this is like the Delta
The land between Yosemite and Santa Cruz is where the avocados, plums, and almonds that I eat grow. In fact, we traveled between diverse fields of fruit growing trees, row after row of labor intense vegetables, and farmland bursting with produce. Sarcastically, someone commented that the area “was like the Mississippi Delta.” Contradicting this notion was instantaneous, but on further reflection maybe it is a legitimate claim. Water for our edible crops is necessary. Water for soybeans, rice, cotton, and corn raised in the Delta is necessary. Both places are actively depleting water sources: aquifers and rivers. The respective places are labor intense which demands numerous, low paying workers. Both have exploited the vastness of those realms, all be it, the Delta many years ago. The sheer expanse of land dedicated to plant growth is enormous for each singular piece of the world. In viewing the immenseness of this life support system I was humbled. In a word, the beauty of farming was quiet spectacular.

the beach
As humans we are condemned to compare. We can not refrain from viewing a place and thinking about another. Such was the fate of Santa Cruz for me, to compare this beach town to the ones along the Gulf of Mexico. A beach with sugar-like sand was not Santa Cruz, but tourists and fantastic views of the Atlantic ocean were. High rise buildings with miles of straight-line coastal highway was not this California coastal town, but rocky shorelines, curving roadways, and streets lined with homes next to the water was. People whether local, seasonal, or tourist were everywhere. Now that aspect was familiar.

riding a bike
The last time I rode a bike ended in a fall with a bleeding knee at Nissan Stadium in Nashville before a Rolling Stones concert. Getting on a bike to follow three skilled bike riders through congested traffic and to negotiate an unknown bike path had me a tad bit apprehensive. But a view of the Atlantic on a bicycle erased any fear. Getting hot while pumping pedals was not a problem. The coolness of the outdoor wind was perfect for watching surfers from high above the waves. They made surfing appear so easy. I wish I could make bike riding look effortless.