New Look

Neighbor/realtor Carole Delmar has added her picture to her for sale signs.

Carole at our Easter Garden Party (2005)

Once Upon A Time

Looking out on El Granada beach, circa 1930s, as painted by the locally famous artist Galen Wolf

The two-story building was an Ocean Shore-era “bathhouse” and, to the south, there’s what looks like a farmer’s barn. For years Galen lived at Frenchman’s Creek and every corner of the beautiful Coastside was his canvas.

Galen Wolf, Coastside artist.

Dear El Granada

Dear El Granada,

I live in El Granada on a block that is almost like an island–an island because I don’t feel any connection to any of the other blocks to the east, to the north or even to the south. To the big wide open west I see the pulsing Pacific. Sometimes the sea ripples, sometimes it’s quiet, sometimes I see brave kyakers battling the northern winds and occasionally a black blot or a herd of black blots, and they are not blots but wetsuit wearing surfers a little further south than usual.

I’m serious. This block is an island. It’s a world of its own with very few houses, and although it’s not a very social block we all know what’s going on from one end to other other.

Kit, across the street owns, I believe, an incredible rock encrusted sculptural slice of Devil’s Slide, not for sale, of course, it’s one of the Coastside’s natural wonders.

Hardly anyone has moved away from this block in the 30 plus years I’ve been here. I think that’s truly amazing given the American’s innate addiction to moving about.

But we have the first signs of movers now. Across the street, a three bedroom house, 1.2 million. The owners built it as their “dream house” but they are now moving to Hawaii. The house just was listed and I saw car after car of realtors come to take a peek this morning. Very scary when a house goes for sale–I mean the one across the street from mine–I hope whoever buys it is quiet and plans to stay awhile.

House for sale ($1.2 mill) near my house:

Then not far from this house another neighbor is selling a lot he bought. It’s been on the market for awhile and he’s asking $500,000. Of course if someone could build a house tall enough there would be plenty of sunsets to enjoy and a view all the way down the coast which is pretty marvelous–but it’s also on the main drag.

Lot for sale near my house ($550,000):

This morning I took a glorious walk through El Granada, through the avenues lined with old eucalyptus trees and in the fall the weather is so beautiful here. Blue-blue, not too hot, maybe a little caress of a breeze–I can’t think of any place I’d rather be–

Today I took a walk
I just love the way the famous historic landscaper D.H. Burnham designed the streets of El Granada.

Love Always, June

P.S. Please don’t change your name to “La Granada”– I like you flawed (like me)