Watermelon!

Carl and I spent the day after our wedding at our favorite beach with a few of our friends and River. We had an amazing time, and we had the entire beach all to ourselves. But somehow in our blissful daze we neglected to take adequate care of our dog, and she unfortunately suffered from a heat stroke and was rushed to the emergency vet. It was very traumatizing for all parties involved. We vowed to never let it happen again, yet one week later we almost went through the same experience. I was able to catch it earlier though, and River was fine.

Now we go to the beach prepared. We bring gatorade every time we take her out, and this time we brought one more thing- watermelon. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is what I study, watermelon is used as a preventative for heat stroke, so today I decided to try it out. I cut up a seedless watermelon before we left, and we brought a few gallon sized bags full in the cooler. I was curious to see how River would like it, and it turns out she loves watermelon. I would hold a slice for her so it wouldn't get all sandy, and she would gnaw away. Needless to say, we didn't have any heat stroke incidences today.

Bug Report

The boss gave us full reigns on borrowing the boat for lobster hunting. The season opened on the first, and we finally got the opportunity to go last nite. After the manta ray trip we dropped off the customers and headed straight back out. Six of us paired into groups of two and headed off in separate directions. The water was super clear, and the moon was full so visability was good. We each had a flashlight of some kind, and Chris and I had a 3-prong hawaiian sling and a speargun between us. The current was rediculous, and it really made it tough to navigate the walls, arches, and ledges that the lobster hang out around. Next time we will be more prepared.

Chris and I both ended up swimming around with two lobster each in our hands. They try to get away from you when you least expect it, so you have to keep a tight grip on them. This makes it very interesting to do things like check your air pressure gauges, adjust your mask, equalize, etc.. Needless to say we should have a more productive trip next time with proper gloves and bags for the bugs.

At the end of the dive we noticed a large Uhu (parrotfish). We decided to add him to the list of soon-to-be-barbequed sea creatures. These guys are beautiful and taste great too! More to come....