Sean Slavin Photography

Family Adventure Day

About 6 weeks ago, I purchased an FJ Cruiser for a couple of reasons. One, I was beyond desperate for a new car and the FJ's had my eye since they first appeared. Two, I've had a sudden urge to get the girls into the outdoors and out of the SoCal bubble. Third, with a house full of women, I needed a testosterone based project and what better way to do that than with a truck? I'll try and post up some build photos as the project progresses.

Yesterday, we all piled into the truck and took it for her maiden voyage in the dirt. I wasn't sure how the girls were going to react so I searched out a relatively easy route. We drove up to Descanso and then got on the Boulder Creek Road for a scenic route into Julian.

We made a few stops along the way and the girls made some pretty cool discoveries. The 'wild' tadpoles, peacocks and llamas made the biggest impression. Neither Bec nor I were sure how the girls would react but they thoroughly enjoyed themselves and are still asking when we're going to get the truck dirty again.

Once we got into Julian, we had a quick bite to eat then headed over to check out a goldmine. The tour was a hoot and our guide fit the role a little too well.

Our final stop on the way home was for a slice of Mom's Apple Pie. I was the only one who actually had apple pie but the girls didn't seem to mind.

All in all, it was a fabulous day and we're looking forward to extending the adventures.

Chicago from above

We had the girls in Chicago last week for a few days to celebrate their great-grandmother's 90th birthday. I took them to the Hancock Observatory as it had been years since I was up there. The city never ceases to amaze me and the girls loved the view.

Back in the Water

A little bit of surf popped up and I managed to sneak out of the house this morning before any of the girls awoke. Water was totally disorganized but I made the best of it and swam away with a few to share. Enjoy.

Butterflies

It's that time of year again and the butterflies are out in full force at WAP. We took the girls out to go see them a couple of days ago. Dillen remembered but the last time Roxy saw them, she was Piper's age. It was a total blast watching her reactions. Piper was pretty jazzed on the whole experience as well.

After spending time with the butterflies, we wandered over to feed some lorikeets. Always a hoot.

Last stop was to pet and feed some antelope. Piper couldn't get enough.

Good times all the way around.

Life around the Harbor

So I was in Vegas all last week for a trade show. Spent 4 days locked inside the Venetian and it made me go slightly bat shit. Went to try and get a surf this morning but all I found was flatness. I grabbed the paddle board to go for an open water cruise. As an after thought, I also decided to strap the camera on the board and see what I could find. I managed a few shots while trying not get a run over by the morons screaming out of the harbor and around the jetty.

First day of Spring

Yea, I know it was yesterday but things have been busy and down time is at a premium these days. I managed a couple of hours in the water yesterday at daybreak. While the surf was much smaller than I had expected, the wind was calm, the sun was out and the water was glassy. It was absolutely beautiful out and I walked away with a few keepers to share.

Time flies

Time has this funny way of accelerating when you have kids. You get so involved in their lives, trying to ~~train~~ raise them right, that you wake up one morning and wonder where the years have gone. Yes, years not days or hours. Years. Yesterday was one of those days as it was Dillen's 7th birthday.

It seems just like yesterday that Bec was getting checked into the hospital. Pouring rain. Being prepped for a c-section. My running like a mad man down to Laguna to drop off prints just in time for the deadline of the Festival of Arts judging. High tailing it back to the hospital, trying to remember if I had thrown any film (and what kind) into the bag. Then, she was here and my life changed forever.

Now, she's 7. Holy crap. She's 7. Pretty soon, I'll blink and she'll be 17. Not ready for that, definitely not ready for that. One day at a time.

And while today was all about Dillen, what kind of father would I be if I had left out her two amazing younger sisters?

Rain break

There was a small break between storms yesterday evening. Took the girls for a short walk around the harbor. The wind was howling and the ocean was foul but the sun peeked out at the right times and the jetty was filled with looky-loos.

Big rains always flush all kinds of unpleasant things into my playground. The stuff you can see is worrisome enough. The real worry for me is always the stuff you can't see. Needless to say, I won't be getting in for a surf anytime soon.

Puddle jumping

It's always the smallest simplest things that bring incredible joy to children. Puddle jumping is one of those things. Why? I don't know but I'm learning that it falls into the same category as stopping to smell the roses. There's no better way to revert to your childhood as jumping in puddles.

As I mentioned yesterday, it's raining cats and dogs here. The sound is most unpleasant. All that meowing and barking. All that rain means lots of puddles. Lots of big puddles.

Before the rain actually started, Bec and I promised the girls we'd go puddle jumping. A couple of days ago, we did. The results were fantastically wet and muddy but as I just mentioned, it's the simple things that have the biggest, and most lasting, effect.

Post-storm wanderings

Crazy day here in SoCal. I was working at home. Just after lunch, Dillen came sprinting up to me with words falling out of her mouth at a million miles per hour. Once I got her RPMs dialed back, I found out we were under a tornado warning. Tornado warning? Here? No way. It was for real but I had to chuckle since the warning message being broadcasted was telling everyone to get in their basements if a tornado actually touched down. Basement? In SoCal? Come on.

Much to my chagrin, no tornados appeared. The girls failed to understand my disappointment and I failed to explain it to them. Just an enormous amount of rain, wind, more rain, more wind.

As the rain fell outside, the kinetic energy inside went up and up. By 3pm the girls, and the puppy, were vibrating. Containment was becoming negligible. By 4, they were literally bouncing off the ceiling. Jackets. Shoes. Dog. Leash. Camera. Down to the harbor to run the wiggles out. We got to the harbor and the energy was released. The girls left leaving Bec and I in a swirl of shock waves.

Bec was kind enough to let me wander behind and took off to catch the girls. A fog lifted. My head cleared. And I fell into a groove. I didn't need a lot of time. I knew what I was after. I didn't shoot much, just wanted I needed to satisfy the craving.

The Artist

My father. Rediscovering a lost passion. A rediscovery brought on by granddaughters who asked a simple question, "Will you teach us how to draw?"

Fading

Swell started to fade a bit today. Headed back out to the same spot I've been the past few days. I had it basically to myself except for a couple of spongers and some pelicans. The quiet was nice. Meditative.

Still firing

Same spot as yesterday afternoon. Felt slightly bigger but it could have just been the dropping tide. There's nothing like standing in chest deep water looking up at a 12' wall about to dump on your head. Fun times.

It's crackin'

Yesterday afternoon, as I was running along my favorite stretch of beach, I realized that was going to be a great spot for the swell that was supposed to arrive today. As I headed out this afternoon, I wasn't sure if things were going to be working but a quick glance down the cliff was all I needed. It was working and working good.

I spent about an hour or so swimming around with the camera. There was quite a bit of water moving so staying in the "sweet" spot sometimes felt like an exercise in futility. Not all was lost and I came out with a handful of keepers to share.

Dropping Tide

Headed this afternoon on a tide that was dropping fast. The blue moon is making things a bit funky. Found some grinders near the house and the spot worked for me for just over an hour. More time than I needed and I was just starting to get the shivers as I was getting out. Weather was absolutely stunning today and a very small part of me feels bad for those buried under the snow in the mid-west and on the east coast. But only a very small part.