Winter Beach Days

This is winter in Santa Barbara.  Yes, we have rain (not a lot this year) and fog (comes with living near the ocean) but Dec through Feb has some of the best weather.  We always take advantage of the low tides to get out and get some exercise for us and Lollipop, hunt for sea creatures and just enjoy our surroundings. 

This was my attempt at a side crow.  I know my form is totally off and my legs are barely off the ground.  

 I've been feeling very inspired by my friend Sarah, you HAVE to check out her instagram!

I've been messing around here and there with yoga.  I've found a teacher I really like (even Todd comes to class with me!) and I also have been trying to incorporate more of it on my own into my routine getting tips and tricks from Sarah.  I still suck at it but I am enjoying doing it, something I thought I would never say about yoga.  

Before my side crow got better, it got worse….

And for the record, Lollipop was NOT impressed. 

Getting better...

Okay enough of me trying to side crow.  Don't ask me to do anything else, that is all I've got ;) 

The sun began to set. 

We headed home underneath a purple sky. 

The moon in front of us. 

And an orange sunset behind us. 

Cheers to more Santa Barbara beach walks like this!

My "LOST" Encouter

Normally I would not go up to a celebrity I see and ask to take a photo. Santa Barbara is home to several and it is pretty common to bump into them once in a while. I imagine it is annoying to get asked for photos/autographs, but in this case, I didn't care. For some reason I felt like I was really meeting "Sawyer" who has been stranded on the island in the show "LOST" (ridiculous, I know) rather than the actor who plays him.

Todd and I are HUGE fans of the show and "Sawyer" happens to be one of my favorite characters. Samantha and I were doing some last minute Christmas shopping at Macy's and I got in line right behind him and when he turned around, I knew it was him. I felt so stupid saying, "Are you Sawyer from Lost?" and even stupider when I asked for a picture.


Warning: This is an awful shot of both Samantha and Me............

Can't Take The Heat

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few days, you must know that Santa Barbara was on fire, or I should say still is. As of right now, the Jesusita Fire is 55% contained leaving behind about 80 damaged or destroyed homes. We have friends that were very close to losing their homes and even some who did. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by the fire.

Images like the one above combined with the sounds of helicopters practically in our living room is not something I will ever forget.

I thought I would also share how our dear Lollipop reacted to the fire. We don't have A/C like most homes in Santa Barbara. I am actually kicking myself because when we were at the point in our remodel when we installed the heat, we talked about getting A/C. I cheaped out and said we didn't need it, no one else had it. However, when temperatures reach the triple digits outside, the inside of your house is dreadfully hot, almost unbearable. You end up sweating bullets, fans are buzzing in every room and all you can talk about is how hot it is and how you wish you had A/C. On top of that, with the fire, you can't open your doors or windows because of the smoke and ash.

Thus, here is our little Lollipop, overheated, draped over the couch, trying to maintain her cool wishing she had been included in the A/C discussion last year: