Paying a call on Yemaya

Last weekend I took two of my coven sisters to my favorite run-away-from-home-for-a-day spot: Pescadero State Beach on the coast of California's San Mateo County. It's about 14 miles south of Half Moon Bay, which is where my parents told me I took my first steps (on the beach, of course).

I love Pescadero because  in addition to being a state park, it's also a nature preserve. Many many different species of migratory birds make a stopoff around the Pescadero lagoons during the year. It also has one of the greatest varieties of wildflowers that I've ever seen on the California coastline. And yes, it's true, I did have my one brush with the law to date when I got caught picking a small bouquet of wildflowers there a few years ago. Blame it on my grandmother, the all-time plant larcenist.

The park has several beach sections, one with offshore rocky outrcroppings  that are a favored  habitat of Brandt's cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicillatus),  California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), and, on rare occasions, elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) that have wandered over from the large colony at Año Nuevo to the south.

Here's the surf crashing on the rocks at Pescadero Beach.

 

And here's a long shot of one of the coves. The rocks away from the shoreline were all covered with cormorants the day we were there.

 

Many of the wildflowers had been burned dry by our summer with no rain. But Meg still found a few worth checking out.

Before we hit the beach ourselves, we made a detour into the small town of Pescadero so we could stop and buy the artichoke garlic herb bread from Arcangeli Grocer Co.  We also went out to Harley Farms Goat Dairy for organic goat cheeses. What a variety! They had feta, ricotta, herb-crusted logs of cheese, and beautiful little flat cheeses ornamented with edible flowers. We had to stop and  pet Cadbury, who is the farm's oldest--and now retired--milk goat.

 

Here are some of the pretty -- and delicious--goat cheeses the farm sells.

One the way to the dairy, we saw a magical garden with a forest of sunflowers, filled with trailing pumpkins vines and bright blue cornflowers.

 

 

And finally we got to the beach where we said hello to Yemaya, planned an upcoming ritual for the coven, ate a sumptuous picnic lunch, and Julie and Meg went for a stroll on the beach. No, they didn't coordinate their outfits in advance. But this is what happens when you take your fashion tips from Yemaya.

 

 

While my two elegant co-priestesses were sashaying down the beach, I was enchanted with two little guys who'd brought their trucks to the beach and were embarked on a mighty earth-moving project. They reminded me so much of my sons when they were little boys and we took their big yellow Tonka truck with us to the beach. 

 

All in all, it was a wonderful day, and we brought it to the perfect close by seeing ``Julie and Julia'' at the Alameda Theater.  One of my more fun ways to spend a Saturday, all told. The day had its poignant moments as it was the first time I'd been back to Pescadero since my friend John Dauns had been here for a visit and I took him to the beach. And this time I was using the binoculars that were his last present to me. As we Pagans say, what is remembered lives.

Comments

[Hadar Aviram]

That seems a fabulous time! I *love* Pescadero Beach.

[Hollyheartfree]

I love how you add so many pictures to your posts. The goat dairy is a place I'd love to visit!
Hopefully your return to the park brought you a small bit of healing for John.