It’s amazing what small things end up being exciting when you have a child around. A shoebox becomes a garage; conversations are listened to carefully and repeated in two-year-old expression. The bed becomes a mysterious tent for story telling and everything is stashed on top of the fridge. This Grandma lives in hotel rooms a good part of the year, everything is kept in order. Ha, that’s gone out the window on this trip…. I found my undies in the fridge…..!!!!
The Ipod comes in handy when I have to concentrate on work in my temporary office on the kitchen table. And work I late into the night and early mornings when all is dark and quiet.
We’ve had some adventures, some pleasant, others plain heart stopping. Ever tried driving on 16 lane highways with cars whizzing past at alarming speed. The lady in my GPS is really annoying when she tells me turn right, then immediately turn left with cars bearing down behind me at alarming speed. Lucky she lives in the computer… I feel like ringing her neck. She's so smug.
Well the saga of the camera is solved, I pulled it apart and dried it out as best I could, I have residue in the lens, which will need professional assistance… however, I took some super photos yesterday and my heart slowed a little….
Yesterday we took a drive down the coast to Del Ray Beach and Capistrano. But before I tell you about that... when I downloaded my photos last night.... there was a photo of our maid, (upside down to boot.) How the heck she took a photo of herself in that position I will never know. Poor thing, she must have know she took the photo and that I would find it. She went to pains to make our room look extra special !!!!!
I imagine you have heard of the swallows of Capistrano. I spent a wonderful hour yesterday wandering the mission and loosing myself in photographic expression. I have added some 30 photos on the web page, but I will have to wait until I get home to publish it… it doesn’t like this wi fi system at the hotel.
The famous cliff swallows of San Juan Capistrano, that leave town every year in a swirling mass near the Day of San Juan (October 23), are returning from their winter vacation spot 6,000 miles south in Goya, Corrientes, Argentina.
They land at the mission in San Juan, California, on or around St. Joseph's Day, March 19, to the ringing bells of the old church and a crowd of visitors from all over the world who are in town awaiting their arrival and celebrating with a huge fiesta as well as a parade.
Legend has it that the swallows took refuge in the Mission San Juan Capistrano from an irate innkeeper who destroyed their muddy nests. The swallows return to the old ruined church each spring knowing they will be protected within the mission's walls. In fact, the city has taken their safety seriously passing an ordinance against destroying their nests.
So-called "scout swallows" precede the main flock each year by a few days but the majority of the small birds usually arrives on the 19th and begins rebuilding the mud nests that cling to the ruins of the old stone church and throughout the Capistrano Valley.
What a delight.
