Extended Weekend at Morro Bay

Little water-babies that we are, we wanted to have a fair share of beach relaxation before the night of nail-biting (a.k.a. the US election night). And so, we hopped into the car, and off we went to San Simeon in Central California… But to be honest, it was not as impulsive as I made it sound. Ro and I had planned a beach camping getaway at Morro Bay Strands since a while. And the San Simeon pitstop was just an extension for the Morro Bay camping to follow.

Morro Bay

The sea lapping at the sandy beach was more endearing here at Morro Bay with its gentle calmness. The sheer blueness extending on both sides mentally transported me back to the Mediterranean. It is not just I who was transported there, and the antique shops in the Morro Bay downtown fostered the European sea-life charm further. Whitewashed or pastel colored exterior for the low-rise buildings skirting along the Bay marries the American and European charm.

Naturally formed bay and estuary (and the sand bar) at Morro is a part of eroding volcanic formation from millions of years ago. The iconic Morro Rock is the volcanic outcrop from the oceanic floor that stands tall to this day. Morro Bay is home to many aquatic and amphibian species. Finding varieties of kelp, sand dollar and other aquatic life on the beach, are common things when one takes a casual stroll on the sandy beaches.

Sight of the Morro Rock from T-pier

We camped to the north of Morro Bay downtown, at the Morro Bay Strands. The beachside campsite offered lovely views of the beach and the most coveted spot for sunsets. Incidentally, we were at the site on a full moon night, and the night views were spectacular! Overall, we were surrounded by natural beauty all around – while being at a stone’s throw from the city.

Camping at Morro Bay Strands, overlooking the sea

Morro Bay was a highlight for us for the array of dog-friendly activities. Kuro had a blast running on the beach, playing in the sand, peering down from the pier, and chasing the gulls! Another thing Kuro did for the first time was accompanying us in the canoe! a tiny dog that he is, he smelt the gentle Bay breeze, and gradually warmed up to the idea of having fun in a mobile contraption on water (the canoe). I was impressed by the other dogs who accompanied their humans on the paddle board and maintained their calm composure. That may be the next step to aspire for, for little squirmy Kuro!

Kuro enjoying the view as we paddle forth

And sometimes he snuck up to me with the cutest “mleh” expression

Mammals and birds at Morro Bay

And oh, the birds and aquatic animals at the Bay! I was spoilt – with the sightings of herons, cranes, egrets flying, fishing, and doing their thing as we walked on the beach and then to Morro Rock, and then when we sat by the pier. We didn’t catch a glimpse of any whales, presumably because they all swam to the south to breed around this time of the year. The sea otters were plenty at Morro Bay around this time, and we joked how big they are, as compared to our little 7 lbs pooch.

Whale jaw-bones near the Natural History Museum at Morro Bay

Could we take a moment to express the annoyance about seagulls and geese? I absolutely adore all birds, don’t get me wrong. BUT, yappy seagulls and (entitled) geese that sometimes actively attack humans, have been on my list of annoying birds. And at Morro, seagulls were plenty! Surprisingly, like the sweet humans of Morro Bay, the seagulls there were not too annoying… Maybe the place rubs on you 😉

We named this one Mr. Magoo

With some sporadic shopping, playing boardgames under the moonlight and cup of tea by the fire, we felt at home at Morro Bay. The sky was clear, and gradually we emptied our minds off work-stress et al. Camping also afforded us a sort-of analog life, away from internet and fancy gadgets. This time around, we did not take many pictures as much as capturing mental images of us having a good time, relaxing and soaking upthe sun.

We returned home with our hearts full, and plans for heading back to Morro sometime soon, to unwind 🙂

D.

Amazing backdrop of the sea and the Morro Rock

Breaking monotony at Albany Waterfront

Fires in California made headlines. And the stupidity of humans – gender reveal party that set thousands of acres ablaze – was not lost on us, staring haplessly at the screens, looking at latest news updates. A thick blanket of smoke was hanging above. And the sun became a rare sight in sunny California.

I was laboriously dusting the ash off my plants in the balcony… Only for new soot to settle down next morning. Did the women in Pompeii feel something similar thousands of years ago? What would they have thought, seeing ash pour down, and sky turning deep yellow and orange as if ablaze?

Albany waterfront

That day, much before the fires, Ro and I were marveling at the beautiful Bay landscape. And how this beauty was a creation or a product of intense pain… Heat, lava, erosion, exfoliation, and so on. The petrified mute geological markers of time and landscape formation had borne the brunt of these natural elements.

On a scale of this vastness, we are indeed tiny speckles of carbon.

The undulating landscape of the Albany waterfront was a natural setting for nerds such as ourselves to reflect on the many ironies of human life. And this mulling over was accentuated with eclectic pieces as embellishments of the landscape. It was a fine example of public participatory art. I could totally imagine one person setting up the wooden planks, and some other random person adding a few pieces until finally a ship shaped up…

Bespoke pirate ship sculpture at Albany waterfront

We as humans mark the landscape in some way or the other: through tangible material expression, or narratives, or merely by our presence. Sometimes it is a desirable intervention, but oftentimes, not so much.

Our actions beget reactions from nature, and the fires have shown us what scale it could reach, so as to engulf everything in its wake. In our monetary calm at the waterfront, we immerse in the natural beauty that surrounds us, but carries a slight taint of being momentary, or fleeting.

I oscillate between being a hopeless romantic and a bleeding heart worrier (not warrior). I proclaim that the nature has its course of healing, and we should let it be – only to turn around and panic about how irresponsible we as humans have been! And in such oscillating states, something like a thousand acre fire shakes me to the core. Every view that I see here’s colored with that immediate concern running in the background: that of fleeing to safety.

View of San Francisco skyline from Albany waterfront (pre-forest-fires) – Aug 2020

We return to waterfront in the hope of taking in the calm pace of nature, to heal and nurture. The gentle harmony of ripples sets a pace for busy days to come, and we can mentally zone out to the tranquil depths at the waterfront.

The gentle unfolding of patterns in nature struck me more as I read “The Hidden Life of Trees”. In this book, Peter Wohlleben renders endearing pen picture of plant life. And it truly makes us seem ignorant. Nah, self- obsessed! So self-consumed, that we fail to look around us.

Garden Update :)

Another garden update! I got a tropical friend:

Banu

Yep, its a banana tree! Don’t worry, it is no longer standing squished in a corner by the bin (its not a trash-bin, but my garden supplies holder – you know how roomy these bins are!). My banana tree, lovingly called as “Banu” is now standing in the sunniest spot, soaking up maximum sun all day long.

The story of getting Banu was mostly a result of the long weekend, and us deciding to stay put. With the pandemic et al, it is best to watch plants grow at home, rather than in the woods, especially on one of the busiest long weekends with throng of tourists and hikers everywhere… So here we are, admiring the plant collection and propogation (yet again) in our balcony, helped by a little Yoda (my feeble attempt of creative spin on Yoga-dog).

Little Yoda 😉 – didn’t say Baby Yoda!

Speaking of the gardens, we have some tiny additions of flowers and blooms. The petunia are attracting hummingbirds, my peace lily is finally (!) putting out some blooms and the orchids have flowered :). All in all, a good week to stay indoors and watch plant babies unfurl.

I was thinking of making this post about propagating various plants, that I had success with. I am no gardener or garden expert, but if my advice/suggestions/journey into plant propagation would help anyone, please comment below. I will have a dedicated plant propagation post 🙂 That also reminds me how terrible I have been with documenting the steps while I propagate! Maybe because I start with a trepidation of whether of not that plant will make it! I will try my best to show that in the post anyway 🙂

My trusted pals – pothos and zz, on my desk

With hikes and promenades in the parks, I can certainly feel the endearing pull towards the natural world. I have always loved dogs, and my family has been enthusiastic with gardening, so all that probably converged into this weird (at times) feeling of being close to the nature – animals and plants, more than just an escape into the wilderness. Maybe that is something I could work on! But this love for outdoors is gladly taking shape in cute forms:

Blue jay rapid sketch – a gift for my friends, with mint and Zebrina pendula (of course, both propagated at home)

And a pondering corner in the balcony garden (sans Banu)

That’s a tiny garden update for this time 🙂

D.

Weekend at Lassen Volcanic National Park

Weekend in Lassen

Camping in pandemic is probably doning on the cape of being a “covidiot” for some. But we wanted to get fresh air and stick with our small social bubble – even while we camped. And so there we were – at Lassen Volcanic National Park, again after one year. This time around, we knew our way around the park, and camped at Manzanita Campground again. The day after Vacaville area was up in flames for a massive wildfire, we packed the car, and set out – partially ready to turn around if case may be.

The smokey sky on the way to Lassen Volcanic National Park

We had one, and only one objective this time around. To scale Lassen peak and to have fun. Wait, is that two things? Nah…its one: to enjoy our time at LaVo.

Volcanic eruption in 1914 morphed the landscape as we know it, and LaVo is a treat for geologists, hikers, bikers, nature enthusiasts, and people hoping for any kind of activity level. Birds and wildflowers add the “omph” factor to the undulating landscape with its varying shades of minerals, soil and sulphur springs.

Wildflowers (dogear?) on the way to the peak

Scaling Lassen Peak

Towering at 10,457 ft. (from NPS website); the peak looks over the park, as a part of the Cascade range. Chaos Crags mount and other hillocks form an undulating landscape at the park. This has also contributed to the formation of numerous little lakes around the peak, that make for a scenic addition to the local ecology.

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  Way to the peak

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  Just 0.5 miles to go! – But a demanding uphill climb

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  As you climb further, the vegetation disappears and scorching dryness dominates the landscape

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  Mt. Shasta at a distance

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  Making wishes?

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Some tips for hiking at Lassen peak:

1. Start early – the trail gets crowded by 8-9am, especially on the weekends. We started early at 6:30am, and were able to hike up at a leisurely pace, enjoy the views from the top of the peak and descend by lunch time.
2. Breathe – A no-brainer probably, but at 8000 ft; air seems to thin out. Breathing deeply would really help ready your body for the long haul. Hiking with face masks on as a precaution for COVID-19, we found ourselves taking breaks and taking long breathe intermittently. When we were on the trail all by ourselves, we did carry on without the masks on 😉
3. Take breaks and sip water – Another no-brainer, but taking short breaks and sipping some water goes a long way when hiking Lassen peak. The cold breeze at such heights makes it an artificial task to halt and sip some water, and I cannot overstate the importance of doing that. A few hikers who started climbing with us, went full-steam ahead initially, as they had underestimated the little tips for hiking to the top. Rangers at the park are super helpful with tips to prepare for the hike.
4. Layer up – Instead of one heavy jacket, several layers of covering go a long way. You can take breaks and maybe take off a layer if you feel hot. The alternating play of cool breeze and sun may throw one off…but layering helps. And needless to say, hats help from feeling dehydrated due to the afternoon sun blazing at you.
5. Snack at the top – “It is lonely at the top”, indeed in case of Lassen peak. Although, the loneliness in this case is much deserved solitude and a wonderful scenery around. The volcanic landscape appears as an artists pallete around. The lakes and foliage make for a great pattern to look at from the rocky outcrop of the peak. And if you make it to the top in good time, it is a good place to sit back and have a snack. Or maybe a protein bar or a muffin?! Replenishing sugars at the peak is a great idea before you start the descent.

Our climb to the top of Lassen peak was great! And the last 0.5 miles that look like a cakewalk, but aren’t; were also an easy climb with the tips above. The angular rocky top pf the peak is a great rock-climbing practice that offers great views of the valley below. Owing to the forest fires, the sky had a thick grey band of soot that hung at a distance. The blue of the sky, and that of the waters compensated for it, and we were in for interesting patterns around us.

Hiking on the rocky outcrop at Lassen peak

It’s lonely at the top (?)

The valley around Lassen peak

Camping, hammocking and blue-jays

Birding was on our list. But the meal prep, enjoying the canopy of fir trees and relaxing in hammock occupied our three short days at the campsite. Blue-jays were our constant neighbors, sometimes serving as alarm clocks to get us out of our sleeping bags and hit the hikes for the day.

We camped at the Manzanita Lake Campground, next to the scenic lake where we kayaked on our last trip to LaVo. This time around, the lake had an otter family resident in the lake, and the campers were advised to stay off some areas of the lake. The walk around Manzanita lake was ideal for an evening stroll, but we longed for the starry skies that had enamored us last time. The forest fires in California had as if enveloped the sky with a layer of smoke, and the milky way that ran overhead, had now become a rare sight at LaVo. I am certain, that by next week, the star lit sky at Lassen will be back on view again 😀

It was calming to swing in the hammock while staring at the canopy of trees. This time, we felt like pro team for backpacking, with the amount of preparation we had with us. And I was trying to plant a seed of back-country (or dispersed) camping sometime soon. But we could not agree upon what is the correct balance for “into the wild” camping. We all were enthralled by nature in its various forms around us. The songbirds made our retreat in the woods a medley of morning and evening melodies. Deer often peeped at us through the woods, and I was once again reminded of my walks at Nose Hill Park. I was mentally oscillating between Canadian Rockies and volcanic mountains in California.

As we chatted over the bonfire about our hikes in the Himalayas, the Canadian Rockies, various National Parks in the US and mount Vesuvius in Italy last year, the nuanced geology around us became a focal point. Except the fold mountains of the Himalayas, we were drawn to the volcanic mountains, and also to the thrill of scaling active volcanoes! Maybe Mount Etna, Pacaya, Mt. Aso, or Santorini will be our next volcanic adventure! 😉

D.

Dramatic campfire on our last night at LaVo

Sharing hobbies

Since Kuro and I flew to California, we have been immersed in observing nature. Initially, as a California spring present a stark contrast to the frigid landscape in Calgary; and later as a hobby that slowly grew. I skimmed through some and devoured some books on natural world of California — the birds, trees, and flowers. And later wandered in the Tilden area, trying my luck at spotting birds. Well, the outdoor activities did not start until this weekend when the shelter-in-place orders finally eased.

And in addition to outdoorsy hobbies, we are trying to revisit our hobbies of the past. Past indeed, is a funny word that changes with perspective. Both Ro and I claim to be avid readers in the past, and this time at home afforded an opportunity to have a go at this “past” hobby. I jest the past so much for sometimes it is a matter of choice. Many of my elder family members have continued to practice a hobby for years together with sheer will-power. Not that they had abundant time at their hands, but they set aside some time to practice their hobby. And truly, hobby is for practicing, as opposed to indulgence, as for some. But I digress.

So there we are, sitting at home, planning to revisit the days of the past ;). We tried listening to audiobooks, reading individually, and making some accountability strategies. We managed to pull off some amount of miscellaneous reading (in addition to browsing through newspaper articles and work-related reading), but it did not seem enough. Both of us were making slow progress at reading a few pages a week. Also because video-games and stretched out zoom meetings were taking up a lot of our free time.

Finally, a breakthrough came along, when we realized we have some common “to read” books. Why not read them together?! Shedding the initial reluctance and consciousness around how one’s “reading voice” sounds, we started sailing off to the world of the text. Ro and I take turns to read a chapter or two each night and make it a point to set aside before-bedtime slot for combined reading. We haven’t yet ventured into the arena of philosophical treatises, but the land of fiction has uncovered an enchanting scape for us so far. My reading style is that of animating each character and putting on the shoes of the invisible narrator of the book, while Ro reads out each piece with a scholastic sternness. The plain voice sometimes helps see through the words and get to the meaning between the lines, which I am guilty of veiling under my preference of animation.

Our read-aloud sessions have colored the horizon of reading with further depth. When I read Umberto Eco’s “Six Walks in Fictional Woods…“, I was fascinated by the analogy of being lost in the woods to be guided by the invisible narrator of the book. I relate to that role even more, now. The words also take on a layered meaning when you read and hear it. And since we take turns to read from the same book, the different approaches to reading text by the same author in two variant voices and attitudes renders an interesting mosaic of viewpoints too! “I think this he’s right,” sometimes I halt to voice my personal opinion as I am reading. And that lends a personal undercurrent to the matter being read.

Our first book was Nikolai Gogol’s “Dead Souls”. Right from the opening scene of a horse-cart stopping at a mansion door in the book, Ro and I had our perceptions of the various characters. Those perceptions colored our tone of reading and knit together a story through two different spectators. The current book we are reading deals with a retelling of mythology. Our thoughts on the book make for intriguing dinner time conversations. Let us see if we continue to hold our ideological camp or arrive at a similar opinion by the end of the book!

Although a small activity, we are exploring some fascets of enriching each other through shared hobbies. It is much rewarding to say “we read together” rather than “we read”. And not just in saying, but in experience, reading together is making our bond stronger 🙂 I am not sure if we will be able to continue reading together once working from home ends and we start traveling for work again. But que cera cera!

What are you bonding on during the time of quarantine?

D.

Making Home – 3

With all our anxieties, insecurities, and uncertainties about life, we are making a small virtual support bubble to get through this troubling time. This time is not “unprecedented” as some have called it. Humanity has been through much worse.

And in the struggle of making a safe space for you and your family, humanity has also resorted to coping mechanisms through time. It differs from person to person. I found it is spending time with plants for me. I know, I have mentioned plants in my blog posts a gazillion times. I have maybe reflected a bit on taking long strolls to tire my feet and satiate my mind. Or I have maybe mentioned the bit of greenery in a home that fills my soul. I have a hungry heart for plants. The pandemic bought time for me to start seeding and to watch my plants grow in the balcony.

Emily and I were discussing about aging. As we age, the natural world captivates us again. Older soul years for greener sights and natural smell in the air as that of a jasmine bloom. The sight of yellow bahava (Cassia fistula) decking the tree or wisteria hugging the roof seems more pleasant than a room full of gadgets. Maybe, the experience and preferences as one gets old are also very different for different people…

I sit in the balcony, looking at the green plants swaying in the California sun. I wait for the jasmine to bloom, and the lemon tree to have its citrus fruit. And also for the tiny cotyledons from the tomato plumule to drop, so that it grows into a big, healthy plant. The songbirds are back, and hummingbirds check-in every once in a while to see if my garden has bloomed. It indeed has, but it hasn’t blossomed yet, as the hummingbird would like it. Maybe I will plant some flowering plants that will please the butterflies and the bees…and also little hummingbird to dip its beak in.

My roommate, Rachel, is an avid bird watcher. Her casual rendezvous with birds and critters while on her long winter walks used to amuse me.  Her dog, Wren (no no, a dog really – a Springer Spaniel, just with a bird’s name), and she would watch birds fly and make nests, and the flowers bloom. She unknowingly taught me to watch the pace of nature sipping IPA on the porch – may it be Calgary winter or Missouri summer. I noticed her gift to me in the form of this appreciation much later after I moved to California. But there’s no time like today to thank her for this little gift of observing nature unfold before us.

In a tiny space of my potted plants, I watch nature unfold. From seed to sapling into a plant (and maybe a tree one day). I watch the uninvited squirrel try and check if I have any food or nuts buried for her in the pots, and Kuro waltzing around my plants as if to show who’s the boss. I killed some plants from the last season and lamented enough. Hardly did I know, that it was just a part of this tiny world unfolding on my balcony.

Across the globe, plants take root and wither. So many of them.  I have a handful of them, to remind me what is home that blossoms with love, blooms with care, and stays with you when you nurture.

D.

Making Home – 2

Home is always in the making! We are plunging into the “home improvement” part of our living space with the time at home. Our evening promenades are getting a little lengthy, as we try and cover more ground – with our walking feet and chattering minds. I am enthused by adding new plants to my balcony garden and propagating some newer ones for my friends as gifts after the lockdown. More on that in a dedicated post 😉

And as I share all these slivers of my life with my friends (virtually, yes), I cannot help see that our homes are getting more connected. Through the tiny rectangle of the conference call video, so many layers of the persons like peel before you. And ultimately, it comes down to one thing: we’re all human, with a home in making 🙂

I have been talking to my colleagues virtually, sitting on zoom meetings, and dropping in for webinars for a month now. The painted faces and fine lines that hid behind makeup are now visible. Grumpy people with a three-piece-suit, now seem to have a humane side who really care and have a heart. Although you wear an ironed shirt, all know you are sitting in the meeting with your PJs as bottoms.

In a way, the pandemic has brought out the humane side of the professional world. Burping babies, screaming children, cats that decide to walk over the keyboard during the meeting, dogs that have an urgency to play “go fetch” right when you are about to present a concept to a screen full of people… all have strung us together with an indescribable bond. Apart, yet together 😉

In making the home, we are making a space for our distant contacts to peep into the world of living through a virtual medium. It is like many virtual spaces connected to the idea of home – together.

D.

Screen Time

I have been glued to the screens – laptop, mobile, TV or tablet! My sense of being as if moves between screens for the past month… I blame the virus for this 😛

And I realized that we have encouraged our parents and grandparents to jump on this band-wagon of screen-time. In the past few weeks, my parents, uncles, aunts, and my grandmother have all joined various social media platforms to interact with their family more. I scroll through hundreds of WhatsApp messages every day in the morning – some of which are lengthy forwards that I conveniently skip – and then make it to the kitchen for my dose of caffeine. If I don’t catch-up with the piling messages, I feel an unsettling emotion of missing out on what is going on…and a tiny speckle of fear that I might miss something really really important. After I shovel through the pile of messages on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Signal, Telegram, and WeChat, I am ready to poke my nose in others’ business on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

The virtual world has so consumed me that it took a hard-hitting wake-up call for me to snap out of it! This weekend, I finally, finally, finally, took it upon myself to clean some shelves. And my “finally” might have communicated that I had been putting this off for I don’t know how long… So, I plopped on the floor with random boxes overflowing with papers, sheets, and pencils wanting to be homed well. And I discovered my sketchbooks, notes, and unused colors waiting patiently for me. I wondered why I had put it off? A silent answer echoed, “Because you were glued to the screens.”

But that wasn’t the biggest hit. I was talking to my friend who had called to congratulate me on our podcast (what a sly way to sneak in some advertisement), and she casually mentioned how she thought I would make it big in my adult life. Then she quickly corrected herself in saying that I would make big “as and ARTIST” in my adult life. Later following up that I am a good researcher now, so that’s even better. I have mixed feelings about this conversation. In any case, I realized that my friends trust I have the potential to do something big in life. Maybe I could actually do something if I don’t let distract myself in the crowd of screens.

And then came the real wake-up call. A terrifying phone-call from my thesis supervisor about my work. And an email reminder about a pending article I was supposed to send out. And then a text message about a missed Zoom call. Oh! It was like walking on a tightrope and dropping all the eggs one after the other…which I was to carry to the other end. I recently used this egg metaphor here.

Maybe I will do better with little breaks from my screen-time. And so, I resorted to extensive to-do lists on paper. Someone would say that it is getting out of hand now, as I go about putting the lists up around the house – one in the powder room, one on the fridge, one by the stove, one by the medicine cabinet, a couple at my desk, one near the nightstand, and maybe a couple-of post-it near the plants! And I took to writing my thoughts instead of typing up and constantly peering at the screen!

And how has screen time fared for the family, you ask? I think they all seem to feel connected more with social media. However, every peep you make on social media now is open to more scrutiny from all possible angles because: a) people, in general, have a pronounced virtual presence, and b) ALL your relatives are now on social media and follow you on every site. I don’t mean to imply this as a ramification of family members on social media, but just an observation.

The screen time has done some marvelous things as well! I watched some of the excellent movies and short films from around the world. Our discussions on the short films and various aspects of cinematography, storytelling, yada yada yada have been very rewarding. And many of my friends and family members have now found common themes beyond discussing each other’s wellbeing.

Screen time also brought avenues to take some virtual courses that I always wanted to dabble with. So, learning Swahili is finally a go! 🙂 And I am finally taking up a dreaded task of digital illustrations. It is a steep learning-curve, but let us see how that pans out…

So I think, the screen time is a mixed addition to my life! And mostly here to stay with me after the lockdown is over. How is the screen time treating you?

D.