California Archives · Kate Brogdon Art

Posted on November 5, 2018January 13, 2019 by Kate Brogdon — Leave a comment

County Fair fun for kids

Little girl is helped from the carousel by her mother.

Little boy shooting hoops at the county fair. — The county fair fun includes games that are addictive and hard to win. This basketball game is no exception.

County fair fun and games

“I want to play basketball! It’s my sport! I can do it. It’s easy! Not sure why I keep missing… I just need to make a basket.”

”I want a snack. Can I have popcorn? Is there chocolate? I really like chocolate. Look — chocolate cookies! With sprinkles”

”They have Star Wars hats! And Pokémon!”

“Can I get a princess cape? Or a purse? Maybe a backpack. It goes with my earmuffs and my shoes.”

The county fair fun has a beautifully detailed and atmospheric carousel. — The county fair fun includes a beautifully detailed and atmospheric carousel.

What to ride at the county fair

”The cars are my favorite. Will you go with me? Or the train. That’s my favorite too. Look! The carousel — I love the horses. Maybe there’s a unicorn. If there’s a unicorn, I want to ride it!”

“What ride can I ride? Is there a maze? Maybe a slide. I don’t know if I like the slide. My leg hurts from the slide last time. What’s that spinning ride? Is it scary? I don’t know what ride I want to go on. Not the rollercoaster. That looks too scary. I didn’t like the Ferris wheel last time. Oh I can’t decide. Definitely not the roller coaster.”

Little girl is helped from the carousel by her mother after a county fair fun ride. — After riding the carousel, it is time to leave to the immediate requests to “do it again.”

”I want to do the bungy jumpie. There’s the bungy jumpy! We can wait!”

“I could ride the cat. Or the leopard. There’s even a dragon. It doesn’t go up and down though. It’s better when it goes up and down. The horse with the flag! Or the roses!”

"Unicorn popcorn": multicolored candy popcorn frozen by nitroglycerin. — The theme at the county fair was candy and the unique food items were unicorn themed. This was “unicorn popcorn”: multicolored candy popcorn frozen by nitroglycerin.

Nitro popcorn

“I see rainbow-colored popcorn! Is it on fire? It’s smoking! Why does the popcorn do that?”

”Unicorn popcorn? Do unicorns eat popcorn?”

”Can we buy a unicorn? I always wanted a unicorn. Or an otter.”

”Is it almost lunchtime? Are we eating here? I want to eat here. The popcorn was really good. I’m hungry. Maybe we can get a snack? I like hot dogs. Can we get strawberries? And some candy. Unicorn candy to go with the unicorn popcorn!”

”I want a hamburger. No cheese. No mustard or onions or pickles or tomatoes. I don’t want any salad. Strawberries are good. Or pears. Or watermelon. But not that other melon. I like oranges and apples too. Can you cut them up?”

A slice of county fair fun for kids: enjoying the carousel in altered color.

Posted on September 30, 2018January 1, 2019 by Kate Brogdon — Leave a comment

Conversations between Kids on the Swings

Conversations between kids while chatting and twisting the swings. — Kids chatting and twisting the swings.

Playground conversations between kids captured in kid-attracting sunlit candy tones.

Recent conversations between kids while playing at the park.

“Is that a dog? I like dogs. But I like cats better. Especially our cat. He’s so cute!”

“I think it is a dog. Maybe it’s a coyote. Do you think it’s a coyote? Don’t they look like dogs?”

“Maybe it’s a horse. We see lots of horses.”

“It’s because of the stables.”

“I like the trails and the hills. Mostly the flowers. And the butterflies.”

“I found some cool rocks. Think we can polish them? Also, I have a really good stick. I want to save it but not inside. Do coyotes like sticks as much as dogs do?”

Conversations between kids while also teaching how to twist the swings. — Conversations between Kids while also teaching how to twist the swings.

Discussing the best swinger

“I’m the champion swing twister in my school. In my class at least. This is how I do it. You have to twist like this and then it goes for a really long time.”

“I like twisting too. The swings on our playground are different and don’t twist as well. Matthew twisted himself into the swings and fell down and didn’t even cry. Then we had to go back inside so I didn’t try it and then I collected sand toys later.”

“Usually this works for a really long time. I think these swings are different. But I still like swinging. And the trails. Maybe we can go to the pool later. And have some ice cream. We still have ice cream, right? Ice cream is my favorite dessert.”

Conversations between kids: how many ways to use the swings? — More conversations between kids: how many ways to use the swings?

Conversations about Numbers and dogs

“I’m good at lots of things at school. I’m really good at reading but my favorite subject is math.”
“Yeah, me too. I’m good at math. 1 plus 4 is …. 5. 3 plus 5 is … 7. No, wait — it’s 8.”

“Yeah well, I can multiply. I like multiplying by 5. It’s really easy.”

“I haven’t learned that yet. But I can draw cats really well. Especially smiling cats. They like jumping. And sleeping.”

“I still think we should get a dog. I would walk it every day. Maybe twice a day. Or some fish. Could we take the dog to the pool? Dogs like to swim? I’m a really good swimmer. I’m faster than Josh. Sometimes I run faster than he does too. And I can build ninjas with legos better. And faster. Maybe we could build a city later. And a car and an airplane. Something cool that looks like a robot.”

“I’ll make a kitty to ride in the car. Who is purple and can drive.”

Gatorade and Popsicles

“I’m higher than the house! Higher than the whole world!”

“When do we go home? It’s hot and I want to read my book.”

“I’m so high I’m in the sky!”

“I’m tired of drinking water. Can I have some Gatorade when we get home? I hope we have the orange kind.”

“I’m too high! I need to get down!”

“That’s my favorite Gatorade. The blue kind. Also blue Popsicles. No actually, the orange ones.”

“Thanks for getting me down. I love swinging so high. I was so high I could see the clouds and the bees.”

“Maybe I’ll have a blue Popsicle and orange Gatorade.”

“I like pink Gatorade. No, pink lemolade. Do we have lemolade?”

Posted on September 7, 2018January 1, 2019 by Kate Brogdon — Leave a comment

Santa Margarita Road

Small boulder next to the dirt road in the Santa Margarita river basin.

Santa Margarita Road Turn-around Point

Santa Margarita Road starts out as a paved road, becoming a dirt road spur, then a trail before disappearing completely. The map doesn’t differentiate this progression which might explain all the traffic we saw recently. Also, a turn-off onto the dry riverbed appeared recently closed. The drivers of the four-wheel drives may have been used to making their way through the area in the past. This day they drove in and soon after drove back out, the drivers looking apologetic. Further on, several trucks passed us although the road was rocky and washed away in parts.

We encountered a pick-up truck turning around in this section. The driver asked if we’d seen his dog. We heard the dog later but didn’t see him. Hopefully that meant they found each other, especially since we didn’t see the dog wandering around later.

Shadows across the Santa Margarita Road

Shadows dapple the road not because the trees had lost their leaves in autumn. They are oaks with lots of dead branches. Otherwise, they looked quite healthy, just wild and unpruned. Perhaps this is typical of live coast oak in drought conditions. What this means to the health of the trees or the forest is unclear. The dead branches did make photogenic patterns.

Black and white image of shadows across Santa Margarita Road. — Shadows across the Santa Margarita Road.

Small Boulder on Santa Margarita Road

More obstacles on the road that didn’t deter the truck traffic. Honestly a very small boulder but visually arresting and something for little ones to practice their balance. The terrain was just ragged enough to keep us on the road and amplified the impact of everything located on it. The boulder was now a real point of interest for the kids, both having to jump on it walking each direction.

Black and white image of a small boulder next to Santa Margarita Road in the Santa Margarita river basin. — Small boulder next to Santa Margarita Road in the Santa Margarita river basin.

Posted on September 4, 2018January 1, 2019 by Kate Brogdon — Leave a comment

Cooking with Sand is Serious Business

Kids sorting the tools for cooking and building with sand.

Kids cooking with sand and building sand structures on the beach.

How to cook with sand

The business of cooking with sand is serious, especially when done on the beach. It involves various textures of sand (wet, dry, part wet, really really wet, not so wet, was wet a few minutes ago). Sometimes, it also needs some water and a variety of containers. Container color is important and can show what ingredient goes in it. The red one holds pepper; yellow, salt; green either thyme or basil depending on the dish and the smaller ones contain sugar, maple syrup and ketchup. The order of adding ingredients also makes a difference, especially considering the texture of sand (see previous list). Wet on dry tends to make soup while dry on wet is more likely a cake. The actual result is always at the discretion of the chef, of course.

Kids sorting the tools for building and cooking with sand.

Keeping things running

Keeping track of all the materials and tools required constant attention and was a full-time job for at least one of the kids. Particularly the water. One child fetched water regularly if there wasn’t an adult doing it. This was quite exhausting, since water gets heavy the further from the waves it gets. Even lightening with spillage, the beach is wide and there was a ways to go before reaching the kitchen.

Rest in the Shade

After a long day building and cooking, it was time for a drink of cool water and a break from the summer sun in the shade. The kids took periodic breaks as the day became quite warm. It was hot even, further away from the water. A snack was very welcome too, especially one that was cool and nicely frozen. It’s too bad their creations weren’t edible or they could’ve designed their own treats!

Posted on August 29, 2018October 3, 2018 by Kate Brogdon — 1 Comment

Playing in the water

Two little girls play together in the water

The kids spend a lot of time playing in the water whenever we are at the beach. Shade is also great when we have it. The sand gets really HOT so the feet don’t like to spend a lot of time in it. The sand doesn’t look very dark, but apparently it is dark enough to soak up some sun. This makes the sand feel like a fresh-from-the-oven cookie sheet. Which is actually kind of nice in small doses to warm up from the cold water. In late summer, the water is almost a perfect temperature for those not expecting tropical temperatures and we played in it for hours.

At Del Mar Beach, the waves are reliable and can have some serious push — and pull– behind them. The surfers and boogie boarders love this of course, but it is also great for the body boarders. Just bouncing around in the water is great fun while also a nice workout. Even standing in the waves is some work, although not too hard. This makes it feel like you did something active even without completing a “real” workout.

Two boogie boarders seek the perfect wave playing in the water.

Posted on August 28, 2018October 4, 2018 by Kate Brogdon — Leave a comment

Santa Margarita River basin flowers

Wild fennel

Santa Margarita River basin flowers still abound even if it is mostly dry right now. Walking through the river basin showed a variety of foliage, even as dry as it is right now. Besides the trees, grass and cactus, I found many kinds of flowers. It wasn’t my thought I would find arid flowers, but it was surprising what appeared. The tall, fragrant, yellow stands of fennel dominated the landscape in some areas. While these are considered invasive since they are not native to southern California, they are pleasant smelling, add a welcome splash of color and apparently are good for cooking. Might be something to try…

Chalk LiveForever (Dudleya)

A rather unusual-looking plant was the chalk liveforever, perched on cliffs next to the road. This native plant has the subtle color and texture that blends it into the landscape. The glowing rosettes looked like part of the cliff-side and I almost missed it at first. The papery outer leaves contrast with the cooly smooth interior. Earlier in the summer they also had stalks with small chains of flowers.

Dudleya or chalk liveforever makes a rosette flower and is native the the southwest US,, one of the many Santa Margarita River basin flowers. — Dudleya or chalk liveforever is native the the southwest, one of the many Santa Margarita River basin flowers.

White sage

Another native plant is the white sage. It disappears as well into the landscape, its smooth, silvery leaves glowing among the other foliage. This plant, like the fennel, is also aromatic. These are two examples of the many fragrant plants in the southern California area. There are many; a walk on the trails is like wandering through a spice cabinet. Perhaps this is how they repel insects or other predators, but it creates a soothing aromatherapy effect which is very pleasant.

Posted on August 22, 2018January 13, 2019 by Kate Brogdon — Leave a comment

Cub Scout Beach Day

Colorful canopy and sand looking toward the ocean.

Cub Scout Beach Day

The Cub Scout beach day was an afternoon at the beach cooking, eating and playing. It was a rather hot day and the shade of a brightly-colored umbrella was a good resting and daydreaming spot. The afternoon is not the usual time we are at the beach, but anytime is good beach time. Normally, we go in the morning: less crowding and less heat. This means less sunscreen and shade required. This particular day was especially warm, unusual for the California coast.

Bech day: people strolling past a variety of beach canopies. — People strolling past a variety of beach canopies.

Beach culture

We shared this gorgeous day with what felt like half the population of the town. While this was certainly not the busiest beach we’ve visited lately, we saw a good bit of human traffic that day. Although parking was scarce, and the taco stand line was long, sand space was still plentiful and the waves were uncrowded. The cabana rentals seemed to be a brisk business as they were all full.

There was a good-sized private event also in the afternoon. Many people stood line at a food truck waiting for what looked and smelled like tasty barbecue. There was also volleyball, along with various other ball and disc throwing. Walking around required occasionally dodging although a random missile. This was in addition to the usual surfing, sunning and sand building also going on so it was busy. Fortunately, the sun was never-ending and there was enough beach and waves for all. It also made for something else to watch besides the water.

Daydreaming on a hot day on the hot sand.

Kid culture

The kids spent the day running about in small groups playing in the sand and water, mixed with daydreaming and rest. Even their boundless energy flagged after a while in the hot sun. While they dashed about, they created their own mini-culture. While the older boys usually decided the activities, they changed leadership as needed by the task. They often would break into smaller groups, then reform into larger ones. These had different kids influencing the activities, even the younger ones. Each time we gather them together, they continue to build their communication and persuasion skills. While the outdoor skills may be the most obvious ones the kids gain, it’s these less easily defined ones that may be the greatest thing they learn.

Posted on August 21, 2018January 1, 2019 by Kate Brogdon — Leave a comment

Santa Margarita River

Prickly pear growing in the grass in front of coast live oak.

The Santa Margarita road follows the river, which shows up a rather hidden creek since there is not much water. Apparently, the dryness isn’t as severe as a few years ago, but much of California is in some level of drought. Again. This seems to happen a lot and the state spends quite a bit of effort in managing the water systems to mitigate the rather variable climate, storing and moving water mainly from north to south. This gives the area a lot of variety in the types of foliage growing naturally which makes for great textures in photography.

Black and white picture of coast live oak with lots of dead branches giving the tree lots of texture. — Coast live oak with lots of dead branches giving the tree lots of texture.

I saw many coast live oak covered in dead branches giving the trees a slightly ghost-like fabulous texture distinctive of wild, unpruned trees. I don’t think too many folks would tolerate so many dead branches…. Slightly unkempt but the overall effect is slightly ethereal, like a large swirling, diaphanously layered tree.

Black and white picture of burned post laying in a clearing in the middle of coast live oaks. — Burned post laying in a clearing in the middle of coast live oaks.

This burned post was randomly in the middle of the clearing in the oak trees. Nothing around it was burned, so it must have been dragged there after it was charred.

Black and white picture of a clearing in an oak grove. — Clearing in an oak grove.

This was just beyond the post, looking into the grove and the grouping of oaks with a view of the hills beyond that. Most of the green under the trees was poison oak, one of the evilest of plants.

Prickly pear growing in grass near the road.

Looking evil also, the prickly pear cactus mixed with the grass and a variety of mostly spiky plants. Beware stepping off the road!

Posted on August 13, 2018August 21, 2018 by Kate Brogdon — Leave a comment

Building the sand city

A view across the sand city we were constructing, to include one of our wall-building tools.

The sand city takes shape as we add layers of structures across the beachscape, incorporating shells, rocks and kelp to give it texture and interest. The youngest builder is our main architect and holds the plan. Once completed, the cat royalty would inhabit the tiny spaces, create their city and culture with a feline viewpoint and write their history in meowish language. These are either cats who enjoy the beach, unlike most I have met, or perhaps they feel safe from the brilliant sun and wide open spaces, in their enclosing city spaces despite the bright sun.