This time, we left on Friday afternoon. After way too much traffic, we finally pulled in, got the key to the boat, and headed straight to Filippi’s. Here’s a photo of the cool wine glasses…

The glasses hold roughly 4 ounces.

The glasses hold roughly 4 ounces.

After pizza and salad and wine, we headed to the boat and collapsed. No, we hung out on deck for a bit, and THEN collapsed, lol.

Where we collapsed. No, we didn't leave it wide open all night.

Where we collapsed. No, we didn’t leave it wide open all night.

The next morning, the hubs had work to do on the boat and I went to see my dad. We had a lovely time, sitting and talking and picking lemons and tomatoes and just in general enjoying each other’s company. He’s feeling MUCH better – had a lung x-ray on Friday to make sure the pneumonia is all gone. We talked, laughed, had lunch together, and I fixed his signature lines on his email. Then he seemed tired, so I went to Starcrafts to spend time with Teresa and her sis, Donna. Spent a couple hours there (and had to buy stuff, seriously that shop is FUN) and had some time with Teresa that kind of blew my mind. She’s a spirit medium, you see, and – well, I’ll keep it to myself. But if you ever need to see a spirit medium, I highly recommend her.

So, I finally get back to the boat, change clothes and head up top with a small glass of wine. I hear such a ruckus that Tom passes me my camera, and I spend the next – gee, almost an hour – taking photos. Here’s why…

This guy was cleaning fish. Then tossing the offal into the water.

The guys on this boat caught 13 yellowtail. BIG fish.

The guys on this boat caught 13 yellowtail. BIG fish.

The seagulls caught on…

Seagulls fighting over a slab of mostly yellowtail tuna skin with a bit of flesh on it.

Seagulls fighting over a slab of mostly yellowtail tuna skin with a bit of flesh on it.

And then another player came into the game.

The seal takes charge.

The seal takes charge.

The seal would grab the slab of fish and dive with it. The birds would mill around for a bit, and without warning the seal would come up and fling it a good ten feet away – the birds would swarm, grab it, tear it, and the seal would come up from underneath them and scare them away – which enabled him to bring it up and fling it again. Was he playing with the seagulls? It certainly looked that way!

Until a no-nonsense bird landed, and decided to take over at the source.

The boss flew in to make sure he was doing it right.

The boss flew in to make sure he was doing it right.

Needless to say, this bird got his food.

Taking it from the seal...

Taking it from the seal…

Then it became a free-for-all, with the birds and the seal playing catch (or was that hide n’ seek?) – fun stuff!

Playing hide n' seek...

Playing hide n’ seek…

But the seal tended to win…

The seal won this round...until he flung this piece of fish to the birds.

The seal won this round…until he flung this piece of fish to the birds.

…unless the pelican did.

Pelican for the win! The seal did NOT get this piece of fish back.

Pelican for the win! The seal did NOT get this piece of fish back.

So I basked in the frolicking of nature (with a helping hand from man, flinging yellowtail into the water) and took over 400 photos. I was also lucky enough to get splashed by the seal! Or maybe it was another seal…there were two there, by the end of the evening. My guess is the seal had hidden some fish bits down toward the bottom, where the seabirds would not go.

All in all, it was a wonderful ending to an amazingly emotional day. Here’s another cool photo…

Dinosaur? Or...

Dinosaur? Or…

Tom and I ate, and drank wine, and at the end of our day, we were greeted with this lovely creature. Luckily we had the camera with us, which is NOT normal…

The Great Blue Heron. They like to haunt the piers around Shelter Cove Marina - there are four or five of them who are there before full sunrise, and always after sunset.

The Great Blue Heron. They like to haunt the piers around Shelter Cove Marina – there are four or five of them who are there before full sunrise, and always after sunset.

So even though the drive back took us almost as long as the drive there, I feel refreshed. I needed this break, and thanks to our lovely friend and my lovely husband, I got it.

May you take a break in your daily routine when you really need it. And maybe when you don’t. Sending love and hugs out to the Universe! What an amazing planet we live on!

~oOo~