A little bit o' Grace

I came upon my first kink in my wonderfully layed out plan for doing a picture a day. Though I kept my promise to myself to take a picture a day, I did not have a plan as to what I would do if I couldn't get to my computer to post them?? So I need to restructure my expectations as to what I will expect of myself should this problem arise again, you know?

For example:

Yesterday...out the door in the morning, off to the beach. 

Home at 3pm only to have to run out the door again at 3:30pm.

Back home at 11:45pm. 

Quick fifteen minutes to upload pictures, edit, and post to blog! Really Trace? Let's be realistic.

Hmm...maybe I should extend myself a little dose of grace? After all, I did use my camera. That was the mission right?

So yesterday, as I mentioned, we took off for Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz because I wanted to see the Monarch Butterfly grove there. The butterflies migrate there every year on their way to warmer weather. Apparently, as the website and the very Santa Cruzian ranger dude (no joke, he was a true blue Santa Cruz hippy dressed in a green ranger uniform) informed us that yes, the butterflies were still there. Great! I couldn't wait to see them in mass clinging to the eucalyptus branches and capture them with my telephoto lens!

There were three that didn't get the memo that the pack had moved on. Three. Okay, maybe four. Some serious unmet expectations on my part.

So we left the lonely four and followed the sound of the crashing waves down to the beach and were greeted by a beautiful sky, blinding sun, surf-sized waves, and a stretch of beach that immediately beckoned my kids to take off running. I think, perhaps, I could extend the Monarchs an ounce of grace. I'd see them next year.

p.s. I learned that the butterflies are really truly, I promise, in mass during October. They stay until January'ish. Once the weather drops below 55 degrees they can't fly. So you see, it's not really that long of wait until I see them again.