We'll be back to life in the big city on Sunday. The wildlife appears to be sad to see us go. We've had some visitors drop by to wish us fond farewells. It started yesterday evening with a couple of cormorants perched on the upper spreaders. The boat was rocking in the wind, so it demanded as much flying as standing to perch themselves up there. I started by assuming they wouldn't stay long, but there they remained. Then I worried they'd outlive their welcome and poop all over the boat, giving new meaning (or not) to the term poopdeck. So I rattled the halyards and banged on the shrouds to raise their sense of discomfort, but it didn't faze them. I eventually gave up and was rewarded a few minutes later with a milky splat that ricocheted off the canvas dodger and onto the side of my face. The cheeky bastard couldn't have aimed it more perfectly. It was Kay who finally settled the matter by freeing the end of the spinnaker halyard and flipping it at their back sides.
This morning we were visited by a gull perched on the dinghy. He appeared to be as insistent on staying as the cormorants had been and quite intent on staring at us. He was a beautiful bird. When we saw bands on each of his legs, we postulated that maybe he has learned that being counted comes with being fed. Not wanting the dinghy to share the same fate as the dodger, or my face, we had an easier time chasing this visitor off.
A couple hours later we were visited by a young sea lion. I'd have pegged him for a seal, but Kay is certain there are no seals in the area. She's a lot more well read on the subject than I am, so a young sea lion it is. He was inquisitive and friendly, swimming circles around the boat, rubbing his back on the hull, showing us his belly, and posing with flipper touching his nose as though auditioning for Sea World.
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