June 18 2013--Dog Beach, Sit & Stay Cafe, Huntington Street Fair/Market

June 18, 2013---167067 Odometer Reading

             All lighthouses in the Southern California area have been photographed, and so today will be spent sticking around Huntington Beach and doing things with the family. 

      First point of order for the day is a morning walk on the beach with Roy and Guayo.  We were at Dog Beach at 8:00 a.m. and had a wonderful 1 hour walk. The marine layer was in, the air was cool but not cold, refreshing and fabulous. Guayo ran and chased birds, we found a ball and proceeded to throw it over and over for him, we saw two Rhodesian Ridgebacks, a beautiful French Bulldog, lots of retrievers loving the water, and numerous other doggers friendly and having a great time. Talked to a man and his grandson who was about 5 and gorgeous…had long ringlets and I called him a girl first, but he corrected me. Talked to another gentleman and his dog…the man reminded me of Hank at home. Saw a homeless person sleeping in a folding recliner lawn chair up in the rocks on the jetty wall, who was all but invisible due to being swaddled in a camouflage jumpsuit…I’m sure he had slept there all night.

The Sleepy Boys...need coffee and breakfast please!

         After the walk, we went back to H.B. proper and stopped at a delightful coffee shop, the Sit and Stay, which we found out about from another guy at the beach. We sat outside, I had a chai and Roy had coffee and a breakfast sandwich…a P Jack with egg, sausage, pepper jack cheese on an English muffin.  This will give us the sustenance needed until lunch time. We spoke with a family there who were visiting from Colorado with other members of the family who lived in  Huntington Beach. And Guayo was almost attacked by a 2 pound Yorkie bundle of meanness.  Wow, sometimes little dogs are outrageously aggressive         
          While there, I noticed the wonderful benches they had outside and I would l really like to build some like them when we get home. They were adorable and evoked the beach, something I will promote in my back patio and gardens when I get home and start working on them. There are a lot of photos I've taken along the coast at businesses  and walk ways and around homes which I intend to use to duplicate something like them at our own place. 
          Then we stopped at the store and picked up shrimp for lunch. I made a beautiful Shrimp Louie with homemade dressing, shrimp, greens, tomato, boiled eggs, cucumber, avocado, and garlic Parmesan croutons.  It was beautiful and delicious and it was nice sitting down with most of the family for a nice lunch. Due to the pain Jenn is in from her kidney stones, she couldn't join us, and Zach wasn't hungry, so Mitch, Jason, Ruth, Roy and I enjoyed ourselves and our time together.

          Started doing up the laundry in preparation for our departure tomorrow.  And while things were washing and drying, I worked on the photos and blog writings for several days. Really easy to get behind when you’re having fun and visiting. I don’t remember it being this difficult to find time in Uruguay to do the blog each day. Maybe because once we were back in our rooms along the way, Roy was usually headed to bed, there was no tv, and maybe because I was 4 years younger I had more energy at the end of the day. Or because there weren't others to talk with and spend time with.  Who knows, but so far it’s been a bit difficult keeping up.

        After dinner we went downtown to the Tuesday Street Market in Huntington. The camera batteries were both being charged this morning, and for whatever reason, I completely forgot to take the cameras with us…rats!!!! So, there are no photos of the wonderful fair nor the there of us together having fun. It’s a combination carnival, farmer’s market, street fair, and concert with tons of people milling around, partaking of food, checking out clothing, solar panels for charging cell phones, jewelry, and you name it. But the energy is high and the people are in good humor and no one seemed out of line. We bought some organic strawberries and Jason & Roy agreed with me when I said I had never tasted sweeter berries in my life.

Also bought a jar of Pucker Up Berry jam. These jams were all handmade, no additives, preservatives, etc. and had 3 ingredients…berries, balsamic vinegar and cane sugar. They were made fresh that morning and all of them we tasted were amazing. I loved the strawberry the most, but Roy really liked the Pucker Up Berry (blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries), so we go it. At another booth I purchased two beautiful scarves to wear in many different ways, and a cone of roasted pecans at another. Mitchell especially loved them…said he’d never tasted anything so good in his life. Roy was talking to the guys at the portable solar panel booth, and I went over to the next booth where they were doing henna tattoos and that’s where the night took a bad turn. When I looked back, Roy was gone. Mitch and I walked around looking for him, but to no avail. I asked Mitch to go down to the right the final 5 booths and if he didn't see him, cross over and come back looking at the 5 booths on the other side. He took off, I waited and waited, and then he didn't come back. I walked down to look for him but to no avail. I had lost my grandson! I knew Roy would go back to the vehicle, but I was especially frightened for Mitchell’s well being as there were so many people, and he had walked toward PCH where who knows what could go on. I walked back and forth all over Main St looking for him, but not finding hide nor hair. I called home, Jennifer said he wasn't there. So I went to the car thinking maybe Roy and he had found each other and Roy had taken him to the car with him. When I got to the car, Roy was there, but still no Mitchell. Panic was setting in. I left Roy at the car with the phone, and went back out to Main Street to look more. I did find Zachary there, told him what was up, and he said he’d look too. So we both parted ways and again walked around looking for him. We met back up…no Mitch. At this point, I was pretty sure he’d decided to walk home when we got parted, so went back to the truck. Roy said Jason called and was going to go out in the truck and drive toward Main Street to see if he could find him. About 10 minutes later, just as we were pulling out of the garage to start driving the streets to look for him, Jason called. He’d found him not far from home and all was okay.

        So all is well, Mitch was found, but my stomach is a bit upset still. Great way to end a wonderful visit…losing one’s grandson!  Never a dull moment in the Piper household!