Snow Near the Coast of California

The mountains around the Monterey Bay reach 4 or 5,000 feet. Snow in the area fell as low as 1200 feet last night.

Snow is unusual in this part of the state and to get eight inches of it is a rarity.

The landscape is dramatically changed with all visible peaks and ridges covered in white. It’s shocking in a way. On a regular day, the mountains, in all their beauty, tend to dissolve into the background of the sand and ocean. Today they pop out as if to declare their presence with boldness and courage.

Nature is so striking at times. All the time, if we care to look.

A month ago our coast was pounded with high tides and extreme waves. Businesses along the coast were flooded. The beaches are still covered with enormous piles of driftwood. They are quite a sight to be seen.

And yet today, the mountains declare their moment in the spotlight. The Monterey Bay area is truly a feast for the eyes.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mundane Routine, Magical Life

Image
Ever since seeing Star Wars as a kid, I became fascinated with careers in creativity. Could someone really make a living telling stories? And not just a living, but become really, really rich and really, really famous? And not just stories, but creating...anything?  George Lucas, Stephen Spielberg, Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, Steve Wozniak, Jim Henson, Evel Knievel -- these people were creating things, and talking so casually about their creations as if they were just another moment in a day-in-the-life of a whole-minded person. I was fascinated and wondered where these people had come from. They just appeared. Like magic. I quickly succumbed to society's narrative of the overnight success. After all, I had never heard the name George Lucas before Star Wars was released, Spielberg before Raiders of the Lost Ark, Wozniak before the Apple I.  And then suddenly, there they were. They were everywhere. Every talk show. TV, radio, morning, night. Their faces were on billboards, their voic
Read more

A Year Without Alcohol: Embracing a New Identity

Image
I'm 73 days sober when.... I sit at a table with powerful people. It is a privilege to be here and will undoubtedly be good for my business. We are celebrating. Bottles of wine are being opened. A *really* nice bottle is opened first. I don't know how much it costs, but somewhere above the buzz of vibrant conversation, the phrase "a thousand dollars" stands out. Glasses are poured, celebratory cheers offered all around. Before I know it, a glass is in my hand. My sister throws me a surprise party. Friends are there that I haven't seen in a long time. Colleagues I worked with years ago are here. Friendly, familiar faces of the long past. I don't know how my sister even knew to invite them. I'm guided to my seat at the table. An ice cold beer in a tall glass is poured for me. Everyone makes eye contact and smiles at me. I'm known for my love of beer.  A good family friend has just passed. I attend her wake. It is all a fog. I hate funerals. I don't w
Read more

A Year Without Alcohol: The Second Temptation

Image
I managed the first temptation to abandon my experiment with sobriety by opting out of the situation all together. I was invited to a live concert at a favorite nearby music venue, and though the draw was considerable, I simply chose not to go and instead spend a quiet night at home. The second temptation afforded me no such option. The 49ers were facing the Chiefs in the Super Bowl and we had a small family gathering planned. Opportunities to get together with my mom and my sister, brother-in-law, and nieces are harder and harder to come by, and the passings of my dad and older sister in the past few years bring an increased appreciation and humility for their genuine rarity. I was committed to going. I was looking forward to it.  However, beer and football tend to go hand-in-hand, of course, and that wasn't lost on me.  But, I was surprisingly unencumbered by the thought of it. The absence of even the mildest of after-effects from alcohol have been overwhelmingly relieving and i
Read more