Summer Fade

Summer is sand in the car, freckles on our skin, sunglasses in photos, evenings at the Boardwalk, long afternoons poolside, sunshine past dinner, the smell of sunscreen, hikes on dusty trails, singing along to pop music, driving with the windows down, hands sticky from peaches, bonfires at dusk, skipping rocks from river banks, popciscles after races, star gazing on your walk home, brightly colored beach towels, waking up in tents, cooking on grills, crisp salads and cool slices of watermelon, thighs stuck to seats, big brimmed hats, grass blades indented on your palms, graham cracker crumbs and tangled wet hair.

We passed this summer in California--at the lake, at the river, in the woods, at the beach . . . It was filled with all the stuff that summer should be.  It was the first summer I didn't get to spend any time in Washington but I feel like we made the most of it.  And luckily, a little bit of home came to me this year (my sisters).  

Below are some photos from my middle sister's visit to Santa Cruz:

Summer was good to me . . .  But there's a chill in the air and it has me giddy. I'm ready for fall--I always am this time of year--for bare branches, steps that crunch, spices in my coffee, zipped up jackets, wet pavement, rainy blue dusks, heat on in the car, pumpkins on porches, piles of gourds in the grocery store  and a thousand other things.  So good bye California summer, I'm sure I'll be missing your pretty face real soon, but till then I'll be bundled up in a sweater and taking my marshmallows in hot cocoa.  

(photos 11 + 12 taken by C)

Holga Roll 10

Photos from my 10th roll of film taken on my Holga:

Frame 1 - Happy Pup

Frame 2 - Double Exposure - Fields and Sky

Frame 3 - Treetops in Pogonip

Frames 4 & 6 - Double Exposures Merged

Frame 7 - Double Exposure - Circled by Trees

Frame 8 - Leaves and Branches

Frame 10 - The Boys in Pogonip

Frame 11 - Pink House

Frame 12 - Mission Santa Cruz Over Fence

This is another roll of Kodak Ektar 100.  Most of the photos were taken during a weekend walk through Pogonip.  When I developed the film, a few of the photos came back pretty damaged.  This was not much of a surprise though, given the fact that midway through the roll, the camera back came off.  Specifally, in a moment of wild hand gestures, the strap of my Holga was yanked loose which popped the back off of the camera and sent it spiraling to the ground.  It happened in the shade and I quickly re-secured the camera back, but Frame 5 was gone instantly and parts of frames 4 and 6 were also lost to over exposure.  I really wish frame 4 had been spared from the sun--I think it was one of my favorites from this roll.  But, oh well . . . Another reminder to be a little more careful with my things.  At least it was only a plastic camera. 

Coming Up Roses

There's always something in bloom in Santa Cruz but May seems to be a particularly pretty month.  Below are some May flowers which are currently on display at Mission Plaza:

I've been told I take a lot of photos of flowers.  This might be true.  I guess I just can't help but appreciate them.  They're little surprises.  Walks and runs down the same streets seem to change as the flowers do; yards are transformed.  Flowers are fleeting but that keep things  interesting.  In a couple of weeks or a month, these roses will have fallen away.  But by then there'll be new flowers to linger over . . . Like Hydrangeas! I always look forward to those!

April Showers

April Showers in Santa Cruz:

So pretty.  Until next year, April . . .

Those Spring Evenings

Now that the evenings are long again, we can do things like take Buckwheat to the doggie beach after work! The lengthening of the days also allows us to frolic through fields of wild flowers, dig our toes into the sand, meet new poochie friends with names like Ringo (formerly Gringo) and Hazel, sun our freckles and otherwise extend our adventures into later hours . . . 

Some iPhone photos from a recent sunny weeknight evening, below:

Wildflowers as High as Your Eyes!

I'm a Total Sucker for Wildflowers (photo by C)

Best Buds . . .

. . . Walking through Light House Field

To the Water!

Sun on our Faces

Toes in the Sand

Doggie Beach Views

More Doggie Beach Views

Good Evening for a Trip to the Beach

Buckwheat Retreats from the Waves (He's Onto Our Tricks)

These Two are the Best

And Spring Evenings are Pretty Great.

On Running: the Day Before a Race

I love the day before a race.  It's a day of both rest and excitement.  For me, the pre-race nerves don't really set in until the morning of, so the day before a race is just pleasant anticipation.

In the months leading up to a race, many Saturday mornings are sacrificed to long runs.  But on the day before a race, the whole morning is yours again.  There are no more miles to log--if you run at all that day (this time we didn't) it's only a mile or two (and it's only at an excruciatingly slow pace). You don't want to strain yourself, so you take it easy.  Food is fuel, so you eat well and liberally.  You play out the race in your mind and it is straightforward.  The next day it won't feel so effortless . . .  But luckily, the pain of past races is dulled by the effects of time and memory and for that day before the race, it's still your race to imagine--an easy stride, ideal splits, a strong finish--they all feel very tenable.  You put in the training.  Your spirits are high.

This last Sunday, I ran the Santa Cruz Half Marathon.  I'd covered this distance before--I'd already run three half marathons and one of them was the exact same race two years earlier--but it was also my first race in almost that time (two years).  So come Sunday morning, I was sick with nerves.  On Saturday though . . . I was still enthusiasm, the race was only speculation and the day was all mine.

Below are some photos from the day before our race:

The day started off with some buckwheat (not the dog) waffles.  Then it was down to the Boardwalk to pickup our race packets and take Buckwheat (the dog) for a short stroll along West Cliff.  The morning was foggy and things were calm.  We watched the surfers watch the waves at Cowell's and then turned around to seek out more food (fuel!).  

Back at home, I laid out my race gear and checked the charge on my electronics (because one time I showed up to a race certain that my iPod was charged, only to find it was effectively dead).  I browsed the internet and looked up the splits for my goal time.  I unfurled on the couch and watched a few shows.  I tidied up the condo and futzed around with my half-marathon playlist. 

For dinner we loaded our plates with carbs (whole wheat spaghetti and garlic bread) and once we ate those, we went back for seconds.  After dinner we went up into the hills to watch the sunset and then on the way home, we stopped for dessert.  Really, it was a perfect way to spend the day before a race . . .  

. . . the race itself, wasn't so perfect.  I went out too fast and then raced too conservatively because I was afraid of dying out before the finish.  I set a personal best (1:46:44) but I fell short of my goal time (01:45:00).  My stride wasn't easy, my splits were off and my finish wasn't as strong as I'd hoped.  But hey, there's always next time!

(I should add that there was a lot that went really well during the race and while I was disappointed that I didn't hit my goal, I was also happy to have run the race so successfully.  Most runners are primarily racing against themselves--or at least that's how I feel about it--and in that sense, I was a winner.  But now that it's done and my legs aren't feeling weak, I'm itching to break 1:45:00.  So despite my "win", I kind of can't wait for my next day before a race!)