Circle of Life

Sunshine is here, well at least for the few remaining days of summer, but I'll take it! As a regular festival goer - be it from Art to Wine and everything in between, I have been to my fair share (no pun intended). However, this past weekend I went for the first time ever, to a little known festival out at the coast. It might have been my first time but it was the 14th annual Seafood and Wine festival in Bodega, CA. I must say, the drive out was beautiful, despite the road kill (hence the "Circle of Life" title to this posting). The festival was quaint, parking free (OMG!) and the food was one on the best festival experiences I have had! Cedar plank Salmon on Cesar salad to name just one of the many good eats - yummy. Quoting the movie "Madagascar" - "Well, who would have known, the kitty likes the fishy" - MEOW :)
Moving on, the music was superior, and the local beer & wine vendors doing tastings was uniquely fun. The art was incredible of course, but most surprising, it was affordable. Love that! Coming off this good vibe and not wanting to go home, we decided to drive the long way, by the coast, stopping off to pick wild, fresh blackberries. This was so much fun, even if I did stain almost every piece of clothing I was wearing, and my fingers are still dyed purple from the picking! I am such a gleaner, especially when it comes to fruit. Hey, if your tree is hanging over your fence - it's fair game people.
Continuing on it only seemed fitting to stop in at Stinson and go to the beach. Putting my toes into the crisp, awakening cool waters of the pacific, and if you live here you know I mean freezing, just cleanses my soul. For a Kat, I really love the water. Just call me the kitty fish. Back on subject, while standing in the ankle deep water, soaking up the sunshine, I noticed a fin, then a body, then wasn't really sure what I was seeing..... Could be a shark, Stinson beach is best known for attacks, but could be a baby dolphin, still, it didn't really matter because it was not moving. Well, not moving on it's own accord. As the waves pushed it closer to shore and me, I discovered with great sadness, it was a dead baby dolphin. Amazingly, just then, I saw beach patrol rolling up the sand. I tried to flag him down, he was moving as fast as a turtle, and I don't mean a sea turtle, I mean the ultra slow land one. When he finally approached, he didn't care about the dead little dolphin, he just wanted me and everyone else out of the water! Their had been a shark sighting and the beach was closed (well you couldn't go in the water). Brian had to go pull the baby dolphin out of the water because he wanted the Marin Mammal Society to come take a look at it. What was really amazing though, was the number of people who came over, asked us questions (like we would know anything), poked at it, then took pictures next to it. One guy even put his foot on top of it and flexed his arms! Who does that? and why would you be proud of a dead baby dolphin! - people can be sick some times.
By the way, along with the awesome weather and predicted highs at the coast this week, they have closed Stinson Beach due to shark activity! O, the irony! What do they or people expect? Sharks are present at Stinson almost all year long. It's like, one of the biggest habitats. Circle of life people.