Cayucos, California. (How does it feel?)

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I think I've been subconsciously working for years to put myself into positions where I can really relate to Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone". I hope there's been some intention there , conscious or otherwise because if not it'd be even more sad than trying to end up that way.

It had something to do with the fact that I had drank too much the night before with the guys from Oregon in Big Sur. It also owed a little to the fact that my energy had slowly drained away due to not being able to afford food until I got far enough away from Big Sur and as such hadn't eaten all day. But mainly it was due to a chance encounter by my, err, campsite on the beach. The spot had been hand picked earlier that afternoon based on the fact that it was a "daytime use only" beach and I could hide below the low cliff, be alone and not get hassled/fined by any authorities. I'd waited until the sun had begun to go down to ride the bike down the foot path and hide it from the road in some tall grass. I quickly set up my tent, dizzy from the lack of energy and fired up my stove. I was hurriedly preparing my dinner of rice and canned chili when I noticed someone was walking past. She quickly looked away when she noticed that she'd caught me unawares. I wasn't embarrassed with what I was doing but maybe I should've been. It was a pretty pathetic sight, I'm sure. She bounced up the path back up to the meadow above to continue on her sunset jog and was gone. In the mean time, I tucked well in to my gooey rice and not-yet warm chili. When she came back

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Photos

Elephant Seals
I didn't even get off the bike to take this picture. The beach is right on the side of the highway. At first i thought I caught mating season but I guess they just always hang out there.

They may look like leather sacks of blubber...
But don't get too close. I was told later on that they'll really eff you up if you get close to the beach. Apparently they've been known to chase tourists up to the parkinglot. Hence the barbed wire fence. Not sure if it was meant to keep the seals in or the tourists out.

The pier at Cayucos
According to an old bronze plaque, it was built in 1873. That's pretty old by west coast standards. There were these four old fishermen, each with a big white beard and no fish to show for the day. The one I spoke to talked me out of setting up my rod...

The waterfront at Cayucos
I don't know why I took this picture but I do know that the bike is ruining it.

My lonely beach....
you can kind of make out my baby hiding among the grass and the higway in the background.

Full moon, bad camera
I can't do a long exposure on my camera but you can sort of get the idea.

The last glimmers of sunlight
That's my baby off to the right and my tent is the little hump down on the beach right in the middle. I was told I didn't need to worry about Elephant Seals but sometimes the imagination runs... I had an escape route.