I wanted to get an early start so we could get to the beach today. The young people in our group were reluctant to get out of bed, but I assured them they could sleep in the car. We got breakfast at McDonald's then continued south in the direction of sand and sun. We stopped for gas and lunch in Victorville and kept driving. We talked and laughed as we drove along, with Mom telling us stories of her youth and the couple of times they went to Carpinteria as a family. We drove along Pearblossom Highway, through Ventura, and finally arrived at our hotel.
It was warm and smelled like California, a distinct smell that always takes me back to my childhood and our visits to Grandma Hare. Mikayla and Christopher had arrived a short time before us and everyone ran up and down the hallway of the hotel in their excitement to be together. We unloaded the car and headed to the beach.
Carpinteria is a state park, but just outside the park boundaries, there is free public parking. We took advantage of this spot the whole time we were there. It is right on the beach, about twenty yards from where we dropped our stuff. Today we didn't really bring much stuff as it was nearing sundown when we got there, so we just sat around in the sand and waded in the surf. The little and not so little people got in the water. Blythe went in up to her waist, Cora stripped down to her leggings, and pretty much everyone got their feet wet.
As we watched the sun go down, we saw a seal and some dolphins just at the surf break, only a short distance off the beach. It was amazing! We spotted both far out, but they worked their way in closer and we saw them right by us. What a terrific way to end our first moments on the beach. We could hardly wait to get back the next day.
We went for pizza and salad at a nearby restaurant but just brought it back to the hotel. Blythe was cold after her dip in the ocean, so she had a shower and didn't want to leave the room. There was no hot water in the hotel for three of the five days we were there, and today was one of those days. I suppose the water was warmer than the ocean, however.
We got some terrible news. Kila, who was in the care of a young woman who was a friend of Mikayla's, had escaped and run away. She was supposed to be spending the days at home and then evenings with the young woman watching her, but Mikayla's house door wouldn't open, so Kila was left at the apartment of the dogsitter. She didn't like it. She was in the dogsitter's bedroom behind a closed door, so someone must have let her out of the room and then out of the apartment. The moment she saw her opportunity, she dashed off. She is faster than most furry sausages we know, and she was not inclined to be caught. Mikayla and Guy were beside themselves, worried sick and concerned about the very cold temperature in Utah. We all prayed for her safety and hoped she would be found by some kind soul who would call and let us know she was okay.
Mikayla, Christopher, Mom, and I all met in the lobby to play games. Mikayla played badly as she was worried about Kila, but we had a good time talking and laughing. It is wonderful to be together and we are super happy we get to spend the whole day at the beach tomorrow.
Katherine: “We‘ve arrived. Now let’s do laundry.”
Christopher: As we discuss all the stuff Christopher has packed for the trip, “If I’m going to be a vagabond on the beach, I want my cart to be full to start."
Watching the seal, Brandt says: “Wow. We are tourists.”
Kal says: “Come to me," beaconing the seal to swim to him.
Kal asked Christopher if he likes Diet Dew. Christopher said, “I love Diet Dew as much as I love my children."
Kal: “REALLY?”
Brick: “What are we doing while we are here?”
Mikayla: “I don’t know yet. We’ll have to see.”
Brick: “Let’s just beach it out."
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