Happy Halloween

Saw this guy on a walk yesterday.  He is furry and creepy...perfect for Halloween!

La Costa Resort and Spa

Morning Workout

A few years ago when the economy started to change, personal trainers who used to charge high hourly rates to their wealthy clients had to get creative about attracting new business as real housewives throughout California had to adjust their spending habits.  Now there are mini "bootcamps" all over the beaches and parks in the mornings.  They charge around $10-20 per person for a group session.  The bigger the group, the lower the price.  It has become so popular that some of the cities around here want in.  I read about a new tax the local governments want to implement.  The law, if passed, will require the personal trainers to purchase a permit if they are going to exercise with people in public places.  

 

Hummingbird

Pumpkin Patch

A warm and beautiful day today at the pumpkin patch.

Bressi Ranch

Tidepools

San Dieguito Park

This is not exactly in Carlsbad but it is just a ten minute drive from our house.  I love this park.  The trees change colors.  There are little ponds with turtles and ducks.  There are trails to hike and wood bridges and platforms to climb on and explore.  We used to be be regulars here, until we had a run in with a rattle snake.  Now we wait until fall and winter to play here.

Bus

A beach town just wouldn't be complete without an old bus colorfully painted with religious warnings and angry, controversial statements.

Cute and Random

This is an electrical box in downtown Carlsbad.  I haven't a clue as to why there is a dog and cupcakes painted on it.  It looks like this dog is celebrating his/her third birthday.  I wonder whose dog this is and how old the dog is now?

Patience

Surfers hang in the cold Pacific waiting for a swell.  

Dancing in the Rain

I couldn't resist sharing a picture of my daughter and what she likes to do when it rains.  I am still out of town but apparently we have been having quite the rain storm.  Rain is still a bit of a novelty for us, so when it rains, my daughter throws on her rain boots, grabs her pink umbrella and heads outside to dance under the clouds.

Too many No's

We have lawsuits in California.  Do you have lawsuits?  We have lawsuits.

So we have signs that say we can't do things that are fun.

Morning Surf

I thought there was going to be a collision here.  It is amazing how agile surfers who know what they are doing can be.  I apologize for the grainy picture.  I left my ISO too high after taking pictures in low light.  Also, I have to admit this is a cheat.  I am out of town this week.  I think it is actually raining in Carlsbad right now.  Not that rain would stop a surfer.

An Art Peace

I am so excited that I have a few followers to this blog!  It makes it so much more fun knowing that someone is actually checking out my pictures.  Thank you for the warm welcome and the comments!!

Downtown Carlsbad has 26 colorful fire hydrants.  Adopted by locals and hand painted.  I am guessing by the titles from a list of hydrant names that this one is called 

"An Art Peace" by Jean-Paul Du Mouchel.

Retirement Hobbies

Tamarack Beach 

Misty Morning

The streets are wet. The leaves are brown.

It feels a little like fall in Carlsbad.

Surf Naked

I don't have the nerve yet to ask strangers if I can take their picture.  Originally the woman had her arm around the man.  She moved it just as I was sneaking a shot of them from behind and revealed his Carlsbad surf naked shirt.

Porch Pumpkins

The fog never really left the coast today but we did.

We headed east and baked under the sun while hunting for our pumpkins.

As we reached the top of San Elijo Drive on our way back, we were happy to see the blanket of fog still covering Carlsbad.  Cool, grey, forgiving fog.

Sunset

A view from the park by at our house at sunset.

Highway 101

Driving North on Highway 101.  Just South of Tamarack Beach.  Another sunny day in October.

Legoland

Legoland is a main attraction in Carlsbad.  The best time to visit in my humble opinion is now when the crowds are gone and the weather is beautiful.  Legoland on a quiet, October day is fun.  Legoland during the crowded days of summer is stressful.  Go on a weekday if you can but check their operating schedule.  During the off season they close on some weekdays.

Pizza

We went to Pizza Port for beer buddies on Friday afternoon.  This place can get really busy and finding a table can be a stressful challenge.  But early lunch on a weekday was a breeze.  We had no idea that just about 5 miles away a terrifying event was taking place at  Kelly Elementary school.  Scary.  This is such a quiet family area you start to get a false sense of security thinking nothing like this could happen here.  A crazy gunman shooting at little kids in Carlsbad?  Unbelievable.  Very sad.  Too close for comfort.  My friend's 5 year old is a student there.  A very emotional day for all involved.

La Costa Farms

Today is October 8, 2010.  It is a beautiful sunny day here in Carlsbad.  While out and about this morning, I stopped to buy some fresh produce to make some homemade salsa.  I love to stop by this outdoor produce market.  I have to admit one of the things I love about it, is that I can park my car right in front of the stand and leave my kids in the car.  I can buy fresh, local produce and even milk and eggs without getting my kids involved.  Is that bad?  This market is right off of La Costa.  Super convenient.

Carlsbad, California Photos

Hi!  While planning a trip to the Grand Canyon, I came across a blog that shows daily photos of Flagstaff, Arizona.  I reviewed several of the photos that were posted during one of the seasons that we were planning our trip.  The site gave me a good idea of what weather to expect and other things to explore during our visit.  I thought it was a great idea and checked to see if there was something similar for my city.  There was nothing...so I signed up with blogspot and here we are.  I am going to attempt to post one photo a day of something around Carlsbad. Hope someone finds this useful.  At the very least, it gives me a project to work on and maybe my photography skills will improve along the way.  Thanks for looking!

Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park