This lovely stretch of beach is where we spent a good part of the day yesterday. We have been vacationing at the coast and visiting some of our old stomping grounds. Saturday we had a party to celebrate my dad's 71st birthday and took the opportunity to make a long weekend of it. Having moved so far inland, we have been craving the crisp ocean air and sand between our toes. So, we played and played at the beach yesterday and had so much fun we didn't even mind when a rogue golden retriever ate nearly half our picnic - heh heh heh - oh well!

Even the drive to Halfmoon Bay is a delight. To get to the beach you have to cross over a pretty mountain pass then dip down into an agricultural valley where you meander through pumpkin patch after pumpkin patch (Halfmoon Bay is the "Pumpkin Capital of the World"). The green fields are splashed with the most striking array of brilliant oranges and golds right now as the town prepares for the annual Pumpkin Festival. We also saw a gorgeous sunflower field with a huge variety of flowers from deep russet to classic yellow. What a lovely weekend - we saw great friends, had a ball with family and visited places we really miss having moved so far inland. It will be hard to go back to the daily grind tomorrow!