IT'S TIME TO HIT UP THE BEACH!!

One of my favorite places to go walk is at the beach. Each season has it's perks.

I love the winter when it's chilly out, a bit grey and very quiet at the beach.

I love Spring when the weather is perfect out. Not hot, but still warm. The stores are starting to open up. The rental signs are slowly coming down as they houses are rented out.

Fall is a great time to walk at the beach. Hardly a person to be found but every now and then you pass another walker. The breeze brings the smells from the Ocean to you and you are often alone with only your thoughts.

But, come Summer... Well, the beach comes alive. People every where. Sounds of laughter fill the air. The sand fills up with bright colored umbrellas and families. Young lovers walk along hand in hand.

Today was the last day of school here. So the beach was filled with young people gathering, talking and planning what they will be doing all summer.

Most people were still supporting their white Winter bodies. Soon to be a gold brown.



The Life Guards were back, protecting everyone and making sure everyone stays safe.

As we, my sister Maureen and I, walked from The Newport Beach Pier to the Balboa Beach Pier, I fully enjoyed the view.

Oh come on! I may be old but I'm not blind. This young 20 something was just what I needed to keep up my desire to walk from one city to the next.

I enjoyed looking at all the pretty houses too. Yes, that is one house, right on the beach. Oh if only my dreams could come true...

I loved how so many of the houses have huge windows that open up and bring the outdoors in. Or should I say, the indoors out.

I loved the copper on top of this house with the weathered green patina.

I have to admit, walking from Newport Beach to Balboa was a great walk. I enjoyed every minute of it.

However, when we turned around and started to walk back it seemed much further. We couldn't even see the pier at Newport Beach.

So, when we finally made it back to where we had parked, I was happy to be able to sit down and rest.

I looked it up and was surprised to see it's a 6 mile walk that we did.

Hey, I think I just proved to myself that exercise doesn't have to be bad. It can be very enjoyable. I just can't think of it as exercise.

Summer is a perfect time for us to get outdoors, get some fresh air, see some nice things and get our bodies moving. You won't even notice you are really doing nothing more then exercise!

A WALK AT THE BEACH IN THE FOG

Yesterday I started my new life style for 2009. I ate healthy, wrote everything down and then I decided to go for a walk for exercise.

But, I didn't want to walk around the neighborhood. So I picked up my camera, got in my car and drove about 20 minutes to Newport Beach.


I absolutely love going to the beach in the winter. Even more so then in the summer. To some of you that may sound strange.

In the winter the beach has an err of mystery, romance and is even a bit eerie when the fog rolls in.


There were very few people there but there were lots and lots of Sandpipers. They are so fun to watch. They chase the water as it rolls back to the sea. Then they peck down to get dinner.

Once a wave comes towards them they turn and run into shore. They run so fast! They almost look like a cartoon when they run. I had to laugh at them.

The lifeguard stations are all closed up now. The sign reminds you that you are alone out there as it says NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY.

The fog was coming in pretty fast and it was getting colder and colder as the minutes ticked by.

However, the Sea Gulls were still hanging around looking for food.

In the summer time the Sea Gulls fly around searching for left over food that humans may leave behind as they go into the water or have packed up and gone home. In the winter they know they have to hunt for their food as the people are gone.

So out with the Sandpipers they stand waiting for something to grab hold of to munch on.

There were a few brave surfers out there. The waves are always better for them in the winter since there are storms that bring with them dream waves.

There were several fishermen trying to catch a fish or two off the pier. I don't know how they did because I didn't walk on the pier today.

Most were packing up though, as the fog was becoming so thick you could hardly see the end of the end of the pier.

My walk did take me under the pier. I have always thought it looks so much better under the pier then on top.

The Barnacles that attach themselves to the pier were pretty shades of white and greens today.

I managed to get a small collection of shells. Now this may not seem like a big deal, but, most of our beaches here in So. California don't have many shells. We have mostly sand.

In the summer shells are almost impossible to find unless you get there early. Then most of what you do find are broken ones.

Up towards the parking area there is a great place to purchase fresh fish.

Early in the morning the fishermen pull up here and you can purchase whatever the catch of the day may be.

This is the area the fish is sold. I'm not sure if they fill the boats with the fish or what. Since I don't eat fish I've never gotten there early enough to see what goes on.

When I looked up and saw these Pelicans I thought they were fake. It's hard to tell but they were very very BIG! Then I saw them move and I knew they were real.

I thought this little lighthouse was cute. I wonder if it lights up at night.

It finally got to cold and to foggy to stay any longer so I went back to my car. Once inside, I just sat there for awhile. It's so peaceful there. I hated to leave. But, I knew it was just the first of many visits to the beach I will have this year.

I'm already longing to go back.