Sunday, July 20, 2008

San Simeon and Points North





The male Sea Lions were all along the beaches.  Some sparing, some lazing.  Queen our Golden Retriever went down this very steep cliff, when she had run ahead of me, because she was hot and wanted to get into the water.  It was a moment of panic for both of us, when she was unable to make it back up to the top.  She was off leash and I was imagining a rescue by the Rangers, and the ticket, and the lecture from my husband.  I hiked along the edge looking for a way for her to get up and she followed in the water and over the rocks and then back in the water, until she ran into a steep rock ridge that ran into the sea.  She turned around and swam back in the direction she came from. Oh, did I mention that it was high tide?  She was out of my view for about 100 feet. By the time I got back to the trail I could see she was struggling to climb the ledge.  I was praying and planning to lay on my belly and hang over the edge and grab her forequarters, but she weighs 100 pounds, and a vision of me going over the cliff stopped that thought.  Queen kept trying and finally she made it up and over.  I grabbed her collar and we hiked back to the truck.  Prayer works.  
We left 110+ degree weather and traveled to the Coast-Pacific, three hours from home, when we are pulling the trailer.  The weather was divine, but the on the last night I had to throw an extra blanket on me.   I am not complaining.  We met some very nice Canadians from Quebec and yes they spoke very little English, but my limited French helped in diagnosing one of their daughter's rash as being Poison Oak.  I gave them a bunch of zucchini and tomatoes from my garden.  They said it was too much, and I told them that all Americans are very generous and not to give it a thought.  Their plan is to spend all of their 5 week vacation on this side of the border, because the gasoline on the Canada side is more than $6.00/gallon. She doesn't knit.  I went to the LYS in Cambria.  They have the most gorgeous Mohair yarn, and no I didn't buy any.    

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