A Week Into Winter...

...and it's 65 deg F earlier today along the central coast of California. The weather during our annual post Christmas trip to Morro Bay is typically cold, but not freezing. Normal cold here is the low temps hitting the 40s with winter winds and requiring a heavy jacket and mittens. But today, we hit the tidepools at Moonstone Beach around 1030 am and it was the most beautiful day I've ever seen here, mild breeze and some tourists, but not too crowded. The local roads with lots of out-of-state license plates can only mean one thing. People from faraway places like Idaho, Montana and Illinois are seriously considering moving to the Golden State as I type this blog entry. In fact, you could have convinced me it's summertime except for the fact that the elephant seals (above) are all over the San Simeon beaches, where they give birth to their pups from December through January. And if a winter day like today isn't enough to convince these snowbirds to move here, the national broadcast of the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl game next week will put any remaining doubts to rest.