Bacon's Boots Blog: September 2013

Dolphins

Most people I know have a bucket list. An ongoing, ever-changing list of things they've always wanted to do, thought would be cool, goals or hopes. Mine is constantly evolving. I recently took things off the list, added some new ones and (in light of recent events) decided it was time to start marking "DONE" next to a few.

I started with "swim with dolphins".

There are several places in the western US that you can do this. You can pay an insane amount to do it in Vegas. You can fly to Hawaii (ok, twist my arm) or California. I opted for Six Flags in Vallejo, CA. They have an amusement park and animal exhibits there just north of San Francisco.

The plan was to fly into SFO in the early (up at 3, flight at 6) Monday morning, drive, swim, drive and fly out to Vegas that afternoon. The plan was made better by Auntie Lynda joining the fun! She picked me up at the airport, drove us to the park and swam with me. She also may have had dimsum in the car for me. I love her so.

We got there early (because I have excellent driving powers) and sat in front of the classroom (you have to learn before swimming) and talked. It was cloudy and warm and quiet. The park was closed for the week. That made me so happy because we didn't have to hear the rides, deal with the people, or having a parking nightmare.

There was a van that pulled up, the driver got out, looked around and said, "When does the park open?" I said,"Uh, Saturday." He was angry and disappointed and had just driven from Portland to go to the park. Internet, dude, it's there for more than porn these days.

We kept waiting and waiting for the rest of our class to show up. The class size could be as large as 12 people - 4 to a dolphin. It also, apparently, could be as small as 2 people. No one else showed up. It was just me and Auntie Lynda with six dolphins. How cool is that??

We got to learn all about dolphins before we changed into wetsuits and got in the water. How smart they are, how resilient they are, how the are born. What kind of conditions are best for which animal. We got to see a birth video from one of the dolphins named Chelsea, who they call SuperMom. She has had 7 babies there. All boys.

One big hindrance about my wanting to swim with dolphins was my worries about their care and quality of life. Are they happy? Do you have good doctors? Do they have a good life? How do you know?

The trainers were well versed in their responses. (duh) They don't want to anthropomorphize the animals (they have many that live at the park). But the dolphins are not stressed. The marine biologists and trainers that work, play and care for the animals can do tests to see how the animals are doing. They are very expressive, much like humans, and you can tell if they are sad or depressed, angry or nervous.

They are well-fed (fish and jello supplement that they love to help with their hydration) and learn quickly. They live in 6 large pools in families that work best for the individual personalities. All the boys in one location, all the girls in another.

All the dolphins at the park were born in captivity (the current youngest is 7 years). When they get older (the oldest is 34 years), they are retired from the show and the public (two a day max) and get to swim with small groups of (super fantastic) people and show off their skills. They aren't ever put down and live out their lives in the park.

I got the feeling that the animal exhibit and the park were very separate. The money paid for the swimming goes to animal care, not the park. The trainers seemed to really care for the animals. They could tell us their names and personalities just from glancing at them. They knew the little differences in them with ease. It was so cool to see. They were healthy and playful.

This was something I've always wanted to do but even I was surprised by how excited I was. Just walking past the pool to get our wetsuits had me jumping up and down.

I couldn't stop smiling. My face hurt after two hours of grinning because I couldn't stop smiling.

We got to sit in the pool and touch Maddie the dolphin's teeth, her skin, her flippers (do NOT touch them below the waist) and feed her fish. She did tricks and jumped around. We met Chelsea, the SuperMom. She was beautiful and had very kind eyes. We met Bella briefly. She was the youngest and didn't have any manners yet. She hovered around for fish like an awkward party-goer you wish would just join in or leave.

The whole time we were there two photographers followed us around. Pictures of everything.

We were tricked into getting splashed.

Hold on but not too tight.

So, so cool.

Cheese!

There were about 30 pictures of me with various dolphins and I have the same smile in each one. I am so glad I went. It was awesome. I still grin when I think about my day with the dolphins.

9/11

I like to think I know everything. Some days it might even be true. And then there are days that remind me I know nothing. Today is one of those days.

It was a somber drive to work. Not that it’s usually a carnival, but the energy was very quiet today. The radio station I was listening to replayed the audio from this day twelve years ago. You could tell who was listening to the same broadcast. It was the car in front of me who had a green light and didn’t go. It was the driver beside me with the tears. It was the one honking at the man on the corner with the American flag. It was me with the goosebumps and shaking head and still utter disbelief. It was all of us. This day affects. Every. Single. One. Of. Us.

This one day in history is a day everyone in this country remembers. Like we could forget. It’s in the history books. It’s part of us. We remember where we were when we heard. We remember the flight numbers. We remember the images on TV. Every citizen became a little bit more American that day. A little more united. A little stronger, more protective of all we have worked for. Some lost their freedom, their family, faith, and their lives. We can’t forget.

Part of me is proud. Proud that we as a nation rallied around those directly affected. Proud that we came together. Proud that we took a beating and rose from the flames stronger as a whole. Part of me wants to go all Toby Keith and kick some ass. Part of me wants to hide. Twelve years. A dozen years, and I still cry, get angry and terrified all at once.

It was a Tuesday. I was a high school student. I was asleep when my mom came in, urging me to get out of bed and come downstairs. We watched the footage on TV. I remember being bewildered. How could what I was seeing be happening? And it just kept getting worse. One crash, two crash, three, evacuations, airport shutdowns, terrorist attack, death toll. So much information and yet we all knew nothing. We had family on the east coast. No calls were going through. We went to school. We went to work. TV and radios were on in every classroom. The hallways were whispers and tears. There weren’t, and still aren’t, words to describe the feelings of that day. But they are powerful, reverent and everlasting.

Like I said, I don’t know much. I don’t follow politics close enough to have a more specific opinion than “freedom and justice for all”. I don’t know how to save the environment other than the school-taught adage of “reduce, reuse, recycle”. I don’t believe in religion enough to go to church. I do know that day, twelve years ago, changed me, changed us all. Every one of us impermeably and forever.

It always sounds so small in comparison to the jobs you do but, thank you to everyone who served and serves. In any capacity. On any front.

Never forget.

Utah

I have been to Utah a million times. Every summer and several Christmas's it seems, we're in the car headed for Panguitch. It may not have been as many times as all that, but my childhood is in all those miles, meals, people, smells and rocks. So, it was incredibly important to me that Felix experience that place and those people that made it so special. Boy, did he.

Slack House

Felix met Aunt Pat.

And absolutely adores her.

This was the closest he got to Uncle Jerry.

Felix meets (and bowls over) his cousins.

I cannot stop grinning over this picture.

Love you, Great Grandma.

This is the cabinet in the craft room. It makes me happy.

Dad, outside, enjoying the quiet while he can.

What is this "fishing pole" you speak of?

Ben is ready for some noms.

Cuddles with Great-Grandma.

We visited Grandpa.

Dad, I want the hat.

In all my years of going to Utah I never got to go fishing. I was little, I was a girl, I would be in the way. But this year I got to go. I just had to promise to be quiet and keep up. It was great fun. I didn't even want to fish really, just walk along the river and enjoy outside. It was great.

Yeh git that there rodnreel riiight nice like rit therr.

I'm a boy! Grrrr!

Manly men doing manly things. Plus Evan.

My turn!

Ok,ok so I got a little close to the waterfall and found a sinkhole of mud...

Authentic fisherman

This was our lodge. Boy howdy did we freaking LOVE it.

We stayed at the Cottonwood Meadow Lodge. I can't rave about this place enough. Oh man, it was beautiful. There were horses, a dog, cats, chickens, the BEST cookies, friendly staff and excellent views. We will so be back.

Clouds rolling in.

We visited Kodachrome Basin. We have been here before. It still stands out in my mind as one of the most silent places I've ever been. Which is saying a lot since I'm super loud.