I Can't Keep This A Secret Any Longer

With great news this morning of November 7,2020, it's time to share more:

I didn't like my makeup and admittedly I am wearing a bad wig but you should know:

 

Last year, our whale in Alameda

video clips of the whale in Alameda, my camera

This whale is absolutely amazing, not only of sight but sound and being in the presence of such magnificence.  At times as close as 15 feet, as the recipient of a spout of mist and breath made me laugh, full and with joy.  Spooked on occasion by the sudden force of her emergence from the depths but for this short time of days, hours of pure amazement.  The above video is an accidental montage, only partially spoiled when the goofball speaks the last 5 seconds (me).

In the summer of 2019, a young humpback whale came into our waters to feed, and nourish on a plentiful supply of sardines, and whatever else a humpback eats.  She(?) was thin for a whale, and everyone in the area let her be.  For several days she moved in closer into a cove, nearshore circling day and night.  So impressive to be in this mammal's presence, feeling her strength and power. 25 feet long, perhaps 15-20 tons.  I'd wait for her to appear and nearly every time, surprised by that strength and majesty, my hands would rise when she did spoiling nearly every cameral shot.

One day she moved further offshore, and then in the early evening, she was gone.  Hopefully strengthened to continue her journey.  In this short time together, our whale friend dubbed Allie with her own FB page built a community of curious maritime wanderers, joined together to observe and hope.

Best days of wonder for me of 2019.

(last image from the East Bay Express. She would breach only in the very early am hours)

Swimming Against The Current

  Finally established a new tank (55 gallon) for these 7-8 year old veterans who made the move with us from Hyde to here. It's still potentially small as an Oscar and 4 Silver Dollars might require 75 gallons but it's as big as we can do for now.  After the ashes-to-sea journey, we went to North Beach and at Stella's Bakery came upon a Peets customer, Richard.  He was very kind to offer us a uniquely designed 75 gallon tank for free.  Some logistical misfires and ultimately it turned out that the old tank had a leak.  We waited but perhaps Richard was not able to fix so in late November, D and I determined that we would get the process going and not only establish a new tank but with a sturdy base that D would assemble, place the tank in a better less sun facing spot in our living room.

  We like very much how it looks and feels, and cycled the water and have the conditioning of the water, good.  However as much as the Dollars took to the tank, the Oscar (Dexter has dubbed the fish- Dime, Penny, Nickel, Quarter and Bill) took to flopping, lacking energy, listless although alert.  This lasted for over two weeks. We added aeration, tried different foods, recommended meds from Bay Bridge Aquarium (cool, helpful place!), brine shrimp, cycled 25% of the water.  It seemed as if the old boy was getting thin, starving perhaps.  And I dont know if fish think and feel much but it seemed to me that the Dollars were propping up the Oscar, sitting with, and protecting.  So I do believe they think and feel, if only instinctively.  We were sad, thinking of where we would soon bury him.  But then....

   He swam a little bit more. He ate a fly I caught (sorry, fly but I know this is a food of preference) for him, passive attempts to swallow initially, and through the night swam more, ate more, becoming himself again- responding to us, curious, swimming.  A Christmas miracle? Good advice followed from Bay Bridge? Diligence on our part? The will of Bill the Oscar? Time? I'm not sure but we'll gladly accept this.  For now, we've established a good space for them to live; surely a step up from the 29 gallons (even more space that the old tank had so much fine sand) and great to sit near at night, providing peace as I read about our world in turmoil.

The Graduate, Dexter

Hi! Dexter has bridged a milestone of graduation, a symbolic and earned progression of achievement, adulthood, embracing his life and the possibilities and opportunities before him.  He has prepared well, he is all that we could have hoped he could be (that said with all the quirks and goofiness that is also him), and we have great hopes in his future, his contributions to this world and the friendships he will discover in life.  We are very proud of D.

Thank you to everyone who has helped us this far,and farther. Thank you to those that are with us, will be with us and have been with us in raising our boys.  I could not imagine having the funny, loving, wonderful, grumpy, playful, clever sons that inspire us everyday providing meaning and hope no matter how disappointing world events sometimes plunge our hearts into darkness- they lift us out of the gloom and bring us back into light with a sense of purpose, laughter and care.  Leave the world better than what you started with, if only with kindness, love, encouragement and small impactful acts.

This may sound like the end of the blog but it's not. I stopped for some time for Oliver mentioned that he didn't want his stuff public, and D had an occurrence last year where school associates used some materials in ways they ought not to- these factors eventually delayed my writing recently (laziness is also a factor).  I will soon be making this blog Private  with links to open. Contact me if you want that link.  I'll do this before Oliver gets all his acne photos up or experiences all the stunningly embarrassingly teenage years he's already begun.

                                           Thanks to Robert Rhody for his photo contributions