Three Stars and a Cadillac!

San Diego Metro KOA
Chula Vista, CA
January 21, 2016

Last Thursday turned out to be my best tide pool day EVER! 
Lisa, a friend whose blog I have followed for a few years and just happens to be a local, had suggested exploring the pools at Sunset Cliffs which is also in Point Loma. But, the local news had reported that a huge crack along the bluffs (caused by the rains from El Nino) could be dangerous. Our group decided not to take any chances so we returned to Cabrillo National Monument. 

I was happy to see lots of anemones and practice with the under water camera. 

Clarity seems to be better, but I do need lots more practice so that using this camera becomes second nature. It is lots of fun!
All these photos are underwater...

A slight movement caught my eye under this rock...

 The water was murky so the picture isn't clear. It is a California Spiny Lobster...I am guessing this is a full grown lobster at about 12 inches. They have a pair of enlarged antennae and no claws.

A Black Turban Snail shell taken over by a hermit crab...

I try very, very hard to step carefully and be respectful of life in the pools. Sometimes, small creatures are so camouflaged, do you see the shore crab in this photo?

 The highlight of the day were three stars. The first two were Knobby Sea Stars found by Richie and the last was a Bat Star. A park ranger pointed me in the direction to find it.




Speaking of park rangers, they are quite visible during low tide and eager to share information.

The first Knobby Star I have ever seen. 




Then I used the underwater camera...

Knobby Stars are found in a variety of beautiful colors ranging from red, orange, brown, blue, gray, and tan. The water was not deep enough for underwater pictures.   

 And the Bat Star...
The water was murky here too and he looks rather dull...


but, the underwater photos are brilliant!

Bat Stars have webbed arms with suction-cup tube feet. He will eat almost anything and is capable of turning it's stomach inside out to digest his food externally.

A Whimbrel also taking in the sights at the pools.

A droplet in the water...

Blue Mussels...their major predator is sea stars.

This was Lynn's first outing in three weeks. She has been very sick with acute bronchitis. 

 Oh yes, I almost forgot, we did end the afternoon with a Cadillac...the best Cadillac I have ever had...

Both of those are not mine!

 ...at the best and most fun cafe we have been to! Of course, it could have just been the friends we were sharing it with!  


 Let the good times roll...

 HAPPY TRAILS!

A Quick DIY

San Diego Metro KOA
Chula Vista, CA
January 14, 2016

Don't you just love it when a completed do-it-yourself project exceeds your expectations in every way ?  Such was the case with our new window treatments.  Finding the "just right for us" shades took longer than the installation.  After much internet searching during the last half of 2015 (and what turned out to be the hardest part of the project), we finally decided on special order Levolor shades from Lowe's. After ordering sample swatches that came in within three business days, we made our final selection and placed our order.  We opted to have them shipped to the Lowe's near us and picked them up in just over a week.  On the same day, we took our old shades down and installed the new ones.  We were amazed and so proud of ourselves because rarely are our DIY projects as easy as we anticipated them to be.  Know what I mean ?  I do have to admit  "Auto-Motion Shades" were our first choice, but these Canadian made shades can not be purchased directly by the consumer and for a host of reasons we didn't want to go through a "middle" man.

Before... accordion type push up shades with side tensioning cords. We were not in a big rush to replace these as there was nothing wrong with them. However, They did let a lot of light through the sides, had visible cords on both sides when raised,collected dust, and were difficult to raise and lower.

After... a much neater and more up to date look.

I am sure enjoying the easy pull with no cords. 

We also replaced the accordion shades in the bedroom with a black-out cordless pull-down shade.

I was a little skeptical and expected light to shine in through the sides. Joe already had a plan to fix that with a side piece if needed. I am so happy that our bedroom is dark and there is even a post lamp outside the large window. I love the neutral color and texture of this natural shade.

Our space is small and since these shades blend in so well, I can have fun with quilts and colors. 

 Directions and all hardware were included. 

Up next, let the good times roll...

HAPPY TRAILS!