August, the dog days

Ok, So we have been incredibly busy and a bit inundated with company and things to do. We did indeed go to the fair and saw the animals there. Lots of interesting stuff. Things that make for great photos. Including "Treeman" Who is an amazing environmental image. We got there fairly early, abut 9 am and left a bit early too. Which was perfect not only did we miss the huge crowds but we got the best weather, slightly overcast and cool which burned off and became stinking hot as we were leaving.
So for JohnE's Birthday we went camping at Crystal Cove. We hiked to the Upper Morro and were the only ones there. It was such a nice camp ground. There were out houses, but we opted out of those, they were pretty dirty and stinky. We hiked up the BFI which we had no idea was the more difficult hike. It was beautiful with ocean views almost the entire way up. We took sandwiches for dinner and Cliff Bars for breakfast so no cooking was involved. It was an interesting place to camp. There is civilization all around you in the form of multimillion dollar homes yet here we were in the wilds, in a tent, and no visible humans! It was fantastic. The only thing I messed up on was not bringing a change of clothes. We sweat so bad on the way up that crazy hill, plus the very low marine layer, we were drenched and cold. But it was super fun none the less.
On Monday we woke up and packed up. I kept teasing JE that we should sneak into crystal cove beach before the ranger got there and go for a swim. He kept asking if we had time to do that before our next destination. Would we be able to go home and change, he had no idea what was going on, it was all a big surprise. So much fun! So when we got to the car and I gave him his birthday pressie, he was so happy and surprised! I filled a basket with bubble gum and swim trunks, and a new beach shirt and sunglasses and a state parks pass, and a state parks map, and beach slippers, and sunscreen. I had packed all the beach gear and a picnic lunch. We spent the entire day at the beach and then went home to a few friends and giant crab legs and a perfectly cooked tritip steak. What a gun and fantastic day!!!