"The wind against my face and hair,
The sun against the skin I wear,
To feel its rays so bold and bright,
I know that now my life is right..."
- Alethea Dalton
“Please come by our shop 30 minutes prior to
your tour…like a flight if you’re too late you will miss your tour.”
We got there early for two reasons, one
because of the preceding notice received in the email and because there was no
place to park by the tour shop…this meant we would need to cruise the
neighborhoods to find a place for the car.
Not
always what you think…
It’s sometimes funny when two people having a
conversation both think they understand each other, but in fact do not.
It began with a call with my wife, while I
was traveling on business a couple of months ago. We knew our niece Mariah would be coming for
a visit at the end of her exams in December, and Molly wondered whether she
(Mariah) and I might like to go on a whale watching tour.
After moving to San Diego, we had done this
on a tour boat. It took us 13 miles
(24km) off shore to see some Blue Whales migrating north from Mexico to the
Northern Pacific feeding grounds. On
that trip, the water had been a little rough and Molly got a bit seasick…so, it
seemed reasonable she would pass on this adventure.
I said, “Sure, that would be fun,” and the deal
was made. As happens from time to time,
I did not hear all of the words. Somehow
the word ‘kayak’ didn’t register, and as the date approached I realized this
would not be a tour boat, but kayaks heading out from the coastal shoreline of
La Jolla (La Hoya) about 20 miles (32km) north of our home in San Diego.
Kayak – WHAT??!!
Early
training…
As a youngster, I spent my summers on lakes
in the Muskoka region of Central Ontario, Canada. My mother had been a camp counselor for many
years before marrying my father. She made
sure her children learned to love the water, but also have a healthy respect
for its potential dangers. We had to
swim certain distances before we were permitted in boats, and further distances
before getting in boats alone. Water
play brought great fun, but there were rules.
Canoes and rowboats were part and parcel of
our summer lives. We had a motorboat and
some water skis, but my favorite was always the canoe. A canoe on flat-water lakes can be magical…kayaks
on the ocean – uh, I had no idea!
A
little preparation…
Not wanting to appear completely uninformed,
it seemed reasonable to take a kayaking lesson before the event. So about three weeks prior, I headed to a
local kayak shop, got into a wetsuit; then spent two hours learning paddle
strokes and how to get back in the kayak if for some reason I fell out.
The instructor was great and the lesson
turned out to be much more fun than expected.
In fact, aside from a paddle with blades on both ends of the shaft, and
a little less stability than a canoe, things seemed pretty natural…well, that
would be until I slipped into the water to practice getting back in the kayak. I’ve
lived in San Diego a few years, come here for decades, and been in a number of
oceans on this planet, but this was my first time in California coastal waters. In
case you have any misconception, the waters of the Southern California coast are
ICE COLD! Point of fact, they are in the
high 50s (14-15C)…they just feel
freezing!
Named
for the wind…
Mariah flew in for her break and when the 'kayak day' arrived we dutifully got an early start so that we could find parking and not ‘…miss the plane...’ In the winter, Gray Whales come within a mile or so of the coastline as they migrate south to their warm water spawning grounds on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. This meant we would only need to paddle a mile or so out to be in their path. In the summer, boats take the kayaks a fair distance offshore for the Blues heading north. In the winter, for the Grays this would not be necessary.
We been great friends pretty much all of
her life. In 25 of those 28 years, I
don’t remember having to carry a conversation even once. We have one of those connections that don’t
lend themselves to an easy explanation…just a familiar comfort and easy talk.
When she was young, we were around each
other all the time. I would occasionally
take her with me on a business trip and we would try to do something special
together. In some ways, I took those
occasions for granted, and then before I knew it, she grew up and wasn’t around
as much. It wasn’t planned…just the
process of life – we moved away; she went on to university and graduate school
and work and now medical school, and well, our time together less frequent…in
truth I covet every minute.
Our relationship has few barriers, our
sense of humor is similar…many of our interests follow similar paths, and where
they don’t, we find ways to share our points of view. While I have been, for many years, the older
one with the broader life experience, her life pathway is on a rapid course and
I am often amazed at the things she knows and what she teaches me.
In recent years with the events in her
mother’s life and the rigors of medical school, her load has been remarkably
heavy. Coming to Southern California for
a few days would help recharge her batteries, AND Molly and I are great at
‘…love bombing…’
False
start…
We got to the shop, slipped into our
wetsuits, and headed to the beach with the other six hearty souls. It turned out the weather did not cooperate, the
water was not safe and the adventure was cancelled. We crossed our fingers and decided to return
the following day.
The next day was perfect…all hands on deck
– well, at least two souls in a kayak – the adventure was on!
The kayaking took place on the La Jolla
Ecological Reserve. While we were on top
of the water, underneath is nearly 6,000 acres (2,428 hectares) of an underwater marine reserve
with kelp beds and underwater canyons between 600 and 1000 feet (183 and 305m)
deep. Reefs keep the water relatively
calm, and chillier winter temperatures bring dolphins and other sea life closer
to shore. It is also the reason whales
come so close to shore in the winter, and the reason we had come!
In the first instance, we did not see any
whales. Having said that, there wasn’t
much else we did not. A nearby school of
dolphin entertained us. They had a baby
with them and our guide explained the pod would be careful to protect it from
anything potentially harmful…even us!
There were leopard sharks beneath, sea lions and seals in the water and
along the shores.
Hundreds and hundreds of Cormorants (birds)
nested along the cliffs. They flew
toward the sheer vertical walls at break-neck speeds, like an aircraft on final
approach to the runway. At the last
minute they would flare up and land on what appeared to be a tiny perch where
they had built their nests. It seemed a
miracle they could find their address!
After two hours, we headed back to shore
and to see whether we could get through the surf without capsizing. Mariah and I caught a wave just right and
made it to the beach still inside the kayak – Success!
The
music has to end…
In three days, Mariah’s break will have had
its run and we will put her “…on a jet plane…” back to the snow and chill of
Mid-Missouri. In three days, the magic
of our time together will be done. In three
days, once on the flight, we will long for her return.
There are discussions about a fourth year
rotation out here and a possible residency as well…yet we know her life is moving
forward to the calling for which she was born, and while we are tightly
connected, ultimately our times together will be fewer.
“Time!” In life, other than love, what could
be more precious?
There is little doubt - in life and love, every moment counts!
- ted
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