The last few days in review

The last few days in review begins with a trip to the Chula Vista Farmer's Market in the downtown area. There was a good selection including smoked fish.


Beautiful cut flowers and fresh veggies including squash blossoms that when prepared correctly make for a wonderful Quesadilla. Needless to say we bought some. By the way this is the cut flowers and we didn't cook them.


On their way back to the car I took this picture because I liked the composition of the streetlight and the tree.


Christmas Day dinner was at Steven and Martha's home and took a few pictures there including this one of Chris making binocular eyes....


...and Samantha with her blinking red nose.


Scrabble Queen ate on the patio with the more mature boys.


The dinner table inside was beautifully set by Martha for the dinner.


After eating there was nothing to do but play with Chris on the slide...


and Kevin turning flips off of the monkey swing.


Kevin had made a mini fire ring like the one I showed him how to make at Gettysburg.


Then it was time for me to play with my camera taking flower pictures.

First a beautiful new bloom


...and this cone flower looking bud just blooming...


...and these delicate red blooms....


and finally one of my artsy pics of the wheelbarrow


That night we took a drive to Coronado Island to the Hotel Del Coronado but on the way stopped by the 101 dalmations house.


What a joy for the neighborhood kids to see and wonderful Griswold's Christmas Adventure.


The "Del" (what we locals call the Hotel Del Coronado) was as magnificent as ever. The hotel that became famous years ago and when "Some Like it Hot" was filmed became a San Diego "must see" attraction.


The courtyard gazebo is like a gem in the inner recesses of the grand old hotel.


Maybe the most nostalgic thing was seeing the Crown chandelier in the Crown room - It was a favorite of Scrabble Queen's mom Brunch Queen. Virginia loved the Champaign brunch at the Del as did we all. She is very missed especially at Christmas.


No Scrabble

Quote of the Day

The Set-up
Jerry (Jack Lemon) has dressed as a girl to escape mobsters out to kill him and Osgood (Joe E. Brown) falls for Jerry and is proposing.

The Quote
Jerry : Oh, you don't understand, Osgood! Ehhhh... I'm a man.
Osgood : Well, nobody's perfect.

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