Scented Nectar

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The salty, fresh ocean Beach!

As a child, I had limited experiences of the beach. My family made a trip to Disneyland and Sea World when I was around 6 years of age. A seagull flew overhead and pooped on me. That was my first taste of beach life lol!

My next experience was years later in the Army. I was stationed at Fort Dix, NJ for a short stint, and froze my butt off every morning for PT. It was like ice going through my bones. I wasn't a fan. Fortunately, it got better. After getting out of the Army, my family and I moved to Los Altos, California, right in the heart of Silicon Valley. While the computer industry didn't interest me (at that time, anyway), the lure of a warm sunny beach, nice sand, and few birds flying overhead really piqued my interest. My first visit was to a nearby beach with several other Mom's with kids in tow. We splashed in the chilly water, rolled in the soft sand, poked at the seaweed, and enjoyed the smell of salt, fish, and something intangible...happiness? Freedom? Or maybe just the scent of being a kid again.

My next adventure with a beach was when I decided to take my kids to a beach that had live seals, with docents to guide us. Sounded like the perfect foray into seeing what sea animals look like in their natural habitat. So off we go! I had a 4 year old walking, and a 2 year old in a stroller. We had to traverse a stretch of sand that was cordoned off into a walkway to prevent people from getting too close to the seals. Not an easy task with a stroller, plus I was very pregnant. To top it off, what was that stench? It smelled similar to the numerous diapers I changed daily, but on a much larger scale. What had I gotten us into?

We finally rounded a corner that brought us to our destination.  We saw a large secluded beach area with not only seals, but MASSIVE Sea Lions! Elephant sea lions to be exact. Whew! They were odiferous! About 30 feet away from us was the largest one I had ever seen. We were standing at the edge of the path, staring at it (I was awestruck by its size), and trying to decide if it was alive. My 4 year old astutely said, "Mommy, is it dead?" It wasn't moving, no noticeable breathing, flies covering its face, and it was lying quite a distance away from the other seals. I honestly figured it was no longer living. I was wrong.

After a few moments, I heard the docent yelling at us. I looked up and she was waving at us, saying something. Unfortunately, the wind carried her words away. I just assumed she was trying to get our attention so we'd go over by her. Again, I was wrong. She moved toward us and kept shouting. We kept staring at the massive lump of decaying flesh in front of us. A short while later, I was able to understand the woman. "DON'T stare at them, they consider it to be a form of aggression!!" Say what??!!

At that exact moment, it moved! The decaying non-dead lump of stinky, smelly flesh was now moving - straight toward us! I panicked! How was I supposed to know that? Not only was it moving, but holy cow, it was fast. It did a type of worm like movement, but much faster than I ever expected. I freaked! I grabbed my 4 year old in one arm, and the kid filled stroller in the other arm, and ran away as fast as I could (I'm not very fast, but I had fear on my side). A very inglorious ending to what could have been a fantastic outing.

Despite all that, I still love the ocean, its aroma and sights, the feel of sand and water, the calming effect and the dangers. I just steer clear of the massive blobs.