A Walk on Huntington Beach Pier

Here in Wisconsin, snow has been falling steadily for hours. We're heading into another cold snap; wind chill warnings are in effect, and all the area schools are closed for the next two days.

It's hard to believe that just over a week ago, I was strolling along a California beach where girls in bikinis were playing volleyball. And since I skipped my Sunday walk today (opting instead to stay indoors for tea and knitting), I will share some photos of that warmer walk. :)

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My sister and I had spent a frenetic week sorting and packing my dad's belongings, engaging a moving company, and dealing with unexpected family problems. Things finally slowed down on Friday night. The moving van had come and gone; the family problem was, if not resolved, under some sort of control. We felt we had earned a break, so we headed off to Huntington Beach for some ocean breezes and a walk on the pier.

We were lucky enough to get there just in time for sunset. The air was beautifully clear, and Catalina Island could be seen floating like a jewel on the horizon:

Flags fluttered in the strong breeze...

...and as the sun sank lower, the oil rigs began to twinkle with light.

Silvery ripples kissed the sand...

...and surfers lingered, still hoping to catch that elusive wave.

Sea birds (probably brown pelicans) wheeled and dived, sometimes singly...

...sometimes in amazingly coordinated groups. I tried to get a good diving shot, but they were too fast to catch on camera.

This bird, however, was happy to pose for me:

We looked northwest, towards the Palos Verdes peninsula, and watched the lights come up like tiny stars on the shores of Long Beach:

Then turned westwards to watch the sun sink over Catalina:

All at once it was dusk, and the lights of Huntington beach were shining out behind us.

With spirits refreshed and lungs full of salt air, we headed back down the pier, passing a kite shop selling delightful spinners:

Then it was time to say goodbye to the ocean and head inland.

The next morning, we flew home.

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Now that my dad has moved to Wisconsin, who knows when we'll see the Pacific again? I'm glad that our last view of it was such a lovely one.

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