Big Surf at Camp Pendelton

We are now in California. After spending the first week at San Mateo State Park and then four nights at Lake O'Neil at Camp Pendelton, we are finally at the beach! The surf is huge due to a storm out in the Pacific off Baja, and it is drawing the surfers to the ocean by the hundreds. In fact, I counted 100 surfers at the Old Man's Beach south of our campground and nearly another 100 at Trestles.

The surfers are on their boards and riding waves at first daybeak and still out there after the sun sets. It's quite a show, and we can watch all day long from where we are parked . . . right on the beach!

Tomorrow we will have a Crabb beach picnic and see all the family. It should be a fun day.

The 23 Cent Hug

Gene dropped me off at the UPS office on Camp Pendelton to mail a package to my sister Joan. It was a busy morning, and I was in line behind two marines. They filled out their form, gave it to the clerk with their package and she rang up their charges.

"I can't believe we're 23 cents short!", stated the first marine. He turned to head out the door, as if to go hunt for loose change under his car seat. "Wait, I've got 23 cents," I announced. He paused, turned around and accepted the dollar bill I offered.

"Did you say 'thank you'", his friend asked. At that he came over to me, handed me my change, and said "Come here" while opening his arms to me. I felt like a military mom as he gave me a big bear hug. It was the best 23 cents I'd ever spent!

Ben and Amy's Wedding

August 15, 2009, turned out to be a perfect day for a wedding. An overnight rain storm brought cooler temperatures . . . down from 90 plus degrees the day before. The setting was perfect, too . . . the back yard of the bride's parents. The archway where they said their vows overlooked a tree lined pond.

A few little glitches, like Ben nicking himself while shaving (the bleeding stopped just in the nick of time, too), added to the day's fun. The wedding guests were seated under a tent, and a rain shower waited until the wedding party exited down the aisle before letting loose.

After some great food cooked on a Mexican "discado", delicious cheesecake and celebrating, the bride and groom took their leave on Ben's motorcyle. They were headed to Amy's apartment to pick up her bag and their car before leaving on their honeymoom.

In the guest book, Grandpa Gene gave them a word of advice he always follows: "Happy Wife, Happy Life". They are off to a great start!

On Our Last Leg

The last big adventure of our time with grandson Riley was a jeep tour in Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Northern Arizona. This canyon has been inhabited for over 5,000 years, first by Anasazi indians, then Hopi, and finally, Navajos. The only way to see the canyon is with a Navajo guide, so we scheduled a private jeep tour and headed into the canyon on a cool Sunday morning. The only time to go is in the morning, as afternoons are quite hot . . . even in this part of Arizona.

The guide drove us up a sandy wash still wet from rain a few days earlier. We stopped at ancient rock drawings and cliff dwellings. The highlight was White House Ruins situated high up the canyon wall. The indians lived in the cliff caves for protection from the hot sun, enemies and away from the danger of flash floods that swept through the canyon floor. Ten to 15 families still live and farm the canyon.

Canyon de Chelly to Heber, Arizona, is about a three hour drive, and we arrived midafternoon. Riley was chomping at the bit to see his dad who met us at the Heber cabin. We said our goodbyes, and he was all smiles as he headed back to the Valley to see his friends and get ready for the start of school. On August 12 he turns 13 . . . officially a teenager! This may be the last trip he'll want to take with grandma, but I hope not. We'll miss him!