more images and more ideas from santa cruz

saw the coast
watched the surf
did not touch the water
this goes against my rules of travel
as I try to induldge in what is offered around me

with my annual visits to the gulf side of florida I am spoiled by the warm water forgetting how cold the water can be in the oceans the coasts
the gulf of mexico is like bath water


on top of that.... it may be a little early in the season for playing in the ocean waters without a wet suit
my play does not merit a wet suit

fun to watch the surfers in santa cruz and the kite boarders further up the coast
looked for a skate board at a yard sale
did not go to many yard sales
did not see any skateboards

it amused all the old friends to hear the new friends refer to the groom as the boy scout
we never knew him as the boy scout
in fact... I am not sure what merit badges he would have earned if he had been a boy scout
I guess people do grow up and people do change

this boy scout got a merit badge on this day

as he did do a fine job of tying the knot
a merit badge in the form of a ring

during the toasts no one from the groom's college past spoke

for fear that the toast would come out more as a roast
and roasting was not the tone of the event

my kids were back east (thanks lisa for watching the boys as I played)
I was able to meet some of my friend's kids
well... my friends tim and rhys' son oskar
the other traveler's from the east with kids left families behind as well

last time I was in santa cruz it was for a wedding
rhys and tim's wedding
the groom at this wedding played classical guitar at that wedding
stayed at rhys' parent's house in santa cruz
they made me feel like family


on our last trip to santa cruz lisa and I had only one boy and not two
dean can not remember too much from that trip
photos can dredge up some memories
that does not mean that those experiences were not worth the plane ticket
there were many points in the trip that I wished that my wife and kids were along to enjoy the fun

if my family had traveled with me it would have been a different trip
more than likely a trip with a whole lot less biking and perhaps a tad less drinking
which has me thinking
things went pretty well the way that they were
thanks again lisa

my wife is good to me
life is good to me