whale talker

Summer continues to be relatively mild, certainly compared to last year but Aug/Sept yet to come and then things could seriously heat up. The Thunderheads are beginning to show up in the afternoons and the mornings are tending to be pretty humid. I have always loved to see the great Thunderheads build over the mountains; they are so majestic. Here’s one from the other day.

I am coming to Ukiah in September. I will be giving a lecture on the results of my studies and what the future portends for our North Pacific Humpbacks on the 9th. This will be a fund raiser so anyone who you think might be interested I would sure appreciate the support.

The fox that I mentioned in a previous post I have identified as a Grey Fox, Urocyon cinereoargenteus. This genus has only two surviving members, The Grey Fox and The Island Fox. Using DNA studies it has been determined that this genus is one of the primal members of The Canid Family, showing up shortly after The Wolf (the most primal Canid). I hope to get a photo of it one day but for now here’s what they look like. You can see why they are often mistaken for a coyote.


As long as I am on animals right now here’s a shot of a snake that came by the palapa yesterday while I was visiting with my amigo Vicente. It is a Baja California Striped Whipsnake and like all snakes a joy to behold. Before The Judeo-Christians vilified it as a representative of Satan, the snake was seen as the animal most connected to the Earth and a positive omen whenever seen. I’m going with that! Check out that face.



Saw my first scorpion in a long time the other day, fortunately not in my bed or shorts.

Still have not seen the full on migration of The Dragonflies. It would be so interesting if it actually starts on the very day it began last year.

I was also treated to swimming with a couple of Panamanic Green Morays the other day. Boy are they fun to watch.

Touching once again on Paganism here is the recent addition to my Pagan Symbols collection. I really love painting these. Concentration, discipline and color…..great fun! I also believe that while painting them some of their power and energy is retained by my body.

This is an African symbol called an Adinkra. This one is from The Asante People of West Africa and is called “Aya” (Fern).

Aya is a symbol of endurance and resourcefulness
The fern is a hardy plant that can grow in difficult places. "An individual who wears this symbol suggests that he has endured many adversities and outlasted much difficulty."

How about this for a somewhat more high tech symbol. Just something to think about….carefully.


And some new friends, Nick and “J” (Jacinda) from London with there two little cuties, Clover on Nick's arm, and Matilda on the move. They are on their way to resettling in Australia. J had a special birthday the other day when she solo kayaked out to The Whale Zone and was visited by Mobulas, Dolphins and a Sea Turtle. How cool is that?