September 8: Blackout

On Thursday afternoon, a string of events occurred that caused a huge power surge and outage throughout Southern California. All of San Diego, Imperial, and parts of Orange County went dark for 8-12 hours. 1.7 million homes and businesses survived by grilling dinners, burning candles, using flashlights, and opening windows after a day that reached 107 degrees in some areas. Neighbors hung out together. Families reconnected without the interruptions of computers, televisions, and other electronic playtoys.

We played gin rummy by candlelight and enjoyed the evening so much that I'm tempted to have a "blackout" night once per month.

July 5: Beach Sunset

Sunset over the Pacific, taken from my parents' rooftop deck in Pacific Beach. The palm trees are specifically dedicated to Julie who, living in Cincy, misses her palms. Enjoy them while you're out here in Southern California this month, Julie!!

July 4: Independence Day!

We went to my parents' house in Pacific Beach (just south of La Jolla) to celebrate the 4th. It was a lovely day for the beach!! This shot is from the boardwalk, taking in the huge flag fluttering atop the main life guard tower, looking north to La Jolla.

June 24: Beach Day

B builds a sand penguin at the beach near my parents' home. When the tide at last flooded the defensive ditch, surrounding his work, he beheaded it, smashed it, then scraped "RIP" into the sand where the penguin had been built.

Rest in Peace, little penguin....

Day 63: Family Party

After our family birthday party at Chili's, celebrating three family birthdays (mine, my brother's, and his daughter's), I noted these concert photos on the wall of the waiting area. This Chili's is next to the Sports Arena where many of the city's concerts take place, including the U2 concert that Elizabeth and I attended a few years ago...yes, it's BONO!!!!! Woo-hoo!!!!!

Day 28: The Mission Cemetery

This entrance leads to the oldest part of the Mission San Luis Rey Cemetery which nestles up to the eastern side of the church itself. Our dear friends, C and J, buried their daughter C here in the new section, so we now call The Mission San Luis Rey "C's Mission."

Day 27: The Mission Fountain

This photo courtesy of Guest Photographer Timothy (age 15)

This fountain at the Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside was where the Native American women came for the water they needed in their small houses which surrounded the Mission proper. It was also used by the friars who lived in the Mission. I can just imagine women gathering here for an early afternoon chat before returning to their homes to cook the evening meal....

Day 26: Still at the Mission....

The old mission arch at Mission San Luis Rey. Behind the arch are the rose gardens and the very first pepper tree in California. Apparently sailors who stayed at the Mission were charged "admission" in the form of a seedling from their travels around the world which were planted in the extensive gardens surrounding the Mission.

Day 25: Back to the Mission

I've been so consumed with getting the prayer book finished that I didn't take many photos this week. So I hope you don't mind a few photos from earlier in the month....

At the Mission San Luis Rey are many artifacts of the Native Americans who lives at and around the mission. These are metates in which women ground acorns into a flour-like meal for making thick tortilla-like bread.

Day 23: At the Aquarium, Part II

Timothy's photo at the Sea Life Aquarium...not bad for a 15-year-old photographer!

Day 22: At the Aquarium

Timothy (age 15) took this photo at the Sea Life Aquarium. I think he did a wonderful job!

Day 8: El Capitan



El Capitan

As Keith and I drove back up the mountain after seeing our chiropractor, I snapped this one through the windshield. Often El Capitan, a stone-faced mountain, is hazed with smog. But this morning it was clear, and I couldn't resist....

Day 7: At the Mission



Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, CA



On the face of the Mission front....

Our family met our good friends the Cox family at the Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside so that B can do his mission report for his California History course at Class Day. This mission, about an hour and fifteen minutes from our home, is the largest of the 21 California Missions and is nicknamed "the King of the Missions."

I posted my two favorite photos here, one a side view of the mission, including the door to the old cemetery next door to the mission, and one of the statue on the outside face of the front of the mission. We had a lovely time with some lovely people!

A Day at Pacific Beach

Crystal Pier

B walking along beach--Crystal Pier in background

J jumps for joy

Introspective T

E under Crystal Pier

Graffiti on Crystal Pier...Buster "busted"

From Crystal Pier

On walk to Crystal Pier

Good Day for Surfing--taken from Crystal Pier

Sand Sculptures at the Beach

B next to his Sand Man sculpture

B's Sand Man

J works on his Electric Guitar sculpture

J's Electric Guitar

T putting finishing touches on his sand sculptures

T's "Honu" (Hawaiian for sea turtle)

Starting at left, counter-clockwise: T's starfish, shell, jellyfish, octopus, stingray, and honu

First Day of School: San Diego Zoo

Kids on First Day of School


California Tower in Balboa Park and Plane from Zoo Skyfari


New Elephant Odyssey


Polar Bear Plunge, taken by Jonathan

Summer Photos: Pacific Beach

Pacific Beach through Palms from Boardwalk


Pacific Beach Lifeguard Tower Flag


Pacific Beach Pier through Palms from Boardwalk

4th of July Weekend

While Jonathan enjoyed boogie-boarding at the beach on July 5, Timothy and Benjamin got creative with sand and a shovel... and are quite pleased with the results.

At the Del Mar Fair

The garden exhibits are always my favorite part of the Del Mar Fair ("San Diego Fair" is not jelling with me yet). The musical theme was well-done in the above exhibit by Home Depot -- I love the piano-key walkways and the fun tropical shack. It was definitely the kids' favorite exhibit, too -- both Elizabeth and Timothy were clicking away with their cameras, capturing the exhibit from every angle. I think the only thing they liked better than this garden exhibit was the funnel cakes....

Cuyamaca

Stonewall Peak (right) and Little Stonewall (left) with Lake Cuyamaca in foreground.

Lake Cuyamaca

Every summer when I was a child we camped in the Cuyamaca Mountains, east of San Diego. I took the kids to Lake Cuyamaca a couple of weeks ago to meet a Brave Writer family from the Shakespeare class I taught in May. I love these mountains that I've climbed on foot and on horseback, the lake that I've hiked around and rose horses around, and Fletcher Island in the center of the lake, the scene of many picnics over the years. My mother camped here throughout her childhood, as did I, and my kids camped here before the fires of 2003 swept through here, decimating the trees and several of the campgrounds, including Los Caballos, our horse camp. Despite the fire damage, it's still a gorgeous place, made sweeter by the generations of memories that reside here.