Images of Santa Cruz

As promised, here are a few photos. Don't have the software (nor inclination) to edit the photos, so do excuse some crooked or ill-composed shots.

Looking south from West Cliff - to the right of the picture, you can see a little further down Monterey Bay, but the day wasn't clear enough to see all the way across the Bay, so I didn't bother trying to get a picture of that (that would have been further right beyond view of this photo). The Boardwalk would have been in view to the left.
Birds galore, and pelicans seemed to reign on this particular spot. Believe it or not, these cute patches of winter/spring plants grow wild - they're not planted in this arrangement on purpose.
MORE birds perching on rocks [click the pic for larger view]. Avoiding getting pooped on is always a concern along this stretch.
See the seals? They were having a fine old time sunbathing on their regular rock. They congregate here so much that it's nicknamed Seal Rock. They provided the background chorus to my sister's wedding solemnisation by the lighthouse nine years ago.

Duh.Looks like the lighthouse has to be moved in even further pretty soon. This cliff edge has eroded really, really fast.

Seems that some swallows have made an apartment complex of the lighthouse.We parked next to this really neat Harley. The rider later turned out to be some unexciting-looking middle-ager.

Sean sporting a cheeky grin.
Think we need some of these signs in Singapore.
East Cliff. The tide was so low that the shallow kelp beds were exposed. We saw surfers wading ankle-deep pretty far out.
Ah, Santa Cruz, the land of fruits, nuts and flakes, according to their locals.
Foggy view. Spot the surfers bobbing around.
Just thought this cactus-type plant looked neat.
And this particular cactus has its own, ahem, appeal.
Boats galore in the little harbour.We bought organic strawberries...which were so organic that a tiny, tiny snail had made its residence in the box. It's still in there in the fridge.