I'm not talkin' about daysailing. I'm talkin' about sharkin'!

My awesome friend Lory hooked us up with Ocearch and we, including Matt's parents who are visiting from Chicago, spent a few hours aboard. The Ocearch folks are like rock stars around here. The team is super-friendly and the entire crew (including the scientists onboard) appear to be charismatic, photogenic, and knowledgeable. The great whites couldn't have picked better ambassadors.

Unfortunately we didn't see them catch any sharks but it was fascinating to see the ship. We also had a good view of the hundreds of seals on the beach that are the reasons the sharks are here.  Mark and Conrad had fun playing with the ship's dog, Nixie. At one point we looked over to see Mark flat on his back with the dog on top of him, licking his mouth. Mark stands up with a big smile on his face and says, "Yuck! She got her tongue in my mouth!" Everyone got a good laugh out of the incident, even Mark (after he spit out the dog saliva).

Even the ride to and from the big boat was fun. Even though we are sailors, we appreciate a super fast boat. It was a little chilly and damp on the way back because of the fog but we got there quickly. As we walked up the beach back to the car, a woman that was standing on the beach drinking a cocktail asked whether we had seen any sharks. We shook our heads disappointedly. She said, "Well, that's not a bad thing!" We laughed, understanding the perspective of a vacationing beachgoer.

We have been enjoying our visit with Matt's parents, aunt and uncle, and cousin Charlie. Matt's parents brought a small truckload of Lego and books for Conrad's birthday that have almost given cousin Charlie a run for his money for the boys' attention. They (and our aunt, uncle and cousin) have also played taxi service for us, which has been incredibly helpful.

This is a shot from a dinner to celebrate Charlie's birthday. Every meal we share requires that the boys flank Charlie and his birthday dinner was no exception.