Many years back – certainly more than 25 years, since Natasha was not with us, Sharmila and I were sitting in our hotel in San Diego and going thru the pamphlets from the concierge desk. We learnt about The Flower Fields about 30 minutes drive away. We drove up there and was stunned by the sight of bright flowers along one entire side of a hill.

This time, we were wondering if we might be able to see it. We remembered that the show started in April. As luck would have it, they opened it this year just a couple of days back.

After our dorm get together got over, we headed over there. It is as stunning as we remembered but now it has become a much larger show. There were at least ten times the number of people we had seen last time.

55 acres of ranunculus flowers. Of every bright hue and color you can think of! How I wish I had my drone with me to get a full aerial view…

Very colorful kayaks out there to get a close look at the sea lions basking in the sun. Can you see the sea lions?

Sitting right next to us on the beach was this elderly couple. The gentleman was explaining the rules of corn hole to his wife as she watched her first game of corn hole. It was being played by their son and grandson about twenty yards away.

After some time, the gentleman got up and walked towards the corn hole boards to give it a try himself. He turned out to be pretty good.

Turning towards the elderly lady, I raised my voice and said “He is giving your grandson a run for his money”. She must be one of the most friendly persons I have ever come across. In response to my statement, she got up from her lounge chair, came over to our table and started talking.

Found out Sheila Kranz is from South Dakota. She invited us over anytime to spend time with them there. (I made a mental note mapping “anytime” to mean “summer” once she told me how cold it got around her in winter).

Asking her the root of her last name got us down the memory lane of her grandfather and his house in Germany. (She is part German and part Irish).

We must have chatted for about some thirty minutes when we realized that we needed to head back to our dorm reunion lunch!

I was peacefully tanning my head in Coronado Island beach when Sharmila took this picture and sent it to the girls. Nikita immediately responded “He’s giving Bella Hadid off duty”.

So, I have just one question – who is Bella Hadid? Another good looking guy prone to tanning his head against his wife’s better judgment, I suppose?

On a relatively cold morning in San Diego (Coronado Island) with some gin and tonic.

Hit the beach once before we head out to meet the college dorm mates…