Of Animals And Hippie Chicks

This afternoon I tagged along with my buddy Mike and his family for an afternoon excursion over to the coast and captured some photo-worthy sights. After viewing elk near San Carpoforo Creek we stopped by the elephant seal rookery before finishing with dinner in Morro Bay. 

Elk herd near San Carpoforo Creek.

Elephant seal (female).

Female elephant seals

Elephant seal rookery

Elephant seal rookery

Elephant seal rookery

Elephant seal rookery

Hearst Ranch zebras

Morro Rock taken from Highway 1.

This rolled in to the elephant seal rookery.

Whimsically-dressed cyclist mounting a whimsical cycle....

.... with the acrobatic prowess of a circus performer.

On the road again... they and us.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

My First Valencia Peak Ascent

Today I carpooled with my buddy Blake Burgess down to Montana De Oro State Park perched along the coast of San Luis Obispo County between the south end of Estero Bay and the Irish Hills and just north of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant and just south of Morro Bay and Los Osos-Baywood. This was hardly my first time at this park but before today I had never hiked up into the Irish Hills let along Valencia Peak. Coastal stratus clouds were forming as moist marine air was passing from the ocean onto the landmass so we were in a cloud most of the time we were on the mountain and the entire time we were on the peak's top. I'm without a camera at present so I used my iPhone to take these low-quality images so at least you can see what I saw in general. Due to the coastal stratus I was unable capture decent images of Valencia Peak itself. I felt like pinching myself today being in such an amazingly gorgeous place in such splendid weather for this time of year made all the more precious by the inclement wintry weather of late across much of the rest of North America.

View looking northward up the coast with Morro Rock and Morro Bay visible in the distance as well as a fair amount of Estero Bay in the background and Montana De Oro State Park in the foreground.

View looking west-southwest from the first slope on this hike.

View looking southward down the coast towards Point Buchon. All images by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Morro Bay In Five Frames

Today while retrieving the remaining rock show banners that remained in the Morro Bay area I stopped at Morro Bay State Park and shot these images.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Estero Bay Winter Sunset

Late this afternoon early this evening I drove over to Morro Bay, CA, to meet a friend. Since I was early (quite intentionally so I could go to the beach) I made my way to the Hole-In-The-Wall Beach (the dog beach between Morro Bay and Cayucos, CA) to watch the sun set and bathe myself in its photon-enrapturing glory and in the process make some Vitamin D in my skin and consequently make myself feel a bit happier during these darkest days of Winter here in the Northern Hemisphere of my home world. Below are some images I captured of what I saw and experienced.

This view is directly out into Estero Bay.

For those of you unfamiliar with the landmark, that is Morro Rock in the distance and Highway 1 at left and Point Buchon at right.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

11th Annual Autumn Cayucos Gem & Mineral Show - Day Two

Day Two was even more beautiful than Day One if that were possible as an offshore wind event developed and a bona fide Santa Ana Wind was in effect this morning into this afternoon. Unlike a year ago this morning I did not have to be on-site to deal with a late vendor showing up for Sunday only so I shlepped in late with David Richter with whom I carpooled today and yesterday. I had more time today as Marybeth Shears was present in the Showcase Displays booth which freed me up to move about and take more photographs and get some of my own inventory priced to be sold in Mike Lyons booth from which I made a small amount of money yesterday and today.

Of personal relevance to me today was the fact I purchased two small Ernie Porter jade pieces from the lot he is selling lately by way of Keith Olivas who is functioning as a broker. Later in the day I traded those two back in and upgraded to a larger and better single beach-tumbled jade pendent piece. I then recruited Diana March Enscoe to make me a wire-wrap pendent necklace which she will ship to me upon completion. This will be my first jade necklace and it is perhaps long overdue given my proximity to the Big Sur Coast and my many times going up there to explore and search for jade and my now-seven year connection to the Big Sur Jade Festival.

See Day One of this show!

The following images were taken in the order shown below.

At the intersection of Cayucos Drive and Ocean Avenue in downtown Cayucos. Note the Santa Winds blowing the American flag towards the sea.

Some of Kirk Brock's local jade carvings.

Jewelry vendors Josie and Diana.

A Diana March necklace pendent.

A selection of Diana March necklaces.

Bumblebee Jasper (really more of an agate) from Indonesia.

Main Hall looking northeast towards the entrance.

Cayucos Vets Hall earlier today.

Botryoidal Pyrite

Fat 'Ol Me manning Marybeth's booth in honor of her late husband Steve Shears.

Kirk Brock in his Rock Solid Jade booth.

Cameron in his Crystal Palace

Mike Lyons (left) and Marcella and Keith Olivas.

The Sittingers of Wonderworks

Sonia DeLong still won't divorce Andy and marry me but she is considering it. ;-)

Diana March and her husband.

Main Hall looking north from the east end of the stage.

Main Hall looking north from the west end of the stage.

Main Hall looking east from the west end of the stage.

A Diana wire-wrap pendent.

And another...

.... and another.

Cameron's display case.

October is perhaps the prettiest month of the year on the Central Coast of California. This is the scene from next to the Cayucos Vets Hall

Cayucos Pier this afternoon.

That a scene this gorgeous could be so uncrowded blows my mind and yet I have the privilege of living  in this area.

Area in front of the Vets Hall at the approach to the Cayucos Pier.

Main Hall looking southwest.

David Richter's Rocks & Relics booth had its best Cayucos Show ever including any June shows which are typically stronger than October shows (we do two shows a year here).

Josie's Jewelry by Josie booth sans Josie.

Main Hall looking north from the stage.

View of the Main Hall right before we left tonight. The show seems as if it were merely a mirage.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).