Chips Ahoy!

Yes, we survived!  And on this day (which was mid-April), we were once again Roadies - up and back all on the service road...

 My little Zouey being such a good, obliging poser.  Isn't she a sweet pea, framed in the pretty yerba santa flowers?

 Up, up, up...!

 A bit hazy in the mountains to the southeast of us.

 Just cool rocks!

 More cool rocks!  And the view from the "top" looking north (you can see the hazy marine layer that is still covering the coast.  On some May Gray and June Gloom days, that layer actually makes it far enough east to cover R. too!  I like when that happens because it makes for great hiking conditions - although I may be the only one who prefers it that way!).

 And now...for some acrobatic feats...or death-defying, as Zouey refers to it!!!  She's turned into such a rock-climbing mountain goat, I didn't think she'd balk at this one.  But she did!  I tried two different routes and only got part-way on each (Zou saying "no thanks!" both times).  But then I went back to the first way, and with a little help from a generous stranger (who perched on top and helped Zouey up the last bit), she made it!  If I'd known she'd be so worried about this particular rock, I wouldn't have tried it at all (I'm actually glad she showed concern and that she probably has better judgement than her mom!).  And perhaps I should have given up once I knew that this one looked too daunting to her, but I guess I was afflicted with that same disease that everyone in San Diego County apparently is - the PC Disease...  That's what this rock is called (and no, the acronym is not "Politically Correct."  Rather this rock formation is named after a snack food...), and tons of people come up here - esp. on the weekends - to have their photos taken on top.  They haul props up on top - like their bikes, barbells, and apparently even a table and chairs.  They leap in the air, dangle off the edge, upside-down, they see if that leftover scrap of rock will support a group of twenty,...  Some not only take their dogs up, but then hold them up in the air!  I don't know if that's so the dog can see better (hah!) - or if dog pee is running down their arms because their poor pooch is probably scared to death that Dad has finally decided he has one too many dogs and is about to give the old heave-ho!  Actually, I'm sure the owners just think it'll make for a funny photo - I suspect the dogs think otherwise!!!!  If you don't believe me on this stuff, google the rock name and check out the photos for yourself!  There's all sorts of stuff, like the few I borrowed below:

Here is an example of one of the more clever (I think) images made of the rock (obviously adapted from Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends," a book I always loved!).

And another one (Charlie's Angels, right?  Shot at night, with the lights of the city below).

And the crazy table people!  They had to carry that stuff all the way up with them!

 And then there's this rather boring one...although Zou no doubt wished it could be even more boring, with us just looking up at the rock from terra firma!!!  Poor Zou.  What Mommy made her do...!!  But not as bad as this fool, thank goodness:

Poor doggy.  I apologize to Zou yet again - this stuff makes me realize how clueless some pet owners (and people parents!) can be!!!  I doubt this poor little canine soul thought he or she was ready to go to heaven yet!!  Is this reminiscent of the Michael Jackson baby-dangling image or what?!

 And then, back down through the Ave of Rocks...

 stopping to smell the flowers...

and then one last look back at the mount.  Will be back another day!