inglorious wanderer

Rain in San Diego has quite become a novelty, at least this is how I feel eversince I had an attack of the Stendahl Syndrome over the occurrence of rain in San Diego,  about five or six years ago.  I just came home from my night work and       set off for rain hike as soon as I changed into my pair of Timberlands. I was returning for more blue dicks. I wondered how much jail time would I get if I was caught collecting blue dick bulbs. I can always pretend I can't read and write in English. Not far from the sign that I did not understand  are where day laborers wait for someone to pick them up for day jobs. There was not a soul in sight and I thought how embarrassed would RN be if I was struck by lightning and died on the spot with a trowel in hand and collecting blue dick bulbs.i knew these blue dicks should be left alone. But they are exotic in every sense of the word, not the modern day exotic of the LBFM kind. I hummed a Band Perry song if I die young th...

San Diego started out an a river bank along the river that is now known as the San Diego River. The riverbanks has been the domain of Kumeyaays among other original native inhabitants of the area until the Spanish conquistadores invaded the area in the name of Jesus! To many Sandy Eggans, the San Diego River is just one of the many waterways in the county that is dried up most of the year. The river may not have defined San Diego as a city but nowadays with ecosystems friendly groups such as the San River Park Foundation and some other conservancy groups protecting the watershed, the river is slowly coming back to life, especially to outdoor enthusiasts.  Wild flowers by Mission Valley portion of the San Diego River Trail has sprung and it's not even spring yet.

Summiting Misson Peak for the third time, I would still say that the trails,  which could look like a procession route of sorts for religious cult members to watch a reenactment of Jesus Christ being crucified on some days, is not an easy hike. Djeline and I waited in line to have our pictures taken on the pole, almost 3 miles and 1500 feet elevation gain  away from the trailhead. Almost four years ago, Djeline showed me the way. The truth? I still get lost on the rhetoric so much. Djeline and I almost took two hours to get to the top exchanging views about  President Obama and Donald Trump, the difference between agnostics and athiests and not both believing in global warming. The Mission Peak tip top is a place where I could shamelessly use a selfie stick if I had one. But since everyone came for a photo op at the tip top, a selfie stick is not necessary. Djeline just handed her phone to another hiker behind her and off we went to the tip top...

Karlee imagined cows on the streets of Merced and she would not even consider applying for admission at UC Merced. I promised to visit her often on my way to Yosemite National Park if she goes to UC Merced for college.  I didn't see any cows roaming the streets of Merced.  Instead , I came upon an artsy underpass which didn't surprise me at all. Merced is a typical university town where instead of graffiti, one would find murals. One section  of the mural reminds me of a fund raising project when Karlee was in 3rd grade. One tile was about $10 and a student could draw, paint and sign his or her name on the tile and the tile would be part of a collage glued for life on a wall.  Another section of the mural is composed of some artwork probably done by older students, maybe high school.  My Google search on the artwork revealed that the mural is titled "The Many Faces of Merced". The mural is the output from a glazed tile art workshop conducted at the library of UC...

"Very professional, prompt and friendly!" I  gave my überring babe 5 stars to boost up his rating. I wanted so much to make my first über ride realistic and not scripted as I intended it to be. I randomly picked an address without knowing that it would be my pick up point. The pick up point was a 7 minute drive from the PQ center and my babe was freaking out on me.  I had to remind him I was his first time über passenger.  To make the script realistic, I had to put my drop off point when we got to my pick up point. Then we turned left into an oncoming traffic. Now we both know how such a stupid and dangerous mistake could happen to people, not only to elder drivers, Asian drivers and women drivers.  My Amtrak thruway bus to Bakersfiield leaves at 22:35 and we got to the Amtrak Station 15 minutes before the bus arrives.

At an elevation of 1,591 feet above sea level, Cowles Mountain Trail could be difficult for toddlers and the physically handicapped. Of the four peaks at the Mission Trails Regional Park, it is only in Cowles Mountain Trail that I have seen preschoolers hiking with their parents.  The young girl propped by her mother on top of the Cowles Mountain summit marker reminds me of Simba in the  Lion King, the animated movie. What looked like a consecration could probably be a photo op.  Chances are, four or five year ago, the girl's mom posted on facebook  the ultra sound photo of the girl now seated on top of the land mark  Cowles Mountain is the very first peak I summitted that is part of  the Mission Trails Regional Park. That was about four or five years ago. I have since tried the other routes leading to the summit and the one I took today could be the least strenuous, even a child could do it. 

Lake Murray is part of the Mission Trails Regilnal Park (MTRP). I learned about the lake from the local news: a deranged man was harassing hikers and bicycle riders and the police had to intervene. I got curious, it seemed to me that the lake I have never been at is worth being at.  Somebody posted a photo taken at Lake Murray with a mention of a portable toilet on the middle of the lake. The idea of a portable toilet floating on the middle of the lake seems silly but I got curious as well. The floating structure is probably a lighthouse. The lake is a popular fishing spot among residents in the eastern part of the county. Among the fishes caught are black crappie. Maybe the fishes called black crappie are caught near the structure that looks like a floating portable toilet. "Touch bull's eye or your lap doesn't count!"  I asked a young Hispanic-Asian looking woman how many miles the lap is:  6.4 miles! It was a  Facebook wow moment for me! 12.8 miles, not bad! Hasht...

I didn't know about California State Parks' First Day Hikes Program until New Year's Eve. I thought I have  hiked every trail in San Diego since I have been hiking with meet up groups for the last four or five years. The county listed South Pronto Beach on the First Day Hike program and  got curious with South Pronto Beach in Carlsbad. Pronto means soon or now and good old Google didn't say why this beach in coastal Carlsbad is called South Pronto Beach.  The glorious holy shih Tzu is not in the picture this first day of hiking. Last year, he dominated most hiking pictures, the first day hike in the once in a blue moon snowy wonderland road to Corte Madera  near Lake Morena. I was licking my wounds with the thought that I was stuck with Ayyeddis Vahkkendjaab and there was the glorious holy shih Tzu to give me company.  I summitted Viejas Mountain the same day and sang Donald Fagen's IGY singing out loud the refrain: "What  a wonderful world this would be, w...