It's a Wrap . . .

We're back to sunny dry Arizona.   It's time for a New Year!  Here's some leftovers from the Christmas trip.

Big girls in jammies -- Christmas afternoon, 4:30 p.m.  Hmmmmm.

Oh, he looks friendly, but don't let him fool you.  He may pose for photos, but he's not happy about it.  (I zoomed.)  The man at the shop next door told me Pete Pelican has a cellphone fetish.  Last week, a man got too close with his new iPhone.  This pelican, who always sits in the same spot posing for photos, reached out with that big beak, nabbed the device, and dropped it over the edge into the blue Pacific.  Wonder if the guy's insurance replaced the phone?  A pelican stole my new iPhone 5.  

Needless to say, we never got in the pool.  The sign freaked us out.  A California friend did inform me that it's the law.  Public and HOA pools must post these friendly signs.  The posh beach hotel in San Diego must have been exempt.  (And that's a good thing.)

Low rider parade.

This photo just struck us as -- squirrelly?  When we first saw this thing, Craig said -- it's a marmot!  Uhhhhhh -- what looks like a huge fat squirrel and hangs around in a marina?  According to this article, it may be a bold fat ground squirrel.

I posted this photo on Instagram and some people immediately asked if this was Craig.  Yes, we went to California so he could get back on a bike, carry a heavy surfboard, and learn to surf.  That big plate in his right shoulder gives him Superman powers.

Not sure why this photo cracks me up.  Maybe it's because this thing has four wheels, appears to be stable, and everyone but the blonde is wearing helmets?  With the way our luck's been running, maybe Craig and I need to wear those in the car!

We're back to the desert.  It'll be awhile before we see more of these type of sunsets. Southern California, while it's lovely, was not an adequate substitute for a month on Isla Mujeres.  We had fun, enjoyed the sound of the waves for a little bit, but that little taste of the sea left me wanting. 

Maybe next week's x-ray will give us a clue as to how long we're grounded.  Oh well, there are worse things.  It's supposed to be 60-something here today and very sunny.  Life is good!

Very Merry

A Christmas Mission

I love old missions.  Our original plan yesterday was to ride the Coaster train into Old Town San Diego, but we decided instead to drive to Mission San Juan Capistrano.  (That's a hot link, so click to get the history.)

That mission, dating back to the 1770's,  has to be one of the oldest structures to visit in Southern California.  Somewhere I have a photo of my mother taken in the 1930's sitting on the edge of the fountain in the central courtyard with swallows.  We didn't see a single swallow yesterday, but the trip didn't disappoint.  My camera seems to be malfunctioning, but I managed to salvage some photos from the trip.

Beautiful nativity.  The mission was decked out for the holiday season.

The grounds inside the mission are beautifully groomed and filled with coastal plants. The fountain in the central courtyard of the mission contains koi.

This pretty cat sat at a cottage several blocks away, but I'm sure he would love to play with those fishy fishies!

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Tis' the Season!

Actually, it's a little nippy at the beach.  There's a chill in the air and Christmas decorations are everywhere.

 

This snow woman wears a beach hat and bare ta ta's.

Cottage doors up and down the road dress in Christmas finery.

 

A snowman lurks in a dinghy in the harbor.

  

A tot dressed to see Santa runs down the beach.

More beach cottages wearing the colors of Christmas.

 As the boat says -- Seas The Moment!  Tis' the Season!

California Dreamin'

Yesterday was rainy and windy, but since we were finally at the beach, we didn't care!  This morning dawned beautiful and the trend continued.  What a gorgeous day!

Yesterday's storms brought big waves to the coast.  I spotted this surfer through the palms in front of our room.

The beach joggers were out early!

Nearby Crystal Pier has a Christmas tree out on the end.

Christmas wreaths on the pier.

 Planter boxes on the cottages at Crystal Pier.

 

Pigeons instead of seagulls?

Before heading north to Oceanside, we stopped in Ocean Beach to shop the antique stores.  Love this Christmas tree on the beach there!  No clue how these lights became animated!

Christmas decorations on Newport Ave, the main drag in Ocean Beach.

Polar Bear Club?  There's a reason surfers wear wetsuits!  Brrrrrrr.

Cool surfer dude bench.

These pelicans were real posers.

We ended our day with another beach/pier walk in our new location.  Stay tuned!