The Pride of San Pedro

Last night the rain started about 1:30 in the early morning.

and the day started out damp as I had left my New Balance running shoes in the cockpit of my boat and they were wet. I and my son's dog Dede live on a sailboat in Holiday Harbor Marina in San Pedro, Califorina. Actually the little bitch dog (been reading Henry Miller) is my dog too as I got her out of a cardboard box in front of large market in the desert a week before the Christmast Holidays many moons ago

Some morning I ride with  fellow sailboaters on our bicycles around our waterfront. Being the senior member of the crew I sometimes wait till the sun is higher in the sky and the air warmer before riding.

Today I waited and on my ride around the harbor I encountered a funeral procession and the motorcycle cop in his brown uniform stopped the traffic to allow all the car with funeral stickers on their car window.

There was a long snake of cars winding through Ports of Call from the fish docks at 22nd Street to the Fire Boat dock on Harbor Blvd.

I waited for several minutes as cars and pickup trucks drove by then I bye passed the stoppage and rode towards 22nd Street. When I got to the fish docks the procession of cars had stopped and the rear motorcyclist proceeded forward to escort.

After I finished my ride and was back at my sailboat I asked  around about the large funeral procession and since the path of vehicles went right by the fishing fleet it was suggested that maybe a fisherman had passed away.

So I changed from my cycling kit into my street clothing, got the dog and we walked back over to the fishing boats off the main channel.

We stopped for a minute to look at the empty spot that had been Canetti's for many years (Est. 1949) and continued on for clues on who had recently died here.

Several large trucks were loading pallets of fish and the air above was filled with seagulls. Not to be a target of the hungry gulls we moved on until we reached the fishing boat San Pedro Pride. In the Captain side window was a new decal honoring Ciro Ferrigno who had died on October 31, 2010.

Now that I had an answer to my question we continued on to marvel at the boats and all the nets and traps used to harvest the sea.

I am not sure how many boats are berthed here now and I forgot to bring along a notebook to take a count but I will try to take an inventory for a later blog.

Point Fermin Park

About two weeks ago on Wednesday October 6th at about three in the morning it started raining very hard and continued off and on till after sunrise. Captain Methane dropped me a note on FaceBook and suggested I go and look for water spouts so I did.

So the dog and I hiked over to Point Fermin to view the Pacific in hopes of getting some pictures of the storm. Point Fermin Park is located at the end Gaffey Street which runs through San Pedro and the parking at the park is free. The lighthouse has tours but I will leave that for a later blog.

I actually parked west of the main park along West Paseo Del Mar between Roxbury Street and Almeria.

There are loads of squirrels in the area and this makes for great sport for the dog but here she isn't allowed off her lead but she headed down the path in search of bushy tails. We have never used this path before and didn't realize it went all the way to the beach. This path is located between Point Fermin and White Point.

To finish the trip to the rocky beach below you must descend down this scary stairway. Some of the steps are wobbly and I must admit I gripped both hand rails going down.

Beside the rocks there are are former pieces of structures whose history remains a mystery. Sunken City is east of Point Fermin but maybe there were slides here or just a dumping off place.

I really need to spend some time learning more about the different kinds of birds we have here maybe a reader can identify these.

It was low tide while we went exploring the rocks.

The storm that passes through made Catalina in the distance clearly seen. The island can be hidden by fog or haze but not this day. I ride my bicycle on Western Ave. which ends at Paseo Del Mar. One foggy day you could see the peaks of Catalina standing above the fog laying across the channel from the top of 25th Street.

Not clear which ship is approaching the harbor but I would surmise it is one of the twin Brigantines Johnson's.

San Pedro Sun Rise

For the last two speedway season I have written a blog about the speedway scene in Southern California. For those unfamiliar with speedway a few clicks back here will show pictures of this motor sport. Though the season is over there are still races that will continue through the fall and winter periods but I have parked mine in the back of the garage until next year.

A few months back I gave up living under a roof and moved on to my boat and with some exceptions when I do some house and grandson sitting I am happily living in San Pedro, California in a great marina.

Living on a boat puts you in touch with nature, you feel it and hear it in a different way. When the wind blows or the tide changes you become aware of this. The light of the sun, stars and moon illuminate the inside of the boat.

If the sky is clear the morning rise of the sun gives enough light to start doing things very early. Many are out early walking or running around the sidewalks that border the marina and Cabrillo Beach.

The views do not stay static during the day as the skies color change as the sun rises and lights go off and later the afternoon winds come up. The water goes from a silver stillness to a slight ripple to the small white caps in the gulch.

Small fishing boats start to go out and cargo ships come in.

And each day the sun moves to a new position in the sky shadowing the Eastern mountain.

The above three shots are from the lifeguards rowing their surf dory very early.

Our neighbors include many sea birds, squirrels, tons of feral cats, harbor seals, and many various types of fish. The harbor is not sterile and the amount of fish one see in the marina makes one feel as if you were in an aquarium.

These pictures were taken on September 29, 2010 around the marinas adjoining Cabrillo Beach which is located in San Pedro, California with a Nikon D80.