A lovely day at Spinnaker Bay 09-19-08

We drove to Long Beach today to sort the mail and to let Corky take his walk where it wasn't as hot as Placentia - good for his Nanny, also. It was a gorgeous day.

There is almost always something going on in Marine Stadium directly behind Corky's house. Usually water skiers and boats just cruising up and down. However, there are lots of different kinds of boat races when the Stadium is closed to everything but the race. The Drum Boat Races are interesting with big canoe like boats that have a dragon on the prow and are propelled by twelve rowers keeping cadence with the drummer. The cadence increases until I wonder how they can keep up without tangling their oars, but I haven't seen that happen. There are also private events like the Toyota water craft party (employees?) and these private parties are the only time that personal watercraft are allowed. It is all interesting to observe, but I do wish they would turn down the P.A. system!

Today was just a normal day on the water, but on the grassy sidelines there were about 35 guys and 1 gal (at the far right) doing exercises under the instruction of a coach. These are students enrolled in the courses at the rowing club located to the left near the opening of the stadium. Rowing is very popular at California State University - Long Beach, which is about a mile away. This exercise was squatting and jumping up like a frog with arms spread wide. Looks impossible to me.

Here they are resting and listening to the coach who is seated facing them. The gal is again on the far right.

The seasons are definitely changing. Here is my attempt to photograph a jelly in one of the boat basins. Sometimes in the winter there are flocks of them and sometimes only a few. I'm told it depends on the temperature of the ocean and, of course, in the boat basins which are very shallow and warmer than the ocean. The brown pelicans are also back in town.

Back at Camp Del, Corky looks out the window by sitting on a box of unfinished projects - just the right height so he can watch what is going on in the cul de sac across the street.