Saturday, January 26, 2008

Vehicle Acquisition Notification

After a decade of driving my 1997 Mustang, The Old Sloat was ready for a change, so today I bought a brand new 2008 Toyota Solara convertible. Thanks to Matt and Kate for the test drive and recommendation...they've been happy Solara owners for a year. This promises to be a fine road car for the next decade or so, but I'll have to be a bit careful; it rides so smoothly it feels like you're crawling when you're doing 70. Of course, that's what cruise control's for. My trusty old Mustang has 164,000 miles on it. It will not be going to the crusher...my friend The Sandster is planning to buy it in a week or two.


Here's a pic of The Lizard and his new roommate Verde (Spanish for green). Thanx to Suzanne and Steve for Verde! The two saurians will be accompanying me on the Solara's shakedown cruise to Las Vegas and Phoenix next month. Being lizards, they're stoked, since of course a lizard's natural habitat is the desert. For those who don't know, The Lizard is actually a rain gauge facilitator...he's shown here holding his gauge. Usually I don't take the gauge along on trips, but on one occasion up at The Sea Ranch I put The Lizard to work and he recorded six inches of rain in one day!

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

A Crisp Winter day at Point Lobos




Today I went hiking at Point Lobos State Reserve, just south of Monterey. It was a great California coast winter day...crisp and sparkling clear, with a balmy sun and a chilly breeze. Very invigorating! On such days, the seascapes are sharply defined, and the light, with the low winter sun, is superb. I try to get to the coast whenever I can on such days...it's wonderful!





One of the few natural Monterey Cypress forests in the world grows on the reserve. The gnarly, weathered trees, full of character, are artists' magnets. It's easy to see why. I may have mentioned this before, but I have always compared the delicate beauty of the Monterey peninsula to a Chinese silk screen. The beauty is proportional, with sea, sky, and land all playing equal parts. It's not jaw dropping spectacular like Yosemite, the Canadian Rockies, or the Grand Canyon, but it's just as pretty.


This is China Cove, a gorgeous inlet on the reserve. The bluish green water looks tropical. A beautiful, peaceful spot. Today, several people had easels and palettes set up on the trail overlooking the cove, capturing it on canvas. Can't think of a better spot to paint. Wish I could...I can write a bit, take photographs, and play power chords on the electric guitar, but I can't paint or draw a lick.

Surreal Landscapes



The rocks along the Point Lobos coastline are mostly soft types like sandstone and conglomerate. But, some of the rocks are softer than others. Thus, they erode easily, into bizarre shapes.









Here's another cool shot of eroded rocks along the coast. Abstract art...artist Ma Nature.

Point Lobos Critters



Though it covers only a small area, Point Lobos is home to a good variety of wildlife. There are birds aplenty, and also sloats, like these harbor seals that traditionally take over this small island just a few yards offshore.









Deer hang out in the reserve in force; I saw three today while hiking. They're not quite tame...they edge a few yards away from you when you walk slowly up to take their picture, but they certainly don't run away. Maybe if you paid their booking agent a little more cash, they'd be more forthcoming.

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Massive Storm






Yesterday we had the strongest storm to hit the area in several years. It was dramatic. The wind howled, the rain came down in sheets, and the surf roared. Actually, the best surf came in today, after the wind and rain had abated. Breakers in excess of 20 feet roared ashore in spectacular fashion. I had only seen waves this large once in my 14 years in Monterey; that was about five years ago. The best place to go watch huge waves in this area is Carmel River State Beach. The ocean bottom drops off abruptly just offshore from the beach, and the waves rise to great heights before thundering down with a massive roar. There is also a bluff above the sand where the monster waves can be viewed safely.








When you're down near beach level, the waves actually loom overhead before they crash onto the sand. It's awesome!

You know the waves mean business when they barrel over the sand berm on the beach and roar across the parking lot into the lagoon with absolute impunity. A couple days ago the seaward side of the parking lot was perhaps 6-8 feet above the sand, but the storm surge combined with the high tide to completely remake the beach and smooth it out all the way from the berm through the lot to the lagoon.






When they crashed down, the waves thundered with a roar that vibrated the earth...at least that's how it seemed. Truly a spectacle of nature. I took a lot of video of the waves, and also of the oak trees waving in the storm the day before, but I haven't learned how to insert video clips into the blog.







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Tuesday, January 01, 2008

A Spectacular End to 2007






I spent New Years Eve at my friends' Spike and Danny's home overlooking the sea in Moss Beach, between Half Moon Bay and San Francisco. It was a beautiful day, almost completely clear; but late in the afternoon high clouds began to develop in the western sky. The timing was perfect; the result was a magical sunset.






The bases of the high clouds were set alight by the sun, now below our horizon but still shining on the clouds five miles up in the sky.






As the sun dropped farther below the horizon, it continued to illuminate the cirrocumulus clouds that were spreading across the sky. Spike, Danny, and I watched with awe from the deck of their home. It was a true five star sunset!











As evening drew down, the clouds changed from gold to magenta. It was a stunning end to 2007!