whale talker

The other morning I was preparing to go to the beach for my morning exercise and putting on my rubber dive booties. I gathered up my other gear and started across the flat to descend the bluff to the beach. About halfway across the flat I felt a sharp pain on the side of my left foot. I suspected I had stepped on a thorn (always a possibility in the desert). This was one mean ass thorn though and I couldn’t see it sticking outside the bootie so I pulled the bootie off and out comes a good sized scorpion. I was real lucky he didn’t sting me more than once. After squishing him with a handy rock, I continued to the beach and did my workout. The sting swoll up a little and then in the afternoon it really began to hurt. The pain traveled up my leg to my knee and then just throbbed there until cocktail time. About half way through my cocktail the pain just disappeared; hah, yet another gift from The Vodka God! Score is now 115 to 4.

On the 18^th of October a good sized contingent of Mendocino County folks arrived. Though there were good times to be had, there was also work to be done and then a celebration of the grand opening of THE MEDICAL CLINIC in El Cardonal that Lynn Dress-Meadows et al have strived and succeeded in putting together during the last 10 years. Congratulations Lynn et al…..WELL DONE!

Work well done!

Play well deserved!

I was asked to give a small slide show of my whale work to some of the visitors and it was a treat for me as always to talk about The Whale People.

Always ready to talk about The Whale People

I was sent a wonderful gift from my daughter Kersti and her husband Bill; a visitation by a group of ArchAngels that were to stay with me for a few days. The picture below is the altar I was asked to prepare for them. I am always open to gentle, loving energy from wherever it comes. Thanks Kersti and Bill, I enjoyed their visit.

Altar for my "Angel" visitors

On the 26^th I kayaked out to The WZ and came across a couple of Dolphins and two Sea Turtles. No encounters, The Dolphins were moving too fast and The Turtles dove too deep; always nice to see some of my critters though.

Had another terrific dinner and conversation with Alan and Marilyn the other night, I do enjoy their company so much.

Also on the 26^th some Humpbacks were spotted just off El Cardonal but I missed them.

Saw my first Tarantula for the year a couple of days ago, a good sized female on my top step near the trailer door. I’m sure glad they are not aggressive or poisonous because they look like HELL.

First cool night on the 28^th, actually used a thicker blanket.

I have found, and destroyed, 10 Wasps nests to date. Score: mas o menos 230 to 3, one got me on the arm while I was working in my bodega.

On the 2^nd of Nov. I decided to do a full on kayak out to the far edge of The WZ. I hadn’t done that since I hurt my back 3 months ago. Did fine, great confidence builder but didn’t see any action…..nada. I went out a couple of days later and took a nice swim in THE DEEP but again no action, even very little plankton to see. I did notice lots of Cormorants heading north, I did today too.

Part of my extended family from Quebec is here; Jean-Luc and Brigitte. They joined me in a kayak this morning and though yet again we didn’t see anything, it was a delight for me to just have them with me in the zone.

Brigitte & Jean-Luc

The following is not my picture nor do I know if it is REAL. People are photo shopping all kinds of things and I have been taken in more than once. Nevertheless, I am putting this in as a metaphor for how I FEEL when I swim with members of The Cetacean Nation. I am anticipating lots of water time with my Whale and Dolphin friends again this season.

Grateful & Honored

And last, but the proverbial, “not least”, how bout them Niners?