Well here we are again -- a new month begins today, which means it's Theme Day for City Daily Photo bloggers. This time the subject is travel. I like to think that we're a fairly well traveled couple, maybe more than most Americans. Here's the Gare du Nord from a trip to Paris in November of 2006, nearly 20 years ago.
For more interpretations of travel by CDP bloggers all over the world, click HERE. Enjoy!
Here are the last shots from my California trip a couple of weeks ago. These were taken on a stroll through my friends' neighborhood, which borders a semi wild space. Coyote sightings are a near daily occurrence, and the fauna is lush and abundant.
I can't believe it's already July. Crazy! Since it's the first day of a new month, that makes it Theme Day for City Daily Photo bloggers, and this time the theme is water. I find that incredibly convenient considering I just got back from the west coast! Here's a somewhat dramatic shot taken in Dana Point, California.
For more takes on water from CDP bloggers, everywhere, check out our portal HERE. Enjoy!
Colorado is 1,000,000% landlocked and without question I love it here. But I grew up mostly in the Philippines, which is (obviously) surrounded by the Pacific ocean. So naturally I miss the sea, and every time I get near a coastal area I head for the water. As you know, I visited California a couple of weeks ago. While I was there I stopped by Dana Point again, which is a pretty swell area. These shots were taken near the yacht club, which you can see in the background of the photo below. Not a bad lifestyle if you can swing it.
I'm back. Pardon my unplanned absence. I didn't intend to leave the blog unattended for the last few days, in fact I already had photos prepped, but what happened was a migraine that lasted from Thursday to Saturday. It was pretty awful and I spent most of that time in bed. I do feel better today, though, and in fact I was able to go to the Colorado Springs Garden Tour yesterday, so my weekend wasn't 100% a total bummer! Pictures from that soon, but first, more from my California trip a couple of weeks ago.
You may be wondering why I have been to San Clemente three times since February. The reason isn't exactly a happy one. My dear friend Janet's family has been dealing with a debilitating illness: glioblastoma. Janet's awesome husband, Ethan, was diagnosed in the spring of 2025, and his mobility was immediately and profoundly impacted. He underwent a lot of physical therapy over many months and it was helpful, but the reality is that Ethan has essentially been disabled from the moment his symptoms surfaced. Thus the entire family (Janet, their daughter Rachel, and Janet's cousin Arthur) has been centered around his needs for over a year now, 24/7, and frankly they are all exhausted. It has been very hard on all of them. My role in this? Emotional support friend. Janet and I are very close and she needs a shoulder. I am that shoulder. Pat and I went there in February to help with things around the house, then I went back in April just to hang out and provide support, and again this month.
If you've ever dealt with cancer, you know that chemotherapy and radiation treatment are part of the deal. While I was there this time, Ethan was undergoing radiation therapy. I think it was ten treatments in a row, so he had to go to the cancer center pretty much every day. I went with them on one of those days, and because I was excluded from the actual treatment suite, I hung out in the waiting room. Eventually I wandered outside and came across this nice, serene space called the Sabatasso Family Healing Garden. Since I had a camera with me and nothing else to do, I snapped off a few photos for you. It was indeed a very calm, meditative garden and I appreciated it.
Cancer sucks.
I spent a few days in California again last week, and took a few snaps for you when opportunities arose. Here's one from the Dana Point Ocean Institute. Too bad it wasn't a pelican perched on the railing, but crows are cool too. I have other, slightly less kind thoughts about seagulls, though. Ha.
More from my trip in the coming days.
A stylish traveler in Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. I took this on my way back home from California in April. Who says you have to dress like a schlub while you fly? She looks great -- and perfectly comfortable.
Last few style images from Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend. Hope you've enjoyed this series!
Back to Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend for today's post. Lots of bodacious Betties and cool cats to be found at the car show. Next Sunday I'll wind up my VLV series with just a few more snaps of vintage style captured over the course of the event.
I do have more Viva Las Vegas style snaps to show you, but I'll wait until next Sunday because I feel like this moment on the beach at Dana Point makes a nice coda to all the vacation pics I've been showing you the past few days. What a great little sundress for a seaside afternoon.
The final few images from my brief vacation in California last month. As promised, more surfers. In the last shot, the young woman has a happy grin on her face because she was obviously a beginner surfer (the board is a dead giveaway) and let out an audible "woo hoo!" as she managed to ride the wave all the way in without wiping out. Good for her! I imagine this is a pretty tough sport to master.
For the last two posts about my trip I'll just share some of the many surfers I saw. It wasn't really that warm out and the waves weren't very awesome, but surfers are going surf no matter what. I love watching them do their thing.
I got to hang out on the beach at Dana Point for a couple of hours during my visit to San Clemente last month. Here are a few random images.
April was a busy month for me. Only three days after returning from Las Vegas, Nevada, I was airborne again, bound for San Clemente, California. You may recall that Pat and I visited San Clemente in February. This time I went solo, to visit the same friends. I had a little beach time during my stay, plus a day of just driving around by myself while my friends were otherwise occupied.
Above, here's something so very California that I had to share it even though the shot's a little blurry: a foot powered "taxi" filled with giggling girls as a guy walks past with a surfboard balanced on his head! Below, a practical solution to the $6+ per gallon gas prices in Orange County: a cool vintage scooter. I'm sure it rarely needs a top up.
