by beachraven | Jul 22, 2022
Monterey Bay, Monterey, California We grabbed a window table at a cafe in Moss Landing. The smell of potatoes simmering in hot oil, bacon, and fresh coffee filled the small dining room. It was the kind of place where a guy in blue jeans and work boots fit in...
by beachraven | Jul 8, 2022
Venice Beach, California The Venice Pier had that blank, tilted feeling empty tourist spots have. The dawn sun cut low across the water as it winked in and out of the sea haze. Fishermen dotted the pier, and surfers rocked and bobbed on their boards, chatting...
by beachraven | Jul 1, 2022
The wind sings through the Monterey Pines, a short flourish overture with a low drone, mid-range whip, and a treble trickling of cottonwood leaves like a swift stream. And above it all, the trill of birds add sparkles of color as the oratorio begins. It moves with a...
by beachraven | Jun 24, 2022
I could describe what I’m seeing or hearing. I could even go deeper and explain how I feel and what’s happening around me or comment on the news. I could work past the layers of anxiety and regret that hang on me and drip like sweat off a boxer. I could discuss the...
by beachraven | Jun 17, 2022
Monterey Bay, Monterey, California As streams of dawn light glimpsed through the broken cloud cover, I rolled up next to Fisherman’s Wharf on my bike. Thompson was sitting on the stone wall in his camouflage jacket with his backpack next to him. We...
by beachraven | Jun 10, 2022
Big Sur, California Oaktree moths fly through the evening sun, setting them aglow like fireflies, while a simmering pot of rice clatters away, and the sweet smell drifts out an open door. I close my eyes to the scene and let the feeling sink into my bones....
by beachraven | May 28, 2022
Del Monte Forest, Monterey, California My walk took me further than I expected. That often happens when I’m upset, and try to duck thoughts of the day’s events. When will I learn my lesson and avoid the news? But sometimes, it’s unavoidable. I wound...
by beachraven | May 14, 2022
Euterpe Farms, Ojai, California I have an old, chipped porcelain cup, probably WWII war surplus. My mom used it to scoop powdered laundry detergent from a box. I can trace that cup back as far as I can remember. I also have the family shoeshine brush made...
by beachraven | May 6, 2022
Monterey State Beach, Sand City, California I’ve been thinking about my mother as we all have the last few days, and an old story flashed into my mind. When I was in my accident-prone phase, I built a ramp in the backyard out of a sawhorse and plywood and tried...
by beachraven | Apr 29, 2022
Canter’s Restaurant, Hollywood, California Canter’s is undoubtedly one of my favorite restaurants. It has been around for ninety some years. The stylish ‘50s decor is the exact same decor they had in the stylish 50s. What other restaurant can you go to at...
