My Happy Place

"You must learn to let go. Release the stress. You were never in control anyway."

~Steve Maraboli, Life, The Truth, And Being Free

Okay, I have been a little stressed lately. I could give the laundry list, but why? No good comes from ruminating, and besides, why burden you, and possibly stress you out, about what I stress about! So, what am I going to do about all the stress? Glad you asked! I am going to spend a lot of time at one of my favorite places on Earth. Point Montara Lighthouse, in Montara, California.

Lighthouses have been my passion for years! I have been to many of them up and down the California coast, and have been intrigued and inspired by all of them, but there is something about Point Montara Lighthouse that I love, and let me tell you, it's true love! I love it's size, and it's history. I love that there are benches overlooking the water where you can sit for as long as you want, and just let go of whatever stress or pain that is in your way. I love that I can go there when nothing is wrong, and leave even happier than when I got there!

It's always there for me. It doesn't judge. It just shines it's light on me. 

See...





And look how beautiful the sun is, as it begins to set, on a January day.



Who wouldn't want to spend the day there? Perhaps one day I will stay at the hostel on the grounds for a couple days, or maybe forever. You never know. Shrug.

Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel

Mood: Quiet But Okay

~Me :)

The Sand Between My Toes

"The beach is not a place to work; to read, write or to think."

~Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift From The Sea

Last Wednesday was an extraordinary day with the cameras. The whole day was a study in light and shadows. It was a perfect day for making mistakes. I really stretched my creative muscle, and just relaxed. I stopped here first. Point Montara State Beach, which is on the California coast, just south of Pacifica. It is just north of my favorite lighthouse at Point Montara. Isn't it lovely? And everything was coming together to just fill my soul. The air, sigh, so clean and cool, and the gentle waves were just touching my toes, but it was the sand between my toes that felt the best. It's a funny kind of magical when you can bring all your senses into your photography. Just remembering it right now, makes me feel, well, warm and happy inside. It was a good day.

Mood: Very Happy

~Me :)

It Was A Warm January Day

"Because there's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it's sent away."

~Sarah Kay

I had an amazing time with the Camera Wednesday. I spent some time in San Francisco, but spent most of my time snuggled up next to the coastline. Pacifica, Moss Beach, Point Montara... my goodness, I never get tired of the beauty. The temperature was nearly 80, but the air was soft and cool. It felt good to touch sand again. Bliss. 

See For Yourself...





As a photographer... well amateur photographer... my first love is autumn, but the coastline of California is a close second. Although, my lovely Golden Gate is in the running as well. So much beauty and soul. I am a happy girl when I have my camera in my hand.

Mood: Happy

~ Me :)

Round Robin Challenge: The End Of Summer

"The summer night is like a perfection of thought."

-Wallace Stevens

Ahhh... the end of summer. Some years I can't wait to see summer go, and other years it is so mild and sweet, that I almost mourn it's passing. I think the summer that just ended will fall somewhere in the middle. It wasn't very hot, which was a very good thing, especially for my boy Elvis, who, like his mommy, doesn't do well when it is too hot outside. Poor little fella nearly melted in the early part of the summer of 2006, when, during a two week heatwave, it reached 108 degrees in the Bay Area. I thought I might possibly lose him that year. I was worried for him this past spring when he was diagnosed with cancer, that the weather might play into how long he would survive, but the summer was quite kind to us. He did well, and so did I.

I like summers that are cool enough for me to wear my favorite sweater. I enjoyed the evenings, with the light breezes and the amazing sunsets. I took very few photos this summer, certainly a lot less then in previous years. I don't know why, but I have been struggling a bit lately with things. It's difficult to know I will be losing my best friend in the world soon. Elvis is my little kitty soul mate, and he loves me, so to know I will be losing that is sometimes more then I can take. On the other hand, he is such a joy every single day, and I will always be grateful that we had this past summer together, and that it was a mild one.

I took this series of photos at one of my favorite places on earth, Point Montara Lighthouse. If you ever make it to the Bay Area, you must stop by this gorgeous lighthouse and see it for yourself. I don't come close to doing it's beauty justice. I love this place, and its gentle ambiance. I feel at peace there. I took these photos in the evening, of the last Wednesday, of the summer of 2008. Enjoy.





Oh, the summer night
Has a smile of light
And she sits on a sapphire throne

-Barry Cornwall

I enjoyed this challenge, so thanks goes to Janet, who authors the blog, Fond of Snape. She submitted it our suggestion pool a while back, so be sure to pay her a visit and all the participating Robins, to see how they wanted to say goodbye to summer. By the way, we are always looking for new topics, so feel free to send your ideas to Steven, Karen and myself. Who knows, your idea could be our next challenge! Be sure to check the official Round Robin blog tomorrow, to find out what our next challenge will be!

1. Janet... Fond Of Snape
Posted!

2. Karen... Outpost Mavarin
Posted!

3. Wammy... The Ellis Family Cincinnati
Posted!

4. Ellen B. ... The Happy Wanderer **Welcome New Member**
Posted!

5. Carly... Ellipsis
Posted!

6. Connie... Far Side Of Fifty
Posted!

7. Erin... Life Of A College Student
Posted!

8. Gattina... Keyhole Pictures
Posted!

9. Nancy... Nancy Luvs Pix


10. Kiva... The Eclectic Granny
Posted!

11. Valerie... Soulfully Blond
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12. Sandra... Strong Chemistry
Posted!

13. Mary... Work of the Poet
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14. Jill... South Bay Soliloquy
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15. _rRose... WAIT-NOTYET-MOUNTAIN RIVER WHISPERS
Posted!

16. Jennifer Robin... Robin's Woods
Posted!

17. Teena... It's All About Me!
Posted!

18. Arti... Ripple Effects **Welcome New Member**
Posted!

19. Mary... Just A Hippie Gypsy
Posted!

20. Chrissie... Chris-seas Corner
Posted!

21. Abby... {Hello}
Posted!



-Carly
"The End Of Summer In Montara"
Point Montara Lighthouse
Point Montara, California
Summer, 2008
Twilight

The Gates Of Heaven

"Sunsets are so beautiful that they seem as if we are looking through the gates of Heaven"

-John Lubbock

Here is my last summer sunset for 2008! We had an unusually mild summer this year, there were only few days that I can were summer like. Even yesterday, when I took this photo, I was wearing gloves. Strange summer. The sunsets this year have been magnificent, I didn't photograph as many as I should have, but I plan to rectify that. I am hoping to make autumn, all about the sunsets! Wish me luck, now that I have said my plans out loud... lol... you just know something will try to stand in my way! We'll see.

So tell me, how was your summer in terms of the weather? Are you looking forward to autumn arriving? Tell me everything.

-OndineMonet
"Gates Of Heaven"
Point Montara Lighthouse
Montara, California
September 18th, 2008
Twilight

Round Robin Challenge: A Nice Place To Sit

"Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom."

-Buddah

I have shared to place with you before, it is the Point Montara Lighthouse and Youth Hostel grounds. When I saw the topic for this challenge, I had to smile, because this is one of the most beautiful spots in the Bay Area, and it is never crowded when I go there, almost like it is one of the best kept secrets as well. :) I have visited this place often for it's quiet, calming, feeling.

When I am sad, it provides the right kind of solitude to let me just sit and think things through, when I am happy, it is fun to sit on one of the chairs that the Hostel provides, and just enjoy the sounds of the Pacific ocean, and the fun seabirds that fly past, on their way up the coast toward San Francisco. It's my favorite place to take a little time out of life, to just enjoy being away from things. I went their this past week, and did a little meditation, and when I was finished I felt so good, relaxed, but invigorated at the same time. Does that make sense? :) We should all look for places like that, it does a body good to take the pressure off once in a while.

I took this picture at a beach park along HWY1, just south of Hearst Castle, near Cambria, California

aoljpictureUpload, aoljpictureUpload_4

Some very comfortable looking pelicans, kicking back at their perfect place to sit, near Pismo Beach, California. October, 2006.

Tammie Jean, who authors the blog, Long Drives To Know Where, suggested this topic, a few months back, when we did a special challenge that called for new topics to be submitted as part of the challenge. We got a lot of good ideas that day, but we are always looking forward to more ideas being submitted. So put on your thinking caps, and send us those suggestions for future challenges. You can email Karen, Steven or myself, and we will add you idea to the challenge list pool. Who knows, you idea might be next! Now, go visit the Robins who participated for this challenge, all you have to do is follow the links below!

:)

Linking List

1.Tammie Jean... Long Drives To Nowhere


2. Karen... Outpost Mavarin
POSTED!

3. Carly... Ellipsis
POSTED!

4. Kiva... Eclectic Granny
POSTED!

5. Gattina (See RR Sidebar For Link)
POSTED!

6. Jill... Letting Crazy Take A Spin
POSTED!

7. Sandra... Strong Chemistry
POSTED!

8. Jan AKA Wammy... The Ellis Family Cincinnatti
POSTED!

9. Lisa Marie... Lisa's Chaos
POSTED!

10. Nancy... Nancy Luvs Pix
POSTED!

11. Vicki... Maraca
POSTED!

12. Sarah... Charish-Me


13. Martha... Perception
POSTED!

14. Suzanne R... Living ... Suzanne R's Life
POSTED!

15. Sandy... Myanderings


16. Momma... (See RR Sidebar For Link)
POSTED!

17. Jan... The Prytz Family
POSTED!

18. Chrissea... Chrisseas-Corner
POSTED!

19. Old Dog... (See RR Sidebar For Link)
POSTED!

20. Teena... It's all about me!
POSTED!

21. Celeste... Ragracers
POSTED!

22. Becky... Where Life Takes You
POSTED!

23. Vicki... Visions By Vicki
POSTED!

24 Jama Hameed... Sweet Memories
POSTED!

-OndineMonet

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Blue Skies

"When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky."

-Buddha

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Picture some blue, blue skies. Wide stretches of blue are the goal here. Fluffy clouds are great, too - but try to get skies mostly blue. Interesting stuff in the foreground is groovy, too.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

I remember this day, it was August 9th of 2006, and it was an absolutely gorgeous day! It was a mild day, as temperature goes, and I swear I could see forever. :) Earlier in the day, I had met a bit of stress when someone came very close to hitting my car on the freeway. It was so close a call, that it left me shaken for most of the day, but I continued on with my plans all the same. We spent the day photographing butterflies at the Conservatory of Flowers, and when we were finished, we decided to take the long way home, by way of HWY 1 along the coast. Alan knew all I needed was a nice long break at my favorite little lighthouse, to calm my nerves. It worked perfectly. By late in the afternoon, we were at Point Montara Lighthouse. He and I sat in the little area, just to the right of the lighthouse in the picture. My favorite green Adirondack chair was waiting for me. We talked and laughed, and counted out blessings. It was a close call we had had that day, but just sitting in that warm summer sun, under that gorgeous sky, I was just focused on all that blue.

Blue Skies
By Irving Berlin

I was blue, just blue as I could be
Every day was cloudy day for me
Then good luck came a-knocking at my door
Skies were gray but they're not gray anymore

Blue skies
Smiling at me
Nothing but blue skies
Do I see

Bluebirds
Singing a song
Nothing but bluebirds
All day long

Never saw the sun shining so bright
Never saw things going so right
Noticing the days hurrying by
When you're in love, my how they fly

Blue days
All of them gone
Nothing but blue skies
From now on

I should care if the wind blows east or west
I should fret if the worst looks like the best
I should mind if they say it can't be true
I should smile, that's exactly what I do

-OndineMonet
Point Montara Lighthouse
Montara, California
August 9th, 2006
Late Afternoon