Succulent with Light Purple Flowers

These purple flowers can carpet areas near the beach all over California. They're flowers of a succulent plant, which I don't know the name of. Some of these succulents have bigger flowers that are yellow.

If anyone has more info on these succulents, please comment.

This photograph is part of a larger one that I cropped out. The picture was taken with a Canon 5D with a Canon L series 24-105mm lens.

Under the Boardwalk

Hmmm, I know that tune...but what are the words? Picture is under the boardwalk at San Clemente, CA.

The Drifters
"Under the Boardwalk"

Season 5
"The Good Fight"

Oh when the sun beats down and burns the tar up on the roof.
And your shoes get so hot, you wish your tired feet were fire-proof.
Under the Boardwalk, down by the sea
On a blanket with my baby, is where I'll be.

(Under the Boardwalk)
Out of the sun.
(Under the Boardwalk)
Man, we'll be having some fun.
(Under the Boardwalk)
People walkin' above.
(Under the Boardwalk)
We'll be falling in love under the Boardwalk,

Boardwalk.

From the palms you hear the happy sounds of the carousel,
and you can almost taste the hot-dogs and french fries they sell.
Under the Boardwalk, down by the sea
on a blanket with my baby, is where I'll be.

(Under the Boardwalk)
Out of the sun.
(Under the Boardwalk)
Man, we'll be having some fun.
(Under the Boardwalk)
People walkin' above.
(Under the Boardwalk)
We'll be falling in love under the Boardwalk,

Boardwalk.

Under the Boardwalk, down by the sea
On a blanket with my baby, is where I'll be.

Under the Boardwalk, down by the sea
On a blanket with my baby, is where I'll be.

Ode to a California Sunset

You don't always need clouds for a beautiful sunset picture. The sun setting way behind the marine layer in the Pacific Ocean can disperse light in all kinds of ways.

Just Fishing

There's something relaxing about fishing. You cast out your line and ... wait.

The pier the fishermen are standing on was built in 1928.

So what are fishermen catching? Here's an answer that describes what one can catch on each part of the pier:

"Inshore, anglers should expect to see corbina, spotfin croaker, yellowfin croaker, a few sargo, barred surfperch, guitarfish, various rays, and small sharks. The mid-pier area will yield all of these (but in a lesser number) and, in addition, offer white croaker, queenfish, halibut, sand bass, silver and walleye surfperch, sculpin (California scorpionfish), salema and jacksmelt. The far end of the 1,296-foot-long pier will see all of these but also yield up more bonito, mackerel, jack mackerel, barracuda and, in some years, even a few small yellowtail."

This information comes from pierfishing.com

Revisiting Myanmar

I'm always recalling my trip to Myanmar.
With nearly 10,000 dead from the cyclone, I feel for the people of that country. There some of the nicest people in all the world.

The following is from the CIA factbook, "September 2007 crackdown on prodemocracy demonstrators, including thousands of monks, further strained the economy as the tourism industry, which directly employs about 500,000 people, suffered dramatic declines in foreign visitor levels. In November 2007, the European Union announced new sanctions banning investment and trade in Burmese gems, timber and precious stones, while the United States expanded its sanctions list to include more Burmese government and military officials and their family members, as well as prominent regime business cronies, their family members, and associated companies."

Something's gotta give here. Things can't get much worse.

The Walter Pyramid

Who'd have figured that Long Beach would have had such weird architecture? This is the Walter Pyramid. It's a sports complex at Cal State University--Long Beach.

Don Gibbs designed the thing and the Nielson Construction of San Diego built it. It cost $22 million to build.

San Clemente Municipal Pier

Just north of San Diego are a string of beach cities, one of which is San Clemente. If you remember San Clemente was where Nixon escaped the hum-drum life in the White House.

I can see why he did, it's a gorgeous place, sweet breezes, swaying Washingtonian palm trees, and a great pier (see picture).

Downtown isn't far from the beach and there are dozens of shops to mill through.

While I wouldn't want to spend more than a day in San Clemente, it's definitely worth a stop for a great photo op.