I was going to say that today was a total rest day, but in reality I guess every day for me is pretty much a rest day. I don’t suppose I’m getting a lot of sympathy for my harrowing schedule. Today, I actually stayed in camp all day, even (gasp) making my own meals. The wind stayed calm and the weather was a perfect eighty degrees. Every so often, I’d feel the need to jump in the ocean and refresh myself with a few body surfed little waves.

After a late breakfast, I took the paddle board out to get a closer look at the sailboats resting in the bay. I did a loop around the north side of the shoreline with its colorful houses and pelican covered boats in the marina. The sailors on the bigger vessel were diving off of the back and swimming in the warm Pacific waters. I caught a short surf in on a little wave and resumed my position under the shade of the awning reading ‘The Hummingbird’s Daughter’.

As I was idly scanning the horizon, I saw the telltale spouting of a whale far out to sea. It looked to be a mother and a calf slowly making their way north. I watched until they disappeared trying to get a decent photo but it was much too far to really focus in on the action.

None of the small mini-supers in town had any ground beef to make Cali’s birthday meatcake, so I put together a mash of ham, cheese, and barbecue chicken. According to her official Baja Animal Sanctuary adoption certificate from July 2004, she was six months old on the tenth, so dating back that makes this her sixteenth birthday! Happy Birthday, my sweet companion 🎂. After a chorus of Las Mananitas, Cali blew out her candle and seemed to really enjoy her treat.

Blowing out her candle

Then it was back to more reading, swimming and lounging until the ritual gathering at the beach to watch the golden sunset. I walked down to the far south end of the beach to get a different perspective. The air was calm and the little noseeums were glad to be able to fly unimpeded. Cali and I fired up our little fan and relaxed inside for the evening.