Long Walks on the Beach, Etc.

Today, I took the doggles for a scamper down the beach at Kennedy Bay.

kennedy bay

Dogs are so "in the moment."  Evie and Ninya chase seagulls like every seagull is a demon that will end the world.  No matter how many seagulls they have already tormented, as soon as any bird comes within barking range, they explode down the beach with the speed of a rocket entering the stratosphere as if they've never seen a seagull before.  At one point, Ninya found a half-rotten fish head.  Nothing I could do--including grabbing her muzzle and trying to extract the gooey fish bits from between her clenched jaws--would persuade her to leave the fish head alone.  In her mind, she and the fish head had become one...  and I was standing in the way of her realization of reality!

dogs with wings on their feet

I was surprised by the variety of critter remains I found while walking on the beach.  Puffer fish...  starfish (or whatever the seven-legged version is called)...  shells...  things I couldn't identify...  I don't remember ever seeing diversity like that on the Jersey Shore.  Sorry, JerZ friends.  :-P  (And I think our beaches here are cleaner, too!)

Also, today I made three loaves of bread:  one whole wheat loaf with poppyseed; one whole wheat loaf with currants and mixed spices (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves); and one whole wheat and rye loaf with mixed herbs (celery seed, coriander seed, mustard seed, and dill).  It was the first time I've done three loaves in a day, and they all turned out well.  I'll be a baker by the time I leave New Zealand!

Guess I don't have much to say, but I did want an excuse to share some hopeful news:  next week, I'm looking forward to rock climbing.  It's been months since I've climbed anything, and...  my heavens...  it might be a year since I've climbed on real rock.  Is that even possible?!