alone for many hours....and I enjoy that time.  

TJ realized the day after his surgery that he is conditioned, after 10 years, to wake up early on Saturday morning, get in the car and drive somewhere, get on a bike and ride, have lunch, come home and spend the rest of the day knowing that he has done something and burned a million calories doing it.

TJ also realized that he needs to do something to burn the million calories, other than ride his bike for the next few weeks.  So now he is hiking instead of biking...and apparently so am I.

And now, the adventure. 

The realization that TJ needs to drive and exercise on Saturdays lead to a wild goose chase last weekend.  We drove out to nearby Brazos Bend State Park last Saturday for a hike.  Sadly, the park was full and we did not have the foresight to make a reservation.  We left the park, disappointed, and still with no foot miles under our ever tighter belts.  On the way home we visited a new park near our house and finally walked a few miles.  TJ was extremely disappointed to find out he would have to walk for the rest of the day to burn the same number of calories he burns on his 50+ mile bike rides. 

Not exactly the most lovely of walking venues!  
But if you want to stop by later I think there is a movie showing.

Not to be turned away again, this weekend TJ made reservations at the State Park and we drove back out there this morning for a hike.  We were treated to a nice spring cool front which made our walk very enjoyable.  Judging by the welcome sign and all of the literature, there are alligators in the park.  We had a lovely walk around the lakes and kept our eyes open for wildlife.  We were not disappointed!

Queue the Jaws soundtrack...

Incoming

Gator!

We were very excited to see not one but two alligators which guarantees I would never camp here...if I camped.  The area was lovely and of course I really enjoyed the trees, the flowers and the water.  We did not however burn a million calories on our meandering hike.

Fill me up buttercup!

We kept our distance!

Not sure what these are, but they sure are cute!

Gotta love Spanish moss in the breeze!

Since we had not driven quite enough on a Saturday morning for TJ, we got back in the car and headed north.  After all, it is wildflower season in Texas!  Last year, our first time out of our immediate neighborhood after life shut down for Covid, was a drive out to look at the bluebonnets.  There was no traffic, there were no people, nothing was open and I remember thinking we were being so risky driving around looking at flowers.  It was very early Covid and none of us knew what we were dealing with...and maybe we still don't.  Today felt much different, in a good way...except for the traffic.  I miss those days without traffic.

We ate lunch outside, at a restaurant!  We then found a nice back road with plentiful bluebonnet fields.  I really can't get enough of them.  They were at their peak today!  We soaked in the green and purple fields, the blue skies, the light traffic and the fresh pollen-filled air (we were both very allergic!).  

He was just posing for me!

Perfection

Behind...or in front of...the scenes

On the other side of the fence!

I love these pink ones as much as the bluebonnets!

We were very lucky to find so many fields just full of flowers!  We had heard there was a Bluebonnet Festival nearby and thought we would check it out.  When we got to the main road we were very surprised!  We had no idea that everyone in Houston had driven out to Bluebonnet country for the festival, or at least for some bluebonnet family photos.  We looked at each other, we looked at the traffic and decided neither of us needed anything they were selling at the festival that badly!  We turned around and happily headed back on our backroad.

"Hey...you guys...get off the main road...the best flowers are over here!"

Smile kids!

This is another side of bluebonnet season.  Everyone goes out and finds a field to take a great family photo.  We do it too, so I can't judge!  I really enjoy driving to the opposite side of the field to see it from a different angle.  This particular field was amazing and went on forever!  It really is a good season!

The other side of the hill

The surprise at the top of the hill.

Here's looking at spring in Texas!

P.S.

We did not burn a million calories today.  Guess we will be back at it tomorrow.

A Shot In the Arm

I played golf last week with a man, who after he introduced himself, added, "I would just like you to know that I have had both of my vaccines.".   I was very happy to add to his introduction that I have had one of mine.  Vaccination status is becoming the new ice breaker.  We played a very enjoyable round of golf and it almost felt like the old days...you know...2019.  We were almost instantly more comfortable being around each other knowing that the chances of either of us getting sick enough to go to the hospital or die was now significantly limited.  Liberating.

Today, I went to my local mailing center to mail the dreaded tax return.  When I entered I overheard the owner chatting with a customer who was telling him about the "day after" affects of the vaccine and what to expect.  We know each other, so I asked when he got his vaccination and he said it was earlier that day.  He was smiling and proudly shared that his wife would be getting hers on Sunday.  We looked at each other over our masks with shared hope and slight relief.  

The only kind of shot I enjoy!
Birdie cheers!

I have never in my life looked forward to getting a shot... unless it is in a glass (or paper cup) and contains Fireball.  And maybe the morphine when I broke my arm was a welcome shot in the arm but I am pretty sure I was delusional with pain at the time.  I got my first ever flu shot last year and only because my pregnant daughter asked me to get it before we visited.  I try my best to avoid needles of any kind...until now.  I signed up on every waiting list I could get my name on for any Covid vaccine within a 50 mile radius.  I checked almost every day for new locations giving vaccines.  I was on a mission!  TJ got both of his earlier because he is over 65.  I am not...can you see me smiling?  I had to work a little harder to get on a list...any list.  A couple of weeks ago I finally made my way through and go an appointment for my first vaccine!  I have never been so glad to have high blood pressure, apparently a health risk for Covid.  I bravely showed up two weeks ago for my first Covid vaccine.  A few waves of chills that night and a very sore arm for a day and I am one shot closer to being fully vaccinated.

Thank you Walmart! 
Cold shoulder shirt resurrected for the occasion.

Coincidentally or ironically, a couple of days after my shot in the arm,  I received a text message from one of the waitlists with a link to get an appointment if I still needed a vaccine.  Later the same week I was contacted by my doctor's office, whom I had contacted very early on to let them know if and when vaccines were available for my group that I wanted one, they were now giving vaccines if I still needed one.  I guess it was finally my turn on several fronts.  Moral of the story, register on any list you can!  

Every day more and more people are being vaccinated!  On the one year anniversary of the day the world changed due to the Covid pandemic I find myself one step closer to hopefully not getting or giving Covid.  I also find myself voluntarily wearing a mask...come on admit it...on March 11, 2020 were you wearing a mask everywhere?   Did you have an extensive mask wardrobe?  A favorite mask?  For me this role has evolved.  Some of my early Covid favorites are no longer in the rotation. I now have a mask in the car, the golf bag, my purse and the pockets of many jackets.  There are a couple masks I will always associate with our summer of National Parks...fond memories.  I have the ones that my glasses don't fog up with, the ones that don't make my nose itch, the ones that don't wear out my ears when I wear them for a long time and the cute ones that can only be worn for a short time and then the "go to" masks which change places weekly.  

The biggest vaccine benefit has been freely reuniting with my daughter and her family here in town.  She and her husband are fully vaccinated, along with TJ and now that I have one shot down we have been able to be together with them and our two grandchildren.  We missed them so much and are beside ourselves with joy every time they come over and run into our arms!  It sure has been a long year!  

Hope Springs Eternal

This post is dedicated to my family and friends who find themselves longing for "the shore" these days.  For over 10 years I have written at least five posts a year about the shore.  It is one of my favorite things to write about!   Last year, there were no posts about the shore and that makes me sad so I decided if I can't be there I will just write about it.  During the off season, "the shore" is either a fresh memory that gives our life perspective and energy, a sometimes forgotten memory because we are so busy in our "real" lives, or a highly anticipated summer event that gets us through the last month (or months, for those of you who live in the north) of winter and to the end of the school year.  This is often the time of year we look at our calendars and plan our summer migration.  Some of you are knee deep in snow and the thought of walking the warm, sunny, sandy beach is enough to get you through another freezing winter day.  Some of us are tired of looking out at the brown grass and the brown trees and are ready for some bright green grass, blue skies and salty breezes.  Most of us, this year especially, are tired of being in our own homes and would do anything to sit on the sandbars with the usual suspects and talk about everything and nothing all day long.

Blue skies, green grass and salty air
May 2019

Last year at this time we were just beginning life with Covid.  We were all going to stay home for 2 weeks and it was going to stop the spread.  We all know how that worked out.  We continued to have some hope through the spring that things would get under control by the summer and we would still be able to visit our beloved shore.  One year later, here I sit still wondering if we will be able to visit our beloved shore and I am not alone in this wondering.  The mental motivation that is provided every year by merely anticipating our summer migration is enough to keep me going and bring a smile to my face.  I must admit, this year my smile is guarded and a bit tense....not really a smile at all, more of a sigh hidden behind a mask.  

The last blog post I wrote about the shore was on September 19, 2019 after Hurricane Dorian blew through and left a mess in her wake.  It was also right before we left the shore for what we expected to be 8 or 9 months...not 2 years!  I think about this and wonder, "What condition did we leave our cottage and the farmhouse in under those extreme circumstances?".  We left with our yard full of giant fallen trees.  We left with roofs that needed patching.  We left after a week of dealing with my parents and expediting their departure after the storm.  We closed their cottage...did we do a good enough job to last 2 years?  Are there several families of rodents living comfortably in my basement or shed?  Will I need boots and a snow shovel to get through the dead fly corpses in my house?  What "non perishable" food items did I leave behind that have perished in scary ways over the last 2 years?  My hope is that we can find out the answers to these questions this summer.  Hope springs eternal.

The past year has been heavy.  First a pandemic began.  Then the pandemic got worse.  Then there was a summer without our beloved shore.  Then...the pandemic got worse.  There was a whole lot of hate flying around before, during and after the election and that hate is toxic for everyone regardless of your political affiliation. Then my Dad passed away.  The pandemic continued and we all continue to miss our friends, our neighbors, our families, our freedom to go out (choose your "out"...shopping, sporting events, the gym, work, school, dinner, movie, wedding, funeral, inside a friend's house...the list goes on!) without risk of getting sick or getting someone else sick. We kept going through life though, because that is what we do!  With the vaccine rollout there is a glimmer of hope.  

Reading about the last month at the shore in 2019 I found exactly what I needed today. I encourage you to read it, right here...right now, and come back after you read it.  It is that fresh breeze I wanted to store away for just the right time and that time is now.  I really miss the epic sunsets, the people, bonfires, the beach, fried clams and coconut cream pie, driving along the shore road and the inexplicable feelings stirred in my heart whenever I am there.

I read my Mixed Emotions post (just in case you didn't already read it) and got to the part about cutting my Dad's hair and it stopped me in my tracks.  I had cut his hair and beard a few more times over the past year and every time made me pause and feel the intimacy of the moment.  I would cut it again today if I could!  We all thought 2019 may have been his last summer at the shore.  He will make one final trip to the shore where he will rest forever in his favorite place on earth.  It might be this year...and then again...it might not.

It is very strange to have "going to the shore" a certainty for so many summers of my life to it being such an uncertainty.   My spring time longings for the shore have a caveat again this year.  Will the border open to us or won't it?  The million dollar question.  We have a bit of hope but unlike last year, we are under no delusions that our hopes will become reality. So...this spring I will make a solid Plan B and hope I need to cancel those National Park reservations!  One of us is fully vaccinated and the other is on every waiting list she can manage to get her name on!  One step closer to the end and the beginning.  

Two Weeks of Winter May be Enough This Year

I really like winter.  Many people think I am nuts but I have always enjoyed winter.  We even lived in a place that had real winter for a few years!  I like the clothes, I like the coziness of wearing sweaters and scarves and wrapping up in a coat.  I like going outside when the cold air hits me in the face and makes me feel so alive.  I like how unfrizzy my hair is in the winter.  I think sitting by a fire looking out at a beautiful blanket of snow after a day of skiing is just about one of the most enjoyable things ever.  Last week we went on our ski week and experienced all that we love about winter!  This week, all the we love about winter was put to the challenge back home in Houston.

What is not to love about this!?
A ski run all to ourselves!

We love winter!
And skiing.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge over the year since our last ski trip.  Last February we skied with my sister and her husband and our nephew.  We had tons of snow and tons of fun.  This year it was just the two of us...as it has been for much of the year.  Yes, I had some reservations about the trip but we went with guarded expectations.  It was the same but different.  I need to give Park City Mountain Resort a shout out for doing a very good job of enforcing Covid protocols on the mountain. There were ambassadors at the lift lines making sure people kept their masks on properly and kept their distance.  Reservations were limited and required to ski and to dine at any restaurants on the mountain.  We skied six days in a row...my legs are tired!  We ate lunch on the mountain twice... outside and very far away from any other people.  TJ likes to throw around his "elder" status when making reservations. "We are all over 65 (speak for yourself!) and would like to be far from any other people."  It worked.  The rest of the time we were very boring/safe and stayed in the condo.  

In past years, after skiing, we would head straight to the hot tub with a beverage.  The hot tub is where you meet other guests and talk/brag about your day on the mountain.  After soaking and relaxing in the hot tub we would get ready for dinner.  We would take the shuttle into town and eat out at least twice during our week.  After dinner we usually strolled the streets and popped in and out of bars for a drink here or there.  We would browse the many art galleries along Main St. and finally at the end of the night we would take the shuttle back to the condo.  On occasion the shuttle became a karaoke bus.  Those were the days!  It is no wonder I like winter!  This year there was no bar hopping or strolling along Main St. or chatting up other guests in the hot tub.  The skiing was still great.

We made it home just in time to start prepping our house for the winter storm of the decade...or three! TJ went into full Boy Scout Engineer mode when we got home.  If you live in the south, you know that when it goes below freezing for more than a few hours there is a risk of pipes freezing and plants dying.  We have many winters when the temperature never goes below freezing for more than a few hours for the season down here.  We rarely spend day after day below freezing.  We recorded the coldest temperature 10F (-12c) in a day since 1989.  Thirty-two years ago!  We also just had the coldest 5 day stretch since 1983.  Unlike Salt Lake City or anywhere else that gets "real" winter, we do not "do" winter!  Our houses are build for cooling, not heating.  We do not have basements.  Many people's winter coats are nothing more than a heavy hoodie and usually it works just fine.  Snow boots?  Only if you have them for those ski vacations.  We do all have at least 5 pairs of flip flops though! 

We wrapped our pipes, we covered our tender plants who thought it was spring last week and decided to push out their buds.  We brought in all of our potted plants and made sure we had flashlights, batteries and candles.  TJ checked to see which pipes were on exterior walls and left those faucets at a slow drip.  We spent the first day cozy inside our house with power and water.  Many of our friends and family lost power on Sunday or Monday.  We lost it on Tuesday morning.  The temperature in the house went down to 50F (10C) over the next 26 hours.  We have a gas log fireplace that warmed the air within 6 feet of it up to tolerable.  We huddled around it for most of the day.  We cooked on our gas grill outside.  "We" is a loose term...TJ cooked!  It was a bit like a very cold camping trip.  We had running water and a flush toilet so we were good.

The birds were very hungry during the freeze!

Pansies survive a freeze...right?

We were lucky....we only lost power for 26 hours.  It was a cold and dark 26 hours but we were fine.  So many more people lost power for much longer, and did not have a fireplace or water or double paned windows or as many blankets and winter clothing as we do.  They are the ones that we felt for.  We were fine.  The state power grid was the problem and I am sure heads will roll when this is all over.  I do not assume to know the answer but I do know that a better job can and should be done for the future, even if the future only happens every 30 years.  

oops, forgot to turn the fountain off....

Recovering from this storm will take a while for most of the state.  Things like gas and groceries are in short supply.  Having no power and snowy, icy roads shut everything down!  Everything.  Grocery stores are scrambling to restock and reopen but are first having to clean out all that went bad due to days without power.  With the roads closed, the supply chain for so much has been compromised.  It will take a while to get back to "normal" but soon enough we will be back to complaining about the small things again.  One good thing is that our 5 day freeze-out kept an unprecedented number of us at home, which should inevitably slow the spread of Covid for a few days.

I still like winter.  I found myself wondering if this was better or worse than losing power during a hurricane.  It sure felt very similar.  Hurricane season is hot and humid...would I rather try to sleep in a house that is hot and humid or one that is cold and dry?  I slept like a baby under my 4 blankets, I don't think I would have slept as well in the heat, worrying about flooding or the roof blowing off or a tree falling on my house. We spent the past week reading, doing a puzzle, making soup (once the power came back), talking to family and friends on the phone, eating or trying not to eat, taking bundled up walks outside, and trying to stay warm.  I am ready for spring and warmer temperatures and I am sure everyone else in Texas is too!  We did our week of winter...bring on patio season!

A Walk Through January

I accepted a challenge at the beginning of January to walk at least 20 minutes each day for the month.  My cousin has started a monthly Facebook "challenge" group for the last 3 months to help motivate herself...and others.  The first month was the month of daily planks.  The second month was a month of random acts of kindness and January was a month of walking at least 20 minutes each day.  I did the planks and I did the walking.  I skipped out on the random acts of kindness, but just knowing there was a group doing this made me do a few of my own random acts of kindness.  So it still worked!  I guess I am a sucker for a challenge!

When I joined the group I thought to myself , "no problem, I walk all the time anyway, this will be easy.".  I admit, it was easy...most days.  But committing to do something EVERY day is a lot, unless it is wake up, brush your teeth, eat, drink, and sleep.  There were days I was busy.  There were days it rained.  There were cold days.  There were travel days.  (yes, I traveled in Covid)  There was the day my newborn grandson came home from the hospital. There were days I just didn't feel like it.  But...for 31 days, I walked every day...and I loved it!

I eventually walked down...and up this hill!

  I walked in California, Texas and Louisiana.  I walked with each of my three sisters during the month.  I walked with one of my daughters.  I walked with my husband and one of my sons-in-law.  I walked with my 84 year old Mother.  I listened to music, I listened to podcasts, I listened to The Thirteenth Tale, I listened to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me or The Moth and on Sundays I listened to Mass.  I even just listened to the world around me.  I would like to say I thought great thoughts during my walks...and maybe I did.  They say walking is a moving meditation and I can absolutely agree with that.  It has been a large part of my sanity over the last 10 months.  Even though the challenge is over, I will continue to walk.

California

Texas

Louisiana

I did take a lot of pictures during my walks.  I loved trying to find something photo worthy on each walk.  I had always wanted to do a personal challenge to find something beautiful or interesting to photograph every day and during the walking challenge I did.  My cousin welcomed photo sharing during the walking challenge and I embraced the invitation.  February is sit-up month and I am afraid the photos will not be nearly as interesting!  

I will have many fond memories of my January walks.  Spending the first half of the month in California and committing to walking was a double blessing.  I did my best to vary my route around my daughter's house in order to see as much of the area as possible.  I loved the different houses and gardens along every path and definitely had my favorite streets...which were not necessarily the flattest streets.  I sure hope all that hill training pays off somehow!  I was very lucky to be able to include exploration into my daily walks instead of following the same path I have walked hundreds of times before back home.

My favorite garden on my favorite street

Best stairway!

Most colorful house!

best little surprise

Back home I tried to see things differently on my "regular" walk.  I've tried this before...sometimes it even works.  There were definitely days I just walked...but occasionally I would open my eyes and try harder to see with new eyes.  Sometimes it even worked.  Sometimes I just wished I was still in California on one of my favorite streets with all of the colorful houses and pretty gardens.  Then I would just tell myself to snap out of it!  One thing I have learned in Covid is to just be where you are.  

Texas winter landscaping

"Self portrait in puddle"
Thanks shoes!

For the last week of the challenge I was in Louisiana with my family.  I walked several days with my Mother and those were some very special walks.  Major props to my Mom for walking 2.5 miles several days!  We shared some very nice moments during those walks.  I also got to see some places in Baton Rouge I have not seen before.  Believe it or not, I had never walked all the way around the LSU lakes.  What a beautiful walk!  Finally, the walk through the Burden Gardens was educational and beautiful.  It was the perfect way to end the month of walking.  I think my month of walking and accountability was a great way to start a new year.  I may not have made any resolutions but for one month I had one element of discipline in my life.  Small goals people!  Thanks Lenore!  I loved walking through January!

Swamp walk

A ray of sunshine

Roses..not phlox

It was even prettier in person

The old and the new
a theme for January

Condolences and Congratulations

 Hello 2021!

Last year was one for the history books.  To think that turning one digit on the calendar would magically change our world may be wishful thinking, but maybe we could all use some wishful thinking right now.  At least I feel like there is a glimmer of hope that this year will be better than last year.  Wishful thinking?

We spent the last 5 weeks with our daughter, her husband and occasionally his parents, in California waiting for the arrival of their first child, due the first week of January.  Our pod of six felt luxurious to TJ and I after our ten days of "quarantine" and the previous several months spent alone...together.  Living with other people felt so decadent!  Not sure how the other people felt but we kinda liked it!

I did not mind the views on my daily walks at all!

Meanwhile, back home, my Dad's health took a turn for the worse, he was back in the hospital and entering his last days in this world.  He did get his final wish, which was to go home.  After being out of his comfortable home for almost two months, he was taken back for his final days.  He passed, on December 31, 2020, with my mother and one of my sisters by his side.  I hear it was peaceful.  He lived 90 years and had the love of my Mother for the last 64 of them.  If you are interested in reading his obituary you can go here.  It truly captures my Dad and my sister did a great job of writing it in all of our voices.  New Year's Eve will forever be changed.  What a way to end the year that was 2020. 

The emotions of the first week of the year ran the gambit of sorrow, sadness, anticipation, happiness, confusion, indecision, decision, guilt, gratitude, pride, sheer joy, love and everything in between.  To miss my father's last days was heartbreaking.  Time missed being with my siblings and my mother during that week can never be replaced.  I felt like I was in an alternate universe of suspended animation.  It is hard to feel what I know I should be feeling without the company of my siblings and my mother.  My mourning seems incomplete until I can be with them.

Meanwhile, we were able to experience one of life's most miraculous events.  The birth of a baby and the immediate love that is poured out when they enter this world is one of life's greatest gifts. Being able to cradle that sweet boy and just look at him for hours was perfection.  Being there to help my daughter and her husband through those emotional and exhausting first days home together was a priviledge.  My Dad knew that I would be in California for the birth.  We already had our last moments and words even though we may not have known it for sure.  He was very excited about the new baby on the way, he loved family.  He would have beamed seeing that sweet little face.  I am sure he is looking down and beaming now.  

August Mott Owen
born January 6, 2021

Making the choice of staying in California or going to Baton Rouge for the funeral Mass was gut wrenching.  If we were not in a pandemic with so many health risks involved, I would have bought a round trip ticket in a flash.  Life is not that simple these days.  We put in the time and effort to be virus free for the birth of the baby and the weeks to follow, the decision had been made.  It was not an easy one.  I had my Mother's blessing to stay in California and so we did.   

Baby August was one week old when we watched his great grandfather's funeral Mass on the television.  It was a beautiful ceremony, even on the live stream.  Funerals are very different in a pandemic.  There is no hugging, very few people can or do even attend, and everyone is sitting far apart mourning in their own space.  I was very thankful for the live stream option!  I am also glad I was able to watch with my daughter, her husband and baby August, free to hug each other and cry together.  What an emotional roller coaster!  To say goodbye to someone who raised me and made me the person I am while holding an innocent, perfect little boy who is his great grandson and was loved by him even before he was born was profound and poetic.

The circle of life

I am back home now, biding my time for a bit after flying, before I finally go to Baton Rouge to see my family.  I went through my 5 weeks of mail when I got home.  I loved reading all of the Christmas cards and letters I missed while I was gone.  I also came home to sympathy cards full of kind words from friends and family.  There you have it.  January 2021... a month of mixed emotions full of condolences and congratulations.  

I Guess the Honeymoon is Over Now

Roughly 42.5 years ago we set off on our honeymoon.  We were heading to Monterey, California, in my parent's station wagon, pulling their pop-up camper.  Yes, it was sooo romantic and the reason I do not like camping to this day!  On that road trip we made it as far as Denver, Colorado and were thrilled to be there.  We drank icy cold Coors beer, when it was only available in Colorado.  I read Franny and Zoe in the sunshine next to the lake at a beautiful campground.  Those were the days my friend!  Fast forward 42.5 years and we have finally made it to Monterey, California!  I guess the honeymoon is over.

Wedding flowers for our honeymoon!

We are in California, biding our time...alone...together, until we can safely unite with our daughter and her husband for Christmas and the birth of their first child.  As we drove down to the cute little town of Pacific Grove in Monterey County, we laughed at the fact that this was our end goal on our honeymoon all those years ago.  I had seen pictures and read about the Pacific Coast highway drive down to Big Sur all those years ago and thought it looked like a place I would love to see.  I was right!  As we passed the rocky coast it took my breath away... and it wasn't even a beautiful day.  I quickly checked the forecast for the next sunny day!

Someone left a poinsettia for a touch of Christmas.
Welcome to the Pacific Coast!

In our "quarantine" we scheduled a few rounds of golf.  A good socially distant activity to pass the time and one of the very few things open in California right now.  There are some amazing golf courses here!  I thought to myself that if we had indeed made it out here 42.5 years ago we would not have been able to afford even a sandwich, much less a round of golf, at the golf courses here and now we can, but they aren't selling food!  If we had made it here back then, we could have eaten out but couldn't have afforded more than a pizza and today we could afford almost any meal but no restaurants are open.  Funny how the world works isn't it?  Through it all one thing remains...the rocky coast, crashing waves and mountains are all breathtakingly beautiful!  You don't need money to see them and a pandemic doesn't close them.  

Point Lobos State Reserve

Today, TJ decided to take the ride of a lifetime.  He rode his bike down the Pacific Coast highway from Monterey to Big Sur.  Another acceptable activity.  He left at 8 a.m. in the chill of the coastal morning air.  Our plan was for me to drive down later and meet him in Big Sur.  I planned to take my time driving down...with my camera for company.  I went to Point Lobos State Reserve, and did a couple of short hikes along the coast.  Yes, my masked breath was taken away!  I knew I would love this place and I was right.  I was brought to tears by the magnificence of it all.

Heading out for the ride of his life!

Keeping a safe distance and enjoying the view!

I share this with you, not to boast, but with the ultimate gratitude, appreciation and hope that someday you will visit this place or another you find as beautiful.  My day was filled with prayers for my family, our world and thankfulness for the beauty of this earth.  It is hard to not feel guilty surrounded by such beauty when there is so much turmoil in our world, but it is also hard to have it outside your door and not go out and appreciate it.  Especially when it took 42.5 years to get here!  

In spite of the pandemic, I think the end of our honeymoon was worth waiting for!  

And because I only took a hundred...some more pictures....of the end of our honeymoon.

Sunset in Pacific Grove

Pinch me!  Golf at the Links at Spanish Bay

Socially distant selfie with my sister-in-law

When the sun direction is working against you...or was it?

  The Bixby Creek Bridge.  TJ said he owned the middle of his lane while crossing this one!
And the sun direction did not cooperate...again!

The view from the other side...much better!

Reminded me a bit of the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia!

Then I got crafty with barbed wire.

The big picture

It was not hard to stay distant here...
the streets and sidewalks officially rolled up at 5 pm