Back at the Ranch

I spent last week at a fine house at the Sea Ranch, one of my favorite places. The mix of comfort, luxury, beauty, and serenity you get when you rent a home there is fabulous. Every day, you glow. You bask in nature; luxuriate in the hot tub; eat and drink well; immerse yourself in tranquillity; and indulge in your favorite pastimes. The house I rented this time had a pool table and a pinball machine, which happened to be the same machine I played at Jantzen Beach when I was a kid! I spent the weekdays by myself and three friends came up for the weekend...a perfect combination for me. Here the pelicans are crusin' the coast.

This was the first time I've been to the Ranch in May, and it turns out May is a fabulous flower month. Lupines, poppies, and wild irises abound. Combined with the surf, which was large for this time of year, it's quite a spectacular scene.

The Sea Ranch has a really cool chapel. It was built in 1985, is nondenominational, and it's a very peaceful, spiritual spot no matter what your religion is...or even if you're not religious at all. This is the largest window in the building. It's very cozy...only seats about 20 people. Its innovative, understated design meshes perfectly with the scene here.

The deer are quite tame at the Ranch. They coexist with the human residents, except that I've never heard of any folks letting the deer share the hot tub with them. Other common critters hereabouts include jackrabbits and wild turkeys.