Having lived for most of my early years in Arizona, Summer has never been my favorite of seasons. Like my poor garden flowers, I tend to wilt in hot weather. Ahwahnee California, where we live now, is not nearly as hot as Arizona, but it is still too hot for comfort. So most of summer is spent indoors with the comfort of an evaporator cooler.

"Turkey Ranch Shed" - next door to our place

So for this summer, I spent a beautiful day at Balboa Park, San Diego, when Corey was down there for a job interview. Then there was a trip down to southern California to the "World of Warcraft" convention, "Blizzcon." But the main vacation consisted of driving to Berkeley California where we dropped our son, Michael, off with a friend. They were traveling the next day to Yokahoma, Japan, where they will be spending the semester in school there. Then, Corey and I went to San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. After that, we spent a couple of nights staying on the Monterey Penisula. There, we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary at Asilomar Beach, where we had been married.

Asilomar

"Anniversary Waltz"

Asilomar is a beautifully moody place where the wind whips the waves and sends the fog flowing in and around the land.

Parasol by the Sea

"Parasol by the Sea"

Whether reading by the beach, strolling along the edge of the waters, or watching the flow of the fog across the hillsides, there is a great deal of quiet pleasure to be found by the sea.

Seaside Cottage

"Seaside Cottage"

The houses in this area range in styles from century-old victorian and Queen Anne Cottages to modern mansions, but they all retain a uniquely individual look.

"Child by the Sea"

"Renewal"

From the warm, soft sand squishing through your toes, the crisp breeze wildly blowing your hair, the sounds of rolling waves and screeching sea gulls, all of your senses come alive here. You are renewed with the wonder and joy of living.