The assignment was to create by hand, drawing or painting, an art project inspired by the beach. Now I haven't done an art project since my age was in single digits and the thought filled me with considerable trepidation. But I just told myself to break it down into small parts. "You like to go to the beach, and you like to take pictures, so just go take some photos and see what happens." I had conceived the idea of getting some shots of the cliffs and the beach and the ocean and drawing that. Somehow. Though sunny it was cold so I pulled out the winter gear. Sneakers, no sandals, crew socks, long pants, and a long sleave thermal t-shirt. This is "bundling up" in San Diego.
I expected sunny and clear, but I wasn't prepared for how incredibly clear it was. The ocean looked higher, closer. I could see mountains way to the north beyond Camp Pendleton. The horizon was a clear, distinct line between water and sky. I had a great time for 2 1/2 hours taking photos of the cliffs and the beach and the surf and the rocks and the birds and walking and breathing. I thought I had some good shots and kept putting the camera away as the sun was going down and it started to get really cold. I didn't want to climb back up that cliff in the dark. But the sunset just kept getting better and better. It actually dropped beneath the sea as I was pulling out my camera for the last time. This photo was taken just after the sunset. The sky was completely saturated with color. It was the second to last picture I took. Somehow I don't think I could have just shown up at sunset and taken that photo. I needed that 2 1/2 hours to search for what I didn't realize I would find.
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