California Dreaming: March 9 - March 15

We started planning a trip to San Diego California  over a year ago to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary on 3/12/20.   California is still home to both of us, and we were each looking forward to seeing friends, and family,that we had not seen in person for several years.  We also made a list of our favorite So. California places and foods that we wanted to see and sample why were were there

We also wanted to stay in a condo like unit  located as close as possible to as many of our friends as possible while enjoying the comforts of home.  So we decided to exchange our timeshare in San Clemente for one in the Welks' Resort in Escondido California.  Because  the demand for timeshare  exchanges in Southern California are always high we had to plan and book the exchange  a full year in advance.  

That of course was long before anyone in the USA had ever heard of COVID-19.  Cautionary warnings about travel in the USA only started being discussed a few days before our trip. (Age related warnings weren't emphasized until after we were already in California.) Once we finally became aware of the seriousness  of the virus's  potential impact, we had some long and serious discussions about whether we should cancel or continue the trip.   Ultimately we decided to go, but to limit the contact with the general public by avoiding public places  and strangers as much as possible. That decision narrowed our itinerary down to a visit with a couple of friends and our children. 

As always, driving in heavy traffic was the  most  disorienting experience  part of being in California.   Even in the middle of the night , seeing people traveling  at 70 mph on a 10 lane freeway (10 lanes in both directions) is  disconcerting. We used to be reasonable comfortable and confident about our driving skills in these conditions, and we would usually feel at ease on the road within a day or two of arrival.  No more, we have been living in the slow lane for too long now, and this time neither of   relaxed while we were on the road, even on the side streets.  Fortunately for us, Californians tend to treat rain as something of a natural disaster and many  avoid driving  in it unless they have to,  so the weather helped us out by raining all week*, which kept the freeway traffic to a minimum. 

*Note:  The rain also kept the hills green and brought out a lot of wildflowers. To me the rainy season is always the most beautiful time of year to visit California 

Also as I said, we  cancelled all plans for site seeing, and focused upon seeing family and close friends.

First on our list was Bruce's Step son Mary and his wife Samantha

Next  we dropped in in on Bruce's Life-long friends  Dennis and Nina Fox

(and their herding dogs and sheep.)

I also got some face- to face time with my daughter, Laura,

and our grand-sons Dylan and Ryan.

I even had a chance to do some catch up with my BFF from college, Rose.

It was a more subdued trip than we had originally planned, 

but I am still very glad we went

 It gave us the opportunity to see connect 

with family and friends we had not seen for five years,

and may not see  again for another five years or more.

3:30 pm Dorian Update: 9 '19

The center of Dorian is currently about 100 miles South of us -  approximately even with Jacksonville, Florida.  She is still a Cat II with 105 mph winds at the center and is moving north along the coast at 8 mph.  We are expecting the heaviest rain and winds to hit our area around midnight, and stay with us all through tomorrow (Thursday).  Even so, we are already getting some pounding bands of rain in our area.  As you can see from the forecast, the eye is likely to pass very close to our home so things are going to get worse for the next 24 to 48 hours before they get better.  By Friday,  Dorian will have moved on to North Carolina and the Outer Banks. 

Day 6 Road Trip: Somers Pt., New Jersey: 8 ' 19

From Piscataway where Bruce's sister lives to Somer's Point where his daughter and her family live, is about a two-hour drive. 

Piscataway, NJ  to Somers Point, NJ : 109 miles 1 hr 38 min.

 We made the trip without incident and arrived at their doorstep at about 4 pm. 

Bruce's  Daughter Laura, and our three of  our grandkids

 The grandkids were really happy to see us and talked our ears off. 

Puppy 'Cody' wanted  to be in the photos too

Bruce's daughter did all the driving for the next couple of days which reduced the stress of trying to navigate an unfamiliar area.

Matthew vs. Pawleys Plantation Golf Course: 10 '16

 

If anything in the golf course could be said to have taken a hit from Matthew, it is the golf course.   Like all the rest of our plantation there were a lot of fallen trees and debris all over the course. Their sandy soil is often very loose from all the water used to keep the fairways grass green.  That made it easy for trees to be toppled in the wind. 

Fallen tree on 18^th Fairway near Club House

But the fairways closest to the marsh were dealt the heaviest blow as they are most exposed to the wind.

Trees toppled on 18th Black tee off (above)

And Red tee off (below)

The wind also removed most of the sand from the back nine sand traps (and in some locations replaced the sand with trash)

The sand trap on 13 is down to bare earth and at marsh level.

The marsh bordering fairways also are located in the lowest elevations on the plantation. Five of the back none fairways showed evidence of being partially covered in salt water during the peak of the storm surge.  Needless to say, salt water and golf grass do not mix well,  so most the marsh bordering fairways will need new soil and sod.

Marsh Cord grass left behind on the 12th, 

16th, 

Marsh cord grass  on  the 17th 

and

  18^th fairways.

Dock and cordgrass on 12th fairway

There was enough of a high water surge to float some storm loosened crab docks onto the 12^th and 16th fairways

 Crab Dock on edge of 16th fairway and its sandtrap

The golf course maintenance people already have most of the debris cleaned up, but it is going to take awhile to get the course area re-sodded.

The day after Matthew:10 '16

The day after Matthew rolled through Pawleys Island the skies were clear, the temperatures hovered around 75 degrees F., and the wind was down to a gentle breeze. We were able to go out of so we started checking out the rest of our community as it became safe to so.

Tree down at 15-1 Twelve Oaks Drive

There was tree litter and broken branches everywhere along our block, but the road was still safe to drive and walk on.  A large tree had uprooted and fallen at the end of our cul-de-sac,

A couple of others had fallen in some residents back yards. e.g.15-1 above.

There was standing water where the storm drain had backed up during high tide, but there was no apparent damage to anyone’s home on our street.

Deeper in the plantation there was a lot more clean up to done.  Fortune smiled on our community. We did not see any damage to homes or cars or other structures. There was however a massive amount of broken / dangling limbs, and fallen branches, and  uprooted trees.

Dangling tree branch on PP way

Fallen branches  on Tanglewood Dr.

Entrance to Weehaka Woods blocked by fallen pine

Most of the roads were completely impassable due to downed trees and debris.

There were 4 downed trees at front entrance blocking anyone from entering or leaving or leaving the plantation.

The good news is that the retaining ponds did not overflow, so the road hazards within the plantation did not include standing water.

Ponds near Savannah Dr.  X Old Augusta Dr.  X PP Way 

The Ponds were full but not overflowing.

Downed Tree on Tanglewood by 10th Tee off

Clean up crews had started at first light cutting downed trees and cutting broken dangling branches, and  pushing debris into big piles along the sides of the road.  The pile shown below was from clearing a single lane through just one side of Tanglewood Dr. The other half of the road had not yet been clear That pile stretched the entire length of the road and measured 5 feet high by eight feet deep.

Debris piled along one section of Tanglewood Drive

There was so much to be done that by 10 am they had only managed to clear a single lane from the Front gate to the Clubhouse.  

But the clean up crews really work fast. By late afternoon, Pawleys Plantation way could handle two way traffic and all other roads were accessible by at least a single lane.

Good Day for Golf 7 '14

  Bruce and I were itching to get outside today an take advantage of  the 80 degree temperature and a breeze.  The respite from humidity helped both of our games.  We were both easily making it onto the greens in two drives... now if I cold just learn to putt.. LOL!

My friend, Rose 6 '14

I  had breakfast with my friend Rose on Sunday morning.  I met Rose, in graduate school and we have been close friends ever since.  Even though welive on opposite sides of the continent and  don't get together very often, every time we do it is like we picked up just where we left off the last time we met.  Friendships like this are hard to find.

Visiting Point Loma with the McClellans 6 '14

On Sunday afternoon, we had a family excursion to visit to the Cabrillo l National Monument

and the Point Loma lighthouse

with  CCs daughter, Laura  and her husband David

 and her husband David

and our grandsons Dylan and Ryan 

 both of whom are now taller than us..

One has a beautiful view of the San Diego harbor from the Cabrillo Monument

But the view gets even better if you walk down the  rugged trail to the tidepools below

I don't know who had more fun on this outing

the kids 

or the adults

Sometimes it was hard to tell  who was a a kid. This place definitely bought out the inner child in all of us.

Coming Home to South Carolina 1 '14

Of course fate couldn't let us just have a peaceful journey home. Ten minutes before we were board the plane, the fire alarms sounded in the San Diego Airport and we had to evacuate the terminal. (Fortunately it was 85 degrees in California, If that had happened while waiting for our connector flight in Atalanta we would have frozen to death). In the long run it was a minor inconvenience and we were able to get off on time and make our connections home.

Birthday Dinner and Bentos and Noodles 1 '14

The evening before we left for home we took Laura and David and the boys out to celebrate Laura and David's  birthdays at Bentos. The place makes the most incredible sushi dishes. It was a feast for the eyes and well at the stomach. It was a lovely way to end the trip.

Bentos Dragon Roll