A little over a month ago, just before school started, we woke up to a smoky day. The "Station Fire" that was just barely completely contained this week started the afternoon before. So we headed to the beach. Despite the hot days since then, it was my last day at the beach for the season (AYSO=all you saturdays occupied).
We went to Manhattan Beach which has a small aquarium out on the pier. Here is Nathaniel finding out if the shark can bite his head off.
Shark breath.
Davis and Nathaniel on the pier.
We went up above the Rosebowl to take some snapshots of the fire. This is only one part of it. It spread from here (JPL in the foreground) all the way east past Pasadena. At night you could see flames on the hillside.
Luckily for us, the air-flow was headed from the ocean to the east, so our air wasn't as smokey as it could have been. It's still weird to see ashes floating down like grungy snowflakes.
We went to the beach even though it was kind of cold. The boys didn't care. They were in the water right away.
Luke is 12 and is already taller than his mom (and both my boys too.)
They had a great time. No wonder they didn't get cold - they never stood still.
The beach is a happy place to be a boy.
But I think Alexandrea thought it was too cold. 
We went to Manhattan Beach which has a small aquarium out on the pier. Here is Nathaniel finding out if the shark can bite his head off.
Shark breath.
Davis and Nathaniel on the pier.
We went up above the Rosebowl to take some snapshots of the fire. This is only one part of it. It spread from here (JPL in the foreground) all the way east past Pasadena. At night you could see flames on the hillside.
Luckily for us, the air-flow was headed from the ocean to the east, so our air wasn't as smokey as it could have been. It's still weird to see ashes floating down like grungy snowflakes. 