Sunday, June 12, 2011

California: Too Much Pretty

I hit what I will call a "pretty overload" today. As Joe put it, at every turn it's like, look, more pretty. So many breathtaking cliff views of roiling ocean or quiet bay, vast blue skies and fertile green hills, little yellow gatherings of flowers, field upon field of artichokes and strawberries. Fog enrobed mountains, curving twisting roads, beaches covered with happy barking sea lions. Somehow after a full week of this glorious nature I'm actually longing for the flat plains of Kansas.

Cliff bottom

Today between post graduation brunch and the evening get togethers, Joe and I took a few hours to tour around Santa Cruz. We hit an antique street fair and browsed and hippie watched. And Dave had suggested we visit Long Marine Lab to see the 87 foot blue whale skeleton outside the facility and at the same time take a look at the Natural Bridges Park right next door. We drove over, it was nearly empty.



Blue whale skull

We had nowhere to be in a hurry. So while Joe tried to capture in flight sea gull photos, I sat on the light brown grass and gazed off into the bay for a perfect quiet half hour. I just watched sailboats and birds. I just took a minute to absorb the pretty. Take in a small manageable dose before it's gone. I'll miss it tomorrow as we fly in over the flat yellow land that we call home. But I'll be glad to return.


2 comments:

bethany actually said...

Oh, this post made me laugh. I admit, having grown up in Nebraska, when we moved to San Diego in 1996 I felt something similar. Only I didn't think it was too pretty; I thought it wasn't the right kind of pretty. Now, though, I love California's gaudy, grand, breezy everyday prettiness. I even find the vast stretches of desert in central CA lovely, which I never would have said 15 years ago.

I hope we move back to San Diego after DC. I miss having that kind of prettiness as the background of my life.

David said...

What a great shot. The sea, the waves crashing with the reality of humanity, shoes, travel, everyday life. Great eye!