A Walk in the Clouds

There are mornings when I wake up looking right out the bedroom window and onto the early morning blue sky embellished with cumulus clouds. I'll quickly make up my mind to get up, grab my camera and walk down to the beach before it becomes crowded with inlanders who bring along multi-room tents and umbrellas that rival the McMansions perched on the cliffs above the sand.

Then a wave of reality comes crashing down on me. The closest large body of water near me now is the apartment complex swimming pool. Even though I don't miss living in Corona del Mar, a seaside village that could single-handedly keep the vineyards of the world in business, I do miss walking along Ocean Boulevard.

Ocean Boulevard sounds like it would stretch for miles, like Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard, but it's only about one mile, give or take a 5-car garage or two. It's in a relatively quiet  neighborhood (when it's not crawling with thousands of beach-goers!) consisting of celebrity athletes and a celebrated advocate living amongst an eclectic mix of residents ranging from authors to religious zealots, all of whom have the Pacific Ocean out their front door. And while not yet as eccentric as Norma Desmond, we did have Diane Keaton hanging out in the 'hood!


Lately I've felt that leaving Corona del Mar was the wrong decision at the right time. If we had not moved to Anaheim when we did, we'd surely would have been homeless. Yet, when I think of home, I see myself strolling about Ocean Blvd. And I start to wonder, "If I could tune out the village idiots, maybe we can move back."  Then I pull my head out of the clouds.

Comments

[Bobsgran]

What a beautiful place. I'm fortunate enough to live about 2 city blocks from a body of water, Lake Ontario. There is a bike/running/walking trail along the waterfront that I ride my old lady bike on about 3/4 times a week. More if I can and it's not raining. It's fabulous to watch the seasons change on the foliage, the ducks, geese and occasional swan.

The only downside is dodging the bikers that think they're in the Tour de France all decked out in matching gear. But if I go out early enough it's heavenly.

[BellaKarma]

Bobgrans~ Wow, I Google'd images of Lake Ontario, and it's stunning - especially when the sun is setting over the water. No wonder it means "shining lake."

Yes, the landscape of Corona del Mar can be breathtaking. We were fortunate to have been able to live there a few years when it still had a laid-back So.Cal beach vibe...affluent, but arrogant attitudes weren't the norm.

Then, seemingly, overnight, Young New Money came rolling in with their Hummers and conquered the little village and claiming it as their new "it place to be seen party scene."

There are still a lot of great people in CdM, but they tend to be - quite literally, overshadowed by big houses and big egos. The village is too small to have so many individuals who think so little of anyone but themselves. That could be said about the "small world" too. :)

We live in a hard-working, multi-ethnic, friendly middle-class neighborhood now (the kind I grew up in) and the sense of community is much more richer.

Yikes! I'm having flashbacks of all the matching gear bicyclists I would have to watch out for while driving on Pacific Coast Highway! Whenever I would drive by those herds, all I could think was just one tiny trip-up by one of 'em and they would end up under my tires!

Alrighty, I off to check out more photos of your 'hood on Flickr! :)

[Bobsgran]

Funny that you mention your former village growing to unrecognizable dimensions. Much the same has happened to what used to be my small town. My late hubs used to get frustrated with the traffic, especially on weekends and yell out the window of the car....'Everybody that moved here after 1966 go away." Not in a road rage sort of way, just a traffic congested sort of way. IYKWIM. I guess we can't stop progress and people need a place to live. I consider myself still lucky to live in the "old" part of town with some character.
Gonna go for a ride and sate my senses on the autumn colours.

[BellaKarma]

Haha! Yes, I know what you mean. On really crowded days at the beach (such as the 4th of July), I would drive by real slow in my silver Beetle while blaring the Jaws theme. ;-)

[Jill Geraghty-Groves]

Stunning Jill! **sigh** I wish I could come over and visit for a while!
xxxJ

[BellaKarma]

Jill ~ I wish too. xoxo