STARTING OUT THE NEW YEAR POSITIVELY!

...well, it ain't much, but it's something...

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Hey, Hey! In previous postings, I belabored the fact that I'd lost a bunch of upper-case characters, on the 'number' keys. But, it may have been more like something Attacking my computer...because I did a couple of 'maintenance' things (defrags, virus scans, etc.), guess what! My Characters returned. So I can send all kinds of underhanded e-mails to unsuspecting surfers once again, 'cos I've got my "@" back! And! I've got my exclamation point back!!!!!!!!! I can also (and this is miraculous) parenthesize something, cos I've got my ( ) back! And I can brag about how much money I've saved on something or other, because my "$" is once again back in the rotation. Plus, my asterisk* has returned. How great is that? What, are you saying I've lost 90% of my mind? If that's indeed happened, at least it looks like I've got my percentage key back, too. So did my computer have some weird virus that only affected certain computer keys? Is there such a thing? Who knows?

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So today, I rambled over to the Ocean to see what kind of trouble I could stir up there. Actually not too many people were out today...probably had something to do with the rain and the gray skies, and the stiff breezes out there. So why not take pictures on a particularly awful day? While countless thousands in my town were esconced safely in the living room in front of the TV, why not go out and take some pictures? That was the question I was asking myself, and since there's no real answer for that one, I did go and shoot thusly...each photo expands if U click it. Here we go...

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Initially, photo prospects were not good today. Here's a view of the beach and ocean beyond through my drizzle-covered drivers' side window, upper left. Then, at upper right, a view taken through the windshield of people just as nuts as me who decided to go out on a day like this...

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Above left, Chicken Point, where ocean waves can go no further. At right, one of the friendly warning signs which are posted in state parks, telling the reader of the many laws they can violate, advising them to avoid violating any of them. I don't pay much attention to them...it takes too much energy to break the law; no thanks...at the end of this post, you'll find out how Chicken Point got its name. I always wondered...
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Above left, the ocean is obviously in turmoil. I can relate to that. Anyway, the ocean had transmogrified itself into a whipping froth of salt water; at right, as things cleared up a little bit before evening, the landscape turned purple and black. It's nice to get one nice photo. That's why I love digital cameras...it'll take thousands of pictures, the worst of which can get deleted in an instant. No longer must I spend gobs on Polaroid film. So that's another antique...my old flip-flash camera...

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According to local folklore, "Chicken Point", seen in this posting, got its name from old-time fishermen in the area. They would go there and scan the ocean from the top of the point, which is close to 75 feet above see level, checking if the water was too turbulent to get out there and catch fish. And if they feared that the turbulence would capsize their vessels, they would "Chicken Out". Hence, the name, Chicken Point. So now we know.