Beach Time!

Nigel striking a beach pose 

Summer in San Francisco can be cold and foggy.  It is not unusual for an August day to start out 52 degrees and the sun doesn't like to peak its head out until around noon.  I have been told that September is when summer really starts here and it looks like that is going to be the case.  This last week of August  is bringing more beach days than we have had since we got here in July.  As I laid on the beach after picking the boys up from school yesterday I began looking through all the beach pics I have taken since we got here and decided to share them.

Basil and Xaviar playing in the sand at Crissy Field

The two pictures above and the three next ones were taken on our first beach trip since we moved here.  It was a beautiful sunny day but probably only 60 degrees out.  We decided to go to Crissy Field which has a beautiful beach near the Golden Gate Bridge.  It is a decent walk or a quick bus ride from our apartment.  We packed up some sand toys, a blanket and some food and headed out.  As beautiful as it was, I was in my jacket on the blanket FREEZING while my boys swam and played in the sand.  It started to get to cold for them as well and they began asking to be buried in the sand because it was so warm.

Nigel in front of the Golden Gate Bridge

Nigel buried up to his ears

Xaviar skipping away after he buried Basil

These next two are from a day when Nigel and Xaviar found a couch someone had built out of sand.  Of course they had to sit down and get comfortable.  It was an amazing piece of sand art.  I am always impressed that people will spend so much time on a piece of art when it is going to be washed away.  A true testament to it being all about the journey and not the destination.  We went back the next day and of course the tide had removed all traces of it.

And finally these pictures are from this week.  We have been walking down to the beach by Ghirardelli Square after school.  It is maybe a ten minute walk and that gives us plenty of time to swim and play before dinner.   It has been warm enough for me to lay on the beach in a beach dress and feel good!  I am excited for this month of warm weather and beaches galore!

Nigel found this piece of blue foam and to him it was a treasure!

Basil found some sea glass and it started a hunt

Our sea glass haul

The boys built this village out of random junk they found on the beach

Yesterday at the beach Nigel decided to throw his apple core to the seagulls.  He should have known better after his years in Duluth.  Of course we got swarmed with seagulls looking for a free meal and fighting over the apple core.  This started a fun game of chase-the-seagulls.  At one point when I was walking around looking for more sea glass, a seagull got brave enough to actually go onto our blanket and grab Xaviar's chips.  When Xaviar noticed he chased the gull yelling, "Give me back my chips!"  The tourists that were watching started laughing and taking pictures of the scene.  

As soon as I finish this post I am going to pack up some food, swim suits and toys so that we can head to the beach again after school.  Crissy Fields again today since they have a shower for us to rinse off with afterwards.  The boys walked home covered in sand yesterday and I decided it is worth the bus ride to keep ten pounds of sand out of our bathroom :)