An opportunity to revisit a beautiful seaside town nestled along the Pacific Ocean, why yes of course! Low humidity, stunning views of the big blue expanse with the brilliant punctuation of vibrant bougainvillea planted along the cliffs; I am in all the way. Who living on the east coast in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States in the month of July wouldn’t leap at the chance to be out of the heat and humidity?

We arrived via the 101 and settled into our suite with balcony overlooking the ocean and landscaped gardens. The gorgeous, glorious panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, surrounding cliffs and mountains demand a seat to view the perfection. Sit down and get comfortable to take it all in. The resounding symphony of surf, sailboats skittering along the horizon and the jeweled hummingbirds buzzing from flower to flower and a balcony seat to witness all this wild and cultivation in one spot. Who could ask for anything more? Well me of course, and while the view outside is pure perfection the interior designer may of forgotten why people come here.

The Pacific Ocean, a colossal body of water and all the life that goes with it and where is the hotel’s plush king size bed placed best to view the sunsets, the moonsets, the sailboats skimming the dazzling blue water punctuated with squadrons of pelicans? No, a designer has placed the bed towards a flat screen television.

I find it amazing that anyone who would book a hotel room with a balcony overlooking the magnificent Pacific Ocean would have any interest in the trivialities of television. What television program can rival the bounteous blue Pacific Ocean, seabirds calling and always, always the possibility of a whale sighting. Whales vs. anything a television station could produce, in any case it just seems ridiculous to consider. Whales always trump anything on four and a half feet of glass box.

There is the lure, the catch while we are immersed in some program geared to sell us all the essentials of modern life, we may miss the chance to see some amazing wildlife. Isn’t nature the real rock star, isn’t she the reason we go to the beach or hike up a mountain or walk a path through an ancient forest? Nature in all her glory right there on the other side of my balcony happening in actual time while behind me is the silent box so important for staying connected to all things society thinks we need to be connected to.

The wonderful thing about Nature is she isn’t selling anything to anyone ever, so we can all sit down and get comfortable because that balcony seat is the best seat in the house for the biggest show in the world and it is called Wildlife. The best type of entertainment is one that you learn something about yourself and the world around us. Yesterday, I learned that a roasted turkey sandwich with tomato, lettuce accented with French brie is only better watching hummingbirds spar for nectar, or geckos taking the sun while avoiding being snatched and eaten themselves.

Life is well, about living and being engaged in the world around us and while it is fine to enjoy television to watch a favorite television program, however we should be able to disengage from the artificial world to engage with the actual world. As of our present visit I haven’t actually seen a whale or the seals known to frequent the area, but I am still watchful and optimistic that I will, but to do so I remain present and alert.

With our next full moon part nine of The Guild Sybella helps Cygnet plan their escape. In our course of constructing a perfect life are we not in some manner designing our own cages? If we are creating our own cage do we also have the key to our freedom as well?