Friday, May 16, 2008

A Dolphin Day

You know the expression, bluebird, to describe one of those totally gorgeous, blue-sky, sunny days - especially after a snow storm that leaves the slopes oh-so gorgeous? I had the day off on Wednesday and had what can only be described as a dolphin day. I left home early and drove down the coast for my appointment with Kathy and as is my habit after a great haircut and visit with her, I drove to Torrance Beach (which is actually in Redondo) to enjoy the sight, sound, and aroma of the beach where I grew up. (As beautiful and calming as the ocean in Ventura and Santa Barbara is, we have a natural seepage that leaves tar and the smell of tar at the beach - the smell in Redondo and the rest of the South Bay has a sweet ocean scent and the sand is wide and lighter in color.) So the day was just starting to warm up to the first day of a mild heat wave - a high of 76 degrees was predicted - and the surfers, joggers, and strollers were out as usual. There were even a couple of guys out in a kayak and a row boat. I sat and ate breakfast and read my morning devotions on a bench above the beach - what a gorgeous South Bay morning!
Then I noticed the dolphins. It's not unusual to see dolphins in the water, but there were more than usual that day.Actually, the reason I went back to the car to get my camera was the fact some of the dolphins were doing those cool out-of-the-water leaps they do so well. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture any of those leaps on camera so I'll just have to rely on memory to replay those images.So back to what makes dolphin days. All the years I commuted up the coast to work at UCSB, I knew my day was extra good whenever I saw dolphins along the drive. Last Wednesday, I had the day free to do whatever I wanted, so I made a point to pull over and walk on the beach or along the road and saw dolphins in Redondo, Malibu, and just south of Mugu Rock. The weather was perfect, I had the time, and dolphins were fishing and playing where I could see them clearly. A truly dolphin day!