Nostalgia in Carmel

It rained all night and into the morning. We had our coffee in the chairs at the front of the MH watching the neighbors pack up and leave in the bad weather. No, we didn't offer to help. But I did increase the set temp on the heaters so we would be comfortable in sock feet….

About eleven the skies cleared, and we took a short ride into downtown Carmel, CA. This is a small town made famous by Clint Eastwood, who once owned a restaurant here and was elected to a term as mayor. Neither the restaurant nor the city government can claim a relationship with Mr. Eastwood any longer, but the town continues to play on the "famousocity" as a New York couple that we had lunch with told us today.

We turned west off of California's famous Highway One on Ocean Street and followed it through the main streets of Carmel to it's end at the beach. The beach is beautiful and is dog friendly, so we took up a position at a strategic vista point and watched the Saturday morning activities.

This young man was tossing a bright green tennis ball for his Boston Terrier.  Later on, while walking through town, we saw him and chatted for awhile.  The pup is just a year old and needs "lots of frolicking time". It was great to see a healthy Boston is action!

Carmel has a number of unique shops, as well as the upscale jewelry and clothing stores that we expect in a wealthy area. We walked the downtown eight blocks, checking to make sure there wasn't anything that we needed….

After an early dinner at Flaherty's of seafood Paella, we slid back down to the beach at Marina Dunes State Beach in anticipation of a magnificent sunset. We were not disappointed.

A freshening breeze brought out the para sailers to enjoy the pristine beach.

As the sun set, we said a prayer for our dear friend Shirley who, we learned today, passed away last Thursday.

We've known Shirley and her family for almost 40 years, and she was always a gentle, steady, wife and mother. No matter the difficulty, Shirley always prayed for her family and friends and trusted that all would be alright at the end of the day.  Shirley was the steady hand that guided her off times unruly family. She will be missed.

As we settled down for the night, we got word that Donna's brother had suffered a severe heart issue this afternoon. Bill was alone at home at the time, and had the presence of mind to call 911 who rushed him to the hospital where he underwent surgery for a blockage and the insertion of a stint. He is resting well and is in good hands, so we pray for his speedy recovery.

A day of highs and lows, wonder and sorrow. The sunset seemed to agree.