View of the Boardwalk from Oceanview Park

I don't think I've ever blipped our iconic amusement park from this perspective. Usually I'm out in front, on the sand, or up on the cliffs to the left, overlooking the barely visible railroad bridge. Speaking of icons, until a couple years ago there used to be a ferris wheel in that same left quadrant, between the angular bridge and the vertical pillars of the water ride. Although you couldn't have paid me to ride on it, I miss that distinctive outline and the bright cars. What's here to stay is California's oldest wooden roller coaster, the Giant Dipper, built in 1924. You can't pay me to ride that either, but that distinctive serpentine shape belongs on every Santa Cruz postcard.
We are overlooking the San Lorenzo River, a body of water that would be much happier if it could spread out a little to define its pre-levee shape.

We are standing here because we decided to take a walk in a neighborhood away from our usual haunts. It's a treat for me, as I'm getting cranky from convalescence. I don't like feeling damaged. I want real food. I want to chew. And, I never thought I'd say this, I want to floss my teeth!  So he took me out for a stroll to see different colors and shapes and get some air in my fur. It was a lovely distraction.

Today is my grandson's 25th birthday. He spent it at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, playing football for the NY Jets. Although they lost to the Atlanta Falcons, I can't imagine a better celebration for this guy, who has worked so hard to make his dreams come true.