Beauty and the beach…

 

 

It’s been four years since my last visit to La Jolla.  Before the pandemic, we went at least once a year, sometimes twice or even more.  I believe I’ve been there every month of the year…with the exception of May. It’s always been amazing, but I now realise I took it for granted, thinking I could always plan a quick trip whenever my heart fancied…

I didn’t think I needed a vacation until I got there.  My daughter had a week off (spring break), so the timing was great, and she was agreeable to go.

 

 

 

Our hotel is steps away from the ocean.  From there, La Jolla Shores Beach is a mile long, and if you time the tides just so, the walk down to the pier and back is both invigorating and peaceful. The boardwalk (cement walkway) is lined with a perfectly aligned allee of palm trees standing watch.  Just beyond the promenade is a row of mansions overlooking the beach.  Rarely do you see anyone in these homes…I wonder if they know how lucky they are to have this magnificent view before them.

The Scripps Pier is at the other end of the mile-long walk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further up the beach is La Jolla Cove. This is home to the seals, seen here sunning themselves on the rocks.

 

 

 

The shorebirds are always scurrying along the shoreline on the hunt for insects, marine worms, or small crustaceans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

…and the pesky, beautiful seagulls…opportunists looking for a tasty unattended picnic lunch…

 

 

 

 

The surfers lined up day and night, ready to catch the perfect wave.  The water was rough, with extra high tides (full moon), and I’m guessing the surfers didn’t want to miss out on the ideal conditions.

 

I read “Malibu Rising” while I was on vacation…I was very tuned in to the surfers…

 

 

 

Just before sunset, the pelicans flock over the ocean in a feeding frenzy.  The baby pelicans fly closer to the shoreline and, occasionally, dare to dive headfirst into the ocean in search of their first catch.  This is quite a spectacle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the highlights of every day is watching the sunset from the beach or while enjoying a glass of wine in the lounge where the sun sets directly in front at this time of the year.

 

 

 

And just like magic, as the sun set in the west, we were treated to the full “pink” moon (named after pink spring flowers) rising in the east.  This year, April’s full moon is the first full moon, called the Paschal Full Moon, after the spring equinox.  The best view of this full moon is just as it’s rising above the horizon when it appears its biggest and has a golden hue.  As we walked into the village for dinner, the moon lit the sky (April 5).

***Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon. 

I’ve never meditated…I’m sure I don’t have the attention span to succeed!

I live a happy, charmed life with an abundance of all things good.  However, I find the world around me challenging and toxic in many ways.  All that negativity does pile up somewhere inside, lingering longer than it should.

 

After being at the beach, away from the 24-hour news cycle and all the misery and sadness we’re often subjected to, I realize I want (or need) to escape to a “happy place”, if only in my mind.  Activating my imagination (guided imagery meditation) will take some practice, but I’m determined to revisit the sights, sounds, smells and the beauty of the beach…often.

xox Judy