Did you feel it? There is little to compare to being awakened just before midnight by your bed being jolted. According to the USGS site there was a 5.3 magnitude earthquake just northeast of King City, which is about 75 northeast of Cayucos. Having experienced how an earthquake feels, this one was very clear to identify. A heck of a way to be awakened. There have been several much smaller after shocks, which I have failed to feel.
Right now it appears as though the Ring of Fire is very active. Some quakes have registered at 6 magnitude and above. Even Japan has had some activity. Depending on who’s theory you read, these could be pre big quake events or theses smaller quakes could be lessening the potential of a big quake. Since no one knows for sure, we can just relax and enjoy the ride.
The street antique show was in full swing by the time I got to it around 9 am. It was foggy though everyone seemed in good spirits. As I suspected, there was little that even caught my eyes. So I continued to the beach and walked and walked.
It wasn’t long before I came across three young men raking the sand. This particular area is often the home for couples getting married on the beach. So they were preparing the site for the event later today. The bright white items in the background are the chairs that will take their place in the sand for the guests of the bridal party. There have been several mornings while walking the beach that there were lots of various colored rose petals in the sand in this area. Such a sweet left over of a wedding compared to the old rice and confetti days.
The fog burned off around 10 am and the air temperature rose. Glorious! I walked out on the pier and talked with a couple visiting from Cleveland, Ohio. They were on their way to Hearst Castle and the elephant seal beach. They were also going to explore the area around Morro Rock. Perfect day for all of it.
While on the pier I had a perfect view of the pelicans diving for food and the dolphins breaking the surface of the water as they did the same. There is no way to capture this on camera since it all happens too fast and I, of course, would have the camera facing the opposite direction than where they would appear. So I gave up on the picture taking and just enjoyed the show. Awesome…
Lots of birds on the beach, including one that was lethargic, at the surfs edge. As I watched it, it was apparent it was near death. A few gulls came cautiously to it and pecked at it. I gather it was to check to see if it was still alive. At times like this it is difficult to watch nature take its course. Other beach walkers also noticed the almost motionless bird and gave it a wide birth as they continued. I left and when I came back to the area after my walk on the pier, the bird was dead at the edge of some washed up seaweed. I have noticed several birds washed up on shore this way and I always wonder about their cause of death. I will probably never know. I can only say a prayer.
My voting ballot arrived! Excited am I! Now I can vote. I was concerned this was not going to be possible with the timing of my move. It has all worked out well. Hooray.
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