FERRY TALES CAN COME TRUE!

Observation of the Day!

This morning I sat at the Ferry Landing in Coronado. It was a place where I spent much time waiting for the Coronado Ferry to transport my car and me to adventures in San Diego in the 1960s The skyline of 1960 San Diego was indelibly set in my minds eye forever. The car ferry is gone now, replaced by the sweeping Coronado Bridge.

The Ferry Landing is now touristy shops, restaurants and on Tuesday a Farmer’s Market. The day was bright and sunny. The winds were calm; the water and sky blue. I sat there basking in the sun and watched the world of San Diego Bay’s busy morning go by.

The Navy Seal swift boats crossed in front of me at great speed bouncing in the water, carrying their Seal trainees to a day of hard physical work. I always thought being a swift boat pilot in San Diego Bay had to be the greatest job in the navy and being a Seal was the toughest job in the navy. The Seals are the last of the fearless warriors.

Tug boats #8 and # 9 lead a Navy tanker ship out of the Bay for work. The ship was low in the water and moved swiftly and quietly by, hardly making a wake. A barge carrying three military vehicles to somewhere. pushed their wake before them.

The winds were calm so the sailboats were under motor power. The water is cold, but that doesn’t stop a couple of wave runners skimming over the waters with the pilots in wetsuits. They are nuts!

The passenger ferry propelled itself to the ferry pier, leaving it passengers. They were the usual assortment of tourists and people on a mission to someplace in Coronado. You could tell be cause tourists meander and people with a mission walk swiftly by, hardly paying attention to anything in their periphery sight.

I noticed what looked like a small rowboat with men fishing floating idly in the middle of the Bay with hardly a care in the world. I wondered what would happen to them if another Navy ship passed their way.

Across the Bay is Petco Park, home of the Padres. I always try to see a game before I leave, so I will be seeing the Padres and the Rockies next Wednesday night. Take me out to the ballgame and buy me a $9.00 beer.

There are cargo ships being loaded or unloaded at the Port of San Diego and ships being built at National Steel and Ship Building dry docks.. You can see the top of Carrier #41, the USS Midway, retired to the San Diego embarcadero as a museum, where people can board and tour a real carrier. I sure it means the most to those who served during WWII.

And finally, there is the magnificent back drop of the skyscrapers of downtown San Diego today. It is quite different from the skyline I absorbed in my mind in the early sixties, as I waited for the ferry. I love them both.

I watched the kids and their parents and the dogs and their parents enjoying this Nirvana in the sunshine as much as your old observer.

I think I’ll just stay here. I think I’ll just stay here.

Have a nice day.

Sam