Tuesday morning

There's coastal fog again this morning - usually presaging a glorious day in Southern California.

We had a lovely day at Avalon on Catalina Island yesterday. It's a charming community, climbing from the ocean up the hillsides from the waterfront. It's small and old and funky - touristy, but not the really bad stuff (if that makes sense). The 70-minute boatride over was uneventful. We rented a golf cart (very few regular vehicles allowed on the island) and drove around town for an hour or so. The museum had an exhibit of Catalina pottery. This was new to me, but some interesting stuff. It is reminiscent of FiestaWare, but has a more matte finish. The pottery started with building materials, and gradually branched out into decorative tile and tableware - being most popular in the mid-to-late 1920s. I don't know the dates of FiestaWare. Somebody look it up and let me know.

John and Al went for a walk in the Botanical Gardens, while Ann and I walked along the waterfront and checked on possible tours, lunch spots, etc. By the time they got back, we had missed the tours we were interested in, so we had some lunch, and then took an earlier boat back to the mainland. I think we all napped through most of the ride home. It was a lovely day, and it was a real treat to get to see this legendary place.

Dinner and bridge finished off the evening. Al and John pretty much whipped up on Ann and me tonight. We'll see how this evening's contest go - John and me against Ann and Al.