Dolphins

Well, it’s over and done with. Another great event with my hyper-functional family. We enjoyed a glorious day at Manresa Beach (just South of Santa Cruz). Kites. Boomerangs. Frisbee. Surfing. Boogie-boarding. Skim boarding. My youngest son Sudi dug a hole to China and then his little nephew Ben (age 6) spent hours jumping into it and subsequently trying to climb out. Sudi enjoyed pretending he was walking along the beach, didn’t see the hole, and then falling right in, disappearing. Akili managed to get my frog kite aloft. I rented wet suits for my niece and nephews so they could play all day and not get cold. Everyone in the family it seems remarked to me, “Wow, you got their sizes just right.” Yeah, of course, because I had my sister-in-law email me their sizes beforehand! The highlight of the day at the beach was a visitation by a large school of dolphins. They came so close in by the shore that Sudi could practically reach out and touch them. My nephew age 11 saw the fins and freaked—he thought they were sharks at first. But then he realized that no one was fleeing and he relaxed, looked again, and squealed with glee to discover he was surrounded by dolphins. They jumped out of the water and played with each other and wove between the human swimmers for a long time, easily more than an hour. They seemed to be showing off. Ron snapped a terrific photo of a couple of them in the surf (right near the shore) and you can see their faces and their bemused smiles. It was one of the most extraordinary beach experiences I have ever had and I was delighted to share it with my family.