By Mary Forgione
When you email “The Goatfather” of goat surfing, he writes back: “Goat ahead and call me.” Pismo Beach surfer Dana McGregor has been teaching surfing and stand-up paddle boarding with and without goats for a decade. He started by taking his pet goat Goatee with him when he hit the waves. What’s it like to surf with a goat? “It’s quite a supernatural, like, out-of-this-world experience to be honest,” the 42-year-old said. This hilarious GoatFIT video shows him doing squats with goats, weight-lifting with goats, you get the idea (please, don’t try this at home).
The calendar may have changed but COVID-19 restrictions haven’t let up in 2021.
The state on Jan. 6 asked residents to stay home, specifically within 120 miles of where they live. The spike in coronavirus cases and the arrival of a new, more contagious strain of the virus prompted the action. And Tuesday the Centers for Disease Control announced it will require international air travelers, including Americans returning home from another country, to present a negative COVID-19 test starting Jan. 26.
In Southern California, the Santa Monica Pier is now closed to pedestrians and cars on Saturdays and Sundays for at least the month of January. It will remain open on weekdays until 10 p.m. The pier’s amusement park and merry-go-round have been closed for several months.
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The 2021 Newport Beach Garden Tour will be May 8, 2021. (Courtesy of Sherman Library & Gardens)
NEWPORT BEACH, CA Sherman Library & Gardens is accepting nominations for its 2021 Newport Beach Garden Tour, now in its 25th year and a key fundraiser for the gardens and museum in Corona Del Mar. The Newport Beach Garden Tour is Sherman Library & Gardens largest fundraiser of the year, and we couldn t do it without the support of our Volunteer Association and the community, said Scott LaFleur, Sherman s executive director. Let s make the 25th Annual Newport Beach Garden Tour our best one yet! Nominate yourself, your friend, your neighbor or that garden that always catches your eye.
Southern California may be about to leave 2020 behind, but don’t expect any change in COVID-19 restrictions as the new year arrives.
With ICU bed capacity near zero in this region and the San Joaquin Valley, Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state secretary of Health and Human Services, said Tuesday that the governor’s stay-home orders for these regions are being extended indefinitely.
“We can make decisions to bend that curve” of escalating new infections, Ghaly said.
The list below summarizes the status of many California public and private spaces, from campgrounds to reservation casinos.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom’s orders were first imposed Dec. 6. Ghaly announced their extension on Tuesday, noting the high rates of infection and short supply of ICU beds in the 23 counties of Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley. The extensions were designed to last at least 21 days.