Tales From Paradise

This year has been epic for winter surf. Huge wave would clean the beaches and bring in interesting things. One was an old bench like you see in the parks. It got moved up the beach and was a great addition until it disappeared one week.

The most attractive thing the storm surf brought us was a humongous tree. It first washed up near us but then moved a bit further down near the trail head. It is quite popular with beach goers climbing and posing for pictures, mostly clothed some not.

We’re not sure how long it will stay here but we are hoping it will be permanent. There is another tree on the opposite side of the nudist portion and it would be great to have them serve as boundary markers. The surf should be getting smaller and hopefully the summer waves will help anchor it in place.

Another, but less popular thing that our beach has is old metal fence posts that have over time, rusted and broken. The land owners would come and drive in new posts but not take to old ones out. When they surveyed the land, they found the fence was outside the property and had to move it back. That left the old fence posts which are at or just below the top of the sand. It is sharp and pointy like a spear. People step on them and get hurt really bad. When they are found, people will put a piece of driftwood on the tip so nobody else gets injured. My mission is to remove these “spikes” to make the beach safer for everyone to enjoy.

I’ve removed over a dozen of these dangerous posts and know a friend who removed a few more. There are less being found but the last two in the photo above were removed this past week. We are hoping that’s the last of them but folks still walk very carefully where the old fence line used to be.

On the bright side, IT’S SPRING!!

The weather is getting warmer and the sun is rising and staying out longer. Everyone is getting excited and we’re seeing more winter hibernators come out. This is going to be a great year at the beach!

A hui ho

Aloha

Yesterday I kept up my annual tradition of spending the last day of the year at Polo Beach. I’ve been doing this for so many years now that I’ve lost count. It was a quiet day on the beach even though the weather was really nice. That’s typical when the last day falls on a weekday. If it’s the weekend like last year, the beach gets really crowded. I’m not sure which I like better, the solitude of a few friends or the ruckus of a big group.

Because there weren’t many people out I began to reflect on 2018. For the most part it was normal but, there are some things that stand out.

First was my trip down under. I spent a few days in Brisbane then Sydney. Not much nudity in Brisbane but Sydney was my main goal. I wanted to check out Cobblers Beach where nudity is legal. That was a bus ride and a short walk but very easy to find. While there, some locals told be about Wash Away Beach and pointed across the bay. This would be a more difficult beach to get to. The next day I took the ferry, bus and a 20 minute walk to the trail. Another 20 minutes gets you to the beach but you have to know what detour to take and how to get down the cliff.

Nudity allowed on the beach!

On the beach at Cobblers

On the rocks at Cobblers Beach

Meanwhile, back home the land owners were preparing to sell the land fronting Polo Beach. It was split into 4 separate parcels, each about 3-4 acres. It’s agriculture land so no homes going up. The survey found that part of the fence line was outside the boundary so they moved it back. When they did they left some broken metal posts which became a danger to barefooted beach goers. Only the tips were sticking out and they were like spears. We removed all that we knew about which totaled 11 by my count.

One of the lots is in escrow at this time and the buyer (from California?) didn’t realize it fronted a nude beach. We may have a fight coming but if he bought it sight unseen, or the realtor didn’t disclose it, then tough titty.

I got to go to Oakland for a few days last fall and they experienced an unusual warm spell. I took advantage of some time off and ventured to Baker Beach for some SF love.

Showing my luv for the bay

Unusually warm fall day in the bay!

In October I took a couple of days off to visit Maui with one thing in mind, visit a new beach I discovered on an earlier trip. I wont say where the beach is but it is beautiful and less crowded than the well-known Little Beach. Each time I’ve gone there were about a dozen locals there and it was a lot more mellow. I was supposed to meet my friends but they got preoccupied with visitors. I did spend some time with my BnB hostess so I wasn’t totally alone. The sand is fine and there isn’t any near shore reef to stub your feet on. It’s easy to get to and the nude section is at the far end of the photo below.

We had a Christmas onesie party with my regular Polo group. Everyone dressed in a onesie pajama at our friend’s house and we hit the local bar. It was a blast and we cause some commotion walking to & from the bar. No naked time but still, the group is a lot of fun to be with.

The following day was a nude party at a large home near me. About 50-60 guests, all nude, swimming and partying at this “no sex allowed” event hosted by a gal that does this about once a month. It ended with a Sexy Santa gift exchange and quiet a bit of interesting packages were given out.

2018 was a great “nude” year for me and I’m planning some new adventures. Back to Maui is a given. I’m also hoping to do the Bay to Breakers race again. If you didn’t read my earlier blog, you can walk it nude which is a blast. Walking naked for 7+ miles through one of the most well-known cities was exciting. Personally, looking back at earlier photos of myself, I can see how much weight I’ve gained so my plan is to get back into a “speedo” body.  I hope 2019 brings you many nude memories. Whatever happens, I will write about it here, so stay tuned.

Ok, I must admit that I’ve been in love with another woman. Really, it’s more of a fantasy. Marissa Papen is a Belgian born model who travels and photo shoots all over the planet. She is, in my view, one of the most beautiful looking women to date. Of course, since I’ve never met her, I don’t know what she is like personally. I think I read somewhere that ‘once you meet someone, the fantasy is over’. For that reason, I’m still in love with my wife.

So, I saw this picture the other day of Marisa posing nude in Jerusalem with the Wailing Wall in the background. I knew that might not go over well. Sure enough, there has been an outcry from the Jewish community. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-44641417

She had done something similar in Egypt a while back. And while in Hawaii, she posed next to an endangered monk seal. Perhaps she didn’t know it but you’re not supposed to come within 100 yards of them.

As much as I enjoy Marisa and her photos and the thing she stands up for, there are some things we shouldn’t test. Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with the photos. She is artistic and her photos is not in the realm of pornography (although some might say otherwise).

Nudity is a reality check of who we are. People and cultures have come to degrade our own human form to the point it has become a ‘sin’ to be naked in public. In some cultures, the women are made to cover up entirely. I appreciate and respect those cultures, even if I’m disappointed they don’t value nudity the way I do. We are all raised differently and that shapes our attitudes.

So when I saw that picture in front of the wall, I felt my heart skip a beat because of the range of morals it would provoke. In a way I felt sad because she had again pushed the limits and would be chided for it and, it is well deserved. I’m sure she knew what she was doing would cause an outcry from the Jewish community. What I don’t know is what she is trying to accomplish. Acceptance of nudity? Change in people’s attitude? Or just trying to gain publicity. Only Marisa can answer that for certain.

There has been some debate locally about a very negative news report regarding a home here that advertises nudist gatherings such as naked yoga. The issue comes from the parties that they have had and neighbors’ complaints. Public awareness has come from reports via the local news http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/38367928/naked-parties-at-honolulu-rental-trigger-eviction-city-investigation#.WzUoja9tz3k.email

According to neighbors, the parties allude to sexual gatherings. The person renting the home is in a social media group that I belong to. Although I do not know the person or have interacted with them, that person admits that it is a type of swinger & kink gathering but denies some of what had been reported.

I wanted to differentiate what we, as nudists, are compared to swingers & kinksters. Disclaimer; this is solely my opinion and I generalize in my thoughts.

Nudist are people in all fields of work and life who prefer to do the same things as others but without the clothing. We do not condone open sex or shocking others with our naturist lifestyles. We do not openly trade partners or engage in group ‘activities’. I won’t say that it doesn’t happen, just not with the type of people I hang with.

Swingers for the most part don’t prefer to be naked in social gatherings other than to participate in sexual activities. They too come from all walks of life but tend to be a bit more secretive of their life choices. Some swingers may practice nudism but not all nudists are swingers.

Kinksters are a bit more extreme when it comes to nudity and sex. They prefer to be more adventurous and at times, push the boundaries of tolerance. They would like to do things clothes free like nudist and I believe are a bit more into exhibitionism.

We know that nudism is not about sex but you can’t have sex without being (at least partly) nude. I believe the difference is about attitude and how things are viewed morally. This is not to say that one group is morally superior to another, it’s only how you value your lifestyle.

Bottom line is: do what makes you happy but not at the expense of others.

My wife just had a hip replacement and is now in the recovery stage. Nudity is my religion and the beach is my church. But rather than go to the beach, I’m spending the weekends with her so I can help around the house.

The back is semi private and I can keep up with my tan. Although the beach is, well the beach with swimming and friends, staying at home has advantages. The fridge is stocked with food & drink and I can cool off in the shower or garden hose. Bonus is I don’t have to pack/unpack, or drive an hour to/from the beach.

My wife no longer practices nudity but has no problem with me running around or laying out back. Especially when I help with the chores. It’s great having someone who loves and understands me. I’m blessed and am greatful for my life.

It’s Cinco de Mayo, May 5th and it fell on a Saturday. That means it’s also World Nude Gardening day. I can officially go out and be nude while in the back yard. I do it anyway but making it official just means I have an excuse.

The day didn’t start out too nice, cloudy with light rain. I decided to work on cleaning  the bedroom air conditioner. I took it apart (it’s a split system) and ran into a road block so I’ll have to wait till my friend stops by. Did some other chores before the weather turned decent.

Our back yard is semi private which means neighbors have to make an effort to look into the yard. I’m always nude back there and my elderly neighbor saw me once. She didn’t even bat an eye and we chatted for a minute. Not too sure if my other neighbors saw me but I wouldn’t be surprised.

Checking the Tomatoes

Moving Orchids

So out I go and help my wife arrange her greenhouse on the side yard. The orchids need to be moved or they’ll get too much sun. We replanted some tomatoes and Bok choi into the outside garden. Some gardenia she stared from a cutting gave it’s first flower the other day and today had a couple more. She has the green thumb while mine is brown from digging.

We’d moved to the back to clip some bushes that are starting to overgrow. I like it back here with the grass underfoot. There are a couple of large rocks we dug up while landscaping and they are now part of the rock garden. They are a nice corner of the yard.

We have a nice home in a nice neighborhood with nice neighbors. We are truly lucky that we get to be nude in and around the house. I am fortunate that my wife puts up with my shenanigans. Spending a part of the day tending to our yard leaves me feeling good.

Got a chance to visit Australia again last February. The last time I went I only had 1 free day and weather was not good for the beach. This time I took a couple of extra days to explore what Sydney had to offer.

I really like Sydney, it’s easy to get around using their buses, ferries and rail. I visited the business district last time so this time I stayed across the harbor in North Sydney. My hotel at Kirribili was a 10 minute ride from the main ferry terminal The Circular Quay.

Besides playing in the city, my mission was to visit a couple of the nude beaches there. Cobblers Beach was one and Obelisk Beach was an option. They’re close to each other, a few minutes walk, but Obelisk is a known gay beach. I don’t mind gay beaches and have gone to a couple at home. They are both at Middle Head at an old military post. I thought I would go to Obelisk first but when I got off the bus, I saw about a dozen guys heading towards the trail. I decided instead to go to Cobblers.

Cobblers is a legal nude beach which made me feel at ease. When I got there, it was cloudy but nice. Mostly guys and two couples were out that morning. There were 3 boats anchored just off shore. The sand was fine and hard packed. It was ok but I couldn’t “form” it to my body like I can with the loose sand back home. Still, I managed to make myself comfortable. At one point, while laying on my belly, an iguana jumped on my back legs. I shook but he didn’t want to get off. I finally rolled over and he scurried away. The sun finally burned the clouds away and warmed my skin.

I took some pictures, being careful not to point it at anyone but me. I tried some goofy poses and the locals must’ve thought I was nuts. Got to show proof I was there right?

Talking to one of the couples, they advised me not to go to Obelisk Beach. They said the guys there tend to be a bit more on the hunt when they see a single guy. Instead they told me about a beach across the harbor called Wash Away Beach. They pointed at where it was but I couldn’t see it so that evening I googled it and decided to check it out the next day.

I had to take a ferry ride, a bus and then walk to the trail head. After searching for the correct side trail, I finally made it. Then I had to figure how to get down the cliff. I followed one person who took the wrong way. We got down but there was a much easier path. Only a handful of people were there but eventually they all left and I was alone. Once alone, it got a bit boring although I did stay to soak up the last bit of sun before hitting the trail. obviously I didn’t want to stay past sunset.

Sydney is a fun city and reminds me of San Francisco. It’s on the water, has a famous bridge and North Sydney is hilly. It’s different too in that the roads are better and there are harbor ferries that rides like the bus all though the harbor. It’s a blast and I can’t wait to return.

In late October, I traveled to the Bay Area during an unusually warm period. Temperatures were a comfortable 65°f during the evenings while day temps reached the lower 80°s. This was great news for me as I’m not a cold weather fan. Also, San Francisco is a fun city and easy to get around. Between BART and the Muni, you can get anywhere in the city you want to go. One of my favorite places is the Presidio. It’s beautifully maintained and there are lots of trails to hike and explore. For me, a trip to the Presidio isn’t complete without a visit to Baker Beach.

Baker Beach at the Presidio

Baker Beach is on the Pacific Ocean side of the Golden Gate. That draws a lot of people who will venture to the eastern end of the beach for a closer view of the iconic landmark. Strangely enough, this is where the nudist section is. Tourist who want to get picture of the bridge will traverse along the beach where they get more to look at other than the bridge.

The beach is long and wide. It’s flat like what I’ve come to expect with most California beaches. The sand is fine and looks like it came from the surrounding hills. The nude area is flanked by rocks at the east end, stretching out westward (as far as you dare to go bare) and cliffs behind. The locals hang out near the rocky end with a volleyball net set up for impromptu games.

This would be the second time I’ve gone to Baker, the first being when I did the Bay to Breakers race just over a year ago. I visited a few days in a row back then but the weather was cold and not very sunny. The day of the race was the best and I went to the beach right after (I did the race nude and wrote about it in another post). Even then there weren’t many nudist out and the vibe was not what I expected.

This time the weather was more to my liking. I visited the two days I had free and it was a much better experience. There were many more people out enjoying the late season temperatures. Nudist laid along the cliffs while others in the sand closer to the water. I chose to be somewhat close to the water near the volleyball net. I enjoyed the sound of the waves crashing while I laid and warmed myself. I don’t like to sit or lay for long periods so I’d get up and take a stroll every so often. I didn’t venture far, just to the rocky end and maybe a hundred yards the other way. I stayed up a way from the water so those who didn’t want to meet a naked guy face to face, wouldn’t have to. Naturally it’s a boost to the ego when girls and women smile my way. Even more so when they wave or say hi.

Golden Gate Bridge

I’m also a people watcher so the tourists and nudists were fair game. They came as couples, as groups and even families. Truthfully I enjoy seeing the families exposing their young to nudist and hopefully teaching them that there is nothing wrong with it and to accept their bodies as they grow into adults.

San Francisco has a lot to do so if you haven’t done so, I hope you get to visit and explore. There are other nude beaches in the area but I have yet to visit them. I guess I’ll just have to come back again.

San Francisco has to be one of the more liberal cities in the US. The city allows public nudity during certain events. One of these events is the Bay to Breakers road race in mid-May. It runs from the Embarcadero, which is the bay side of the city, to Ocean Beach on the Pacific side. Hence Bay to Breakers http://baytobreakers.com/

For some, the race is serious with elites racing for prize and glory and others for a personal effort. For most though it is one long party that is 12K or 7.9 miles to be exact. Runners and participants dress is costume and spectators have festivities going on along the route. Then there are the few who choose to do it sans clothing. Some will do it solo but there is a group that calls themselves Bare to Breaker who are easily identifiable on course by their fluorescent green caps as well as being naked.

Imagine walking almost 8 miles completely nude through one of the biggest, most well-known cities in the world. This was on my bucket list of things to do for a long time. Note that I said “was”. That’s because last year I took an opportunity to do the race while visiting SF.

One thing that worried me was the weather. SF is known to be cold and cloudy. The days leading up to the race was just that plus some rain. On the morning of the race the clouds parted and the sun shone bright. I met the B2Ber’s at a predesignated spot near the start. Since this was my first time I wanted some company. We walked to the corrals to wait and the party started. Those I were with got naked right away. It was cold in the shadows of the buildings so I stayed dressed.

Who thought of tossing tortillas like Frisbees? We may never find out but it is a great way to pass time till the start. As soon as the coral in front of us started is when I finally bared myself. I was nervous as hell being surrounded by clothed and costumed runners but no one really seemed to pay much attention. Let me say that my anxiety level was maxing out. When we finally got into the sun I felt better. Still, walking naked in the middle of a crowd, with thousands of spectators lining the street was an experience of a lifetime.

The Greek Olympians had it right, do it naked. But, physical activity does tend to tighten the guy parts up. Still, I had 2 ass slaps from women running past as well as numerous photo requests. People I met along the way were great and very open to my being nude. There were even nuns from Game of Thrones walking behind me ringing their bells chanting “Shame”. Some of the other nudies were in some sort of costume but I wanted to be au natural except for my hat and shoes.

The event was well run and when we got to Golden Gate Park the course felt a lot different. There were picnickers and people having fun, bands playing and a few weird nudies. One guy had a hard on and was pointing it towards the finish as if to say “go that way”. Another guy looked like Jesus and laid in the middle of the roadway so people had to go around him. After 3 ½ hours we finally got to the end. I really didn’t want to get dressed but put on my clothes to walk over to Bakers Beach. I’ll write about that another time.

Admittingly I am a bit of an exhibitionist. Not the trench coat perverted kind but I feel good when people see me as nature made me. I’m not ashamed of myself and prefer to be nude. I wanted to go again this year but plans didn’t allow it. If you as I do then you have to do this. I guaranty it’ll be an experience you’ll enjoy.

A hui hoe

Had some free time so asked my beach buddy if she wanted to go get some sun today. She needed to get home early so suggested Sand Island. I’ve been a couple of times by myself, she had never been.

There were some guys there. They usually sit in the naupaka or rock wind breakers. We set up the sportbrella and a wind screen. Frankly, we were the only ones out in the open.

The sand is really fine and there was a light breeze. The sun came out which brightened a cloudy day. The surf was small and tide was high. It felt good to go for a dip although I didn’t swim too far out. In the water there are some loose rocks in the sand near shore but a nice sandy area a little further out before reef.

A modest crowd roamed the beach. Only a few got nude. Naturally we were part of the few. I always thought it was a nice stretch of sand, I just never liked going solo like I do at Polo’s. So it’s nice to have someone to go with. Close to town means a shorter drive and more sand time. It’s not the same as Polo’s which will always be my “go to” place, but it’s a nice alternative.

A hui hou