Glorious December days at Dillon Beach

A December day at Dillons.

You know what's good for the soul? The ocean. Friends. Pictionary. Junk food. Reading for fun. Slow roasted ribs. Sand fights. Winning at hearts for the very first time (and accidentally shooting the moon, TWICE).

It's been a tough few months. Job hunting and dissertation writing and trying to figure out what life will bring in the next six months... It wears on a girl. After a weekend at Dillon Beach with friends, I'm feeling a bit rejuventated. Let's hope that feeling carries through this crazy month!

"I don't always go to the sea, but when I do, I bring this eyebrow."

We watched the boys trying to dam up the run-off... with sand. They worked at it for hours!

Pretty sure the boys brought home their weight in sand.

Sommmmeone (with a shovel) started a little sand fight.

My favorite picture of the day.

Every Fall and Spring, we try to pencil in a trip with friends. The Spring tends to involve more adult adventures (this year: Alaska!) while the Fall includes kidlets.

Mid-rainstorm, we sneaked out for a walk on the beach. Despite the grey day, the weather was pretty warm for December.

Jelly belly.

Dillons is one of the few beaches in California where dogs can roam free. I try to imagine water-hating Goliath at the beach. The amusement factor would not outweigh the work it would take to get all that sand out of his hair!

Beach bums.

Our trip landed smack in the middle of a major winter storm in Northern California. Sacramento got half its average winter rain in a weekend! With flooded roads and fallen trees about, I felt blessed that we were able to get outside without rain gear.

The thriving metropolis of Dillon Beach, California.

Nearby is Bodega Bay, location of Hitchcock's infamous movie, "The Birds."

T seemed intent on getting damp.

After reading this story about a Nor Cal family who drowned just a couple hundred miles north, I was a bit skittish. Wouldn't that be my luck? Survive a plane incident and get mere months away from being done with the dissertation only to drown on vacation?

Someone made me walk between those rock formations! (Once the waves had receded.)

Stunning.

Despite my 'fraidy catness, I liked running from the waves.

High tide and extra rainfall didn't keep us from climbing up Perch Rock.

Me and the sea.

Having been born near Monterey Bay and spending my childhood by the sea, I feel at home here.

Tide is up, up, up.

Glad I didn't have to test out my swimming skills.

The ocean seems to demand contemplation.

"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds on in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau.

"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea." - Isak Dinesen

Ruuuuuun.

Our palace by the sea.

Down the hill is Lawson's Landing. I remember camping there as a kid and waking up to have our tents and RVs surrounded by cows. You can't see in this picture, but the herds are still there.

Beach time pretty well guarantees some practice at world domination for the boys.

Bo-ring.

After heavy rainfall all night wherein Mr. T thought the roof might be ripping off in the wind, we woke up to the fog burning off.

For Tom's 50th birthday, we got him a sunny day at Dillons. (ha!)

Post-breakfast, we all took a stroll along the beach.

“The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul.” – Wyland

I always feel so small at the ocean.

Jelly belly.

The boys tried to walk around the rocks (like T and I did the day before).

Rusty, who took an undesired swim the day before, seemed concerned about his people.

Given the high tide, beachcombing was limited. I did notice a ton of trash and debris though. (Sad face)

When the water did not recede, they finally climbed over instead of taking a swim like Bryce.

I remember feeling utterly stunned when in my freshman psychology class in Lincoln, Nebraska, more than half my classmates said they'd never seen the ocean before. Having lived most of my life +/- 0-3 hours from the ocean, I can't imagine never knowing it.

I did have the opportunity to introduce one former boyfriend to the ocean. (One of those Midwest kids I mentioned above.) When I told him about sand crabs and how you can catch them by watching for tiny bubbles after a wave recedes and digging, he thought I was lying! Like I would make up the awesome sport of catching sand crabs just to pull one over on him.