We begin our journey by saying "see ya in a week" to the coves of Monterey. No worries, I will return.


We soon find ourselves a top the cliffs of Big Sur. I promise that the drive is full of lush emerald green pine trees, oak trees and off to the right nothing but blue waters and mind boggling boulders. If you are driving, don't stare too long. Yu will go off of the cliff. That would hurt!


Let's stop and take in the local live stock along the coast. How spoiled are these cows? Tasty alfalfa to eat and a view to die for.


I snuck up on this one by crawling through the bushes. I love cows! That is one of the things I miss about Texas. Hanging out with the cows.


This is the one of Californias Marine Biology Centers and Observatories. There is a Great White Shark birthing area out a few miles. How lucky are they to have cameras under water and can monitor them? They also track the Whale Migrations and various other marine life. I would love to have one little peak inside of this compound.


So far the trip has been slow moving and comfortable. We are off to the shores of San Simeon to see the Elephant Seals and possible some Zebras if we are lucky. Yes, I said Zebras. The Hearst Castle owns the Elephant Seal Protection area and across the street is the animal wild life. How cool! Zebras on one side and seal on the other.

The fog was moving in earlier than expected. The sun was still bright in the sky at 6 pm but was being blanketed by the fog. The sensation of the warmth from the sun and the cool mist of the fog makes the skin tingle. It kind of tickles...lol. This view can be seen coming in from San Jose, south into the bay from Highway 1. Can you see my apartment across the bay?...It's the one with the glass hummingbird in the window....lol



I won't have the pleasure of watching the fog for a while. I am heading south in the morning. My sons birthdays are next week. 10 days of seeing my sons, my best friend, my god children and FINALLY playing in the surf of San Clemente Beach and Huntington Beach. But mostly and importantly....I miss my boys!!
I look forward to each and every minute of the drive.
I'll even bring all of you along in the truck. It should be fun!

I hope all of you are having some sort of fun!

I appreciate everything around me. There is no way I would ever take what nature gives us for granted. I have been blessed to live in a variety of places that have allowed me to enjoy life. Today a little stroll after work turns into a cute vision that certainly did make me smile. The Geese were even kind enough to let me stroll with them.

After they hung around me for a bit, it was time for Mommy, Daddy and the kids to head out.

Oops! Be Careful. Luckily I know how to direct traffic and they crossed safely.
Come on kids! The water is just beyond the trees, over yonder.

It was a sunny enough day to take a late afternoon dip in the cool water.

First Mommy tests the water. That is what Mommies do.

Then of course Daddy has to test the water as well. Just to be extra careful.

Then they all jump in for a nice dip and quality family time.
Let's swim on over to our island home for a delicious dinner of worms and grubs. Yummy!


Soon they will grow up and be out on their own. What a cute family they were.
I enjoyed watching them and grateful that they let me follow along.

I guess you could say that he was caught red handed.



I dare you not to look at this face and not giggle. His eyes and that smirkie lil grin are classic! This is why animals are worth having. The laughter and unexpected mischief just make your day.

I wonder if he was trying to imitate the Joker, from Batman?

Being the only female in my section is great! There aren't any downsides. The men have reached maximum comfort being around me. How do I know this? We were having a meeting in a Captains Office and as he and I were finishing up, I looked at him and asked if he was concerned about anything because he had a weird look on his face. He told me that he has been dying to fart and was just waiting for everyone to leave. With that statement I said that I would leave him to his amusements and then shut the door.

Yup, they have adjusted to my presence.

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who laughed boldly and giggled innocently.
That little girl is still within me. She still laughs boldly and giggles innocently.
Look at me and you will see a woman who hasn't forgotten what it feels like to skip on a sunny day or jump in a puddle of water when it rains.

On my way to lunch, a woman was stalled in the #1 lane of a 2 lane road. She was driving a tiny smart car and the emergency flashers were barely visible. So I pulled my Chevy Silverado behind her for safety.

Some cockwad pulled up next to us and said "Hey, You need to move your cars, you're blocking traffic" We both looked at him, looked at each other and damned if she didn't beat me to a snarkalicious response.

"Dude, I'm blocking traffic because my car stalled. You're blocking traffic because you're a boob"

To rub it in, we gave each other a high 5 in front of him.

Out here there are two areas called Fort Ord and Laguna Seca. These areas boast some of the most amazing trees, plants, wild life and serenity filled moments that I could not possibly put them all into one blog.

When I first arrived here, I was on a walk during lunch time. I was walking through the woods when I heard some rustling in the grass behind me. I had turned around and there they were...a heard/pack/group of turkeys following me. If I stepped to the right, so did they...lol. No matter what move I made, they mimicked me. I immediately called my former Fed Partner, D. I told him where I was and how beautiful my surroundings were. Then I explained to him what was following me. He laughed and then said "Maybe they think you are their leader"....lmao.

Saturday I was walking through the wooded area and bam! The turkeys were around me again. I sat down and they just strolled up to me. If I would have had a cleaver I could have chopped their heads off and kept them frozen until Thanksgiving....lol

Bsides the turkeys, you can see a fox now and then, deer, coyotes, hawks, bunnies and yes....cougars. As a matter of fact, there are warning signs to stay on the alert and not to do anyting that makes you weak in appearance to the cougars. So, I had to stop sitting in the bush with the turkeys and get a move on.

I love the oak trees in this area. I snapped too many pictures of the oaks in all of the glory they show, but do not have room in the blog. So I will show you what I called the "Happy Oaks" Can you spot the one winking at you and the one puckering up for a kiss?? The orange blossoms are weeds. Who says weeds cannot be stunning?




Here is where it gets creepy. The moss that grows on the oak trees are used for birds nests, stuffing in a fox hole, places to hide for the squirrels that climb the trees and for spiders. This is a spiders nest. I got as close as I could to see them, but had to pull away because the babies were falling on me.


I did wander off the beaten path and kept aware of what could be hiding in the trees, the bushes, the tall grass and the ravines. The thought of seeing a cougar was heart pounding and yet intriguing. I a love, a fondness and a great deal of respect for them. But I made it out and still have the pictures of the spectacular oak pictures yet to post.

Thank You for coming with me. It has been a while since we all strolled the wilderness and enjoyed some quiet time.

xo

Today is what you want to make of it.
I am relaxing and then will go do some laps at the gym swimming pool and then my walk.
Usually on this day I am with my sons, but since I will be seeing them at the end of the month, we will combine their birthdays and Ma's Day.
Today I would have been making us all a big breakfast of Cinnamon and Banana French Toast. What else would I do on Moms Day but sit with my sons so they can tell me what a weird Ma I am. All in good fun of course.
We are Moms in our own different way. What makes us all the same is that we love our children and would do anything for them. My Mom was my Dad. He was the best Mom a girl could have.

Happy Mom Day to all of you!