There are some fall mornings that I appreciate the sun not coming up too soon . . . this was one of them. Start a HOT shower . . .I poured a cup  . . . a quick sip and let it cool as the hot water warmed me . . . put the rest in the thermos . . . grabbed my bag . . . my tote and the tackle . . . 

Luis loves me and enjoys the little adventures we occupy the day with. He gets in the truck and slumps . . . pouring coffee into our cups  . . . and wisely not telling me of the sweet kisses and the beauty he's left snuggled deeply wrapped in the covers . . . in order to go with me . . .

The marina cafe opens at 4:30 . . . and is used to fishermen coming in, needing food quickly to take. Rose, short for Rosarita, waves that she knows what I need and disappears into the back. A minute or two later she brings a large bag of hot biscuit sandwiches and two coffees . . . sausage and egg, bacon and egg, and chorizo and egg . . . She makes biscuits 8 to a pan instead of 12 . . . they're hand-size and soak up everything from egg yolk, to butter  . . . I've never gotten a biscuit that wasn't too hot to hold. That's how fresh they are . . .  I buy a dozen of the sandwiches and an extra 6 biscuits  . . . she puts in extra butter and honey, and heavy whipping cream for the coffee . . .  she hands me another bag with half gallon of cold fresh milk . . . to wash them down with . . . In about 5 minutes I'm in and out . . .

It's just after 6:00 and the pier is all ours  . . . except for one other . . . and he sees us and waves . . . and holds a coffee cup in the air . . . wanting a refill . . . he's been here since around 3:00 . . .

The Point Hueneme (pronounced "why-nee-mee") pier is off the beaten path and so far the locals have done their best to keep it that way. It's wooden, built in a zig zag . . . extending out 1400 feet  . . . and this morning just as it's getting light, you can see the faint traces of the Santa Cruz and Anacapa islands through the early morning marine layer. This is one of my favorite places on earth . . . I've only brought one other here . . . Something about the little-too-cool sea air to bring someone into your arms for a little warmth . . . the sunset, then the moonlight . . . to make each moment timeless and each kiss more tender than the previous one . . .

If there's a storm coming in, this is the place. This morning the breeze off the water is more than chilly, and I came prepared for the day dressed in a tee shirt, long sleeve work shirt and my favorite Carhart wool lined shirt  . . . all buttoned up to start with, each layer coming off as the sun warmed things up . . . then each one back on as the day passed and the sun set.

The bottom is primarily sand, the pilings are well covered with mussel. In the summer there is kelp and seaweed around the end of the pier. If you fish inshore there are a few surfperch but further out there is halibut, white croaker, thromback and guitarfish. On the end you might get Pacific mackerel, jack mackerel or sardines. A few will catch bonito or barracuda, but not often, usually September through November. You might catch a spider crab . . . and you can watch dolphin and whale swimming.

The name Hueneme was given in 1856 by James Alden who was in charge of the Coast Survey steamer "Active" and comes from the Chumash Indian village Wene'me or Wene'mu which means "safe place". The town was settled in 1870.There is an underwater canyon created by a very strong freshwater flow out of an aquifer just east of the point. The current was so strong that ships were able to take on freshwater while still at sea.

The man waving to us is "Nacho"  . . . a nickname for being one of the best scratch cooks ever. His mother was from Majorca and his father was Portuguese. He served in the Navy, resigned to make more money in the Merchant Marines . . . I've got it on good authority that the "real money" was from dealing with whiskey and machinery that was not always on the manifest. He married Hanna when she was 14, they had four boys and three girls. He's been a fisherman all his life . . . tuna fishing, salmon off Alaska, king crab . . . marlin and swordfish . . . He made good money, bought his own boat and they raised their children  . . . Hanna going to mass while he slept late or went fishing.  I had went to the pier one day, got to watching him "catch" while others "fished" and went over and shared my coffee with him. We poured coffee, he handed me a rod, and gave me my first lesson in how to use bait.  Just like a craftsman will show you his work to be admired, he likes having someone to teach how to fish . . . to show you how good he is at it.

Luis has a difficult time when he doesn't have an opinion. Fishing is a mystery to him and he keeps investigating and probing and asking questions. Nacho has endless patience and likes keeping Luis guessing. Most people get bored, or don't pay attention and to Nacho, every cast is important. If you're not there to learn or catch a fish then you're wasting your time. With nine in the family, catching fish was a way to get some peace and quiet and to feed all the mouths they had. I listen in when he talks about Hanna being pregnant with a son or his daughters . . . teasing Luis, giving him advice . . . and how much he suffered from not getting enough attention, then when he finally got all the attention and loving he wanted . . . Hanna would be pregnant again . . .

Luis poured coffee and Nacho baited hooks and put poles in our hand . . . not even bothering to let us ask questions or show him what we remembered from our last day . . . and then dug into the brown bag for Rose's biscuit sandwiches . . . a big bite, a sip of coffee and then a drink of milk . . . another bite  . . . and then "good morning"  . . . he was happy to see us, happier that we brought hot food . . . 

G.

P.S. It was cold on the very end of the pier, so far out over the water . . . the hot coffee and biscuits hit the spot and the heavy jackets kept it all in until the sun was up and the sky cleared for perfect day in the low 70's. Tonight there is a huge Harvest Moon from the evening before and we're all thinking its being wasted . .  a perfect day of fishing . . . good food . . . and right now we should all have the loves of our lives in our arms here in the moonlight . . . keeping them warm from the chill of the cool sea air  . .  each kiss sweeter than the previous.