how many times have i been up and down the California coast and yet these jagged rocks aren't any less impressive on this umpteenth viewing. this coast never changes. there are always heavy winds when i get out of the car, and my hair blows every which way, and i struggle to see the rocks for the sunlight glinting off the water. always i can hear the ocean breathing, it's waves rushing and crashing and rolling. no, this coast never changes, only my state of mind does. i've traveled the coastline with many different companions over the years, at times feeling vulnerable, at others impatient. this time i felt neither. this time i felt loved, and like all the time in the world was mine.
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inevitably the road winds away from the coastline and through overgrown farmland and abandoned stables that once were worked but now stand untouched by all but those who crawl or lope. cobwebs crop up, moss thickens, grass sprouts with wild abandon. on each drive through this landscape i marvel that people used to live here and that some still do. this is not as untamed a wilderness as other parts of the united states but it is a wilderness nevertheless, far removed from california's hustle and bustle.
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structures like these are california zen. this: a non-denominational chapel meant for individual prayer and meditation. please respect it's sanctity. it makes me wonder, did a lifetime of california living birth my non-denominational spirituality or is it a happy coincidence that my heart feels thankful that places like this exist here? this chapel is dedicated to the memory of a young navy aviator, artist and zoologist, and designed by james hubbell, a self-proclaimed leader in the use of green building materials. this space couldn't scream california any louder. it is maintained; it is pristine.
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i don't know why i was surprised to learn that california has a lost coast. isn't it just like this cheeky state to have a twinkle in its eye? here: sunrise on the lost coast at shelter cove, witnessed on the side of a cliff.
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after breathing the sunrise in on top of the cliff, we climbed the stairs to the beach below. i walked along the beach with j and my two favorite quadrupeds. the sand was not fine or worn but black with rocks and strewn with groupers. sigmar and sophie bounded up, down, and around the rocks like native mountain goats. they bothered the seagulls, disrupted the tide pools, and rightly avoided the colony of sea lions sunbathing on the more immersed rocks offshore. all the while, i inhaled the salt air and enjoyed the warmth of the sun as it fell that very particular way upon the beach, unadulterated and so very golden.
