Warm Turtle Eggs

This of course is turtle season, but I spaced out that fact when I walked the beach this morning. It was 6:15 a.m. and the tide was coming in (low tide was at 4:00 a.m.). I was enjoying the morning coolness and hunting for sea beans when I heard a low whistle (not of the bird variety). It was Marciel trying to get my attention. I had just walked by these huge tracks (Leslie & Doug's Villa in the distance) thinking they were tire tracks. He expertly dug up the Olive Ridley turtle eggs and needed a place to put them so they could be carried. He took off his shirt but was wearing only a thin tank. Hummm... I was wearing a double layer stretchy top hidden by my weight vest. So I whipped off my weight vest and top (yes, I was wearing a jog bra) and donated the double layer top to the cause. He dug up 63 eggs which were easily & safely held by the top. I carried the eggs (weighed over 10 pounds) back to the turtle nesting nursery (in front of Marciel's family restaurant) and waited a few minutes for him to return from the rest of his running beach patrol (he found no more nests). The nesting sanctuary that he constructs every year for the turtles is fenced with string designating individual nests. He's on his 7th nest hole. With any luck, the first turtle release will happen by the end of July with my friends Jim, Lora and Forrest are here.

Amazing Connections

It's been exactly 1 month since I wrote the last Blog! Thanks for hanging with me in spite of long transgressions away from Mr. Computer. My iTouch iPod got me by (it still amazes me that I can drive up to a Winlock, WA gift shop, park outside & check/respond to my email). This trip seemed to be all about connections. Highlights were reconnecting with my Lady of the Lake dancing friends (since I was last there in 2004 right before Alaska's worst fire season); seeing Carlette and Larry in their beautiful new house near Rose Lake, Idaho (we worked together in Fairbanks); celebrating July 4 in Kelseyville, CA with my cousins (like Debbie Murphy who I hadn't seen since the 1960's). Yes, that's my official family picture with brother Michael, me, brother Neal & Mom. I'm the one without a beer. By far the weirdest connection occurred when I got Mom on the Horizon flight bound from PDX to Sacramento. As I boarded I belatedly remembered that I forgot Mom's medications. To complicate matters, the woman in the seat just in front of Mom looked deep into my eyes and said, "Elaine... Is that you? What are you doing here?" I recognized her but couldn't figure out the connection. Luckily, she started talking about Panama and I remembered (rather quickly for my age) that it was Amie Zawacki who shares a condo with her dad Ken in my condo development. I last saw Amie in March in Panama. And since Amie and her dad are both doctors (Amie in Portland & Ken in CA), they helped with the proper steps for getting Mom a 2 day supply of meds. My parting connection was a 2-hour cell phone call (this was the first time I had a sore ear from talking on a cell phone) with author Frank Romano who was on tour promoting his book "Storm Over Morocco" (a very good read by the way). Frank & I went to Santa Rosa HS together 40 years ago & will see each other "in the flesh" at the SRHS 40 year reunion on September 26.

Now I'm back to my "normal" fantasy retirement life... leading a bird walk for 10 birders (behind my condo) tomorrow, booking a few kayak adventures for next week, preparing to move into my beach house in a week and sharing Panama in all of her glory with friends from Hawaii starting June 20.