Category Archives: Community Events

Community Events, Monterey Bay Aquarium, My Life as a Monterey Bay Aquarium Guide

Surfer Girl ~ 841 Rides Again!

Photos by KSBW News

Think Beach Boys in Surfin’ USA on the shores of Santa Cruz. An otter with dreams of being a surf champion surprised and shocked Santa Cruz beach goers when he swam right up to a group of surfers, picked out a board and went for a ride.

 Watch our little Surfer Girl

Can you imagine if you were out surfing and a Surfin’ Sea Otter climbed aboard your surfboard and left you “in the dust” or perhaps a better term would be leaving you “in the surf” – and without your board!

Surfer Girl

 

Surfer Girl is known as “841”, a 5-year old female, who has been taking bites out of surf boards recently with the surfer still on it.  A bit intimidating for a surfer to say the least. We love our sea otters, but they have very big, sharp teeth to crunch on the sea urchins and abalone they love so much – so take care out there.

841

Surfer Girl 841 was born in captivity. Her mother had been removed from the wild because of her aggressive behavior toward people as a result of being fed by the public. An absolute No, No. When it turned out the otter was pregnant, 841 was born.  She was  raised at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and then tagged and released after being deemed ready to go back to the wild. Whoops!

There is a team of trained experts trying to catch Surfer Girl, and then she will be returned to the Monterey Bay Aquarium who will find a home for her. Unfortunately, once that happens, her surfing days will be over. However, so far she has alluded capture. One sharp cookie she is!

Susan Clark having just received her 500 hours of volunteering pin as a Monterey Bay Aquarium Guide

As a guide at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, I get some inside scoop about their sea otter program. I’m sure many of you have seen our sea otters at the Aquarium who have names and personally interact with humans. These sea otters are considered non-releasable, so they are allowed human contact.  When sea otters are rescued, the hope is always to return them to the wild and the care givers wear “hazmat suits of sort” (think like an astronaut outfit) so the otter won’t identify with a human. They also are given numbers and not names, to further keep them at arms length.

The story isn’t over . . . can’t wait for the next installment on this saga.

Wait, is she laughing at us?

Community Events, Golf on the Monterey Peninsula, Ocean view and Golf properties

US Open Golf Tournament 2019 ~ Pebble Beach CA

US Open Golf Tournament, Pebble Beach, CA  June 13 – 16 2019

AT&T Pro Am Golf Tournament ~ Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach

The Monterey Peninsula is a “Golf Mecca”.  We have golf course after golf course – with a perfect golf course to suit every player’s need.  And we attract PGA tours – after all who wouldn’t want to come to Pebble Beach which looks glorious to the TV viewer from every camera angle.   Every February we enjoy the AT&T Pro Am Golf Tournament, however, this year is a double whammy ~  the US Open Golf Tournament has come to Pebble Beach for the third time in 19 years.

Tiger Woods, photographer unknown

This year something special is causing excitement and anticipation and there is only one word for it – Tiger.  Yes he’s back and after winning the Masters this year, his fans are hoping he can win here again this weekend.  Tiger has struggled with personal issues and serious injuries over the years and some critics thought he was done. But ever since his Augusta win, #Tigersback is a popular refrain.

Pebble Beach Golf Links Photo taken by Bob Borden                                                                                        \

As realtors we started planning for the US Open  months ago by creating innovative advertising for the print and digital media that would beguile and bewitch prospective buyers and invite them to purchase property while visiting the area.  During the tournament while the golf crowd heads for the courses, we’ll be manning our posts at the “Floor duty” desk or hosting numerous Open Houses at our listings hoping some of our visitors will stray from the event.  We hope to lure some of our golf enthusiasts to find the coveted prize – a home on the Monterey Peninsula.

Pictured here is 4103 Crest Road,  Pebble Beach, $1,375,000 5BR/3BA 3347 SF, Listing agent Susan Clark, Carmel Realty Company.  Call Susan for more information 831-320-6801.

We know that tournament goers will spend most of their time watching the play or playing golf themselves – and then, of course, time spent at the infamous 19th Hole.  In fact, keeping this in mind,  many companies are having parties and events including my real estate office, Carmel Realty Company, to entertain clients who have already purchased homes or who are considering it.  We hope that everyone will have such a good time here and at least pick up the newspapers and magazines touting our gorgeous homes and return at a  later time.

Pebble Beach Golf Links ~ photo by Bob Borden

There is nothing more beautiful than Pebble Beach on a clear sunny day and that’s what we are blessed with this week except for a little morning fog.  If nothing else our visitors will take home delightful memories of blue skies, sunlit courses and crashing waves, after bearing witness to some great golf.  Will Tiger win?  That is yet to be determined. Play on!

Community Events, Golf on the Monterey Peninsula

“Make My Day” ~ AT&T Golf Tournament 2019 ~ Pebble Beach

AT&T Golf Tournament February 7-10 2019

Pebble Beach, CA

Welcome to the AT&T Golf Tournament 2019!

The AT&T Golf Tournament has always been dear to my heart.  It’s one of the events that made me fall in love with the Monterey Peninsula and inspired me to move here.

Pebble Beach Golf Links Photo taken by Bob Borden

As  San Franciscans my husband and I were in awe of the Monterey Peninsula and we loved coming down to the tournament – usually meeting up with some of his golf buddies.  After walking the course and watching their favorite golfers in the morning my husband and his cohorts

Taken more recently – still walking the course!

would head out inspired and play Bayonet or one of their other favorite golf courses.  I would continue to be the consummate spectator

trying to catch a glimpse of Don Johnson, Kevin Costner, Jack Lemon, or Clint Eastwood (back when he still played in the tournament.)  OK, I didn’t just have golf on my mind!

Kevin Costner playing in the AT&T Golf Tournament

Well, let’s fast forward to 2019.  Speaking of Clint, there is something new at this year’s tournament, “Clint’s Saloon“! (See page 16)

Clint Eastwood in the Centennial Parade.

Situated on the 3rd Fairway a viewing venue has been created that offers a “Spaghetti Western” feel.  Swinging saloon doors, peanut shells on the floor, TV screens showing “A Fistful of Dollars” and “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” . . .  and everyone goes home with a Bobblehead of Clint.  

Clint about to join the Centennial parade in Carmel. He walked right by me and said, “Excuse me”, I was kind of in his way to get onto the stage coach!

The  Carmel Pine Cone has reported that sales for the upgraded ticket to hang in Clint’s Saloon are selling like “cheap whiskey on a cattle drive”.  Giddy up, Rawhide! Tickets are $250-$350 and hey, it’s for charity.

I know I haven’t talked at all about the actual golfers that are going to play or that a little known golfer, Ted Potter, our 2018 winner will be defending his title (Beware of flip flops!).  Check out the Pine Cone for great coverage on that.  I’m looking forward to seeing my new favorite pro golfers like Phil and Justin and Jordan.  The celebrities aren’t quite what they used to be (personal opinion) but time changes.

2018 Champion, Ted  Potter

As a blogger, I’ve always been advised to keep it short so I’ll be back again with insights as to how the realtor community views the tournament – since that’s ME!

Stay tuned! And call me if you too (like me) would like to own “a piece of dirt” on the Monterey Peninsula!

Susan Clark, Alain Pinel Realtors, Top Producer, Circle of Excellence 2018

 

Community Events, Holidays

Happy Groundhog Day in Carmel, CA!

Happy Ground Hog Day in Carmel in 2020!  Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow today?  Here’s a Flashback to  my 2019 entry.  Just like in the movie we’ll live Ground Hog Day again and again.  Well, just this once, I promise!   Again  the AT&T Golf Pro Am Golf Tournament will be next week.  Golf, golf, golf will be on the agenda as soon as we root the 49’ers to Victory. Fingers crossed!

 

Happy Ground Hog Day!

February  2, 2019

Every year we wait for Punxsutawney Phil to come out with his weather predictions.  Will it be an early spring or a long hard winter! Well, hot news flash, Phil didn’t see his shadow so it’s an early spring!

Before you celebrate and rush to the garden store, you might be interested to know, that Phil has only been right 40% of the time.  Oh dear, those aren’t very good odds.

Punxsutawney Phil checking out his shadow

It’s hard to think of groundhog day without thinking of Bill Murray in that iconic movie, “Groundhog Day”.  You know the one, he was a newscaster covering the “coming out of the groundhog” in early February and every day he woke up, it was the same day all over again.  Talk about “Do Overs”!   Every movie has a love story and in this case Bill Murray falls for Andi MacDowell.  Well, long story short, he finally gets it right . . . and gets the girl.

Bill Murray in the movie “Groundhog Day”

Now that the AT&T Golf Tournament is next week, the question always is, “Will Bill Murray play this year?”  No one ever seems to know for sure until he decides to show . . . or not.. 

I

If Bill decides to play, you can bet your putter there will be plenty of laughs for the gallery.  I remember one year he ended up falling in a sand trap with a one of the lady spectators!

Bill Murray clowning around at a past AT&T Pro Am Tournament

What will never cease to amaze me is how he can do all of these antics and still play fantastic golf!

Bill Murray  with a glorious backdrop at a previous AT&T

 

See you next week at the AT&T Golf Tournament

February 7th -10th