back on his bike!

John back on his bike during Thanksgiving.

Cowles Mountain

On one of the mornings that we were in California, John and I ventured away from the beach house to explore the surrounding area.  We decided on a hike up Cowles Mountain, a little west of San Diego.  It was a popular spot - lots of people there, but then there are lots of people most everywhere in Southern California.  Cowles Mountain is part of the Mission Trails Regional Park.

According to a sign, the park was once part of the ancestral homeland of the Kumeyaay Indians, who still live in the San Diego area.  "Haawka" is the traditional greeting of their language.  I tried this greeting with some of my fellow hikers and they looked at me like I was crazy.

There are a zillion fitness nuts in California …

 Canyons abound ...

view of Chicago

I wasn't sure if John was going to make it home for Thanksgiving.  First, the snow in Pittsburgh threatened to make the drive to the airport treacherous, but fortunately it wasn't as cold as expected, so that part went smoothly.

Then, John was flying into Chicago and had only 1/2 hour to make it to the last flight for West Palm Beach.  I'm watching all this from my computer and can see that his flight was going to be late getting to Chicago.  I figured he would just have go to his cousin Mary Lou's house in Chicago for Thanksgiving dinner.

Well, they did get to Chicago with just 10 minutes until the connecting plane (in another terminal) was scheduled to leave (on time) for WPB.  They let John and another woman off of the plane first, where he fast-walked and made it!

I didn't get a call, so I watched the plane in real time make its way South, and Jubilee and I set out to get him at about 9:30pm.  He made it home!

wierd view

These posts are going to be all out of order, time-wise, for awhile.  Just can't seem to keep up with things in a chronological way.

The view from our bed in California was over a porch and then right out to the Pacific Ocean.  The last night I woke up and saw this!

It looked like a huge planet but was really the reflection of the circular window of the house onto the glass window of our view.  You can see the porch railing, the sky, the waves of the ocean, and the reflection of the window.

Thanksgiving 2013

 We went to Sandy and Frank's house to join the motley crew of those with no place to go!  A good time.

 Sandy and Uncle Vinnie ...

More California Photos

Grammy and Ryan coming down the steps.

 Ryan is not yet 2 and trying very hard to be a big boy while still wanting to be a baby as well.  He has never had a haircut.  Very sweet little boy.

 Aunt Heather and Ryan.

 Our house is the middle one, with the blue umbrellas.  From the beach you have to have a marker so that you can find your way home!  On Saturday there was a big marathon on the beach.  Seemed like thousands of people out for a run on the beach.

 Surfers were almost always out ...

 … and regular walkers ...

 John said that somebody could make a lot of money landscaping the cliffs to prevent erosion.

 Uncle Jon and Luke looking for something.  The ball, I think.

 Luke, in kindergarten already.

 Balloons ready for the party.

 Uncle Jon and Luke watching something on TV.  Probably sports.

 Sunset as we leave for the Baptism.

 Balloons the morning after ...

 John getting suited up for a swim ...

 For a few nights we had the upstairs "master's suite".

 Always open to the Pacific ocean, with its own sitting area, fireplace, huge shower, bidet, on and on ...

 Getting ready for dinner ...

 Fiji placemats.

 The deck at night.

 Michael catching a wave in the morning surf.

 Jack, a first grader.  I like his quiet, subdued style!

 Everybody out on the deck looking at something ...

 … not sure what ...

.

 Greg and Matthew, laid back.

Farmer's Market

While we were in Southern California we went to a Sunday Farmer's Market in Encinitas.  It was held at a Middle School, where each graduating class got to leave a mosaic on the outer wall of the building.  The effect was stunning.  Here John and I are in front of work of the Class of 2008.

 In a lot of ways, California feels ahead of the rest of the country, less corrupted by mediocrity.  Like the San Francisco hippies of the 60s, this California farmer's market felt just a little more "pure" than the local Florida ones.  Like, the worms ...

 … and the green drinks ...

 … and the mushrooms.

 Coconut oil is getting big everywhere these days, though.