But here are a few pics from our whale watching trip the other day.

These are Common Dolphins swimming right in front of the boat.

This is the tail of one of the Humpback whales we saw - there were three of them swimming together and they got so close to the boat we got sprayed by them!



This is Santa Cruz Island, one of the Channel Islands.

This is a Risso Dolphin. They were much bigger and slower than the Common Dolphins and didn't want to come play with us.





Santa Barbara - 6:30 am - Husband's cell phone goes off. It's Monday morning, 8:00 am at home. Is this going to be one of those vacations where he spends half his time on the phone doing business?

2:30 pm - Yes. It is. This is what happens when you're self-employed and a one man operation. Half the time on the phone, some on the computer and a little time actually with us. I'm not bitter. Seriously, at least we're here.

Walked out on Stearns' Wharf this morning and saw a few dolphins playing in the harbor. We have to see dolphins every trip - my kids have such a special love for dolphins.

Everyone is sunburnt (that hazy cloud really fools you :-) ) Before we came, the kids were checking the forecast and they were annoyed because it was hotter at home than it is here in California (on the coast!! Inland temps are over 100 degrees F!!). It was hard to explain that the sun is stronger but the ocean breezes make it feel cooler. Of course when we were sweating yesterday at Universal Studios I was not listening to ANY complaints about how hot it was.

We watched fishermen unloading sea urchins - thousands of them! - down at the harbor this evening. Then we watched some small crabs playing on the rocks. And I'm driving my family crazy stopping to look at flowers and plants. I want to know what they all are. I recognize some of them that we grow as houseplants or annuals at home - hibiscus, azaleas, bougainvillea, bird of paradise, fig trees - but there are others I need to know what they are! What are those trees with the purple flowers? And the ones with the big white flowers? And those big yellow flowering vines? I'm hoping for a visit to the botanical gardens...