after Covid letup a bit and the extheme heat of summer has relented some here in the Central Valley, I’ve finally been able to get out of the house and try to Jack my QOL . Drove over to the coast for 5 days in exotic Moonstone Beach on the central coast ( part of Cambria) . Drove up the highway to the elephant seal state park …. Saw the enormously powerful musk elephant seals ( peeeeee uuuuuuuuuu ) and saw what is probably the largest gathering of sea birds I’ve seen in my lifetime…. This on a beach near the elephant seal beach. Pictures included……..
getting out and taking your mind off “ things “ with some great QOL experience’s is GOOD medicine.
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Kaliber
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thank you … adt has taken my personal mobility and made me an invalid but I’m trying to stop that from robbing my remaining life experiences. It’s tricky,
the state has those monsters well protected with special viewing areas. Imaging if you fell down into a bunch of grouchy elephant seal’s yikes ….. yayahahaha if you haven’t experienced the powerful aroma of the musk these monsters drench themselves with, the trip is worth that experience alone . …. WOW …
Sounds like your perfect picnic on the beach with musky sea creatures and runny smelly cheese in your basket. Add some animal feces, dead fish and call it a party!
Before dx and pandemic my wife and I would go to grocery store together. I would talk, and talk to people women or men at the cash register. Leaving the store my wife would sometimes say "do you have to be an open book" "can't you leave some mystery to who we are". lol.
I could have been the guy in the George Thorogood song "She kinda funny" "Now you funny too".
while out this morning we drove down that oceanfront row of weekend party establishments in Cayucos ….that’s an intense scene with the surfers , drinkers and general surf scene crowd. Some serious party hardy starts Friday nights lasts all weekends. Pretty much exactly same as Santa Cruise. Not a place for light weights and people that aren’t professional grade substance abusers yayahahaha
I have fond memories of Ben Lomond and The SC boardwalk as a teen . I listened to “ under the board walk “live on top of the boardwalk as I smoked under the boardwalk .,boardwalk! 😎✌️
Lived in Santa Barbara for 35 years. Used to Windsurf and Kitesurf at Arroyo Laguna, just below the Hearst Castle. Right next to the Elephant Seal Rookerie. Some of the most beautiful Coastline in the US.
Uncle Whitey lives up there. Many of my friends have seen the 3’ dorsals on the surface. Occassional pod of Killer Whales will cruise through there. Good time to get out of the water. Like you, it always cleared my head.
Another great spot for your next outing is Jalama Beach just South of Lopoc, and Vandenburg AFB. About 17 mile drive off of Hwy 1, thru the Jalama Ranch. Halfway between Pt Conception, and Pt Arguello. Great store for lunch or breakfast. Store closes at 5pm usually. If you like to camp or Motorhome a great location. Have Kited there many many times from ‘84 to 2019. Mike
yea buddy … this place is nearly paradise compared to pressure cooker Fresno. Thanks for that coastal info, I’ll actually put it on my list of QOL places to go.
Kiter here too, well when we are in Baja six months each year. Returning in two weeks. Have gotten choosier about my days but still go out. La Ventana, La Fortuna, Distiladeros, and secret spots on the East Cape. Why have you stopped?
thank you buddy, you still da man, been missing you.
Yea , I’ve been shut in way too much, weather been so screaming hot at home ( hitting nearly 110f every day ) , couldn’t even get the truck ready to fly without overheating. Sitting around too much isn’t good for any of us special guys.
Love ya brother ❤️❤️❤️
Those are insane temps? The couch is our new smoking . I started back to the gym after three yrs on the couch … 😳
good for you buddy. You used to keep in shape ( and looked real good IMHO ) doing that backbreaking work in the yard. The gym will be great for you and you can tone up a wider range of muscles for a balanced workout. Sounds good.
thanks for sharing the experiance with us. Been about 25 years since I was on a similar slow roll coast trip from SD to the redwood forrests. While reading your posts, i can close my eyes and almost smell the sea cows again.
OMG .. yayahahahaya well it’s an experience that few are likely to forget, Is it weird tho , …. that I like to go back for another sniff …. Hummmmmm 😂😂😂😂
you are lean and trim buddy, least in your last picture. Toning up will make you feel better and bulking up just slightly will make your self image perk up too. All things I’ll never have to worry about, yayahahahaya yayahahahaya… maybe a workout program for elephant 🦭 seals ….hummmmmmm …. 😂😂😂😂💪💪💪
If I only had a brain? ok maybe , at a great distance. I was an egotistical bastard prior to pc hamstringing me up .I , thought that I was king ….now for seven years I’ve been limping along on the shoulder of the road in second gear .. still here! 😳✌️
yayahahahaya, do I hear a yellow brick rods in there somewhere. You are the poster child for survival as much as about anyone on here. That’s something go to crow about buddy. I want some of that for sure.
thanks brother , this trip has lifted my mental funk … bunches.
Just came in from sunset on a tiny little ground level patio attached to these rooms … 64f, waves crashing off in the distance, gulls … pelicans and many many hummingbirds all getting ready for the perch. An ultra tame blue jay came over and ate a piece of pastry out of my hand, and sat socializing with me for a while. Zero concern or fear. A delicious break from the oppressive crushing heat over in the valley , fresh …cool air … I’m out of the house and doing pretty well doing this …. Considering . Everything seems nicer in my world ….for a change. Thinking that with fall coming , the weather will moderate and I’ll be able to have more of these QOL moments. Kewl …….
I’d wager to bet that many a mid American has never ever seen a sea Lion live on the Beach before ? The fur seals and salmon were so deep 100 yrs ago on our west coast that they were thought to be unlimited.
I know what your saying. Almost half my childhood in Seattle. Grand parents San Francisco and Chicago kind of back and forth. Then last half of childhood in Iowa. Then 5 years in Japan. Electric eels etc. but no Sea Lion experience in Japan.
We moved my dad was a natl park ranger ,for me ohmaha,then scottsbluff, Springfield Virginia , Thurmond Maryland , Tuc Az ,then Cali As an adult South Dakota ,Co., Mn,Indiana 5 yrs . Oregon 2 yrs . to marana Az now Prescott!
*I will not make jokes about sea creatures on the beach* *I will not make jokes about sea creatures on the beach* *I will not...oh heck, who am I kidding? 🦑 😳🤣
yayahahahaya… no kidding but I kinda still can’t get out of the truck without my etrike …. Good thing tho .. those elephant 🦭 seals weigh 1500 lbs … 107.14 stones … are extremely odoriferous ..and are VERY grouchy - short tempered. Best seen from a distance. The hammer gets out and takes the pictures for me, I still enjoy the sights , sounds and aromas ( flowering plants, seaweed, smelly seals … much more ) …. mild temps, waves crashing, gentle sunshine, …all from my truck ( it opens up wide open with special suicide doors ) … maybe not optimal but beats wasting away stuck on my couch . 😁🦋🌸🌻
How has Clint been doing , any of that catastrophic weather been hitting you guys ? How have YOU been doing ? It’s been a while since I’ve heard . Hope you guys are cruising along nicely. ❤️❤️❤️
Seriously, it's so lovely to hear about and see your adventures! I am able to live vicariously through you, and your posts and pics have lifted my spirits! Stinky seals or not! I am happy for you that you were able to get out, see the sights, and breathe in some healing ocean air...again, minus the stinky seals! 🕊️🙏❤️🕯️🐳🐚🦋
circumstances had formed that trapped me at home. One minor trip here earlier but only weekly trips to Kaiser otherwise. This is such a joy and I’ve been able to be comfortable doing it this time. Feels incredible and points out how important QOL is for all of us stage 4 guys and their loving care providers. Wasn’t sure if I’d be able to ever do something like this again.
Thanks Kim for your nice thoughts , I appreciate them very much.
Killer K, Awesome pic and post. Glad you were able to get out to cooler temps and over to the California coast. I grew up in Northern Cal, and worked in the Ventura, Ojai and greater LA areas. Always tried to make time to see the beach, and I practically worship the northern coast with the coastal redwoods.
Amazing how a change coupled with nature can clear out the cobwebs. Safe travels home with the hammer.
PS - I was going to make a crack about how you cut my head off with your photo, but Pickleball and Campsoups beat me to the punch. Damn them
lol …..thanks buddy …. The beautiful north coast is more manly than, say , nighttime campfires on Huntington Beach. Lots of rain ( was anyway ) , rugged coastline, magnificent coastal redwoods, snow in winter occasionally …. As purdy as it gets. California is special with so many different but beautiful coastal climes available. I’m more of a San Diego than Crescent City type of guy yayahahahaya.
love San Diego as well, but I’m kinda anti social much of the time, so I prefer the solitude of the northern coast (and a little of humbolt county’s best)
During my Cali years I started in Novato then San Rafael ,Terra Linda, Rohnert park , left 1981 , in 1989 back to Cardiff by the Sea then back to Cali in the 2000s to San Clemente for three years! ❤️It ! Marin as a teen was a gas in the 70’s .
I remember sleeping on top of the sheets or outside in the days before ac
My wife and I had a great vacation in Redding a couple of months after we were married
It was April and it was cold and raining here in Oregon (“It was Sunday, it was raining, and it was Oregon”). We headed south looking for the sunshine and we found it in Redding. Temps were close to 80 degrees, and we got a room where we could practically dive in the pool from our door. That and the frequent and fabulous sex made it one of our favorite vacations ever. Don’t remember much about the town...
Hey Big K , nice to see you getting out! Nothing like some fresh sea air and elephant seal musk to clear your head. 🙃 Yea, glad the heatwave is over, that was brutal, even down here in Sandi… hope you had a great time. Cheers, Tim 😀
that is the best way to deal with this disease. Try to forget the inevitable and just enjoy and savor what we have at the moment. I take trips, flights, ride the big motorcycle, laugh with friends , and I love every moment. We live for today, try to find a cure , or an extension of life with the best QOL! Enjoy Kaliber! Smell the flowers, bask in the sunand havefun!
yea those bulls watching - fighting for their harem are downright violent and dangerous. You can see a torn and scarred proboscis on most of those big boys. Those bulls are enormous too.
My wife and I started fulltime RVing in 1993. Four years ago we settled down in a RV Co-op. Unfortunately, because the hospitals were overflowing with antivaxxers, she couldn't get immediate care which ultimately killed her in November. This spring I bought a small motorhome and started on a giant circle to see friends and family. Just past 7K miles with about another K to go.
Ouch. So sorry to hear that. I bet you imagine her sitting beside you as you motor along. I talked to my wife, for a while, after she was gone. She always gave good advice.
Condolences on your loss brother. Glad to hear that you are out making a circuit of those you care about. During the pandemic I bought a small tow behind so I could do the same. One of the best purchases I've made in a long while.
I was thinking somewhere along those lines too - hairless, abdominal fat, appears to be low motivation going on there too - seems like those elephant seal pictures might remind one of their current state, instead of taking their mind off it!
Yay! So glad that you were able to get out and get some "me" time, away from dwelling on d*mn PCa. I grew up in Hawaii, and Cecilio and Kapono came out with this song in like the 70's
you are my inspiration for this trip buddy …. Your exploits have spurred me on to get out and get doing something too. You are the best …. It gets kinda scary….sitting there on my couch …letting what limited opportunities I have left waste away.
Loved the music. My Dad got recalled during the Korean War and was stationed at Pearl Harbor. I was in the 8h grade. Shortly after we got there, he got a hardship discharge and went to work at the Navy Yard as a diver. We were there for nearly a year before returning to the Mainland. Great times.
Oh, awesome, You were in my 'hood! I left Hawaii in 1975 to attend Loyola Marymount near LAX, and stayed for dental school at USC. Now, it's been way longer in CA than HNL, but ain't calling myself a Californian!
Not an ethnic Hawaiian, though people say I look it.
99 % Southern Chinese from Guangdong Province which sent a ton of Chinese to "Gold Mountain" - USA or more specifically CA. Grandparents went to HNL to work the fields.
Indeed , a holiday is just what the Dr ordered, Clint and I have just come back from a three week holiday to Crete,a little too hot , nearly 40 every day , but wall to wall sunshin☀ will give us the boost we need to get through our winter !!
Glad you and your Missus managed to get away for a few days, great picture. It truly does help take your mind off things.... for a while at least.
dang , it’s good to hear you got back to lovely Crete … I know how much you guys love that place. Boy !!! Seems like this stuff is ever so much more important for guys like us.
Its been hard to get out, stuff stacking up against me , I feel pretty lucky to have this opportunity.
Good to hear from you again. Clint sounds like he’s doing Ok … pretty kewl. Hope it holds.
Love the Moonstone Beach. Also stayed in Cayucos many times. And you are right. Wife, who rarely got drunk, got so blasted there once, I had to babysit her. Last coast trip was Morro Bay. Shared my room with a great friend who passed from cancer in March. Our usual Bass Lake Super Bowl blowout was canceled because he was to sick to go. We are going in November now. Lived in Pismo Beach/Arroyo Grande for about 3 years. At least the drive to see them damn seals is great. I am so happy you and the Hammer are having a nice vacation. You deserve it.
Kaliber remind me and should hopefully al of us the time of this moment of time to visualize and put aside the will even difficult and low at the least he gathered to express the right of pure passion for life and take possession of the beauty it still possesses even when life has a difficult way and pass at us.With all my true living experiences you are truely a high caliber to respond of true fire of warrior and shield of honor we should never ever forget.Thank you for all your admirable laughter,wit and control of an positive attitudes distributed on this form and all contributions made by many who deal with disease and morbidity and co morbidities.
thanks for all those “ flowers “ my friend. I’m sure I’m just one in a large crowd of “ like “ brothers here in the same or similar boat. I’m just more vocal about it is all.
I’m back home now, it’s 24f hotter over here and sea breezes only a memory. This post became hefty and is still going. Its mostly about having some fun QOL activities, ….. that should be a good thing. Also affirms that even being screwed , blued, and tattooed… we can still drag our trashed butts out for some QOL. Plenty of venting and tripping down memory lane …. thats all good stuff too. Should be a fun read brother.
❤️❤️❤️
Harbor seals on the platform in downtown Moro Bay.
Yea same here as far as the forum. A limit, a governor ha on how much I "share" . But in the grocery stores my wife had a low tolerance for even a little sharing of my life with strangers lol.
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Glad you got out and thanks for sharing, nice pic.
