Just Another Day at the Beach

That's Seth, Shayla and Sam in the surf.

Like how I caught the bird in mid-takeoff? Totally accidental.

Gentle Reader,

My apologies for the recent lapse in posts. A little something I call CALIFORNIA RED TAPE has taken over my life. Oh, how California loves its rules and regulations. I had no idea how laid back (and actually, I'm sure California would call it: LAZY) Washington state is. I mean really--they aren't even really trying. A rule here, a suggestion there--but mostly they just leave most things up to the common sense of the sensible people and call it a day. But, just like the sunshine here in California, the bureaucracy is relentless. From what I can tell, its purpose is to take our minds off the fact that we are living in the middle of a disaster nightmare. Just today as we drove to the beach (a short, 20 minute jaunt) I heard on the radio:

Flash floods in Ramona

Mudslide blocks a road to Julian

The biggest fire in LA is 20% contained (this was good news)

8 other fires continue to burn

Hurricane Jemena hit the Baja peninsula

I'm still trying to adjust to the fact that our governor is THE TERMINATOR--it's his voice chanting over the radio : "We need watah! We need watah! We need watah!" and

"Fiah here, fiah there, we haf fiahs everywheah!"

All this while I was driving past signs that said:

CAUTION: Falling Rocks

CAUTION: Flash Flood Area

CAUTION: Earthquakes
(just kidding--there wasn't a sign for that--earthquakes are a given)

We got to the beach.

The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, a balmy 78 degrees.

A lovely breeze ruffles my hair.

I breathe in the salty sea air.

Earthquakes? Fires? Floods?

Whatever.