Beach Day (and then I bitch about fountains)

A flooded lagoon limited access to the beach at San Gregorio today, so we went to Pampano one half-mile south instead. It was just as good.





There were not very many people out.



But there were lots of birds.







It's annoying as hell when I don't get the horizon line flat.



I wear a size 11 or 12 shoe, depending.



This felt good. Ahhh...!



We stayed for a couple hours and went for a drive.



Nice day for that on the coast.



We stopped at Sun Studios on Highway 92.



They have a lot of fountains.



And I'm kinda picky about them.

For example, I like these.



And these.



I like this one.



This could work, but only in the precisely correct garden context.



But this could never work for me in any context.



Or this.



Certainly not the dolphins.



These could work. The columns would be especially cool if you could get three of the exact same type, but I don't think you could repeat the obelisk.



This one could be groovy in the right small space.



Too much artifice.



Same problem.



Yes, but only in a Mediterranean garden or Moorish courtyard:



Again with the pretend. No, no, no.



This is too compact.



Too heavy on top and bottom.



Same theme, but look how much better this one is:



Overdone without being overdone enough!



A little too much scroll, but I like the color and water stains.



Ugh. Too 1980s!



I don't think I want the garden this one would look good in:



This is nice. So simple and effortless.



Let's only talk about things we like from now on.

I like all of these painted pots.





People say nothing looks good in strawberry pots, but thymes do.



Gorgeous. It would be nice to have one of these inside, empty.



I like the blue and white mucho.



What do you think about the frog? I like it.

San Francisco drivers--an off-topic rant.

Dear San Francisco drivers,

When you have the right-of-way at an intersection, I urge you to take it. Use it. Exercise your right to go. By going. Go.

Or "GO!" as I screamed at the umpteenth person I lately encountered who, instead of going, lingered.

Why linger? You got there first. It's your right to go. You should go. I entreat you to go. Your lingering disrupts the rhythm of things. You're not helping. In fact, you're harming. You slow things down. You make driving worse than it already is.

Are you not aware that it's your right to go first when you stop first? It is! And when you stop at the same time, right-of-way passes to person on the right. Yes, that's you! It's your turn! So go.

Has this knowledge lately fallen out of human awareness--like the One Ring lost in the Misty Mountains until stumbled upon by Bilbo Baggins? No, I don't think that's it...

I think people just aren't paying attention. They experience genuine surprise to find another person at the intersection. It's, like, "Oh my gosh! There's another person in the world driving right now! And he's at my intersection--what are the odds of that? (Is that why the stop sign is there in the first place?) Geez, I wonder who should go."

This happens when people are not paying attention. Because if you're paying attention to the world outside of your vehicular enclosure it's easy to notice who's stopping when and where. I know because I do it all the time and I'm nothin' special. It can be easy for you too. Just try paying attention. You'll see.

Yours truly,

chuck b., my back 40 (feet)