Seeking Seagulls

Seagulls at Laguna Beach, CA

A raft of seagulls crowds the shoreline, running inland from the approaching plumes, rushing outward with the receding waves.  Over and over they go, back and forth.  Seeking something -- or nothing.  Is each one oblivious to its colleagues, caught up in the same cycle?  Are they more like humans than we think ...

Gone Fishing

Fisherman on Breakwater, Dana Point, CA

Early in the morning, the fishermen appear, walking confidently on the breakwater as if it presented no more obstacle than a sidewalk.  Well-practiced strides bear a touch of hope, at arrival.   Fishing pole in one hand, plastic cooler in the other, the fisherman knows that the expedition holds promise.

 At departure, who knows what rides in that plastic cooler.  Several fish, which will be eagerly greeted by a young family as it gathers around the dinner table?  Or perhaps nothing more than an empty water bottle, as a sport fisherman reflects on a time well-spent and fish released to their Pacific home?

In either case, that sense of "gone fishing" always makes me want to whistle a tranquil song, somehow ...

When Needed

It is sometimes said that cats come into our lives when we need them.  This seems especially true when a surprise, feline visitor shows up one day, peering in at you from your screen door.

Perhaps they know who is a cat person, and who is not.  Who wants them, and who does not.  Who needs them, and who does not?  

That extra sense, that they have, always guiding their way ...

Springtime Beauty

Beauty hovering over a parking lot

Is beauty a constant?

This tree, ablaze with the color of springtime, hovers over a parking lot.  Cars come, cars leave, doors slam, alarms squawk.  But the beauty remains, endures, enlivens.  As surely as if the tree displayed its wonders in a rambling garden.

Surely, some of the people from the cars notice Spring, on display here.  And smile.