sunset state beach

July 27, 2003
Midday, Sunset State Beach
cool, breezy, gray skies with an occasional breakthrough by the sun - a nice change from the 100+ heat of the valley these past couple weeks



First thing we notice is strange blue creatures washed up on the beach - the kids notice the resemblance to man-o-wars so we dub them blue jellies and decide to avoid stepping on them - just in case.

In our excitement we head off on a walk down the beach right away. Blue jellies are there the whole way.

We come back to our spot with a bucket of lovely finds:

a big flat rock, grey with gold spotches; a closed up clam to be thrown back into the surf; two whole sand dollars, one still with the "fur" on it; a whole crab somehow overlooked by seagulls; and a variety of shell and peices of sells.

We also find a very large beetle washed up and much the worse for the wear near 'our spot' for the day, who knows what distand land he's from?

A good three inches in length, his wings and legs much damaged, he ends up on his back after only being able to propel himself in circles.

The gulls must be well-fed: first we find the big beetle, then three whole small crabs washed up on the beach - all would seem to be good eating.



Later: feels cooler, the tide is coming in. Many of the blue jellies have dried to only leave their clear sails. I take the Mamiya for a nice walk downt he beach and return to find the kids deep in a hole they've been digging all day.

(A later trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium teaches us that our "blue jellies" are really "by-the-wind sailors", a relative of the jellies.)

happy birthday bob

July 4, 2003
Mom & Dad's house, out back in common greenbelt
7 p.m. 80 degrees nice, clear, warm



Had a birthday party for Bob, barbaque and cake and ice cream. Scott had to leave for work and now we're waiting for dark and fireworks. Haven't decided if we'll do the little ones in the driveway or face the crowds to see big ones for free at the mall. The kids are running around yelling and chasing each other, full of anticipation.

July 2, 2003

July 2, 2003
7:30 p.m. cooling - 80 degrees
clear, light breeze out of the south - Delta breeze
Rio Linda Airport
sun low in the sky

Scott is taking the kids up for rides in the 150; I wait on the ground with whoever isn't up in the air. Several birds out, we see magpies, mocking birds and a flock of blackbirds off the end of the runway. We're sitting on some old steel chairs in the cut dead grass, in the shade of a couple trees off the runway. A scruffy female blackbird lands and "skirich's" near us - maybe 10 feet away - Dee follows her until she finally flies away.



Scott drops off Phil, takes Dee up - we hear rustling in the bushes along the fence and Phil spots a garter snake, who slithers away into a hole before I can catch a glimpse, too.

Sun much lower on the horizon now, it rests just above the clack row of oaks to the west of the runway.

We hear an odd sound, something between a duck quacking and a little dog barking, then we see a pair of herons slowly settle down to land on the ski-boat lake next door.

A pair of crows sit and occasionally caw out from the top dead branches of a nearby tree.



8:16 p.m. - the sun seems to suddenly dip behind the west row of oaks, putting us in a long shadow - the cessna comes in for a landing - time to go home.