Channel Islands :-)

We woke up at some really unhealthy hour of the morning – having to be at the boat at 7.30am and we were a whole 10 minutes away from there. Doglet was going to be left alone for the first time for an extended time and so I packed much of the stuff in unreachable places – all I needed was a laptop wire bitten through. And off we tootled – me still trying to wake up and hope that I did not forget anything. Frank lugged the backpack with our snacks and water in it that seemed to weigh about a ton! We figured that we did not want to get thirsty or hungry, but did not bargain on getting too exhausted to eat..

Of course we got to the docks early, which allowed for a good few reflection photos of the thousands of boats there…and then we boarded, sitting upstairs which was outside, of course and within easy reach of the bows and open ocean. There was a school group on board as well, and it was funny watching the young girls with their flowing hair recreating “The Titanic’ all over again…. The movement of the boat was wonderful and I quickly left our seat and moved to the bows, overlooking the schoolkids below. There were two different stances up there – 1. plant your feet wide apart and loosen the knees and gently sway or, 2. keep you feet together and you get a movement that in a 20 year old would seem enticing, but in a 46year old was either obscene or totally ridiculous. My feet were firmly planted a good wide distance apart as we enjoyed the hour trip to the islands.

We passed a good few ‘common dolphin’ along the way, a cargo ship and saw two oil platforms in the distance….. I love the feel of the wind in my face – the biting cold, the movement and the ability to let a thought blow away with the wind if it was unwanted. Frank came to join me up front after a short while – I really think he is getting to enjoy my insanity these days… Anyway – we gently swayed and bobbed our way past Anacapa Island to Santa Cruz Island and Scorpion landing. The boat does not tie up there, its placed against the jetty and held their by engine power while we all unloaded ourselves very smoothly indeed.

Santa Cruz Island is 22 miles long and a total of 61,972 acres so there was no way that we were going to see it all. We joined in a small group – thankfully the school kids were kept separate from us – and started up the first pathway. At this point, its all so new and different and wonderful that I am surprised at some of the photographs I took. Anyway, up the path we went, at times huffing and puffing and gently cursing my deskjob back home! We should have ridden the bikes more often, we should have walked more often – but hey, now was too late and I needed the breath to climb!

The view from up the top of that hill was stunning! The blue was ……. how other can I describe it than blue- blue. The rocks jutted out, sprouting tops filled with white guano and dotted with honking sea-lion and a gazillion birds. The water up against the island was that awesome blue green that always calls to me on a serious level. Its times like this that I think I was a dolphin in a previous life! After soaking up the views in that one spot we headed off on another path. There were so few people walking around and the school group had stayed at the beach with the kayaks…. lovely peace. At one point two crows were chasing each other around and we could clearly hear the sound of their wings and they glided past us at high speed. We walked along the path that was really close to the cliff edge giving simply wonderful views. I learned really early on to stop before taking a photograph – it would not be a good idea to trip up there at all! Not even a little one! It got hot really quickly and we went through our 5 bottles of water slowly, knowing that we had a good 7 hours on the island. We stopped for snacks, but the jerky seemed to be ‘hot food’, the snacks did not appeal and the chocolate had mostly melted… and we could not dump any of it – so Frank carried it, most of the way. I did take a turn to carry the backpack and after what felt like forever…. Frank took it back. Did I mention that I love that man? Lol.

We walked to Potato Cove soaking up the sun, the breeze that blew in on us and the sunshine and stopping very often to take photos. Potato cove was like a jewell! The water was awesome, there was a little white boat parked in the middle of the cove and it was absolutely perfect. THAT is where we will come after winning the lottery – we will hire a boat and park of there for a week.

That was about the halfway mark and we started back along some other paths where was came across the beach that I had not fully looked at when we first arrived. Coming over the top of that hill and seeing Scorpion Cove dotted with bright yellow kayaks, the small waves crashing onto the stony beach was like being given yet another gift. The enormous rocks in the distance just added to the scenery and got the camera working overtime.

We wound our way down that steep path, my feet yelling to get out of my shoes, by this point. First stop was the restroom at the foot of the path and then to the water…..oooooh did that feel good!

And I started walking down the beach looking at the different color stones, just soaking up the coolth of the water and the heat of the sun on my shoulders. I sent many good wishes for many good people across that ocean and savored the privelidge of being right there. The stones were so many different colors – red, blue, gray, white and everything inbetween…. Beautiful! The beach was not very long and at the end were enormous boulders – yes, I went there. There was a lady with her family and one of the kids kept on finding anemones and sticking his finger into them, wondering if one of them was going to hold him tightly. The look, the innocence on his face was wonderful. And then one of the other kids said that there were sea-lions in a cave over the other side of the rocks……. So yes, off I went, with pink painted toenails and barefeet over those rocks.

It was wonderful clamboring over those boulders – the pools of water each held a secret of their own, a starfish, an anemone, a special shell or stone.. Some of the boulders were covered with mussels and others with what seemed like moss. In the water the kelp/seaweed swirled in enormous round patterns making for some lovely photos, especially with the kayaks gliding gently past adding to the color and beauty of everything.

When we eventually reached the cave, the sea-lions had swum away and were now just out of camera reach, honking loudly at us looking at them in frustration.. Ah well, there were many treasures along the way – there and back.

After sitting on the beach with another couple for a while, it was time to board again and head back to the mainland. Sad but it had been a really long and wonderful day. So we pulled each other up, put our shoes back on and got back on the boat. The tide had dropped about 6 feet which made for a ladder climb down to the deck. We had a really full boat on the way back and both Frank and I had the need to give the bows a skip and just enjoy the view from the top deck while sitting with an ice cold beer in one hand and a doughnut in the other – camera still clicking away, of course!

There were about 5 single men on this trip – and I have to admit to eyeing them, but with you, Wendy, in mind. They all looked kinda “Dr Livingsone”-ish, with the right hats, clothes and even boots. One started talking to himself, even giving the thumbs up sign to himself – he was written off. Another laughed at nothing we could see and kept checking his watch – he joined the first. The third scratched where he should have scratched in private, and that made a perfect trilogy. The fourth stumbled all over the boat, looking as if he was desperately searching for a way off, glancing wildly to the distant shore with a very worried look on his face. I was not even sure that I could put him with the first three… The last one sat next to me, occasionally silently showing me a photograph he had taken, all the while beating himself on the left knee with his fist. Sorry Wendy, we tried.

We were exhausted and stumbled off the boat and back to the bakkie where we drove home in awed and zombie-like silence. My hips and knees were loudly protesting and Frank had similar problems with joints. Doglet was totally hyper when we got home again and desperately needed to be taken for a walk…….Now that was a hobble to remember!

I have the photos up on the internet – just slightly different – now when you go to that link look above where the photos were and you will see three ‘sub folders’ each named differently.. Just makes for less wading through photos already seen.

Tomorrow we are headed to The Forestier Gardens which is in Fresno California…I will take a photo or three, no doubt.

Now time to sleep – we are still trying to deal with the three hours of time difference.

Love and light
Annie