Stolen Sunday in our own backyard...

A "stolen Sunday" starts with a chili cheese omelette for brunch at Charlie's Chili on the Balboa Peninsula, ten minutes or so from our house. Established in 1967, Charlie's is a landmark Newport Beach dive; it's claim that it serves "the best Chili Cheese Omelette anywhere" might be a bit of hyperbole, but it is pretty darn good! Charlie's is also a great place to people watch. And, on Sunday, after all the hot, dry air Southern California has been experiencing, it was a wonderful place to let the foggy, ocean air seep into our bodies and our spirits.

Nearby is the home of the Dory Fishing Fleet, another Newport landmark, that been around since the early 1890's. The Newport Pier is a little hard to make out in the fog, but it was as filled with fishermen and tourists as ever.

Driving to the far end of the peninsula, Larry unveiled a park he has discovered while biking on the beach paths. On a clear day it would be a terrific vantage point for photos of the area coast. Even in the fog, we like the images of the father fishing with his son, the landscape across the inlet, and especially of that marvelous, wind and sea-air weathered tree.

We stopped at a local nursery on the way back from the beach, where Margaret picked out, and later planted, some fall and winter hardy annual color plants, herbs and lettuce. While planting, we discovered many signs of the season change. A winter blooming camellia, "Noel" has many buds, as do the pots of Christmas cactus. Nartustium seeds planted in a clay pot on the deck have sprouted, despite the fact that they went too long without water! The giant potted jade plant on the same deck looks like it'll be bursting with tiny white flowers before too long. (In full bloom it looks like a giant snowball, and is usually is at it's peak at Christmas!) A stolen Sunday of day-tripping our local, superb sights and playing in the dirt a little together was a real treat for Margaret, who is accustomed to working at the barn on all weekend days. It was a treat worthy of repeating!