The Snowbirds Christmas Blog

Oh first let me say we didn't stay in Oregon for the winter or New England as much as we enjoy the beautiful new fallen snow.


We went to San Diego's harsh winter...


But we really really miss the snow...


We are cursed with sand, ocean and the sun.....


And really, really (again I say) miss the fun and games of winter....


But we are suffering the sweltering warmth in San Diego.....


And can't slide through life in a winter wonderland.....


But it is Christmas so we Say "Feliz Navidad, Prospero año y Felicidad"


Scrabble Score ~ Scrabble Queen 367 the Contender 379 (such a thin margin considering I had two Bingos for 100 extra points)

Quote of the Day

"I heard the bells on Christmas Day; their old familiar carols play, and wild and sweet the word repeat of peace on earth, good-will to men!" ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow quotes (the most popular American Poet in the 19th century, 1807-1882)

Surfhenge Revisited

Surfhenge at Imperial Beach, California brings back memories of Isaac's fishing trip to the pier years ago with a friend. They saved up some money took public transportation from Tierrasanta which was miles away. When they got to the pier they bought some bait fish to use for their big catch. Well, they went to the pier and started getting their together and looked around to notice a Sea Gull stealing all their bait fish and taking off. So they just enjoyed the adventure by hanging out and watching waves.

The arches shaped like surf boards are made from a colored plastic. So for my art project for the day I took three pictures through the plastic - below are the results.


Yellow was pretty bland without much detail


Green was pretty cool with palm trees and the glow of the dropping sun.



Blue gave a very nice glow.


I think at times we all look at things through colored glasses and the best we can hope for is a glimpse of beauty.

Scrabble Score ~ Scrabble Queen 375 the contender 367 (falling short again)

Quote of the Day

"Rose-colored glasses are never made in bifocals. Nobody wants to read the small print in dreams." ~ Ann Landers

Excitement at Imperial Beach

We heard the surf was up and it was although you can't tell it much here.


But here you get a better idea. Those waves were super and just kept coming.


I went under the pier for a few shots.


Then the other side and they were big on that side also.


Even directly under the pier.


Then back out catching this sunset.


I even got a surfer dude filming the waves.


And the G-Kids on a rock in front of the Cow-a-Bunga Burger joint.


This entrance was named after the world famous Stonehenge


SURFHENGE


I loved this bus bench - I think it was made by one of Matt's old boards.



Scrabble Score - Scrabble Queen 325 - the contender (plotting revenge) 289

Quote of the Day (after watching Cinderella Man The story of James J. Braddock)

"To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there's no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other" ~ Jack Handy quotes (American Writer and cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1991-2003. Famous for his Deep Thoughts comedy sketches.)

The Impressive Chargers to the Playground

The day started with a drive to Escondido to clarify some questions for Ed about the new DVD player and to look into his medications with the staff of Cypress Court. On the way there we passed what used to be Jack Murphy Stadium now called Qualcomm Stadium due to some rather large corporate gift a few years ago. Indianapolis' unbeaten season ended Sunday in a 26-17 loss to a San Diego team desperate to make the playoffs. Go Bolts !! (This is for Matt the most loyal of Charger Fans)


Later it looked like a gull was going to attack this Charger antenna ball ~ probably a disgruntled Colts fan.



There is beauty all around even this grocery store parking lot where I snapped some shots while waiting in the car as Scrabble Queen went shopping for some "crab boil" for a dish we were making, she found it but I think it was reallyCayenne pepper mixed with salt.... yeow!! was it ever hot.



Even the Colts gull fan club liked the roof of the store.


Back at the RV park I took this picture of the sundown glow.........



...and got a bonus shot of a helicopter


Steven brought the three older boys by for some play time with the go-carts (human powered)....



Chris loved the ride....



....... and the playground slide



I thought this was a clever idea, a Mobile Health Clinic called the "Spirit of Caring"



This reminded me of the Johnny Cash song and recent movie "I Walk the Line"



The artsy picture of the day I titled "Sunset Behind Bars" It's a playground aparatus at the RV park.


No Scrabble or Score

Quote of the Day

"All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream." ~ Edgar Allen Poe, Poet and Author

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas......

It's been a jumbled up few days since the last blog entry but I'll try and get it all.

Here at the KOA we had a group from a local Good Sam Club across the way and enjoyed their bean bag games and their company. We talked with several of them and they were wonderful people.



On the way to the store yesterday I stopped near their pet walking area and a view across the fence to the local tributary/bayou/stream/river and took this shot along the fence-line.


And this look at some beautiful Pampas Grass


And the walking area on the other side of the fence.



We drove up to Escondido to see Ed and Jill and stopped at a store to get some clementines where I saw this handicapped sign graced with a "Domestic Enemy" sticker.


And a reminder we were somewhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas.


I took this shot from Jill's Ex-Shop looking up Escondido Blvd.


After a visit with Ed to discuss the complicated world of electronics Scrabble Queen and I said goodbye to Ed and headed back.


and the next day went to Rubio's Fresh again and I admired the landscaping before eating and a trip to the movies to see "Syriana"


We went back to Steven's home to set up the Christmas Tree and David posed as Santa.....


Then Kevin got into the act.


Steven was on his way to film a basketball game for a local TV station but first he set-up the tree in it's stand.


While the home decorations got us in the spirit.


I especially liked the table top town Martha put together complete with snow.


I enjoyed sitting back to watch a tree get decorated for a change and the pros (Martha, David and Kevin) dug right in and finished in record time.


It is a beautifully decorated tree and even added tinsel later to sparkle it up a bit.



Tonight it was a beautiful sunset from Steven and Martha's home.


Chris played Uno solitaire style ...


Samantha ate and read a book until it was time to go to the bay.


We were a little late for the boat parade but the San Diego skyline was as beautiful as I remember it.


Across the bay two hangers at North Island Naval Base glowed in the night.


We drove through Christmas Circle which was beautiful but it was a bit hard to take a night shot in a moving car - but what the heck I added this shaky shot.



Scrabble Score Scrabble Queen 349 ~ The Contender 329 (The queen was behind all the way until the very last play when she made W-I-Z-E-N on a triple word score)

Quote of the Day (today it's two for one) ~

"No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices."

and

"Our major obligation is not to mistake slogans for solutions." ~Edward R. Murrow newsman and American Icon whose slogan was another quote and the title of a very good movie now playing "Goodnight and Good Luck"