San-dy Days

The weather was glorious last week with temperatures in the 80F's (not bad for January, even in southern California) so hubby and I decided to spend as much time outside as possible.

The surf has been pretty terrible this winter so when hubby spotted some waves in San Clemente we drove there before they went away.

San Clemente is a lovely southern Californian surf town and home to an art group I am a member of. It also has a pier.

Unlike some other beaches closer to home, a low tide reveals a long wide area of flat sand that glistens and sparkles and produces beautiful reflections.

While hubby surfed, I took a gentle walk along the beach enjoying the sunshine and warmth.

An artful sign for an exit from the beach to some of the streets above.

I had to keep away from the areas that were very wet as the sand was a little too soft underfoot (as I found after one foot sunk down into wet sand).

Very small and cute sandpipers looking for food in the shallows.

Looks like they have found some.

Back at the pier the lifeguards provide daily information for those going in the water.

The beach I walked from on the pier.

I got there just in time to see hubby catch a wave.

Then I had to wait a long time for the next one. Him too.

After several false starts and a few falls, finally he gets another one.

The problem with the waves today were that they were 'walled up' which means that the wave broke all at once. Usually, a surfer likes to go either left or right riding the part of the waves just ahead of where it is breaking. 

Today's conditions were more likely to knock a surfer off their board like this (he's under the water there somewhere).

After waiting far too long for the next waves to appear, I decided to turn my camera to what else was going on around me. 

The trains run close to the coast giving commuters and travelers a good view of the ocean.

The striped cloth that can be seen on the right on top of the cliff is a large tent  placed over houses when they are being treated for termites. This usually happens when a house is being sold. You have to leave your house for three days (taking any food that isn't completely sealed) while chemicals are pumped under the tent to kill those little wood-eating critters.

This is the beach from the other side of the pier.

The pier from the car park above the beach. An iconic view of San Clemente.