Sea Lion, Elk, and Oreo Cookie Cows

[kdmac]

Was going stir-crazy today so jumped in the truck and went down to the boat launch; always fun to see that for every boat launched there is an owner that has his very own unique way of launching or retrieving it...I find it very entertaining. Anyway, I immediately saw a sea lion laying precariously up against a jetty rock. Sea lions don't like being around people and generally congregate off shore on large rocks past the surf...rarely sleep or rest inside at a boat launch filled with people and dogs. I figured it must be ill or injured....finally the incoming tide covered it's back so it decided to leave that rock. I noticed it floated with its hind-end up in the air...not the norm.

I watched the wayward sealion and the boaters for 40 minutes or so then drove a couple miles to my favorite view pulloff and watched the crashing waves, violently exploding on the rocks off shore...so much power. I noticed the sea lions out there just lay around with all that crashing and white waves and spray flying a hundred feet in the air means nothing to them, they are calm and at peace...we'd be going in to shock if we were out there. ON the cliffs above the sealions I saw my two resident eagles then I saw another pair ...they have nests on the cliffs and were actually sitting on them, either thay had eggs or were just hanging out there. Did that for an hour or so.

Then off in another direction...Went around a curve and in my "always check for elk but never see them field" were eight nervous elk, there's so much undeveloped country here that they don't see people too often like other herds do. Then off to travel my favorite little river road for the last time...I even spoke to the road as I drove down it telling it, "I will be leaving and will never see your beautiful scenery again..." I've gone insane. But at the end of the road there in a pasture were the rarely seen Oreo-cookie bovine. I remember the first time a I saw a pasture full of these in Washington my jaw just dropped, they are all colored the same way. They do call them Oreo cookie cows, of course, they have a real name that I didn't bother to look up before I typed this.

Then back full circle to the boat launch to see if the wayward sealion was still there and sure enough, he was lurking below the dock. A boat pulls up with a little short-hair terrier and it was a close call. That little dog jumped out of the boat, onto the dock and that sea lion sumped right up out of the water onto the dock barking and yelling with the huge voice echoing off the nearby jetty, that little dog holding its own and barking right back...the dog owner slapped the sea lion with the rope in his hands and the sea lion howled and jumped back in the water....it came up on the other side of the dock and lunged toward the man on the dock, he swung the rope at it again....Wow, it was so fascinating to watch...that sea lion was huge, much bigger than the man. The sheriff was out in his boat and saw the activity and came in to clear the dock...I didn't stick around to see what I knew was going to happen. Wish I could have gotten photos of all that. Saw my first swallows today. They arrive in March but I have been hunkered down...I always love the first sighting. They are a favorite of mine...they dart and manuever in flight like no other bird...and seem so sweet.

[Liz]

Sounds like a fun day. Thanks for sharing.

[AlmostThere]

Glad you got out and about today. Thanks for taking us long.
Were having crazy weather here. The thermometer on the backyard fence didn't get past 40! At one point the rain had big snowflakes in it! So much for yesterday's tease of warmth!

I wonder what did happen to the sea lion? Poor thing.

[cpatinjones]

A great way to spend the day!

[khenrie]

oooohhhhh, made me homesick for the coast. Sounds like my kind of day!