Sunshine

Oh, for the sight of the sun.

Sunshine is a commodity which, from Day 1, has impacted the lives of every living thing, especially us Homo Sapiens. So, after not seeing the sun for almost four whole days, I headed West in search of warm and bright rays of sunshine. It was overcast and dreary in the San Joaquin Valley so naturally it had to be bright and beautiful at the Central Coast. It was a three-day weekend, my wife's birthday and the time when the unique Elephant Seals meet near San Simeon to mate, give birth and attract lots of admiring and curious Homo Sapiens.

If you pholks haven't seen the Elephant Seals, you should. For a number of years now, the unique creatures have made several spots along the Pacific Coast a home port for several winter months. In the summer some use the spot to molt and lounge on the sand. But during January, February and March they gather by the thousands for their mating and birthing rituals. To watch two huge Alpha males wage fierce battles on the shore line for breeding rights is awesome. Those things are huge, rather ugly and mean. They weigh up to 3,000 pounds. Their fog-horn like bellowing is chilling and funny.

Information signs and picture boards erected along the viewing spots provide the audience with lots of fascinating data, adding to the enjoyment of one of Mother Nature's more unique annual rituals. A group of volunteer docents who obviously enjoy their tasks add to the adventure.

The prime location for viewing is along Highway 1, about six miles north of Hearst Castle at San Simeon. Last weekend the parking area was crowded and several hundred, possibly up to a thousand people gathered to bask in that wonderful sunshine and shoot photos and miles of video frames. The area also attracts hundreds of student field trips, even some on a holiday weekend. It is an education for all ages.

But I viewed the whole weekend as recess. Recess from the winter gloom of the Valley. The Elephant Seal excursion was great, but the sun was the Cracker Jack prize of the weekend. But,.now I need to retreat to the rest of the excursion.Yes, pholks, I saw the sun, basked in its' warmth and brilliance, enjoyed the wonderful pounding sound and beauty of the blue Pacific, ate fish and chips, toured the same shops, stores, restaurants and sights I've enjoyed for many a year.

Solar power proved it's strength and the human spirit was recharged.

I say this despite some glaring changes in our Central Coast. Of course there is some evidence of the recent earthquake, especially in downtown Paso Robles and Highway 46 going over the mountains between Paso and Harmony and Cambria. A road sign warned of a stretch of rough road. The sign was stating the truth, with thousands of tar fill cracks giving the roadway the appearance of 10,000 hot fudge fanatics going wild. Some of the earthquake-caused cracks on the pavement were up to a half-foot wide. Most were smaller but construction crews appeared to have done a fast and effective road patch mision in a timely manner. The ride was a little rough, but of no real consequence. The sun was shinning nearly the whole way across the pass.

I actually thought about stopping the car, getting out and raising my hands in praise to the sun, but the wife, her daughter and granddaughter might not have appreciated that and driven off without me. I endured another 20 minutes until we reached our destination.

One of the consistent pleasures of being near the ocean is walking along the beach or boardwalk. On Moonstrone Beach in Cambria, a wonderful boardwalk along the shoreline provides an outstanding way to walk comfortably and watch the surf and hear the ocean's roar. Those who choose can make their way to the sand but the vast majority settle for the smooth and picturesque boardwalk. I have always found it amazing just how conducive to walking the coast line is. I probably walk three times as far on a day at the coast than I do in the Valley. Unless I happen to walk 18 holes of a golf course. Of course that really doesn't happen that often although I plan to do more waking on the golf course this year. (This is not, I repeat, not, a true New Year's Resolution) --just a positive thought.

Anyhow, the sunshine was great. But sure as heck on the way back we were greeted with overcast as we re-entered our beloved Valley.

But oh, those two and one-half days of sunshine.

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