Atmospherics

CHANGES IN ATTITUDES

North Shore Oahu 

Edna Valley, San Luis Obispo County California

Sun play with branch and window

 SKY QUILTS

 HORIZONS

 The view from here

Find the artist?

THROW BACK JIM

Jim and his beloved Linda in the Paso Robles appellation

  An early visit to the Central Coast by Jim and Linda. Jim introduced us to the Central Coast and Big Sur a few moons ago. Now he makes introductions to the North Shore of Oahu.  He knows his ocean views.  Stay tuned.

   
    Jimmy Buffet had it right about changes in latitude-even if only a frame of mind.

   See you down the trail.

AN ENDLESS SUMMER KISS AND THE SPECIAL YEAR

TRACKING TIME

     Sipping a glass of wine back lit by sun dappled pampas grass flowing in the afternoon breeze, Jacque said "The cool thing about California is that after labor day, summer keeps going."

      As another ex pat Midwesterner, her observation is born of many years when a kind of gnawing dread would sneak in on the heels of labor day, summer's last hurrah. Soon autumn would briefly glorify nature with color and then as leaves become crisp detritus, temperatures drop, skies gray and winter's agony looms.

      So maybe those of us who flee for the sunnier climes are weather wimps or looking for the prolonged adolescence of endless summer. But it feels good. And it looks good too like an afternoon at the beach, to kiss summer good bye and to say hello the special year. 
      Notes on Sage living proof follow below.

     Days continue to shorten and we observe summer's slide in the cycles and habits of the considerable wildlife that live from the Pacific into the Santa Lucia mountains.

     We marveled at the playfulness of a pod of Humpback whales, jetting sprays, breaching and showing their backs and tails in a late summer migration.

      The fewer filters between us and nature, the more we see and feel the interaction, the greater the molecular impact on our minds, bodies and heart and soul.

     Out here on the central coast it's also the last hurrah, but with a twist! After labor day when schools are in session, the tourists thin out, traffic quiets, restaurants and shops are again for locals. Tennis courts and beaches are back to normal.

      But I've come to think of September as the first of the special year.  US Open tennis and college football fills September and October, along with the NFL and autumn colors. Then we are into basketball and the holiday season and the festivities to the end of the year. Back in the Midwest when I began to put up storm windows or Hatteras shutters and saw the girls off to school, I thought of the year ending with summer. Then I proscribed the special year-September to December 31. With more of those seasons behind me than ahead, I take great comfort in Jacque's assessment, "summer keeps going." 

        I'm not alone as the 102 year old theatre director throwing kisses from his Rolls Royce, or the 91 year old director of our annual Pinedorado, or the late 80 somethings who volunteered or marched in the miles long parade can attest after their decade's long celebration of Cambria's labor day weekend, or as the 70 and 80 year old surfers, lawn bowlers, pickle ball and tennis players, bikers, hikers, birdwatchers and gardeners can attest, the endless summer continues.

      See you down the trail.

IMPRESSIVE POWER and SOME SELFIE HUH?

BIG WATER

    It was no drought buster, but Central California got soaked the last few days. The 2-5 inches of rain was appreciated. The big story of the storm was the high surf.

       Piers were damaged in beach communities to the south. A few boats were beached and a wave smashed a window at a wharf restaurant giving a few people a scare. One worker was washed out of the building but walked out of the surf below the pier.

     Cambria's famous Moonstone Beach, all but disappeared  under the heavy surf.

    Massive drift wood pushed around like tinker toys.

OSCAR

    Did you watch the telecast?  What do you think? Wonder how many calls to pizza shops, Ellen prompted?  What a group selfie eh? Despite all of those famous faces, it looked pretty much like anyone else's-though our's don't crash Twitter.

    Did your choices win?  
    BTW we saw The Great Beauty this weekend. No wonder it's a winner.  I'd like to hear what some of you think about it-especially boomer men. 

    See you down the trail.

BIRTHING TIME

THE CLOCK HAS STARTED

     A couple of young elephant seal pups nurse in the afternoon sun on the beach near Piedras Blancas.  The colony is in the midst of birthing season.

     The wrinkled little black pups have about 6 weeks to feed when mom cuts them off as she becomes fertile and ready for mating.  

     Nearby adult males have begun to size up their harem and their corner of the beach.  They know instinctively when a female reaches a six week post birth state of readiness.  The scene then becomes one of harems.

     A bull is surrounded by a ring of females.  He will stir periodically to mate, then drop back into a pose such as this.  If another male attempts to enter his circle, a battle ensues.  In the meantime it is nap time.  

     After six weeks the pups are called Weaners and they begin to cluster together.  Eventually they need to learn to swim, but do so on their own.  Mom is long gone. And if it goes well for them they'll know when it is time to go into the sea for a hunting/feeding migration. Elephant seals travel alone as males head to waters off Alaska and females track toward Canada.  

     Poetically, mating season in this colony reaches it's peak around Valentines day.

    Down the beach, another couple has already begun their courting.

    See you down the trail.

SOME DIVERSION, HUH?

PRIORITIES

First the Colts

then the Paradise Walkers

My blog mentor, The Catalyst, shot a missive, noting no blog yet, nor on New Years day and wondering as to "too much New Years eve?"

Not the case.

I got sidetracked by the decision of Indianapolis Colts owner Jimmy Irsay to fire vice chairman and football operator

Bill Polian.  I know both men and I hate to see the parting, but after winning only 2 games, there is a fever in the bunkhouse. Polian brought football knowledge, and eventually greatness to a then foundering Colts organization.

But things and times change.  And not having an 

active Peyton Manning makes a difference.

So I was offering my unsolicited advice to Jim and the fans of the Colts.  

Make Peyton Manning a player coach, and draft 

Andrew Luck.  If Peyton is still able to play, allow him to take few snaps, share playing time with the brilliant young quarterback, and gradually assume the position of offensive coordinator. Eventually he can transition to full time coaching, maybe someday to be head coach.

Manning is a brilliant offensive strategist already and

would be the ideal heir to the great offensive coordinator

Tom Moore.  I think it would make a great

story line for the franchise, the kind of thing of

legends. I'm confident Colts fans would love it. I hope Jimmy Irsay also sees the "brilliance" of the idea.  

Jimmy, I'll be in town in a few days, if you want to talk.

NOW TO THINGS CALIFORNIA

The first day of the new year gave the new

Paradise Walkers a chance to 

do their thing.

  The always beautiful San Simeon Creek  Road

was the perfect setting for an ideal

Central Coast day.

 No play for this Californian

The merry band of Paradise Walkers.

See you down the trail.