California's Central Coast

is Green and Gorgeous Again

Ron and I drove to Cambria today to pick up Papillon (I named my flute!) from a fellow musician who did some necessary repairs on her.

While this work was decidedly preparatory to a full overhaul that my Papi will need very soon, it was nice to have a few crucial issues taken care of by a local technician.

Equally as nice was Ron’s and my rare drive all the way to the “T” at Highway 1, or the Pacific Coast Highway, better known as “the PCH.” At that “T," the Harmony Headlands form a barrier to the Pacific Ocean. You have to drive a mile or so south on the PCH to the trailhead, park, and walk the trail to see the ocean! (Or, drive north several miles and find “allowed areas” for parking and viewing.)

But from the elevation on Highway 46, there are a couple of turn-outs that afford gorgeous views of the ocean.

And my goodness, the land all along Highway 46 West to the PCH is SO GREEN! We haven’t seen it look like this for a decade or longer.

Ron and I both got some good photos before the “very normal, nothing-to-worry-about haze” obscured the sun and the ocean.

View of the Mighty Pacific Ocean from Highway 46 West, Friday, February 17, 2023. The white pancake in the middle is the reflection of the sun on the ocean. I lightly edited this photo in Photoshop and ON1, mostly for texture.

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Back at home, I played Papi to test out her upgrades and adjustments. Her high F# note was very squawky at first but seemed to come into proper tone after several minutes of playing. I will play her again tomorrow and make my final assessment before talking with the repair tech.

The technician also did a nice job of polishing the overall body of each segment, and he even fixed the funky latch on my rosewood case. It closes perfectly now!

My flute “Papillon,” after her recent repair session.

The Central Coast forecast calls for more rain this coming week, but — as is typical — the predictions keep changing to a lesser chance of rain with shorter time periods of activity. So, we will see if the green gets even greener!

As always, I wish you good health, oodles and caboodles of wholesome creativity, and as much love as your being can hold and share!