Skipped the Beach

We had reservations for a trip to Doheny Beach this weekend, but we cancelled and went to the ball game instead. Of course it would have to be a really important ball game to make us skip camping, and this one was. For a few years now, we've had season tickets to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Minor League Baseball. For only the second time in their history have they won their division in the California League. They're in a best of five series for the League Championship. Instead of a campfire on the beach, I spent my birthday with my family, sipping beer and watching the Quakes tie the series 2-2. The kicker of the evening was after Andy talked the PA announcer into announcing my birthday, but he said "Happy Birthday Ed Harrelson" during the game.

Labor Day Splash

We had planned on camping part of this weekend with our great friends Paul and Linda, but the weather forecast was for triple digit temperatures. Without a hookup for the air conditioner, an RV is a miserable place in that kind of heat.

Instead, we headed out for the day (stopping first at the Farmer's Market). Paul has a beautiful new boat and he took great pleasure in dragging the family and friends behind it. This shot shows the before and after of one of Andy's rides. Unfortunately, I didn't get a shot of the aftermath where the impact blew out the panels on his life vest like shipwreck flotsam.

The Vail Lake Resort was hosting a concert on the lawn, so we gorged on Linda's barbecue ribs and shrimp while watching some live bands and a laser show. The first band, Rockola, was very good and we would definitely catch another one of their shows. They played an hour of Beetles and an hour of sixties and seventies tunes. Good times.

It is home for chores on Sunday, but on Labor Day I'm working the LA Fair, in the Wilderness Ridge area, by the Home and Gardens area. I'll be working with Woodsy Owl and Smokey Bear, representing the US Forest Service.

The Backyard Campfire

Time for an update on the backyard fire ring. I finally got the bench top installed and I'm pretty pleased with the results. I debated a lot about using redwood or the plastic/wood alternatives. Ultimately, the decision was in favor of redwood because of the sagging and heat absorption that can occur with the man-made stuff.

We'll need to get a basket of seat cushions, and I'd like to fill the area between the ring and the benches with gravel, but Andy is convinced it is ready for a back yard bonfire. This project ought to top out at $500 with those extras, but it should last for years.

The blackout dates on our Disneyland passes are finally over, so we can get back to the Happiest Place on Earth. We love meeting up with family and friends for evenings in the park. Michael and Obed come down from LA often, and we always have a great time.

Today is the first of the month and that means hovering around the computer at 7:59 AM trying for the best reservations when they open at eight. I've tried unsuccessfully for years to get one of the cottages at Crystal Cove State Beach, but my luck changed! This morning I got reservations for this cottage a short walk from the Beach and Ruby's Shake Shack. In March, we'll leave La Rana in storage and spend the weekend in this quaint cottage, built in 1938. It'll be a full moon, so midnight beach combing!