We went to West Marine today to check out the fishing stuff. Lots of great fishing poles and reels, but I think we’re going to wait a bit before we make the big investment. We couldn’t resist these charts of the Monterey Bay that went straight to Gabe’s wall. Gabe and I are scoping out all the great fishing spots.

It’s always a good time for a quick trip down to the beach. Monica and Gabe don’t seem to mind the cold when they go boogie boarding. Gabe goes over to the rocks to check out what people are catching.

Charlotte and the kids decide to go for an overnight camping trip down to the Big Sur area. Sure wish I didn’t have to work. Enough of the tent, time to head for the beach. Pfeiffer state beach is very nice, but I don’t know that it lives up to its most beautiful beach status. Give me a beach in Hawaii anytime. The Big Sur coastline is always spectacular. Almost like a scene from an ancient Japanese print. ...

The day has finally arrived. Gabe and I are off for some fishing in Monterey Bay. We’ve rented one of those small boats from the Capitola pier. I don’t think we’ll be heading out anywhere near as far as when Gordon and I went out for salmon a few years ago. A great blue heron is there to see us off. No big catches on this trip, other than a few big smiles. We get a nice assortment of fish, but the end of the day brings a bit of disappointment for the big fisherman. I think he wanted to bring a 300lb tuna back. ...

We promised Gabe a fishing trip, and Loch Lomond is a nice warmup before heading for the big ocean. Charlotte worked hard at stocking Gabe’s freshwater tackle box, so we’re off. Nick and Charlotte do a bit of hiking while Gabe, Monica, and I go for a bit of rowing. The fish aren’t biting, but it’s fun anyway. We top it all off with some BBQ and melted marshmallows.

Charlotte took the kids down to Capitola for the day. It’s so nice and empty during the week, making it even more awesome than usual. Charlotte and Gabe are scoping out the fishing at the end of the pier in advance of my upcoming fishing excursion with Gabe.

Nick is crazy about Legos, Bionicles, and other futuristic figures. He loves putting them together as they come in the original set, but he really shines when creating entirely new creatures of his own design. This is one of the more elaborate ones.

Our cats keep to themselves pretty much all the time. Occasionally Gabe likes to sit quietly with Tasha and spend some quality time together. I think they both enjoy it a great deal.

Every day up north is a treat. It’s a really calm day and you can just make out Gabe and Doug out at the raft. Can you believe Gabe dragged a fishing pole out there. That boy is fired up.

No summer can go by without a trip to Chutes and Ladders in Houghton. No good photos of the gigantic slides, but playing at the beach is always fun.