South West Facing

This is were I learned to surf
give or take a few miles
That's HB Pier on the horizon in the background

I haven't seen photos of this drain before
Goldenwest and PCH
I was quite familiar with the other one
at the beginning of the cliffs

During the winter
you would exit the water
and stand under the hot water
draining off the oil drills

It's a wonder I didn't grow another arm

Tin Can Beach or Bolsa if you prefer
was also a popular spot
it's the beginning of the wetlands
that don't really end until you get to
Signal Hill

The Pacific Electric train
ran along there at the turn of the century
and brought citizens of LA to the OC
I used to find RR spikes all the time
The tracks were long gone
replaced by the freeways

My Mom say's that she remembers
camping on the beach there
in the 1940's

I wonder if she ever thought
My sons will grow up here
and learn to surf these waves
along this coast

In the picture above
the oil derricks have been capped
and tri level condos line PCH
they look out on the same waves
that have broken on this
south west facing stretch of beach
for Millennium

It's a fact that life on earth
depends on
rain
and
6 inches of top soil

My formative years
depended
on
access to
south west facing
beaches