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.
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Do you like to read short pieces of thought-provoking fiction? You might enjoy checking out Short Stories by Richard.
Photo of guy surfing near the pilings of the awesome Ocean Beach Municipal Pier.
The Ocean Beach pier is one of my favorite, favorite places in all of San Diego. Why? Check out these photos!
The beach near the foot of the OB pier is a favorite place in San Diego for tourists and locals alike.Climbing up to the high pier from the beach boardwalk below. This is almost like a stairway to heaven!Guy at top of the steps looks down to greet surfer on the sand below!Loads of surfers are out on the Pacific Ocean on this perfect late summer day. The water is warm and the waves have nice form.Looking down the Ocean Beach Municipal Pier, my own favorite pier in San Diego. It’s long and always jammed with cool sights!Kids gaze over the rail at surfers directly below. The action is amazing today!Two surfers wait for a good wave.This guy caught one, and is riding it in toward the shore, just south of the pier. That low wall you see on the right belonged to the long-defunct saltwater Plunge.Pick a wave any wave! The OB vibe is laid-back and life-loving!Photo of someone on the foaming crest of a curler.Two surfers share a wave side-by-side. They went completely under the pier and came out the other side!This surf dude caught himself a sweet liquid ride!While surfers catch cool waves, people farther down the OB pier try to catch some big fish!These fishermen at the t-shaped end of the pier are trying to catch bass, bonito, mackerel, or just about anything that bites!When you stand at the very end of the Ocean Beach pier, you feel like you’re far out on the ocean. I love it!Someone’s got something big on their line! A kid leans way over the rail to see!He’s got a nicely sized bonito! Everyone likes catching this active fish closely related to the tuna. It puts up a good fight!And these guys caught a really big Calico bass! The fish are definitely biting today!
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Volunteers remove litter from beautiful Ocean Beach during Coastal Cleanup Day.
Today is Coastal Cleanup Day! This huge environmental undertaking, involving thousands of energetic volunteers, is I Love A Clean San Diego’s biggest event of the year!
Over 7,600 people participated in San Diego County last year. Over a hundred tons of nasty garbage was removed from our beaches, bays and inland waterways!
This year, in Ocean Beach, a small army of volunteers fanned out along the shore looking for litter and other debris. The items they collected were carefully recorded. I saw many families, organizations and community-minded businesses participating. Everyone was having a great time.
San Diegans, who feel fortunate to live in such a beautiful corner of the world, are very keen on maintaining a clean environment. What’s good for Mother Earth is good for us, as well!
Many local organizations helped during I Love a Clean San Diego’s Coastal Cleanup Day, including the Surfrider Foundation.Speaker of the California State Assembly Toni Atkins had a team helping to clean up the beach!Many Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers assembled for a photograph, with the Pacific Ocean and long Ocean Beach Municipal Pier in the background.This guy came in after surfing some fine waves this morning, just as the cleanup was getting started.Someone found a piece of trash under lifeguard tower number one!The friendly lifeguards were cruising along the sand making sure everyone enjoying the warm water was safe.A lone guitarist performs a duet with the mighty ocean.This cool kid showed me a bit of plastic he picked up with his nifty grappler.People were combing the beach for trash of every kind, including styrofoam, plastic wrappers and cigarette butts.Someone was nice enough to let me photograph their trash! This is what they’d found so far.Lots of smiles were seen all over Ocean Beach during the trash removal event.Someone found a piece of garbage by some kelp near the foot of Ocean Beach’s popular pier. I definitely love a clean San Diego!
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Camera aims toward surfing action from the Oceanside Pier during 2015 Supergirl Pro World Surf League (WSL) competition.
Here’s my second blog post about yesterday’s huge Supergirl Pro event near the Oceanside Pier. If you haven’t already, check out these super cool photos of the surfing action which I posted last night!
The 2015 Supergirl Pro was a three day event with a record 108 female surfing contestants. It’s the largest professional women’s surfing competition in the world. But it’s also a big fun festival celebrating women who participate in extreme sports. Amazing young women were skateboarding on a halfpipe, and visitors could learn about snowboarding. There was also a beauty contest, and the crowd along Oceanside Beach had plenty of cool sights, sounds, delicious food and fun.
Enjoy some photos…
Spectators filled the beach, boardwalk and Oceanside Pier as people enjoyed many cool things to see at Supergirl Pro.The annual female sports festival included high flying girls skateboarding a big halfpipe.Three day surf competition schedule on a sign near the pier. I viewed the Quarterfinals on Sunday.People watch an athlete defy gravity on the halfpipe at 2015 Supergirl Pro!Unlike surfers in the ocean, should a skateboarder fall off their board, there’s no soft landing!Young girl watches female skating athlete complete a trick at Supergirl Pro. Perhaps what she sees will provide her with inspiration.Just walking along the huge event venue, checking out interesting sponsors, vendors, food, and fun surf-related stuff.The Surf Diva has a big pink canopy on the sand!A couple of lifeguards watch the huge crowd from their tower on Oceanside’s always popular beach.Some surf graphics on a banner hung beneath the Oceanside Pier.Youth and a surfboard just north of the pier. It’s another perfect sunny weekend in Southern California.Someone walks past the Supergirl Pro staging tent, where contestants assemble and get ready to compete.Colorful umbrellas and waders in the water can be seen for miles south along the coast, all the way through Carlsbad.Folks in the shade of beach umbrellas look toward the surf, where dueling Supergirls are performing astonishing feats during 25 minute heats.And hundreds are watching from up on the pier, as well.Amazing action like this took place for three straight days. The event is all about female strength and empowerment.Walking farther out on Oceanside Pier to get closer to the powerful Pacific Ocean breakers.Guys on the other side of the pier seem more interested in fishing.Now this person had the best view of all. A paraglider soars quietly above!Eyes are fixed on the water below.This year’s 2015 Supergirl Pro winner, Tatiana Weston-Webb of Hawaii, rides a wave during the Quarterfinals.When the competitors return to shore, a crowd forms around them for a post-heat interview, photos and autographs.I see a pink Supergirl cape on one superheroic surfing celebrity! The event is in part sponsored by DC Comics, where the fictional character was born.Just kicking back and taking in all the cool World Surf League action.As I walk back down the pier, ready to go home, I hear something’s going on at the outdoor Junior Seau Pier Amphitheatre.It’s an announcement of this year’s winner of the beautiful woman contest. Supergirl Pro’s main sponsor is Paul Mitchell, maker of beauty products.Blogging about an awesome surf event requires a photo of someone walking along with a surfboard on their head!
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Professional World Surf League (WSL) Supergirl Pro Women’s Qualifying Series surfer rides the foam in Oceanside, California.
Today I headed up the coast from San Diego to watch the 2015 Supergirl Pro surfing competition, which is held every year just south of the pier in Oceanside, California. Wow! The event is bigger than ever and simply incredible!
Supergirl Pro is the only World Surf League 6-Star Female Surfing Competition in the United States. It’s the largest women’s surfing event of its kind in the entire world. And this year there were a record 108 contestants! The ones I saw today, during the Quarterfinals, were almost superhuman. Surfing must be their superpower!
I got so many photos, I’ll break things up into two blog posts. This first post is my modest camera’s photos of the cool surfing action. I had to sharpen and alter the contrast on most images, but I’m surprised how decently many came out. I kept notes on the names of the surfers competing in each heat, but once I looked at my photos I wasn’t too sure who was who. So please excuse the fact that I don’t include the names of contestants in most captions.
Each pairing of surfers is given 25 minutes. Whoever achieves the highest score moves on in the competition, avoiding elimination.Amazing athlete in Sunday’s competition at the 2015 Supergirl Pro, the largest female surfing event of its kind in the world.Cool photo of superhuman surfing action at 2015 Supergirl Pro. This year a record 108 contestants entered the huge three day competitive event.Riding a wave, hoping for glory. Supergirl Pro is the only WSL 6-Star Female Surfing Competition in the U.S.Tatiana Weston-Webb, professional WSL surfer from the island of Kaua’i, competes at 2015 Supergirl Pro event in Oceanside, California. She eventually went on to win the final!Tatiana plunges down the face of a Pacific Ocean breaker like Supergirl!Cool photo of today’s surfing champion shredding the crest of a wave.Tatiana has classic form on a relatively smooth curler in choppy conditions.Two competitors duel, trying their best to advance in the 2015 Supergirl Pro in the surfing-friendly Southern California city of Oceanside.Supergirl is flying on a surfboard! (The Silver Surfer doesn’t get to have all the fun!)2015 Supergirl Pro is a super cool event where every competitor is an absolutely amazing world-class athlete.
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Welcome to the City of Encinitas, home of sun, surf, cool sights, and a wonderful endless summer.
Here’s just a bunch of cool pics from my weekend walk around Encinitas. I mostly stuck to Coast Highway 101, often referred to as Pacific Coast Highway, south of Encinitas Boulevard. I also took a short stroll along Cottonwood Creek down to beautiful Moonlight Beach, and a short walk to the D Street Viewpoint.
Surfer crossing sign on Pacific Coast Highway near trail to Moonlight Beach.Approaching Moonlight Beach along Cottonwood Creek trail.Path down to concession stand at beautiful Moonlight Beach.Just another perfect day at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, California.Gazing a short distance along the coast from a scenic overlook point.Sign on Pacific Coast Highway explains history and importance of Cottonwood Creek.Photograph of Cottonwood Creek nature trail from Pacific Coast Highway.Heading down old Coast Highway 101. Sculpture on street side is titled Encinitas Child, by artist Manuelita Brown.Pacific Coast Highway through Encinitas won Great American Main Street award in 2004.Coast Highway 101 is one of the most amazing drives, especially through San Diego’s North County.Cool sights as I walked included this big peace sign and tie dye design.The big Encinitas landmark sign over South Coast Highway 101.Colorful murals along the sidewalk in this happy, carefree beach town.Public art shows sailors running their boat to shore through breakers.Lots of small shops, eateries and galleries line Pacific Coast Highway.Classic image on building shows surfer and his longboard.Cool street art on side of business just off Pacific Coast Highway.Electrical transformer box decorated with sun, surf and guitar.People wait at Swami’s pedestrian crossing, with exotic golden domes of the Self-Realization Fellowship across PCH in the background.Elephant mosaic on side of Self-Realization Fellowship gift shop.Java Hut is a typical little beachy place.Funky art along sidewalk is hung about a cactus.Bikes and surfboards are abundant in sunny Encinitas.Tile art on trash can depicts the D Street Viewpoint.Photo of wooden stairs down to beach from D Street Viewpoint. Don’t you wish you were here?
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A happy dog tries to jump through space and catch the moon.
I got lots of pics yesterday during a long walk in Encinitas near the beach. I was amazed by all the different artistic banners on street lamps that line Coast Highway 101.
Very awesome! Check them out!
Elephants and a spiritual butterfly surfboard. Hindu imagery is popular in Encinitas near the beach, due to the presence of the visually distinctive Self-Realization Fellowship ashram.Bold art on a street banner along Coast Highway 101.The Yogi Surf Crossing is a popular path for surfers, locals and tourists alike.A beautiful female figure in sunny beach destination Encinitas.I think these are heart-covered puppy dogs, but I’m not sure.Playing a cool saxophone near the Pacific Ocean.A typical beach scene with palm trees and setting sun.Artwork shows the coastline along San Diego’s North County.Fun, lush art on many banners on Encinitas street lamps.Surfers carry their boards on the beach at Swami’s Reef point break.Exotic figure references Hinduism and Eastern philosophy. The world famous Swami’s surfing spot is overlooked by the Self-Realization Fellowship grounds in Encinitas.Colorful image adds life to an already delightful beach town.Waves and sunset seem nestled in a tree above a street sign.Graphic shows dirt path down to the beach.Several jellyfish seem to soar through the blue sky.Encinitas street banner depicts a tropical island girl.A sleeping cat dreams of being a lion king!
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Ocean Riders bronze sculpture by Wyland has three dolphins.
Imperial Beach is in many ways a typical Southern California beach community. The Pacific Ocean and surfing are dominant themes. You see it in the local culture; you see it just about everywhere you turn.
The above photo is of a very cool sculpture just steps from the beach, in Imperial Beach’s Dunes Park. Ocean Riders, dedicated in 1996, was created by Wyland, a famous environmental artist who is known worldwide for his graceful depictions of marine animals.
Utility box on Seacoast Drive shows girl playing in the sand.Sea and Sky sculpture by Ken Smith.
The above sculpture can be found adjacent to the beach a short distance north of the Imperial Beach pier. In 2009, it was part of an Urban Trees exhibition along San Diego’s Embarcadero.
Fantastic mermaid and shark street mural in Imperial Beach.
This mural represents typical Imperial Beach street art. I found this on the side of a building on Palm Avenue.
Surfboard sculpture in outdoor museum.
You see in this pic one of 25 surfboard sculptures placed along Palm Avenue between 3rd Street and Seacoast Drive. They belong to The Imperial Beach Outdoor Surfboard Museum and represent the history of surfboard design dating from ancient times to 1985.
Shiny metal sculpture of abstract surfer on Palm Avenue.Cool surfboard rack on a bicycle near the beach!
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Dogs and their human pals arrive at the big surfing competition.
I’d never seen a dog surf in my entire life. Not until today.
Now I’ve seen a whole pack of dogs surfing.
Yes, I have to admit it. I couldn’t resist heading down to the big Surfdog event at Imperial Beach today. This year it was sponsored by Unleashed by Petco. In the past it was called Loews Coronado Bay Surf Dog Competition.
What? Some of you have never seen a dog athlete mount a surfboard and skillfully ride mighty ocean breakers?
Seeing is believing…
It’s the epic Surfdog summer event everyone has waited for!Finishing touches are put on a sand sculpture at Imperial Beach.This dog can hardly wait to watch the intense animal action!Information boards outline the various heats in the big surf contest.Announcer readies for some incredible pooch performances.The VIP section fills and so does the beach and pier.Dogs and non-dogs at water’s edge have a great place to watch.These guys want a great spot on the pier to view the action.Everyone is ready for the first exciting freestyle heat!This little fellow doesn’t seem to know what’s going on.Surfing contestants mount their surfboards waiting for the starting horn.The crowd favorite, a genuine superstar, poses for my camera.The horn blows and the first fifteen minute heat begins!The crowd converges on the ocean in disbelief.One four-legged athlete is already out near the breakers.Here come two canine athletes showing great form!Steady as she goes!Hot dogging it and hanging twenty!Wow, those incredible, amazing surfers are absolutely inhuman!Thousands enjoy Unleashed by Petco’s surf dog event!
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Beginning my walk south from Crystal Pier along the boardwalk.
Now please walk with me as I head south down the Pacific Beach boardwalk. We’re starting at Crystal Pier and going all the way to Hamel’s down in Mission Beach. It’s one of the most amazing walks (or bike rides) in all of the world!
Cool octopus art made of tile, stones and shells.
This bit of artwork was next to the walkway right by the pier.
Folks head toward a hungry shark and big ice cream cone!Youth hostel by Pacific Beach boardwalk has a sunny mural.A small backyard is paradise on the beach!Colorful surfboards by beach contain happy messages.Fish tacos are a San Diego specialty!Shells and boogie boards line the boardwalk for passing tourists.Just a sample of what you’d see while walking along the beach.Looking out toward umbrellas and the blue Pacific Ocean.Several camps on the sand teach people to surf.Kids learning to surf file along carrying surfboards.People chat as a lifeguard watches the beach from a tower.Colorful beach toys left forgotten on the concrete sea wall.Beautiful and unusual houses line the boardwalk.The Surf Rider building includes a huge surfboard!Bicycles are a very popular mode of transportation.I reached the Hamel’s castle surf shop in Mission Beach!Lady looks through a high stack of surfboards.Cool mural in alley shows a roller coaster.
This mural in the alley behind Hamel’s shows a roller coaster. Is there a roller coaster nearby in Mission Beach? Yes, indeed! We’ll visit Belmont Park in my next blog post!
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Cool San Diego Sights! 