The Coronado Sandman

Driving along First Street this morning I saw the Sandman approaching, and whipped out my camera to get a picture.

The Sandman is a talented local artist who creates impressive works of art out of sand.  Yep, just sand.  They blow away quickly, so you have to appreciate them in the moment as they disappear in a day or two.

The Sandman is a dapper dresser as you can see, riding his bike through the streets of Coronado on his fully equipped bike.  

I have to explain the blurry photo - there's a lot of motion going on here - Sandman was in motion, I was driving, and my arm was moving trying to turn on the camera and take the photo before the opportunity passed.  Thank goodness for my trusty Canon G11!

A Recumbent Tricycle

You know I love bicycles, but I've never ridden one of these hybrids.  It's called a recumbent tricycle, and I see them every so often around Coronado.

This good natured man let me photograph him and his trike today in the Coronado Cays.

Centennial Park with San Diego Skyline

I hope your not getting tired of the San Diego skyline, but here's a view I don't think I've shown you before.  Driving home to make dinner tonight, I noticed the setting sun reflected a warm golden glow on the downtown San Diego skyscrapers, and had to have a picture.

This photo was shot from the sidewalk at First Street and Orange Avenue.  You can see the layout of Centennial Park with the original Coronado Ferry Boat Ticket Booth on the right.

No wonder so many people choose to be married here at the water's edge. 

Spring Flower In Bloom

This spring poppy caught my eye yesterday outside Calypso Cafe in the Coronado Cays.  Luckily I had my camera with me since our son had a soccer game at the Cays.

The Calypso Cafe is a fairly new, and oh so good.  They have a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu, along with a mellow views of the canal.  It's located next to the Coronado Cays Yacht Club, for those of you who sail. 

Oh, and there are lovely potted flowers and patio tables on the back deck that make this a prime spot to sit back and relax.

Orange Avenue After Dark

After a relaxing dinner at Tent City restaurant last night I went looking around Orange Avenue for a bit of "after-dark color".

Moo Time was brilliant with it's neon lights and steady after-dinner business.  Doesn't it look like James Dean could stroll by any minute?

The next two photos are of Tent City and their outdoor grill behind the restaurant.  The resident griller was kind enough to stop and let me take his picture.

Last is the ever-present mermaid manikin in the window of Kippy's.  She's always there, just accessorized differently for each season.  She's part of the fabric of Coronado.

Morning At The Beach

Mornings can be a little gray at the beach, but luckily there are always walkers, joggers and beach combers around to liven things up!

 Point Loma provides a constant and recognizable backdrop.

Endless Sun

This is the result of some camera experimentation yesterday at Silver Strand State Beach, across from the Coronado Cays.

Shooting a photo into the sun is always tricky, but I kind of like the blown-out effect in this situation.

I got the acid kool-aid test effect by shooting at 1/1000 shutter speed, f/8, ISO 400 with a custom white balance.

After the Rain

Photographing San Diego from the shore of Coronado is always rewarding.

The recent rain left the San Diego Skyline clear and polished yesterday.  Makes me want to hop in a sail boat for an afternoon on the bay!

Harbor View Park

It rained here all day Sunday and this morning, so when the sun broke out around lunchtime, I headed down to shoot photos by the bay.

This is Harbor View Park, a tiny little strip of grass that leads to the edge of the San Diego Bay.  It's too small for most activities, but perfect for photographing the San Diego Skyline from Coronado.

Those of you who live in California know that Ice Plant is a hardy plant that thrives in our sunny, dry climate.  I think of it as the Kudzu of the West, but with brilliant colorful flowers.

Spring At The Attic

The ladies at The Attic were celebrating Spring today with lemonade, homemade cookies, and a sale!  What more could you want?

If you can't shop here in person, stop by The Attic Girls' Blog.  You'll love it!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

We've got the St. Patrick's Day spirit here in Coronado!

The first two photos were taken about twenty minutes ago at the Lawn Bowling court next to the Coronado Library.  I was drawn to the lady with sparkly green hair, so I introduced myself and she obliged me with a photo for my blog.

The bottom photo is of McP's Irish Pub on Orange Avenue.  They were doing a hopping St Patty's Day business when I walked by.

Coronado Farmers' Market

The colors and flavors of the Coronado Farmers' Market are always a treat.

It's the place to be on Tuesday afternoons!

Coronado Beach Volleyball

It's Spring Break somewhere, and our beach is full of happy vacationers this week!  I shot this volleyball game while walking down Ocean Boulevard, soaking up the contagious excitement that enthusiastic visitors bring.

It's good to be back home.

Hawaiian Beach Dog

When I first spotted this little white dog, she was balanced on a body board fifteen feet off shore in Waikiki.  I was concerned that she might have been frightened, but when she got back to the beach, she acted like she'd had the time of her life.  Brave dog!

The second photo was taken just after sunset, and I think the sailboats look like they came straight out of a dream.  There is something delicious about the sunsets in Hawaii, don't you think?

Tomorrow I'll be back to photographing Coronado.  Thanks for your thoughtful messages this past week.  My husband didn't get to join us in Hawaii as planned, but all things considered we are very grateful to have only encountered a minor inconvenience.  

I send my best wishes and prayers to those in Japan who are struggling in the aftermath of this natural disaster.

Footprints In The Sand - Hawaii

This photo shot on Waikiki beach brought to mind the timeless poem, Footprints In The Sand.  You know the one... the times in your life it feels like you are walking alone, God is really carrying you.  In view of the devastation in Japan, and tsunami damage around the Pacific Rim, it seems right.

I'm breaking all my rules here.  This blog is meant to be a picture diary of Coronado, California, but given the devastating earthquake in Japan (which my husband came through unscathed, but is still waiting for a flight out), and the tsunami destruction around the Pacific Rim, it's impossible not to think deeper and ask yourself questions.

The funny thing is, I shot this vacation photo on Thursday afternoon, completely oblivious to the record breaking earthquake that was about to hit Japan.  My husband was at Tokyo Narita airport waiting to fly out to meet us in Hawaii.  I had no idea we'd be up all night long, sitting on the balcony, staring at the ocean and wondering what was going to happen next.  In the end we were fine, but it was scary at the time.  We are so grateful for that, and are keeping the good people of Japan in our thoughts and prayers.

I'm in Honolulu, Hawaii

Aloha! I'm in Honolulu, staying on Waikiki Beach.  Diamond Head probably gave it away for those of you who've been here before.

I saw these bikes in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village and fell in love with the pink scooter.  How cool is that?  Can you just imagine zipping around the island on this baby?

Hope you are having a great week!

P.S.  It is now 2:00 AM, and we're under tsunami warning here in Honolulu at the moment... yikes, suddenly an ocean view room on the beach doesn't seem so great!  We're on the fifth floor, and from our balcony I'm watching the lights of oodles of boats heading out to sea for safety.  I'll keep you updated as long as we have electricity.

This is not the vacation excitement I'd hoped for!

P.P.S.  They sounded the All's Clear here in Honolulu, so we're okay.  We're just sleepy from spending the night on our balcony staring at the ocean, waiting for "something" to happen.  We saw some slightly big waves, but nothing remarkable.

Now we're keeping the country of Japan in our prayers. 

My husband has been working in Japan for the past week, and was scheduled to fly to Hawaii when the earthquake hit.  He spent the night on the Narita airport floor, but he's safe, and that's all that matters.  Hopefully he'll get to Hawaii tomorrow morning.

The past 12 hours have been pretty wild - we're going out to swim in the ocean now and count our blessings. 

Can You Guess Where I Am?

I'm not in Coronado this week... can you guess where in the world I am?

For those of you who have been here before, this will be an easy one!

Beach Bonfire

What could be say Southern California more than a beach bonfire at sunset?  I shot this last weekend, looking South toward the Hotel Del Coronado and the Shores condominiums.

There is no doubt about it... life is good in Coronado.

Coronado Village Theater

Village Theater is scheduled to reopen in April, after renovations are complete.  It will be a treat to see a movie only walking distance from our home!

Dog Beach At Dusk

Dog Beach was hopping this evening as dusk faded away to night.  Located at the North end of Coronado beach, Dog Beach is the meeting place for friendly dogs of all sizes.

There's a lot of happy energy here, and it's a hoot to watch the little dogs keeping up with the big guys.

Beach Plants

This tough little plant grows on the dunes at Silver Strand State Park.  I don't know what it's called, but I sure admire its tenacity.  How can it grow in the sand, with just salt spray and morning dew to live on?  Amazing.

The Ferry Landing Tonight

Tonight I hurried past this pond at the Ferry Landing to pick up dinner when I noticed how pretty it looked with the marine layer rolling in over the bay.  I took a moment to absorb the calming solitude before taking home our gyros.

Don't you love the way evening fog creates a romantic scene?

Go Fly A Kite

This was shot at Silver Strand State Beach about 5:00 this evening.

I was waiting for my son's soccer practice to wrap up at a nearby park when I saw this beautiful kite float over the dune.

It turns out people were practicing their kite flying skills for kitesurfing, a sport I haven't tried but love to watch.

Due to the curve of the California coastline you get a nice view of the Shores condominium complex from here.