Red Tide - and another visit to Tecolote Canyon

San Diego is experiencing a bioluminescent Red Tide.  It had been occurring for a couple weeks when the local San Diego beaches were opened for restricted use.

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The parking lots remain closed, which make social distancing a lot easier.  

Fran’s sister lives in Pacific Beach a few blocks from the ocean.  We parked there and walked over to the beach to do our ‘beach walk’.  The PB boardwalk remains closed, but we like to walk for an hour in the sand at low tide.

During the day the red tide shows in the waves as a muddy brown.  That does not stop the surfers who have been waiting to get their boards back in the water.

There were quite a few walking or jogging near the shoreline.  Most wearing facial covering (myself included).  It was nice to have even a little of the beach open.

“Red Tide in the morning,

surfers are boarding.

Red Tide at night,

a photographer’s delight.”

The muddy waves during the day take on a dazzling neon blue after dark.  My cellphone did not capture the real experience,

So here are a couple pictures from the web.

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And a brief video produced by Scripps Institute of Oceanography HERE.

There is no ‘Red Tide Watch’, no prediction of when, nor how long one will last.  This is now the longest red tide San Diego has experienced and the ocean coastline is being depleted of oxygen.  It seems the local coast is experiencing a pandemic of its own.

While the sea life is dying, Mother Nature is providing some nice wildflowers in Tecolote Canyon.

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We hiked the western section the day before Tecolote Golf Course opened for restricted use. 

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Fran was there with her gal-pals the next day.  Face coverings were required in the parking lot and check-in but not on the course.  Almost nobody there.

Meanwhile at home Fran completed a 3rd puzzle, which was a collage of Van Gogh paintings.  I didn’t help much with this one, his work is too dark, depressing and troubled for my taste.

Instead I spent time in the kitchen, my work there may never be finished!  My next project was to remove the green tile walls.  We put this tile up over 30 years ago, it does not want to come down!

Once down it reveals the old rock lath, or button board walls of our mid-century house.

This house is old, but certainly not classic.  I’ll be putting up a moisture resistant drywall in preparation for new counter tops. 


Fran’s latest puzzle is of American Places.  We’ve been to a lot of these places and it was more fun than tearing down tile.  I helped a lot on this one.

Although California is still under Stay-at-Home orders, more things in the county are beginning to open.  This week the county has opened several campgrounds!, restrictions still apply.  But we’re off to Julian for a few days in the mountains.

Stay Safe!
 y LAVE SUS MANOS!