Be kinder than necessary – for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle…
Yesterday I walked through Ocean Beach. A few of my photographs seem to spell out a message about life.
I noticed that a small park at the corner of Sunset Cliffs and W. Point Loma Boulevard contained bits of wisdom. So did a formation of pelicans and a surfer near the OB pier.
Moving shadow in a small plaza at the corner of Sunset Cliffs and W. Point Loma Boulevard. Wisdom and love are written on an Ocean Beach wall.Walking down a winding path toward Robb Field. Life is a one way meandering journey.Public art on an Ocean Beach wall. All starfish are beautiful, alike but different.A starfish is small but resilient. It moves and bends with life’s unceasing tides.A starfish that suffers loss will regenerate. During its short life, it is a survivor.Bicycling a short distance down life’s path. Be kind. The unknown awaits around some turns.A glimpse of immensity beyond the beach. The OB pier extends a short way toward the mysterious horizon.Entering the ocean. A place of beauty, power, pleasure, danger. Like life itself.Pelicans fly in formation to ease their path through the air.Riding a wave. A short trip upon the mighty ocean back toward familiar land.Live fully. Ride well. Enjoy life. We each are very small. Be forgiving. Be kind.
…
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Do you like to read short pieces of thought-provoking fiction? You might enjoy checking out Short Stories by Richard.
Cool people search under the Ocean Beach Municipal Pier for litter. I love a clean San Diego!
This morning I headed to the OB pier to take a bunch of photos. Some of them might end up being used in a book about the piers of California! (I’ll blog more about that later as events unfold.)
I was pleasantly surprised to see my visit to Ocean Beach happened to coincide with the Ocean Beach Pier Cleanup Day, which is organized by San Diego Coastkeeper and the Surfrider Foundation. I took some pics of awesome volunteers combing the sand for all sorts of nasty litter. Once again, I learned cigarette butts are a huge problem. One small team I spoke to collected literally hundreds of them from the beach.
Do you live in San Diego? Let’s help to keep our city clean and beautiful!
Many residents of Ocean Beach help to keep their community clean, collecting trash that damages the coastal environment.These guys using a metal detector were sifting the sand for precious treasure! In their own way, I suppose, they were helping to keep the beach clean, too!Plastic bags fill up with garbage as volunteers make Ocean Beach that more beautiful and inviting.These friendly volunteers found over 300 cigarette butts. Yikes. If only some people could be a little more thoughtful…Collected trash is recorded at the San Diego Coastkeeper station not far from the OB pier.Volunteers search the beach near the OB pier for litter during a cleanup day.
…
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Spectacular flower of a Coastal cholla cactus in San Diego. Seen along a trail near Morley Field Drive that leads into Balboa Park’s Florida Canyon.
I took these colorful photos while walking Sunday through Balboa Park, along one of the rugged dirt trails that leads up out of Florida Canyon. A short hike can be enjoyed through native coastal chaparral and spring wildflowers, between Morley Field and Park Boulevard, just south of Morley Field Drive.
Flat-top buckwheat, or California buckwheat, flower clusters are opening in spring. These native plants grow profusely in arid San Diego.Small red flower clusters of flat-top buckwheat (Eriogonum deflexum) that have yet to open.More buckwheat in Balboa Park’s Florida Canyon. Native Americans used the plant to make tea with medicinal properties.Another flower on a very spiny Coastal cholla (Cylindropuntia prolifera) makes for an interesting photograph.A wild yellow prickly pear cactus flower near the rim of Balboa Park’s Florida Canyon, just across Park Boulevard from the San Diego Zoo.These buckwheat flower clusters have turned brown. Perhaps that’s why the plant is sometimes called skeletonweed.These flowers that I randomly photographed along the trail have me stumped. I tried to identify them, but without success. If you know what they are, please leave a comment!A profusion of red and white buckwheat beauty.
…
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
The sun rises behind trees atop Cortez Hill, the neighborhood where I live in downtown San Diego.
Yesterday morning, just after sunrise, the clouds high above San Diego were absolutely amazing. They were delicate and windswept, like angels’ wings and painted dreams. The clouds were so swirly and curly, it seemed the wind knew not which way to go.
I took these photos during a short walk from Cortez Hill to Bankers Hill.
Eucalyptus trees at the southwest corner of Balboa Park, beneath glowing, fantastic morning clouds.Mother Nature put on quite a sky show for those who thought to look upward!Swirly, curly, windswept clouds high in the blue San Diego sky, like a delicate dream.Morning clouds above Bankers Hill make for a truly cool sight in San Diego, the beautiful city I call home!
…
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Do you like these photos? I recently wrote an unusual, inspiring story that might touch you called One Strange, Shimmering Dream. Click to read it!
A wheelbarrow full of colorful flowers on a spring morning, following a light rain. Photo taken near base of the Little Italy landmark sign on India Street.
Early this morning I headed through Little Italy. The streets were still wet after a slight rain in the night. I was admiring all the brightly damp flowers up and down one sidewalk, when it occurred to me I should pull out my camera. So I did!
I love springtime in San Diego. Lots of walking and photos ahead!
Looking east from Kettner Boulevard in downtown San Diego’s beautiful Little Italy neighborhood. Morning clouds catch the rising sun after some nighttime sprinkles.Little Italy streets have many public planters filled with flowers. Orange blooms in this hanging planter are still wet from the recent rain.Many spring flowers provide a burst of color near the windows of a Little Italy restaurant.A small patch of color on India Street. A nearby sign reads Garden by Randall.Some moisture has pooled in the leaves of this potted geranium on the sidewalk.More happy flowers by the outdoor seating area of a restaurant. The clear plastic that provides protection from inclement weather is still wet with many raindrops.Bunches of hanging flowers. Gorgeous spring colors are all about Little Italy’s friendly streets.Banner on a street lamp advertises the upcoming Mission Federal Art Walk in Little Italy. It’s about a month away.Some yellow blooms on a small table in the front patio of a Little Italy residence.An eye-catching bird of paradise flower greets anyone who approaches this door!Walking with the dog up a sidewalk in Little Italy, early one spring morning after some rainfall.A peek through a window at flowers on a table inside a Little Italy breakfast spot.To see lots of bright flowers on San Diego’s streets, perhaps swing by Little Italy during the spring!
…
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Do you like to read short pieces of thought-provoking fiction? You might enjoy checking out Short Stories by Richard.
Rusty old train tracks are overgrown with wild vegetation, including many California bush sunflowers.
I made a cool discovery the other day. A little-known hiking path in San Diego’s South Bay provides a view of a beautiful natural wetland.
According to signs that I saw, the small estuary between Bay Marina Drive, Marina Way, Interstate 5 and the Sweetwater River is a protected wildlife refuge. I believe, after looking at Google Maps, that the water flows from Paradise Creek. But I’m not certain. Perhaps someone reading this knows.
Long-unused train tracks that are partially concealed by vegetation run along the edge of the wetland, and so does a narrow footpath. I didn’t see any signs naming the trail, or any that prohibited a short hike. So I walked down it a bit, enjoying the fresh air and peaceful surroundings.
Information sign near edge of estuary identifies native plants. California Buckwheat, White Sage, Southwestern Spiny Rush, and Black Sage.View of National City wetland from observation area south of the Best Western Marina Gateway hotel parking lot.Beginning down the footpath on a sunny weekend day.Some eroded sandstone adds beauty to the scene.Prickly pear and chaparral yucca above a green estuary.Beyond the sign lies a fragile wetland where native plants and animals are protected. I saw some birds out in the wildlife refuge.I turned about after a short hike and headed on back to the hotel parking lot.
UPDATE!
On a later visit I discovered additional signs beside the hotel parking lot. They contain more interesting information.
I learned this wetland is called Paradise Marsh. It’s an environmentally important tidal salt marsh that’s part of the much larger San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Water reflects bright sunlight in National City’s Paradise Marsh.Paradise Marsh is a small part of the 2600 acre San Diego Bay National Wildlife RefugeThe birds of Paradise Marsh include the Willet, Mallard, American Avocet and the Great Blue Heron.For hundreds of years, Native American tribes such as the Kumeyaay, Iapi or Tipai made their homes around the estuaries of San Diego Bay.A beautiful tidal salt marsh wetland can be viewed in National City.
…
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Late afternoon stroll on the pier between Tuna Harbor and Seaport Village. The Manchester Grand Hyatt towers are glowing in a dramatic sky.
Late this afternoon I took a stroll through a beautiful city of silver and gold. Here are the photos…
Walking through Seaport Village toward the Marriott Marquis and Marina. The beautiful hotel is shining like precious silver.Late afternoon sunlight reflected off the two silvery sail-like towers of the Marriott Marquis on San Diego Bay.Blue sky, white and dark clouds, and fantastic patterns created by light reflected on the amazing glass building.White superyachts docked behind the San Diego Convention Center are bathed in late afternoon light.The masts of three large yachts in a row, like vertical beams of light.End of day approaches. The sun sets fire to a glass portion of the San Diego Convention Center.The sun is almost ready to set over San Diego Bay. Golden light now prevails.The parking structure of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront has turned gold.A golden pathway through the city. Amazing beauty seen during a late afternoon walk on the pedestrian bridge over Harbor Drive.
…
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click on a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of unique photos for you to enjoy!
Bright yellow California sunflowers. San Diego has more botanical diversity than any other county in the continental United States.
The San Diego River has always been a source of life. Ancient people flourished on its banks. It’s where European civilization began in California. That civilization today has grown to include freeways, shopping malls, industrial parks and immense residential complexes. Like a gleaming thread of silver, the river flows through it all, eternally, west to the Pacific Ocean.
The health of this once-pristine river, crowded in many areas by human development, is threatened in challenging ways. Pollutants found in storm runoff, windblown litter, piles of garbage and human waste from homeless encampments, encroachment by non-native vegetation… These problems and others require the thoughtful involvement of the local community. Volunteers monitor the river; some help to pick up trash or report graffiti. Active, concerned residents attend special meetings to discuss improvements or make critical decisions.
Would you like to become involved? Click here, or check out my two photos of posters that include contact information.
Our careful stewardship of the San Diego River will ensure the survival of an important riparian ecosystem, and will allow future generations to walk down trails of spirit-nourishing beauty.
Gazing west along the San Diego River from Qualcomm Way.Bicycle and pedestrian paths follow the San Diego River through Mission Valley.Litter carelessly dropped near a mile marker for The San Diego River Trail. It was picked up.The community is working to restore and enhance this area while making an inviting living science center in the heart of our urban riparian environment. (Click image to enlarge.)Make a difference with a fun group of people. Join the River Assessment Team! Help support a clean river and get some exercise! (Click image to enlarge.)A red San Diego Trolley passes over the life-filled river as it approaches the Rio Vista station.A gathering of American coots (or mud hens) where the San Diego River passes beneath Camino del Este.Dark clouds and barren Fremont Cottonwoods minutes before a winter storm brings brief torrential rain.Beautiful flowers can be seen at almost any time of year during a nature walk along The San Diego River Trail.A couple of busy bees collect pollen in the morning.
…
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
The catamaran Aolani sails behind the Maritime Museum of San Diego just before sunset.
A few photos from my short walk after work. I strolled along the Embarcadero and visited the Maritime Museum of San Diego, one of my favorite places. The sun was setting…
Tourists walk among many historic boats and ships behind the steam ferry Berkeley. The racing sloop Butcher Boy is over a hundred years old. It sailed rapidly out on the bay, always first to provide fresh provisions to visiting ships.School students learn how to handle an oar, before heading out on San Diego Bay in a museum longboat.Sun gently falls behind the picturesque deck and rigging of HMS Surprise.A winter sunset paints the sky behind the B-39 Soviet submarine and the masts of several ships, including Californian, San Salvador and America.HMS Surprise, steam ferry Berkeley, and a beautiful sky.A soft sunset and still water. Nightfall on San Diego Bay.
…
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Native American Kumeyaay from the San Diego area work near the foot of an ewaa, a dome-shaped hut made of sycamore and oak tree branches.
Over two years ago, when Cool San Diego Sights was relatively new, I blogged about some amazing public art near the Santa Fe Depot in downtown San Diego. I provided just a brief glimpse, really.
The artwork, titled The Tracks We Leave Behind, created by Betsy K. Schulz in 2008, is so utterly fantastic, so absorbing, I’ve decided to blog about it once again. Whenever I walk past (which is often), I like to pause an extra few seconds beside my favorite column, which features gorgeous mosaics that depict wild nature and the Native American Kumeyaay people, who have lived around San Diego for about 12,000 years.
Living in this place we set fires to open the land and make the seeds grow. We fish all year, both near shore and deep. We walk to the canyons and the mountains–hunting, gathering food and trading . . .Public art titled The Tracks We Leave Behind, by Betsy K. Schulz, 2008, includes the image of a Kumeyaay hattepaa (coyote) howling.Beautiful handmade mosaic tiles form a Kumeyaay ispa (eagle) in flight.The bald eagle has captured a Kumeyaay hiiwaa (fish).Yellow Sycuan Suncups grace this gorgeous, detailed public artwork in downtown San Diego.The yellow bloom of a prickly pear. This sculpted tile mosaic is so phenomenal, you almost can’t remove your eyes from it!The native Kumeyaay people (also called Kumiai, Ipai-Iipay, Tipai-Tipay, Diegueño, Kamia) have lived in the San Diego region for around 12,000 years.Public art in San Diego depicts Cinon Duro Mataweer, spiritual leader (kuseyaay or tribal shaman) of the Ipai (formerly northern Diegueño) Native American Indian tribe.
…
Join me for many more Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook and Twitter!
It’s hard to believe, but this photo blog of San Diego now contains over 800 posts, and features a vast universe of wonderful art–not to mention other random cool stuff! Click some links that look interesting if you’d like to explore! Have fun!
Cool San Diego Sights! 