surviving very hot weather/definitely cf-related!

[Guest guest]

Here in the SF Bay Area, we are not much used to heat--until about

September when it last about five days; this has been the hottest sum

mer here since the 1880's, our local newspaper claims. Southern Ca

lifornia is much hotter; it is unusual for heat to last so long here.

So, the other day, my friend and I started out to the coast to the real

ocean, not the bay. Too hot to get there. So we stopped at a small

local inlet off the SF Bay and did what I have done before with other

friends; we swam with the seals. They are very social, rather like

friendly neighborhood dogs--but they are cautious. This is a variety

of seal called " red-headed " for obvious reasons. I was with a friend

of the male persuasion. They pick that up right away; entering the water

with a woman friend does not elicit the re-action we got.

First the bulls come up, scrutinize the human scene, and bark a bit.

Then the mature females come up, do likewise and dive down for

a while. Then, once they have decided that we are not armed for

attack, and just might have a tuna sandwich along, they send the

pups out; the pups are getting bigger now, but are very attracted to

women--never thought of myself as a seal mommy, but before I knew

it, the pups were cuddling up to me--they were under water and I was

walking in it--they swarmed around my entire body, sniffing thoroughly.

They ignored my companion until he brought out the tuna that we had

put in plastic bags--and yes we did recycle the bags! Pretty soon we

had the whole clan around us.

And as has happened many times before, when we finally walked to

ward the beach, at least 200 of them followed, in parallel lines, barking

in protest. One guy asked us if we had been scared! They just did not

want us to go, and we did not want to go, but our stomachs were calling! The

guy we talked to was positively shocked that seals are

so friendly--will surf with one as well, at the ocean!

So, this is one way to keep cool when the heat hits the SF Bay Area--

free, too, save for the cost of the tuna and the bags!

Love to all at my favorite lists,

n Rojas

[Guest guest]

That is so cool, n! (No pun intended. ;-) ) They sound so cute!

)O(

mama to , 2yo, w/CF, and , 4yo, no CF

surviving very hot weather/definitely cf-related!

Here in the SF Bay Area, we are not much used to heat--until about

September when it last about five days; this has been the hottest sum

mer here since the 1880's, our local newspaper claims. Southern Ca

lifornia is much hotter; it is unusual for heat to last so long here.

So, the other day, my friend and I started out to the coast to the real

ocean, not the bay. Too hot to get there. So we stopped at a small

local inlet off the SF Bay and did what I have done before with other

friends; we swam with the seals. They are very social, rather like

friendly neighborhood dogs--but they are cautious. This is a variety

of seal called " red-headed " for obvious reasons. I was with a friend

of the male persuasion. They pick that up right away; entering the

water

with a woman friend does not elicit the re-action we got.

First the bulls come up, scrutinize the human scene, and bark a bit.

Then the mature females come up, do likewise and dive down for

a while. Then, once they have decided that we are not armed for

attack, and just might have a tuna sandwich along, they send the

pups out; the pups are getting bigger now, but are very attracted to

women--never thought of myself as a seal mommy, but before I knew

it, the pups were cuddling up to me--they were under water and I was

walking in it--they swarmed around my entire body, sniffing thoroughly.

They ignored my companion until he brought out the tuna that we had

put in plastic bags--and yes we did recycle the bags! Pretty soon we

had the whole clan around us.

And as has happened many times before, when we finally walked to

ward the beach, at least 200 of them followed, in parallel lines,

barking

in protest. One guy asked us if we had been scared! They just did not

want us to go, and we did not want to go, but our stomachs were calling!

The

guy we talked to was positively shocked that seals are

so friendly--will surf with one as well, at the ocean!

So, this is one way to keep cool when the heat hits the SF Bay Area--

free, too, save for the cost of the tuna and the bags!

Love to all at my favorite lists,

n Rojas