Day 4: Walking in the Rain

 

The second Pineapple Express/Bomb Cyclone/Winter Storm arrived yesterday late afternoon and, by all accounts, it was less severe than expected. That said, I spent the better part of my early morning wandering my favorite community walking spots only to find most of them overcome with the ocean.

As I explained to an out-of-state friend who was doing a status check,

“We are fine. Super wet and awed by the power of the ocean but high enough that we're not flooded and no big trees too close by. I do have some epic pictures and videos of this week's craziness and today at 11:30am our swell is supposed to peak. I'm obviously impressed but have been shocked by the times I've heard lifetime Santa Cruzians say, "Oh my gawd, I've never seen it like this before."

Instead of my typical 40-minute lighthouse out and back, I spent over two hours hugging the coast - high enough to be out of danger but close enough to be a little nervous. As with the tsunami early last year, the neighborhoods were filled with residents turned lookee-loos but storm swell watching feels markedly different than rubbernecking a wreck. No one is injured and we are all just checking on our community and simultaneously basking in the pure power of nature. Seabright Beach, Main Beach were completely consumed by water. Enormous trees, roots and all, were bouncing out the mouth of the San Lorenzo River. The combination of high tide and a storm swell caused flooding in the harbor parking lot. By we were all on solid land, sharing pictures and thoughts and experiences. My walking path back through the harbor was closed and so I enjoyed taking the long way home. As with most long walks, I met new friends, saw old ones, and returned home with fabulous photos and clean lungs.

I came back just in time for another deluge and to see others' online photos of much more destruction than I'd seen. People will be sad. People will be angry. I feel for them. Home is sacred. And should feel safe.

I came back to a warm home. Transparently, our roof leaking a tiny bit in the fixer-fixer upper, but our new windows are fantastic and I’m grateful to be safe and dry. And now to figure out what part we can play to help those who didn’t fare as well in the storm.

 (pics may be unremarkable to those unfamiliar with the area but suffice it to say that there is usually a lot more sand in those views and I usually circle the Walton Lighthouse every day)