Hocus-Pocus and all that focus

I would crank up the old caddy spend my last couple of bucks and get up to my daughter north way. As usual I broke rules and busted her out of high school stuff. I had been doing if for a good half year. Probably more. The routine was clear. I had the lunch and we would take in the Encinitas beach for at least 2 miles one way.

It was a guilt thing partly. I spend so much time overseas that being around was like cherries on ice cream. Maybe a mile or so we just shut up. Maybe we just held hands as we walked barefoot and just kind of knew each other without the words.

Now this walk had houses up 70 feet or more on the bluff. Decaying old cliffs with houses literally falling down. No correction because of some stupid "Coastal Commission". We watched one friends house literally fall down because it was illegal to prevent it.

She had legs longer than mine, a model type face. She was student body president and on track to a scholarship to Berkeley. She was knock down gorgeous like her momma.

Now this beach was fantastic for an old man with his suit pants rolled up. Around one bluff the water got high and soaked him more than once. So funny to sit in a meeting with wet drawers. In some places the beach would reach sandy for 100 meters. Other places just down right nasty sand pebbles that hurt to walk on.

More than once whales breached a half a mile off. And dolphins always slayed us off a quarter mile.

She had these funny huge monkey feet. And she could swoop a shell with her toes and do that Yoga thing and toss it to me. Beyond my ideas to do that.

She would just bust out and run into the water and dive into the waves. I just would watch and shakey my brakey heart. Just a free spirit I had raised on this beach. Somewhere there is a pic of her covered in a beach towel laying on my back at about three. We did this beach, we owned it.

Navy ships go by. Ships to Catalina and cruise ships and Lobster trawlers. This beach was our home and safe place to just love each other. I do not do thinking about such matters. I try hard to pick up rocks.

So we reach what is known as Torrey Pines of the famed Golf Course and whip around faster than a rattlesnake. They have naked stuff down there and they ain't models. Too much giggling and we actually break into a run.

"Give me a hug girl, you are breaking my heart again, can't we just do this for the whole afternoon?" Daddy, next Tuesday unless you leave the country again.

Bright glaring sunlight that would be intolerable without sunglasses. And a slow walk back. The beach holds our magic. We know that when we come back again that magic will be waiting.