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A Joyful Noise

california

International Day of the Seal

March 23, 2023 by Melodye Shore Leave a Comment

It’s been a while, but I’m back! And I’ve brought with me a herd of local pinnipeds to help celebrate International Day of the Seal.

According to this PBS Fact Sheet, “There are 33 species of pinnipeds, which are colloquially known as seals.” But it’s no secret that my favorites are the local harbor seals, with whom I’ve become very familiar.

Even as nursing pups, these marine mammals are adorable.

Sure, they look a bit ungainly, but you gotta appreciate their persistence! Here, a yearling seal pup takes a breather in the surf grass, waiting no doubt for an incoming wave to help hoist him to the higher rocks where a raft of friends awaits him. 

Harbor seals have highly developed senses, too–super powers that they use to detect changes in the environment, find food, and distinguish friends from predators. 

That thick layer of blubber? It protects them from the cold. But as you can see, it also creates a cushiony pillow when they haul out on jagged rocks. And as for that fur coat, it’s a leisure suit and a wet suit, all rolled into one.

When they’re in the water, it’s hunting season. But when they’re not foraging for their next meal, these puppy-faced pinnipeds are all about rest. Reproduction, too, but mostly rest. 

Here, for example, our friend Freckles is lifting his head just high enough to taste the sea spray that just awakened him from an afternoon snooze. Wasn’t long before he nodded off again.

There’s lots more I could say, in celebration of the seal. But I’m just now dipping my toe back in the water, so I think I’ll these photos speak for themselves.

One more before I go: A whole party in a single seal. Pretty sure this guy is giving International Day of the Seal his #SealofApproval!

Posted in: Marine Life Tagged: blog, california, harbor seal, International Day of the Seal, laguna beach, Marine Mammals, PBS, photography, Pinniped, seal

The welcome respite of rain

March 12, 2020 by Melodye Shore

Rain’s in the forecast every day this week, spilling over into the next! No big deal in most parts of the country, but it’s a blessing for SoCal residents because it tamps down fears of another drought. Also: Traffic’s lighter, because we sun-lovers don’t venture out as much when it’s wet.

And so it is that I’m curled up in my reading chair, memorized by the percussive sounds of raindrops on our red tile roof. It falls in sheets from the wooly-gray sky, shimmies down my picture window and splashes into my birdbath. My garden is getting a long, deep soaking, and I am filled with a sense of well-being.

It’s as if Mother Nature is sprinkling over all of Creation what we needed most–a quarantine of sorts for world-weary humans, and liquid nourishment for the great outdoors.

Image: “Rain Room” exhibit at LACMA; my silhouette.

Posted in: be still, birdbath, california, weather, writing Tagged: california, coronovirus, drought, LACMA, Rain Room, weather

#WordlessWednesday: A Pollinator’s Paradise

June 6, 2018 by Melodye Shore

pink puffball tree, Pink Melaleuca

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Posted in: #WordlessWednesday, Honey Myrtle, honeybees, Laguna Beach, Pink Melaleuca Tagged: bee, california, Honey Myrtle, honeybee, laguna beach, Melaleuca Nemophila, orange county, pink, Pink Melaleuca, pink puff, pollinator, puff ball tree

Wordless Wednesday: Freckles and Family

October 12, 2016 by Melodye Shore

 

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Posted in: Freckles, Goff Beach, goff cove, goff Island cove, Harbor Seals, joy, Laguna Beach, Photography, Wordless Wednesday Tagged: beach, california, goff island cove, harbor seals, joy, laguna beach, orange county, seals, wordless wednesday

A special kind of magic

September 27, 2016 by Melodye Shore

I arrived at the beach at mid-tide, because that’s when the harbor seals typically hoist themselves on the rocks. Sometimes, I bring my friends. Sometimes I point them out to tourists. But today, at the mid-point of my friend’s chemotherapy treatments, I went alone.

I wanted to talk with the seals privately, as we’ve done in the past. I felt sure they’d pose for my camera, same as before. I’d send videos to my friend, because the sounds of the ocean are soothing. I’d send snapshots of the seals, as well, because they’re a healing balm for her.

But as luck would have it, “my” typically quiet cove was crawling with tourists. Locals, too, who probably skipped out on work to enjoy the sunny, hot weather. They scrambled over the rocks where the seals usually lounge. They splashed in the tide pools, took business calls at the water’s edge, and snapped endless selfies with squirming, screeching kids.

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I didn’t begrudge them the opportunity to visit this lovely hideaway. Of course not. I don’t expect everyone to approach this outdoor sanctuary with the same reverence that I do. But I confess to a bit of selfishness in wishing I were alone on the beach, for at least a little while.  Seemed to me, this was the only way the harbor seals would make their presence known.

“They don’t always hang out here,” said the tide pool docent, whom I’d never seen before, but with whom I’d shared a brief conversation about starfish and, well, seals. “They have the whole ocean at their disposal,” she said, “not just this one beach.”

“Yeah, I get that,” I said, “But I really think they’ll show up. They always seem to know….”

I watched the incoming waves for the next two hours, but they didn’t pop their heads up, much less come ashore.

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The tide began to surge again, and my parking meter was set to expire. I gathered my belongings, reluctantly so, and left my rocky perch. I was still clinging to the notion that the seals were out there in the surf, but that I’d somehow overlooked them.

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I scrambled across the hot sand, toting my belongings toward the staircase. Stopped. Pivoted. Listened to my intuition, and lifted my camera out of its bag.

I scanned the horizon one more time, index finger on the shutter button. Sure enough: In a peaceful cove, not visible to people scrambling over the rocks…in the water, far removed from the madding crowd…I spied a harbor seal floating past, just as happy as could be.

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He showed up for my friend and for me, I truly believe that. Another gift from the sea, carrying a special kind of magic.

Posted in: beach, california, Gifts from the sea, Goff Beach, goff cove, goff Island cove, Harbor Seals, magic, Nature, Orange County California, September Tagged: california, goff island cove, harbor seals, joy, orange county, seals, tourists

What do you see when you look up?

August 18, 2015 by Melodye Shore

Again with the hummingbirds…I know! But hey, I’ve got something really cool to show you.

Look how shiny this little guy’s gorget gets, when he lifts his beak toward the sun! Hot stuff, and if you were an Anna’s female, you’d be all over that.

Male Anna's Hummingbird, flashing his gorget

Male Anna’s Hummingbird, flashing his gorget

And oh, those fancy flight maneuvers! While I was snapping pictures, this guy was dive-bombing a potential mate, as they do. Again and again, he reversed directions– tiny wings whirring at 200 beats per second –like a fighter pilot, but minus any special equipment to help resist the forces of gravity. I’m not sure how irresistible those aerobatic feats proved to that beleaguered female. But if they didn’t hook up, it wasn’t for his lack of trying.

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Absent the magical effects of sunlight, his gorget feathers are black.

 

Day 18 of the #AugustBreak2015 photography challenge. Today’s prompt is looking up.

Posted in: #AugustBreak2015, birds, hummingbirds, joy, Nature, Photography Tagged: Anna's hummingbird, california, gorget, hummingbird, iridescent feathers, joy, looking up, orange county

A Sea of Numbers

August 4, 2015 by Melodye Shore

Day 4 of Susannah Conway’s #AugustBreak2015 photography challenge. The word of the day is numbers.

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A sea of numbers, under the lifeguard stand

How do you translate numbers into real-life experiences? I snapped a few pictures, to help sum things up.

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Paddle boarders venture into the waves, beyond the reach of the rip currents.

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A friendly dragon with a birds-eye view.

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Family fun–not a cell phone in sight!

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A singular tribute, left untouched

 

Posted in: #AugustBreak2015, california, Photography, writing Tagged: AugustBreak2015, beach, california, joy, laguna beach, numbers, orange county, photography, salt creek beach

California: the stuff of legends

December 3, 2011 by Melodye Shore

Image credit: California GenWeb
 painted a detailed portrait of life in Colorado, and drew a colorful picture of  what it means to live in Idaho. I'm taking my cue from them in posting these "facts" about California(ns).

Disclaimers: I wrote (or updated) some of these; others, I pulled from Google. I'll leave it to you to figure out which illustrations are true to form, and which are slightly (okay, largely) exaggerated. 

You know you're a Californian if:

You make over $300,000/year and still can’t afford a house.

Your child’s teacher has purple hair and a tattooed lotus flower on her left bicep.

A really great parking space can totally move you to tears.

Gas costs $1.00 more per gallon here than anywhere else in the U.S.
.
That guy at Starbucks who looks like George Clooney? He really IS George Clooney.

Whether it’s a downpour or a light drizzle, every TV station leads with the same breaking news: STORM WATCH! Film at 11.

You can offer proof for this equation: Disneyland > Disneyworld.

You're acutely aware of the fact that SoCal =/= NorCal.

Both your neighbor AND her dog have therapists, psychics, spa treatments, and personal trainers.

Rush hour’s so bad that your GPS sometimes asks if you want to switch to “Pedestrian” mode.

You roll up next to a Bentley and don’t even notice.

In winter months, you can sunbathe at the beach, ski at Big Bear, wear flip-flops to the market and Uggs to dinner…all on the same day.

You can enjoy different ethnic cuisines at every meal.

Calling your colleagues requires knowing their area code.

You classify new people by their area code. A “949” would never date a “909,” for instance, and so on.

You know what’s meant by these phrases: “Sig Alert,” “The Orange Curtain,” and “The Five.”

You eat organic produce, but you can’t remember the last time a refined carb touched your lips.

Okay, now it's your turn…

Posted in: Uncategorized Tagged: california

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