After nearly three weeks in Santa Barbara, California, I took time this morning to visit the ocean.

Here I am, at times barely a half-mile from the beach, but helping an elderly relative with a broken hip and an 82-year-old aunt who still works but doesn’t drive leaves precious little time for me.

Today, after dropping my aunt off at work and prior to visiting the rehabilitation center, I took a meandering cliffside drive near the ocean. Upon finding a remote, nearly hidden trail that looked to go to the beach, I found parking and began to capture an hour and a half for myself.

A steep moss-covered stairway descended the cliff to a lonely beach without a soul, probably because it was just after sunrise and there was a brisk chill in the air.

The tide was in along this rocky stretch of southerly facing coast.

I walked eastwards into the rising sun, watching it glisten off the surf.

Now, if only Caroline were here holding my hand.