A day at Sea World...

There is probably nothing that says "Sea World" like the triple jump of the orcas in Shamu Stadium!

We've been slacking off on our vow to "day-trip" the many wonderful sights available to us in this part of the world. Yesterday we headed south and spent four wonderful hours at Sea World. We only managed to see about half the park in that time, but tired feet and backs, plus the thought of the traffic we'd encounter on the way home, got us on the road by mid-afternoon. May-Grey and June-Gloom have hung around all through the month of July - the sun never did peak through while were in the park. No problem - the cooler the better when an amusement is packed with people!

Shamu Stadium...

No matter how you feel about captive animals being used for entertainment (and we do have mixed feelings in this household!) there are very few animal shows as spectacular and stirring as the one in Sea World's Shamu stadium. Since the sad event some months ago when a trainer was killed, it appears that the human performers no longer swim in the tank with these magnificent giants. But, the show is just as wonderful. We (wisely) avoided the "soak section" in the first sixteen rows of the stadium - preferring to keep ourselves and the camera dry so that we could share these.

Up close...

Sea World offers guests Encounter opportunities (for a hefty fee!). Donned in wet suits, participants are invited into a dolphin habitat accompanied by trainers, are able to pet the animals, and are taught hand signals for some of the dolphins simpler behaviors. The folks we saw looked like they were having a ball.

Noisier than a pack of dogs...

...but ever so much fun to watch! The sea lions"barked" so loud that the park's educational speaker couldn't get a word in edgewise!

Scavengers abound...

We went for the "hearty lunch" option at the park - baby back ribs, with grilled veggies and french fries. Messy, but tasty. All the dining areas are outside, and this opportunistic critter was brazen enough to snatch something out of our rib bone-pile!

A heck of a show...

We weren't able to get into the dolphin show while we in the park. (But, we've seen them put on a terrific show in the wild just off the coast of Newport Beach!) Still, there was no reason to be disappointed in the Sea Lion and Otter Show that we did attend. The sea lions were great fun to watch, but the little otter truly stole the show from them and their two-legged partners!

Sharks, Starfish, Sea Otters and Sea Tortoise...

So many spacious habitats for the wonderful creatures of the sea!

Pink Flamingos are cool...

...when not made of plastic and stuck into someone's front yard!

Feeding critters...

There is nothing Larry likes better than feeding an animal out of his hand, ANY animal. That's his arm extended to the flamingo.

New "kids" on the block...

Quite some time ago, our dear neighbors, the Sweeneys, adopted two new dogs - Adorable, a four year old Shih Tzu, and her life-long "brother", Zorro, a ten year old Pekingese. The four dogs had met often, on leash, out on the property. A couple of weeks ago we decided it was time to get them all together here for an extended chance to "hang" and get to know each other. We are happy to report that the four "cousins" get along famously.

An unusual bloom...

Our new water garden plants are growing like crazy, but we've not had much luck in the flower department... yet! On a plant with twenty or more leaves reaching upwards, this is the only bloom we've seen so far. Pretty, in a minimalist sort of way!

Sassy taking a snooze...

While this isn't a very good picture, Margaret just had to share it because of the totally angelic look on sweet Sassy's face. She loves sleeping in Larry's arms, and was doing so while we had our neighbors, Chuck and Christine, visiting, as well as their two dogs, Adorable and Zorro.

Simple fun at the Huertas house...

Heather recently posted some great pictures of Sophia, Joshua and Isaac on Facebook - it's quite obvious that a couple of these kids really enjoy playing in the mud. (But then, what kid doesn't???) Here are a few of the ones we thought the cutest, including Isaac standing!

We plan on seeing all the kids later in the week when we go see the older ones in their summer swim lessons. More pictures are sure to follow!

Catching up...

It's hard to believe it's been over a month since we've added a post. But, things have happened in these past weeks that have made it difficult to share. We continue to worry and pray over Lee who's battle with cancer seems not yet to be over. Two more appointment with specialists, one yesterday and one today should give them most of the answers about what's to come in the weeks ahead. Lee has been and continues to be brave, with a remarkably positive attitude, and we are so proud of the grace he has shown under the pressures of these past months.
And, we were quite heart-broken when Brandon decided two weeks ago that he would prefer to live with his mother, step-father, and two baby siblings, than to continue living here through his senior year as he had originally asked to do. All we can do is pray that he will continue on the more positive life path he'd begun here and that he will make the best of the school year ahead. While the "chick" was only in the nest for seven weeks, we'd grown accustomed to the joys and frustrations of sharing our lives with a head-strong sixteen year old. We miss him terribly.