While I know California needs the rain, I was nonetheless a happy clam to see the sun break through the clouds this morning as I drove to Monterey. January was entirely dry, so it's a good February has been a very wet month. But enough is enough already.

After visiting the Monterey Public Library, I had lunch at the Del Monte Center. I noticed three military soldier-types, still in fatigues, enjoying a meal outdoors. I often see sailors and other military personnel in town. The major military presence here comes from the Defense Language Institute, Naval PostGraduate School, and Coast Guard.

The beach at Carmel was growing more crowded by the minute as locals discovered the sun was out. An elderly couple walking three dogs, one man walking a grid pattern from the ocean edge to the cliffs with a metal detector, swiping the detector left and right like a drunk Samarai with a broken sword. Two women brought their sack lunches and sat beneath a Cypress to eat sandwiches and watch a few surfers take advantage of the nice waves. I walked along the path along the beach and listened to Gordon Lightfoot on my iPod.

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I'm nursing a sore thumb. How I strained it I can't tell. Unfortunately the ligament strain is at the base of my right thumb. Since I'm righthanded, it's been a problem. I never realized how a sore thumb can make your day a little bit uneasy. Try taking notice of how often you use your thumb. When I think about the guy who had a big toe transplanted on this hand to take place of a severed thumb, I now understand it. I'll trade a big toe for a thumb if it ever comes to that. My feet stink, anyway. One less appendage might not be so bad.

Photos: Scenic Road at Carmel Beach, Part 2

Photos: Scenic Road at Carmel Beach