16 May 2008

improving moods and sea mammals...

The seals seemed happy. I think they might even have been frolicking. 

We sat out on the deck of the beach bar. I had a beer. The others had drinks of more than one ingredient. Mixers, spirits, fruit - that sort of thing. 

I kept it simple. 

I don't always. 

The clouds hung low but the breeze didn't chill. It was mild. The deck heater helped. 

And a little further up the beach, the seals seemed happy. They frolicked. One slid from one pool to the other, slipping into the water with barely a noise. The other posed, flexing on the high wall, aware of us watching. He looked awkward when he changed position, uncomfortable out of water. After he posed he dropped into the water with a belly flop and a tremendous splash. 

We laughed, for a moment, before he shot like a bullet into the other pool, as graceful as his friend. 

Between their escapades we talked in relaxed tones. The banter ranged, but nothing deep. The shallow questions, tame and easy. No urgency, nothing pressing, no weight of the unspoken suspended in the air. No deeper than the seal pools, and just as contained. No need for the wild, just to unwind. We sipped our drinks and decided it would be a quiet one. 

It isn't always. 

They quieted down, their evening play complete. We finished our drinks and wandered out into the still night.  

15 May 2008

501...

This is my 501st post on this blog. And it's a link post. I know that's a bit of a cop out, but that's just the way it is. I'm kind of in a bad mood. Kind of grumpy. And this cheered me up for a bit. So I'm sharing it. 

I hope you enjoy. You should. Aquatic mammals are cool. You have to be Norwegian, Inuit or Japanese not to think so. 

St Andrews sits under a cold, grey duvet today. That's not why I'm grumpy. It's just why I'm not wearing shorts and flip-flops. 

13 May 2008

this morning

The Sox dropped 3 of 4 to Minnesota. 

That's the first thing I knew this morning. I checked on my phone, still in bed. More asleep than awake. The birds out the window chattered against a dull grey backdrop. It was 440. 

I went back to sleep. 

St Andrews is trying desperately to skip Spring and get straight to Summer. Mornings like this don't help. There's a lazy chill thrown to shore by the sea. 

The sun's come out now though. There's a new restaurant around the corner to try. Lunch beckons. 

I'm writing, editing and selling the odd bottle of wine. 

The Sox lost. I can live with that. 

It's a long season, and the better for it.