Dancing in the Moonlight

*Internet Update - I still don't have it at my house but someone left theirs unlocked. I'll be using it until they get smarter. Fingers crossed.*

I have tons to write about. My first day at work. Finding the right bus. Getting caught in the rain. Losing my keys. Pax rolling in mud. Lunch with co-workers. Bus rides in general. Video chats with Peter and no sound. I promise I'm going to get to all that soon now that I am back on the grid. We all (all 7 of us) know that I'm at my funniest and best when the story has just happened. This blog post is fielding a request - ELEPHANT SEALS.

During the last leg of my cross country journey, mom was gracious enough to join for the loads of fun that is the Pacific Coast Highway. Seriously, it is beautiful and we saw some great vistas. Plus, we had a most awesome lunch on the beach after having played with Pax in the surf for hours. No need to mention that I also dropped my keys in the sand and left the car unlocked. Luckily we (mom) captured the keys from a beach comber who picked them up earlier. I'm pretty sure she wanted to keep them. What she thought she was doing to do with keys to an old Honda is a mystery to me. After that ordeal mom and I treated ourselves to some whiskey sours. We earned them.

But I digress. After 7 hours on Highway 1 mom decides to pull over in what I think is an attempt to view a sunset possible as good as the ones appearing overher beloved Pensacola Beach. My impatient self is begging her (in my inside my brain voice) to please keep going. We have at least 20 minutes until the sunsets. Reluctantly I get out of the car as the man next to me says "You HAVE TO go see them! It's unreal!". I have no idea what this man is talking about. Californians are crazy - you gotta be careful out here. I put on a layer and jump out. Then jump back in to put on another layer, grab my camera and yell "okay"! Hoards of people are staring out at the ocean. We get closer and hear ridiculous moaning sounds. Lo and behold. . . . .

Elephant Seals

Because she is a seasoned road-tripper mom had been reading the signs for the seal viewing and it was well worth the stop. There were at least a hundred of them. Moms, Dads and Pups. Feeding, playing, throwing sand on top of themselves and each other. And check out that trunk on the one headed into the ocean!

There were a few activities that took me by surprise. A momma seal left her young pup all alone while a charging giant male headed straight for it. A bunch of them were using their flippers to toss sand on their backs. Some would move as quickly as they could (actually pretty fast) and then sink into what appeared to be a coma. Still, other activities appeared a little rough - like they were fighting. And why is that male all up on the female while she's trying to feed her pup. I turned to mom and said "what do you think they are doing?"

That look wasn't telling me anything. Since I am a Dalton I am also familiar with the numerous things you can learn on a road side sign. For instance, that's how I learned to run crooked when being chased by an aligator (Bike through the Everglades). It's how I learned The Moss Lady was just typical Florida Spanish Moss (Indian Princess Campout) and that dear old fred died when a rock fell on his head (Walt Disney World).

So I found the sign.

Ohhhhhhhhh. Riiiiiiiiight. Got it.

Until next time; just trying to keep my head above the fog.