First swim of the new year (2015)...
I just had to write at least a short post today and tell about the first swim, and the seal. We're having these warm winds; they're called the Santa Anas. Not sure why but warm wind is called that. It must have been 80 degrees here today! I sweat my butt off during my workout, which was half on the beach and half at the senior stretch.
Too bad I didn't have my camera on the beach this morning, but like I said I was dancing...well Everardo also came down to the beach to throw the ball for Sam & Hazel. We have one of those ball chuckers- long plastic sticks with a cup at the end to hold the ball and you can "chuck it" really far. It's great for me because I can't throw a tennis ball too far. Hazel can outrun Sam and any other dog I've ever seen on the beach (or anywhere else), so when I take them I throw a couple for her, then call her over and hold her collar while I "chuck" for Sam into the waves. Right as he's closing in on the ball I let Hazel go and she sprints out there like a bat outta hell and almost beats him to it! She sorta flattens out low to the ground when she's running like that- we've thought she was part coyote since we got her. I mean- it's possible, right? There are sooooo many stray dogs in Mexico and a lot of coyotes around here; we see them all the time and hear them every nite. She was a rescue puppy, and the rest of her litter looks nothing like her- and I believe a dog can have a litter with multiple fathers. (ok gotta google that- yep just looked it up!)
Anyway she actually caught a squirrel the other day! And how fast is a squirrel?? Everardo was out walking the dogs by the estuary and came around a corner and there she was with it in her mouth- he yelled at her and she dropped it.....yeah kinda freaked me out. Anyway this dog is fast! So you know in the pictures she is the smaller brown dog, right? Sam is the black lab.
Ok so Everardo is throwing the ball for them (he brings 2 and throws in 2 directions- why didn't I think of that!) and I am dancing and I look off to the right and see a lump which I think is a big pile of this sea weed stuff that comes with the tide and often is left behind, but then Hazel runs down there to check it out. Those piles of seaweed always smell good I guess because both dogs spend lots of time at them and then Sam usually leaves a calling card (pees on them) before trotting off to investigate something else...oh I gotta find the pictures from last summer when they found a live crab along the shore- ha ha! So when Hazel gets there, the pile is a young seal. I guess he was just sunning himself because he jumped right up when she got there. She was jumping around like when she wants Sam to play with her, so she wanted the seal to play. He didn't seem too distressed, didn't bark or anything but headed back to the water. She went too, and followed the seal into the surf. Everardo had run down there to make sure she didn't bother it, or try to bite it or anything- she didn't...but as she jumped a little wave coming into shore, the seal ducked into it and was gone. It was pretty cute, the whole thing. Later when we came down for the swim (ok I didn't swim...well I had the camera- that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it), Hazel ran right over to where the seal had gone into the water and stood there looking out- for her new friend I think!
Last summer when Bob the sea lion was hurt and we sat with him every day for a week, both dogs were really good with him. At one point Hazel and Bob touched noses. I think Sam & Hazel knew Bob the sea lion was hurt, and they were gentle. They sniffed and then sat quietly with me while I put water on Bob, and pet him and told him he'd be ok. At the end of the week he was ok, and went back to the ocean. Oh and the marine vetrinarian from the gov't who takes care of the marine wildlife came twice and gave him a shot...she was wonderful. But anyway the seals and sea lions are a part of our beach, the really sad part though is that we see alot of dead ones on the beach because the DAMN fishermen - the ones supporting the damn tuna rings, shoot them. They are not supposed to; it's against the law- but they do it anyway.
I've only seen a couple of whales this year, and really only the water spouting up. I think this month and next are the end for that for the year...so maybe I should start hanging out at the cliffs because they don't come into the bay too much- partly I think because it's not that deep, and the other part is again- the damn tuna rings. Once they finish raping this bay of all the bait fish, the tuna rings will move further south to destroy another eco system, and then it will take about 50 years for the bay to recover. Sad, isn't it?
Ok so swimming this afternoon: Everardo took his fins and mask and dogs and headed in. Hazel came back pretty quick, but loyal Sam followed Poppi out there. The water was pretty cold- it may be summer warm here right now, but the ocean is still cold. He has a wet suit, 2 actually...one is called a farmer John or something like that- it's like overalls...no sleeves...like it needs a shirt. The other is a regular wetsuit except the legs and arms are short. But he thought he didn't need it ha ha. I don't know if the weather is going to be good from now on or not, it is only February after all, but I would be just fine is summer is here! So he swam some, then came back in and grabbed Hazel and took her out a ways, then she and Sam swam back in. Then our new next door neighbor showed up with her 2 puupies; one is about 4 months and the other is about 8 weeks. They watched Sam & Hazel in the water and they tried wading and then ran around- it was pretty cute. Then Everardo tried to teach them to fetch and that was pretty funny as well. Sharon (neighbor) told me the other day when Everardo went off down the beach with our dogs, her little one just trotted off behind him and never looked back! Yep that's my dog whisperer.
Earlier this afternoon I climbed into my hammock, read a little and snoozed a little- it does sound like summer doesn't it? The hammock is in the shade of the porch and actually I got a little cold...it's warm during the day but really gets cold at nite. But I was so happy to be reading outside. Another neighbor who lives a few houses away showed up with an armful of books by Harlan Coben who I am really hooked on right now and I had mentioned I really liked his books. This guy has about 500 books and has invited me to borrow all I want. This was great! I plan do make my way thru his books even though I have about 100 of my own I haven't read...maybe more. But I always like to read other people's books and then I always have some to read in case I need them. Sounds weird but it's exactly what this guy said too ha ha. If you love books you understand.
Yesterday I went to an AA meeting in Ensenada, on a boat that was in the original King Kong movie- pretty cool. They have it every week there but Wednesday mornings I am usually exercising. I strained my elbow though, and then in an effort to protect it I think I strained my shoulder ha ha. That was Monday on the bowflex, so I decided not to do my normal weights on Wed and my girlfriend had been after me to go to the "boat meeting" so I went. It was nice; so peaceful on the boat, it's in the harbor with a ton of other boats and right neat the cruise ship port and one was pulled in. But I got back on my exercise schedule today though, and that's when Hazel saw the seal. Well here's hoping summer has arrived in Baja! Viva (oh and I'll look for that photo of the dogs with the crab!)
Too bad I didn't have my camera on the beach this morning, but like I said I was dancing...well Everardo also came down to the beach to throw the ball for Sam & Hazel. We have one of those ball chuckers- long plastic sticks with a cup at the end to hold the ball and you can "chuck it" really far. It's great for me because I can't throw a tennis ball too far. Hazel can outrun Sam and any other dog I've ever seen on the beach (or anywhere else), so when I take them I throw a couple for her, then call her over and hold her collar while I "chuck" for Sam into the waves. Right as he's closing in on the ball I let Hazel go and she sprints out there like a bat outta hell and almost beats him to it! She sorta flattens out low to the ground when she's running like that- we've thought she was part coyote since we got her. I mean- it's possible, right? There are sooooo many stray dogs in Mexico and a lot of coyotes around here; we see them all the time and hear them every nite. She was a rescue puppy, and the rest of her litter looks nothing like her- and I believe a dog can have a litter with multiple fathers. (ok gotta google that- yep just looked it up!)
Anyway she actually caught a squirrel the other day! And how fast is a squirrel?? Everardo was out walking the dogs by the estuary and came around a corner and there she was with it in her mouth- he yelled at her and she dropped it.....yeah kinda freaked me out. Anyway this dog is fast! So you know in the pictures she is the smaller brown dog, right? Sam is the black lab.
Ok so Everardo is throwing the ball for them (he brings 2 and throws in 2 directions- why didn't I think of that!) and I am dancing and I look off to the right and see a lump which I think is a big pile of this sea weed stuff that comes with the tide and often is left behind, but then Hazel runs down there to check it out. Those piles of seaweed always smell good I guess because both dogs spend lots of time at them and then Sam usually leaves a calling card (pees on them) before trotting off to investigate something else...oh I gotta find the pictures from last summer when they found a live crab along the shore- ha ha! So when Hazel gets there, the pile is a young seal. I guess he was just sunning himself because he jumped right up when she got there. She was jumping around like when she wants Sam to play with her, so she wanted the seal to play. He didn't seem too distressed, didn't bark or anything but headed back to the water. She went too, and followed the seal into the surf. Everardo had run down there to make sure she didn't bother it, or try to bite it or anything- she didn't...but as she jumped a little wave coming into shore, the seal ducked into it and was gone. It was pretty cute, the whole thing. Later when we came down for the swim (ok I didn't swim...well I had the camera- that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it), Hazel ran right over to where the seal had gone into the water and stood there looking out- for her new friend I think!
Last summer when Bob the sea lion was hurt and we sat with him every day for a week, both dogs were really good with him. At one point Hazel and Bob touched noses. I think Sam & Hazel knew Bob the sea lion was hurt, and they were gentle. They sniffed and then sat quietly with me while I put water on Bob, and pet him and told him he'd be ok. At the end of the week he was ok, and went back to the ocean. Oh and the marine vetrinarian from the gov't who takes care of the marine wildlife came twice and gave him a shot...she was wonderful. But anyway the seals and sea lions are a part of our beach, the really sad part though is that we see alot of dead ones on the beach because the DAMN fishermen - the ones supporting the damn tuna rings, shoot them. They are not supposed to; it's against the law- but they do it anyway.
I've only seen a couple of whales this year, and really only the water spouting up. I think this month and next are the end for that for the year...so maybe I should start hanging out at the cliffs because they don't come into the bay too much- partly I think because it's not that deep, and the other part is again- the damn tuna rings. Once they finish raping this bay of all the bait fish, the tuna rings will move further south to destroy another eco system, and then it will take about 50 years for the bay to recover. Sad, isn't it?
Ok so swimming this afternoon: Everardo took his fins and mask and dogs and headed in. Hazel came back pretty quick, but loyal Sam followed Poppi out there. The water was pretty cold- it may be summer warm here right now, but the ocean is still cold. He has a wet suit, 2 actually...one is called a farmer John or something like that- it's like overalls...no sleeves...like it needs a shirt. The other is a regular wetsuit except the legs and arms are short. But he thought he didn't need it ha ha. I don't know if the weather is going to be good from now on or not, it is only February after all, but I would be just fine is summer is here! So he swam some, then came back in and grabbed Hazel and took her out a ways, then she and Sam swam back in. Then our new next door neighbor showed up with her 2 puupies; one is about 4 months and the other is about 8 weeks. They watched Sam & Hazel in the water and they tried wading and then ran around- it was pretty cute. Then Everardo tried to teach them to fetch and that was pretty funny as well. Sharon (neighbor) told me the other day when Everardo went off down the beach with our dogs, her little one just trotted off behind him and never looked back! Yep that's my dog whisperer.
Earlier this afternoon I climbed into my hammock, read a little and snoozed a little- it does sound like summer doesn't it? The hammock is in the shade of the porch and actually I got a little cold...it's warm during the day but really gets cold at nite. But I was so happy to be reading outside. Another neighbor who lives a few houses away showed up with an armful of books by Harlan Coben who I am really hooked on right now and I had mentioned I really liked his books. This guy has about 500 books and has invited me to borrow all I want. This was great! I plan do make my way thru his books even though I have about 100 of my own I haven't read...maybe more. But I always like to read other people's books and then I always have some to read in case I need them. Sounds weird but it's exactly what this guy said too ha ha. If you love books you understand.
Yesterday I went to an AA meeting in Ensenada, on a boat that was in the original King Kong movie- pretty cool. They have it every week there but Wednesday mornings I am usually exercising. I strained my elbow though, and then in an effort to protect it I think I strained my shoulder ha ha. That was Monday on the bowflex, so I decided not to do my normal weights on Wed and my girlfriend had been after me to go to the "boat meeting" so I went. It was nice; so peaceful on the boat, it's in the harbor with a ton of other boats and right neat the cruise ship port and one was pulled in. But I got back on my exercise schedule today though, and that's when Hazel saw the seal. Well here's hoping summer has arrived in Baja! Viva (oh and I'll look for that photo of the dogs with the crab!)
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