The Dunes

We finally found the entrance to Ft. Ord Dunes State Beach along Monterey Bay.  On the spot where I took this from there used to be an enlisted mens' club that was commissioned by General Stillwell.  It was an elegant place for the soldiers to relax and escape for a time during the wars.  The interior was beautiful with large well lit rooms, huge fireplaces, reading rooms, and beautiful murals painted by WPA artists.  In 2003 the building was torn down. The cliffs were eroding and the building had been battered by recent storms. The army tried to save the building, but nature won.  I don't know if the murals were preserved.  I know it was discussed. It will take some looking into.  One would hope that, at the least, there are photo documents. Stillwell Hall was the first enlisted mens' club built. Prior to that only officers warranted such grand accommodation for their relaxation.  The views of the bay were stupendous.

As we sat on the bluff a large school of Risso's Dolphins swam playfully by.  They leaped behind the waves and surfed within them.  For some reason every shot I took of those lovely dolphins came out extremely under exposed.  Must have been my excitement at seeing another creature at play.  We will just have to keep going back.

In bocca al lupo.  m & v

Good News

Still working on some design ideas, this is part of the Beaches series.

CT results for v were very encouraging. They usually have been. However, this time the doctor made the comment "...of the tumors still remaining...".  Still remaining? Some have actually gone???  Yes, several per the doctor.  There are a few small ones outside of the liver area and a few remain in both lungs, however the largest (which had always been the largest) has diminished to around thumbnail size and had started out silver dollar sized.  Although the CT cannot perfectly visualize the esophagus it does show the area and that area appears normal.  So v is taking a break from chemo. He'll start again in September.  We took a celebratory getaway to Morro Bay to take some pictures for the current project.

We have now decided that both of us have gotten way out of shape.  Hiking sand dunes about did us in.  We've concentrated so much on his weight and preserving energy that we lost sight of something very fundamental; physical exercise.  So we see a lot of walking in our immediate future!

In bocca al lupo.  m & v

Slough Walk

We went for a walk at the Elkhorn Slough on Thursday.  It is such a beautiful and important environment. For decades it had been drained for use as farmland, but it is now being restored.  It is hugely important as a habitat for migrating birds, for fish, sea otters, and the mud dwelling invertabrates.  It is very important for flood control as well.  Visit ElkhornSlough.org for more information.

There are numerous trails to choose from. We chose to take the lagoon trail.  It was around 2.5 miles. There are longer and shorter routes and we're hoping to take them all.  v has been doing so well since starting his chemo fifteen weeks ago. He'll be starting round six shortly.  We remain optimistic.

The lagoon trail was the best for viewing the birds we were assured. On our tour there weren't numerous birds, but there was a beautiful snowy egret busily grubbing a meal and I love seeing ducks in a row.

What a truly peaceful way to spend a morning or an afternoon.

In bocca al lupo.  m & v