It is really fun to live by the beach. Jenni and Dustin came down and spent Nov 20-22 with us; really, they were just missing the beach because they lived on it for 2 years in Costa Rica, but we were more than happy to fill their beach void and enjoy their company. We spent Saturday at the beach during the lowest of low tides. There were scour holes in the sand because the water was so low; one minute you could be walking on solid sand, the next you could be up to your knees in salt water. I have never seen such a low tide before; it was pretty cool. Cute Jenni is also about ready to pop as you might have noticed. Her baby is due on December 21, and I can't wait to meet the newest member of the family.
It is critical that I mention that a couple of weeks ago I saw dolphins (at least 4, maybe more) at this same beach, swimming just offshore. Since I was there for a run anyway, I chased them about a mile down the shore before they finally headed off to deeper water. I was obviously the newbie on the beach because as I pointed them out to everybody that I passed nobody seemed to really share my excitement. I got a couple of acknowledgments, a couple of strange looks, and one little boy that sprinted in the opposite direction as fast as he could; really though, I lived in Hawaii for 4 months and never saw dolphins nearly so close to shore. I was surprised that the water they were swimming in was even deep enough for them. It was so amazing; I love dolphins.
A couple of weeks ago, my new neighbor Jenna invited me over to her house, and we made about 3000 of the most beautiful Christmas cookies you could possibly imagine. I want to do everything Christmas that I possibly can, because I feel like the holidays are just going to sneak away from me this year; I keep waiting for the leaves to change, for snow to fall, . . . (people tell me that it's happening elsewhere . . . I'll believe it when I see it :-)
We also had a bonfire on the beach . . .we roasted brats (Joe doesn't believe in eating hot dogs) and marshmallows. It was so nice and relaxing; we have been so lucky to meet so many nice and fun people in the time that we have been here in Santa Monica.
I still don't have a job, so on the days that I lose motivation to perfect resumes and cover letters (this happens a lot), I end up with a lot more free time than I am used to. One day I decided to ride my bike on this little path that runs along the beach. I rode until the path ended before finally turning around to ride home. I took a few pictures along the way, so I thought that I would include them. It was another beautiful Southern Cali type of day.
Okay; here is the last thing that I will mention for this post. Joe and I attended an educational volunteer opportunity on Back Bay in Newport. The Department of Fish and Game taught us about the health of the local ecosystem; then we helped them with a few basic studies that they perform weekly in the bay. We evaluated the mud critters, water salinity, fish count, measurements, and type, etc. It was very interesting and informative (although I still have no more scientific name for critters that live in the mud). I really enjoyed it because I don't really know anything about coastal ecosystems; it was really good to learn more about the world that now surrounds me.
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