Hanging out

Even though my time in Asia was not particularly strenuous, I managed to accrue a few days of comp time for being away from home. For the last four days, I've pretty much done what I felt like doing. As you can tell from this picture, it involved being horizontal on the beach! California must've sensed that I wasn't ready for fall weather yet because the weather for the last couple of days has been warm and the skies clear. Not hot mind you, but warm enough to lounge on the beach and cruise around in shorts! One of the benefits of post-Labor Day is that the crowds on Coronado Beach have thinned out significantly. There were a few stretches of time when there was no one else around me on the beach and I could hear nothing but the waves rolling in and sea birds calling each other.

I took a couple of days to unpack and I still haven't done all my laundry yet. Of all the household chores that needed to be done upon my return, the one I was anxious to get to was my bike! Without a garage, my Harley spends way too much time exposed to the elements. I have a bike cover, but the wind whips up in our parking lot and it still gets dirty. Besides requiring a washing, I needed to do some maintenance to it too. One of my pipes busted right before I left, so I needed to pull them off and put the stock pipes back on. With the after market pipes off my bike, it's so quiet that the guys I ride with here were mocking the silence after I started it! My friend Ed was so disgusted with how dirty my bike was that he spent a whole afternoon helping me to wash and detail it. Living in close proximity to salt air and not cleaning it as often as I should has taken a toll on the chrome and aluminum. It's remarkable how good my bike looks after a lot of elbow grease, cleaning solvents, a power buffer and the assistance of a professional detailer- thanks Ed!!

Today turned out to be another sunny day, so I rode around a bit this afternoon. I cruised out to Sunset Cliffs which is not far from where I live. Sunset Cliffs Park encompasses over 60 acres of bluffs and walking trails overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Sunset Blvd runs along the cliffs and has amazing views of several beaches below.

There are a few access points that allow you to climb a series of stairs to get down to the beaches. The steps are pretty steep and I was surprised to see so many surfers making the trek with surf boards in tow. I made my way down to the ocean and was intoxicated by the smell of salt air and the sound of water surging over rocks and sand. I sat there for a long time watching surfers and sailboats go by and various sea birds feeding along the shore. Although I had ridden out to the cliff overlooks before, I had never parked my bike and ventured down to the shore. The beaches are only accessible at low tide, so I'll have to time my next visit with Mother Nature!

My apologies to everyone I haven't gotten in touch with yet now that I'm back. I've been enjoying having my own space again and have been postponing my reentry into society! This will be a short week for me back home as I fly out to Colorado Springs on Wednesday for meetings. It's a quick trip though and I'll be back in Southern California Friday night.