Day 38 Jules' Birthday

Morro Bay Birthday! Face Time with our daughters and sweet Winnie, our granddaughter, started our day. The rest we spent relaxing. First order - clean clothes. So I hung out in the laundromat while Jules rode the bay. Next, the salon, where I had a much needed color touch up and Jules also got his hair cut. We are new people!

After lunch, we explored the rock. The sun came out so we could see the massive dome that rises from the bay. Volcanic in origin, more than 20 million years ago, it is now a protected sanctuary for peregrine falcons and thousands of sea birds that cling to its crevices and call to the hikers below. Climbing out over the rock field that surrounds El Morro, we reached the windy Pacific. The protection that is provided by the dome, is immediately apparent. Calm and warm on the bayside, blustery and cold by the sea. Seals rolled and played in the bay while gulls watched us suspiciously.

Fog surrounded us suddenly and Morro once again disappeared as the temperature fell. Riding along the edge of the bay and into the huge estuary behind it, we encountered fishermen cleaning their day's catch as greedy pelicans eyed the scraps.

Through the estuary and onto 101, we made a huge circle and the thermometer was exercised as it went up to 90 after we left the fog and coast, then back down to 50 when we returned.

Dinner of Dungeness Crabs by the water, as seals entertained us with their antics while we ate. This day, the reason for all 60, was low key and calm, the perfect gift for Jules.

I have been a part of Jules' life for 35 of his sixty years and it has been a wild and wonderful ride, epitomized by the last 38 days. Our trip has been one of mountain peaks and valleys, heat and chills, rivers and oceans. Our miles together solidify our love and create a story that we will be telling for years.