I’ve been up and down the California coastline several times, from the Lost Coast in the north to the mid-coast at Pt. Lobos and Monterey and all the way down to San Diego, down to Baja in Mexico. All of it is gorgeous and the cities only make the shorelines that much more interesting.
I remember the very first time I walked around Point Lobos, adjacent to the ever-popular Monterey. It was a sunny day, the splendid flora and fauna sparkled and radiated. I was particularly taken by all of the Cypress trees, some hundreds of years old, grappling in many majestic shapes and sizes onto the rocky coast the best they can and, in some cases, hang onto the rock for the ages, hundreds of years old in all of their majesty.
Down along the shore, tidepools shaped by the sea over eons gently lap into the rock alongside small beaches of glass and black rock pebbles. Among the rocks, you can find crab, abalone, mussels, sea anemone, star fish or if you are fortunate enough, you might even spot an elusive octopus! If you are really lucky, you get to see sea otters swimming among the rocks offshore, which are also inhabited by cormorants, seagulls, harriers, swallows, hawks, mallards, terns, and other birds. Not far off, you may be surprised by an occasional whale breaching from the oceans depths.
Whenever I go back to Point Lobos, which, if I am lucky, is ever few years to see friends in Monterey, who are naturalists and artists who glorify all of the sea animals and crustaceans found there. One time when I was there, it was overcast and foggy, which made everything even richer in color and shade. I found myself in a glade of Cypress trees and of golden grasses, where I stopped to celebrate the beauty of the glade and the rich aroma of the sea-laden fog. I was carried away with the thoughts of John Steinbeck’s tale of “Cannery Row,” not far away in Monterey. Recalling the book and Doc’s selflessness in the story, I was also reminded of my own friends, who are accustomed to life on the shores of this wonderful country, who are much the same as that character: selfless. And so, like the sailors in the song within my piece of music.

Sounds include:
Wind chimes in a gale over a wooded valley, surf on small pebbles, a musical piece called “Hope” and one called “Breaking Light”.
The voice hear is, again, David Coffin.

Credit:
Thanks to Freesound uploaders philip-goddard, tictac9, aceinet, and alfdroid. Special thanks to David Coffin for his arrangement of “The Seaman’s Prayer". (See the special note about him on the front page.)

Lyrics:
THE SEAMAN’S PRAYER
(A.L. Lloyd) (performed by David Coffin)

Come all you bold seamen, wherever you're bound
And always let Nelson's proud memory go round
And pray that the wars, and the tumults might cease
For the greatest of gifts is a sweet, lasting, peace

May the Lord put an end to these cruel old wars
And bring peace and contentment to all our brave Tars!
(repeated 3 times)

All artwork © 2020 Samuel Bissell