It's always good to start with an interesting tableau:

 

US Navy Seal supervisors, Seal trainees un-suiting and re-suiting while being timed. Kayakers, surfer, more Seals coming in, another kayak, Seal Corpsman safety monitor in case someone needs help.

Me and the dog know we are poorly positioned but there is nothing to be done.

 

If I had to count these guys back when I was obese, I would be the guy with the clipboard only female, obese, in a flowing skirt and dreading the walk back up the beach.

 

"Mommy!" 

 

My son was four years old and shrieking with happiness to tell me what happened with a big old yellow hat gigantic on his tiny head. He was in his his first weeks of Camp Coronado like a big boy and seeing new things every day.

 

"Black men came up on the beach! From the water. First they jumped in from the air and them they came running up like soldiers! They fell down to the ground and looked at us like they were scary but they weren't! Mommy! I love my camp and I am glad you are paying money for it. Look what I got!"

Hey Navy! Whose signature is that so I can say thank you for one of the happiest times I've ever seen in my son's life. We still have this hat now that he is twenty years old. He almost lost it when he was seven on a vacation trip to Tucson and he cried when he got it back from some nice man who saw it drop off the tram and caught up to us at the next stop. I had no idea it meant so much to my son until then. That it still hangs in its place in his room is an amazing miracle and why you are able to see see these photos I just took.

 

I didn't see the words at all until he had it for about six months. It was his hat and he wore it constantly.

 

I love how it says, "See you in the team" not "on the team". Caleb was in NJROTC for two years, so this wish sort-of came true.

There is no way to question a four year old with a story like this.

 

I called Camp Coronado from home to ask if I had the correct information about black men from Austalia coming out of the water near the children, and she said, "Oh, I don't think they were from Australia. They were Navy Seals training and they came to play with the kids for a bit. I don't know why they would have hats from Australia." 

 

I was happy to now understand what my four year old meant about the black men being able to peel off their skin. That may have been his first wetsuit encounter.

The Farmer's Market is up there more across from the tall buildings on the San Diego side. I'm passing the Marriott now on my bike. 

Naval Security going the other way and some kind of interesting ship is over at the terminal. That tarp might be for bridge painting. We like to keep it blue where it needs to be blue. It's said to be a safety issue, and I'm buying it.

A lovely glow on the Coast Guard Vessel and the Dole Ship behind.

The San Diego Ferry is coming in as the Navy flies by.

Airplane landing at Lindbergh Field (SAN) with a sailboat way too close to the bank and the jetty.

She's ok by the time I get up there.

More sailboats in a stiff breeze

There's the Coronado Farmer's Market with the tents. Hmm... There looks like a lot of people. Maybe...

My favorite plant over here all by itself. Maybe I'll wait until closer to 6 and get deals and be rushed and then I won't worry about taking photos....

Yeah - there's that new Navy Ship anyway

Sunset at the Coronado Ferry Landing Farmer''s Market and everything turns yellow.

The Ferry is lollowing the Navy ship now. It goes every hour back and forth on a fifteen minute cruise.

 

 

I first landed on this island by coming over on the ferry on my first day in town and wondering where to live. I always take a boat to see where I am and the Ferry was the cheapest chioce. One step off the Ferry in Coronado and I knew I found home for myself and my then one-year-old son. Twenty years later and we are both still here. I've never been anywhere longer than this.

 

Later I did accounting for the ferry company - right at this spot - for seven years. I rarely walked out here or used the Farmer's Market because I was very sick and morbidly obese at the time.

 

Or maybe -

 

I was very sick and morbidly obese at the time because I rarely walked out here or or used the Farmer's Market when I had this accounting job for seven years.

And here is the beautiful Spirit of San Diego coming through for a dinner cruise

Forget about the Farmer's Market! The Dole Ship is coming out!

 

It leaves every Tuesday so the Farmer's can see the show.

Sun glare and shadows from Coronado, California on The Dole Ship

Helicopter leading, pelican trailing

This is known as "The Competition." We do not speak of it as I am still loyal to my old job.

Even though she is pretty in the misty sunset.

Police Boat!

 

Always going fast and often photographed by me.

Here comes the Spirit again with the USS Midway in the background over near Broadway Pier in San Diego

THAT is a beautiful boat with amazing food cooked aboard. I used to count that food during monthly inventory of the Food and Beverage Department and they are not kidding about quality, freshness and taste.

 

 

You should do this trip if you are in San Diego visiting or especially if you live here. Take your kids up to the wheel house and they can drive the boat. Yes, really. 

 

I have done this cruise 497 times or so and it was always spectacular. The Sunday Brunch is better for me, but all of the food is wonderful and you will have a great time with a lovely view. There are quite a number of other beautiful boats at this company and they are locally-owned, so get on it if you live here.

I know that top deck well as it is where I stay for the entire voyage except to eat - yearning for shore and trying not to be foolish around the normal people who don't have my quirks.

 

You should always be up on the top deck when the boat goes under the bridge. It is more exciting than you would think.

Another plane-load for Lindbergh Field

You are looking at the back view of the large convention center where Comicon lives. The water-side is an empty dead park with no one ever there. Urban planning at its most heartbreaking.

But it's pretty inside there.

 

Speed boat!

Chouest Tug 8 is taking a Crane Barge to the other base. Tugs are high on my list of "good things."

 

The Coast Guard Vessel, 10th Avenue Terminal and Mt. San Miguel are behind with a little bit of the San Diego Coronado Bridge showing too.

Now we've got some action. The Dole Honduras is being lifted by the tug against strong tides. It's not normally lifted out of the water like that but the engines on both are all grinding away against the forces of nature.

They need to make that buoy.

The Spartan is working hard today.

You can't tell, but she is close to the buoy and the engines are roaring. It's normally a much less eventful event.

Done! The Pilot has the ship now and the tug is going back to port.

That is very close to the bouy and I was so proud of that little tug! That flat water is from the work they did. Turning a great big ship in a strong tide is not easy. Good job and how fun it would have been to be aboard.

The Seals don't care, the heron doesn't care and the people in the plane missed it.

Possibly the USMC caught it and they are in a cool boat too.

Oh - my development skills have failed me, but I still wanted you to see such a smart vessel up close. That's the San Diego Padre's Petco Park back behind there glowing yellow.

Dole is no match for the USMC

They are long gone and this sailboat is out of position. I don't know if that is the Ferry or the Harbor Tour Boat but each is worth your time.

 

Police Boat speeding the other way now and a very brave swimmer. Everyone else is praying for her safety and good health:

 

If you do not think the Drew Foss is beautiful, I cannot help you.

These people are not even looking!

Seriously. How could you look the other way? I am stumped.

She's hanging on for dear life and wishing she was not on this stupid, tiny, speeding boat; so her, I understand. She can't be wasting energy looking at anything in that state.

 

The driver is looking at me.

 

The other guy is reading.

 

The Drew Foss is still beautiful as are all Foss vessels.

This is a road I have to cross if I go the other way to the Farmer's Market.

I prefer the bike trail.

 

Don't forget to look at the Coronado Farmer's Market Photos. That was the whole point of this long lead in:
http://www.behance.net/gallery/Coronado-California-Farmers-Market/11486315

 

And here is the food: