CORONADO (CBS 8) - On the beach in Coronado, there are no bad days. Here in the shadow of a legendary landmark, touristos and locals alike share an idyllic stroll along Bill Paylacka's canvas.
"Some of the best sand you can find right here in Coronado. It's clean, it's fine, it holds a lot of moisture, easy to build with," Bill said.
Bill's sand sculpting career began the way most of us did.
"I had four children and we'd go to the beach every few weekends and build sand castles," he said.
Now his kids are grown, and in this weak economy, it's hard for a plasterer to find work. So for the last couple of years, The Sand Castle Man has been going to Coronado almost every day to build his masterpieces.
"Most of the time I just make them up. I start piling up the sand and as I'm piling it up, I'm thinking about what I'm building and it just sort of happens," he said.
There are other benefits, other than a day in the sun.
"The beach is a beautiful place to hang out," Bill said.
Along the way to turn his life's lemons into monuments, The Sand Castle Man has become one of Coronado's biggest attractions. Cell phones from around the world transform his temporary templates into permanent vacation memories, and he doesn't mind sharing a few secrets with his fans.
At the end of the day, Bill leaves his work behind to face the elements and the invaders.
"Sometimes they are there the next day, sometimes they are not," he said.
But like the tide and the tourists, he will return to mold sand and surf into memories.
