The members of the Cowabunga Croquet Club visited Dana Point last week. Some of us stayed with our friend Jerry, who is a camp host, at Doheny State Beach. One member rented a condo. Another member got a campsite for his RV. We all had our extreme croquet mallets and surfboards. Much fun ensued.
The campground looked well used, dry and brown. Still a beautiful location but nearly overrun by ground squirrels and to a lesser degree by their buddies, mice. The days were warm and the nights were balmy to cool. Gorgeous fall weather with ample surf. Tokens have replaced quarters in the showers. Two and one-half minutes for a fifty cent token, or twice the price from just a few months ago. Oh well, California is drought stricken and water cost increases should be expected.
Our croquet games were played on the massive lawns of the day use areas. We had wickets placed at long distances from each other, but did not infringe on anyone's use of the area. Some homeless folks stopped to watch. We put on a show for them as we collected ample sunshine. Since all of us are from Oregon, exposure to sun boosted our spirits but didn't help my game. What a splendid venue for croquet.
Three Cowabungas plus a spouse, all of whom are Duck fans, went to the nearby Surfin Cowboy sports bar to watch the Oregon football team play Washington. Most of the big screen sets were tuned to the USC game. Just one lonely flat screen was devoted to the Duck game for the seven or eight fans present. For the eleventh straight year, the Ducks thrashed the Dawgs.
I will not name the wife of a Cowabunga who rode Jerry's bike around the campground and returned to the campsite only to topple over onto the pavement. It was like watching Arte Johnson of the Laugh-In program fall over on his tricycle. Luckily, she was only bruised and found the event humorous but painful.
Each evening we were in Dana Point, we celebrated the birthday of the charter member of the Cowabunga Croquet Club. What a lucky guy to be feted daily for aging. He handled it with grace albeit with some coughing and laughter. He also scored an official visit to an unnamed northern Santa Barbara County renowned set of surf breaks.
A partial solar eclipse occurred during our stay. As Oregonians, we could not distinguish the eclipse and bathed in the evidently diminished light as though it were summer at home.
I am looking forward to returning to the campground next spring for three months of who-knows-what. I hope the Cowabungas in whole or in part visit. I also hope the rodents take a permanent vacation.
