It was two weeks ago that I arrived in California.  The weather in Sacramento was cold and rainy but undaunted, we packed in the rain and drove south to Pismo Beach.The white egrets bid us good-bye as we drove down to highway 5. When we left Wheatland, it was cold and raining. The farther south we drove the weather changed and was unpredictable. One minute it was raining so hard we had the windshield wippers on fast and then the sun came out. It was that way for the first hour of our drive. We saw 10 rainbows that day. Not just one or two, but ten rainbows in one day, to us it was a miracle. Once in a while I have seen two at one time but ten different rainbows was very special. The colors were vivid and bright. What a way to start our trip.

After that wonderful treat, I just looked at all the colors of the landscape. The wild mustard was in bloom and it is my understanding that it is not invasive in this area. After a cold dreary winter it was a feast for the eyes. I could not wait to see the California poppies in with the wild mustard. After driving several hundred miles every turn in the road led to another view. The buttes and the valleys were filled with many different shades of green mixed in with tan stone and red rocks. My head was turning to the left and then right as I did not want to miss a thing. Sheer clifts high above the road were dotted with browns, green and the yellow mustard. Cattle were browsing out on the open range, just like in the cowboy movies. I saw several deer browsing right in with the cattle. They looked so at home sharing the grass and water troughs.

We arrived in Pismo Beach or Shell Beach, as it is also called, in bright sunshine and balmy breezes blowing in from the ocean. We found our room and decided to unpack later, as we could not wait to hear and smell the ocean. Sitting in the sunshine and looking at all the flowers was well worth the drive. Snapdragons, geraniums, agapanthus and bird of paradise were in full bloom. The hillsides and landscape were filled with beautiful poppies and many shades of ice plant and climbing roses, ganzanias and of course, every kind of palm tree available. Just imagine what bird of paradise growing freely would look like. They were covered with blooms and many buds. Blue ocean, soft breeze and beautiful color everywere, what more could we want. No phones ringing, no snow to shovel, plus no cleaning or making beds.

There were 96 steps down to the beach. I will admit it was a challenge but the first day I walked up and down those steps two times, not thinking about how much my leg muscles would feel the next day. I learned very fast to take not one but two plastic bags with me everytime I walked the beach. Yes, that is where the bag lady really met her match. I kept seeing seashells, petrified driftwood and so many stones that I got carried away and that was only day one. I quickly learned about the high and low tides and how to respect the ocean waves.

Stay Tuned, More Adventure To Come.