Summer in Southern California... Sea Glass, Berries, & Freebies

Southern California... isn't it always summer in So Cal?  Growing up in Northeastern Tennessee, the only thing about California I knew was that it must always be sunny, everyone lived at the beach, and all of the best tv shows came from there... aka Starsky and Hutch!  After moving here the summer before my senior year of high school, I KNEW there was so much more to Southern California!

Let me tell you, Southern California, and well Northern California is NOT hot all of the time, especially in the summer.  I live in Oxnard, which is a coastal city about 35 miles south of Santa Barbara and 60 miles north of Los Angeles.  Summer nights often have us bringing out sweatshirts because of the cool ocean breeze. 

One of the most amazing parts of So Cal is its beach life! Truly one of the most spectacular sights to see are the amazing animals and plants that surround us.

Poor Refugio Beach. These pics were taken 2 weeks ago before the horrible oil pipe burst fiasco!! Such a beautiful location with amazing tidepools that are now full of oil and suffocated animals and plants!


One of our favorite things to do at our beaches is hunt for sea glass! This one makes me laugh.. look at how huge it is!! My daughter had just told us a story of being at a dance club and a girl's jelly from her bra had flown out and landed on the dance floor.  People screamed and it became, naturally, a riot! Art and I went to Zuma a few days later and I saw this clear monstrosity on the sand and I told him, "Watch out! Don't step on the jelly!"  On our way back, I stepped on it by mistake and I realized it was sea glass!!!!  Such a perfect specimen!

 

One of my other favorite things about So Cal is that everyone always thinks BEACH... but there is so much farm land near us that we are always blessed with great fruit and vegetables.  Oxnard grows strawberries and holds the Strawberry Festival every year and in Moorpark, there is Underwood Farms where you can feed animals and pick your own berries pretty much all year long! Life is great in Southern California!! Come visit us ya'll!!

 



 

 

 

Did you think these pics were just to get you ready for some warm weather, good times, and great memories? You Betcha, Iris!! But I am also teaming up with some Southern California blogger friends with fun freebies and .... a gift certificate for TIEKS!!! Seriously cute comfy shoes!! What every teacher needs, Right?!!

 

 

Before you leave me for a tour of other amazing Southern California cities, here's a sample of my new AR Brag Tags! My 5th graders love earning these and wearing them on either their backpacks or on little necklaces that our school bought for Student of the Month and Perfect Attendance assemblies.  The full set of AR Brag Tags through 100 points will be completed by June 1.  If you purchase the set, you will be notified when it is updated!

 

 

 

 

 

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