Tide Pools

A couple weeks ago citizens of planet Earth enjoyed the effects of a perigee moon including exceptionally low tides ideal for viewing critters in intertidal zones. Cabrillo National Monument boasts some of the best tide pools in the San Diego area so, as one can imagine, parking close to the tide pools was challenging. Josie pointed out wildflowers along the way.

Josie follows the "Take only pictures, Leave only footprints" mantra; the flower in her hand is from home.

Josie delighted in the fauna of the low tide zone including hermit crabs (which she called sea shells), sea stars, barnacles, and one fat sea hare. Her favorite organism was for sure the sea anemones ("nemmies") once Mama showed her how they scrunch up and squirt water if you poke them gently.

"Nemmies! Noner one, nemmies!"

After huffing and puffing all the way back up the cliff to the car (or maybe that was just Mama huffing), the family stopped to rehydrate on the way back home. Josie favored only the creme portion of her hot chocolate.

"More!"

JP and Annie went back to Cabrillo with Josie the next day hoping that the predicted high winds and rain would ward off feebler naturalists. The weather certainly had the desired effects, but would it be too harsh for the likes of the Bobcat?

Windy!

"C'mon, Daddy! Nemmies!"

"I gon' getchu!"

Keeping up her strength with string cheese

I still love anemones, but it's hard to get excited when my knees won't stop shaking.

Josie tolerated about 30 minutes of tide pools before Mama scrapped the venture in favor of a nice, warm dinner with friends. After dinner Josie and her buddy, Fia, squealed their way up 30th Street.