Cali Coast

It’s May Day!! I hope you make a May Basket for someone or ones special in your life. It’s just plain wonderful to get a knock at the front door and find a hanging basket on the the knob. Hopefully you can bring a smile to some neighbors and loved ones around you today. 🙂

April was a bit disappointing in Iowa. Too many cold days and way too much snow for April. Does May ever disappoint? Not to my recollection. I think it’s my favorite month! The flowers are in full bloom in May. The grass is green. The weather is warm. Well, there’s just no place like Iowa in May. It couldn’t be a more perfect month for the Midwest.

Update on the farming: Corn and bean planting are going very well. There is rain in the forecast, so I imagine tonight will be another late night of planting. Keep the farmers in your prayers. They truly are buring a candle at both ends.

seed tender

One guy moves this tender from field to field, planter to planter filling the boxes with the soybean or corn seed. Word has it we are finished up on the corn planting, so I’m guessing they are loading with bean seed. It is much quicker and more efficient than the old-fashioned way of dumping bag after bag into the planter boxes, then burning the bags in the field when finished. Lugging those heavy bags from pickup box to planter box is no small task. (I can tell you this from experience.) 🙂 And, no, I don’t miss it. 🙂

Now…….on to another subject:

I LOVE the palm trees! (And the grandkids, of course.)

Jen and I took a quick trip to Southern California last week to watch Addison perform in the musical, The Lion King, put on by  Christian Youth Theater, a nation-wide organization.We weren’t allowed to take pictures during the performance, but here are a few post-show pics. She was the cutest little cheetah I ever did see, with all the make-up and garb!

And I’m also bringing you some photos of the beautiful coast again, specifically La Jolla Cove just north of San Diego. Just can’t get enough of the sunshine, water, flowers, sights and sounds of the coast.

These coastal flowers are just spectacular in color and size, growing down the bank to the rocks.

More flowers. These are kind of like rose moss, a succulent we grow here in Iowa. Unfortunately I don’t know the names of tropical flowers very well.

 

The geological formations are simply amazing. The kids could explore all day, I think.
This spot was just a little too steep to walk or slide down.

 

Oh, what a nice looking group. Think I’ll take their picture!! 🙂 Ha! By the way, the noisy waves like to spray you and douse you from time to time.
Bennett and Lincoln discover some unique shells.
These little pools of water by their feet are called tide pools and are filled with sea urchins. The kids call them living donuts as they are just about the size of a donut. If you touch these little shell covered urchins, they move. YIKES!!!!!!
shell-covered sea urchin. (Yes, I touched it, even though I didn’t want to. I was coerced.)
So many walkers, bikers, skaters and runners out and about today.
Jenny snapping another shot of the beauty surrounding us. Oh what fun we had!

Just up the hill and across the street are high-rise apartments and high-end shops. Wow! What a view! Cannot imagine the cost of an apartment in that building!

Just a short walk around the cove are very loud barking seals and noisy sea lions. The sounds are magnificent against the crashing of the waves. I love it! The lazy sea lions lie around taking in the sun while the seals are constantly jumping in and out of the water trying to get the sea lions to wake up and join them. They were a lot of fun to watch. Just a little bit different view from my pasture of cows and calves. 🙂
Walking down to the shore was a bit of a trick. The long staircase was very steep and sand covered which made each step of the way slick. Yes, we used the guard rail.
The Torrey Pines are perfect climbers, however, there are signs saying we’re not allowed. They are beautiful.
The kids wanted to stop and shop at this surf shop, but time wouldn’t permit this day. They enjoy their “boogie boards” but might need to take a surf lesson or 2 before they are ready to buy one of these. 🙂

 

The day we went to the beach we got to sit inon a high school surfing competion right in front of us which was a lot of fun to see. I enjoyed listening to the music from “The Beach Boys” singing about California Girls as the high schools gals were competing. There’s always a sport to see no matter what part of the planet you’re on.

The seals and sea lions are directly down from this path of visitors.

Every time we go we see and do some pretty unique and amazing things. We are certainly taking in every moment and loving the memories of our blessed California family and the beauty of the landscape. Thank you, Lord, for Your beautiful creation. We are overwhelmed!

 

Psalm 104:1-9

“Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering Yourself with light as with a garment,

stretching out the heavens like a tent.

He lays the beams of His chambers on the waters; He makes the clouds His chariot; He rides on the wings of the wind; He makes His messengers winds, His minister a flaming fire.  He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved.

You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. At Your rebuke they fled; at the sound of Your thunder they took to flight.

The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that You appointed for them. You set a boundary that they may not pass,

so that they might not again cover the earth. 

To God be the glory.

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