by Larry McNerney

Created on: August 01, 2010

I drove up the hill, equipped with the Starbuck's $50 gift certificate given to Lynnette and purchased her triple vente, non-fat cappuccino, and my grande decaf Americano.  Drove on down the hill and dropped off my lady's coffee and said howdy and tata.   Down the block, around that corner, and then off to the right, and parked facing the ocean and the Pacifica fishing pier.  Drank my coffee, with relish (not the condiment, but just the attitude) and looked at the cross word puzzle.  Filled in a few, guessed a couple and then looked out to sea.

   I noticed the shoreline and man's puny attempt to hold back the wild surf that causes the cliffs to fall and noticed, again, that the rock wall is small and insufficient.  The cat tractor I have seen moving the rocks around, and the crane up the hill, high up above the sea is now gone back to the shop.  The crane had delivered the rocks from the trucks to the sand below and then the cat tractor scurried around and the rock wall was in place and still the waves crash, onto, and over the rocks. There will be more of the cliff that falls as land and nature play out the endless battle that began before there were any animals to watch.

   As I sat, looking out to sea there came the water spout and I started to smile.  I kept looking, not daring to take my eyes from the spot and again it came.  From Moby Dick the thoughts came "thar she blows", and the smile spread from ear to ear.  What I assume was one whale spouted about eight times before I raised the coffee cup to my lips, and of course, lost the spot.    We have read in the papers about the large group of whales out at the Farallones, and we see the islands from the ride along the shore.  The whale watching season around here has been such a large boon to me.

  Last year was my year and I saw several sights on days like today.  I saw two or three of the behemoths breach and flop back down.  I harken back to the Alaskan cruise and I remember the orcas, and the humpbacks, and the pilot fish (dolphins or porpoise) and I smile hugely.    Today is 2010's first sighting for me and I can't wait for the next one.  I think I saw a fin splash, but he was too far off the coast to really know.  Maybe I visualized what I saw last year and my eyes played a trick on me.  The spouts are proof positive and I will look for them again.

   We will continue to have bulldozers and cranes and still that apartment complex is unoccupied.  I think there should come a time where one says, "ok, you damn ocean, forget about it"-you win.  Then the tractors will be moving on in their quest at fulfillment, and satisfaction at another location.  This coast is lost, the tide will be back tomorrow morning, and there will be the high and the low and the neap of it.    Nature is a powerful thing, and we are but small.   Have a great day, and may the whales be around your neighborhood in the future.  They are fun to look for, and to find.  

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