Hanging On

Continuing our lucky streak of finding a break in the rain to take a morning walk on the wharf. The ocean was brown and fierce, all stirred up and full of breaking energy. The wind was so strong that at one point we literally could not walk forward and had to turn around and go a different way. Seals, who normally hang out on the wharf pilings, were bobbing in the water; the sea was thick with them, and occasionally they appeared to be hanging on to one another, touching noses and flippers. A high pitched mewing caught my attention--it was a young otter, separated from its mom and crying pitifully. I'd never heard such a sound. She came running, or rather swimming in a fast straight line, to comfort him, and then they stayed together in the waves (see Extra--not a very sharp image, but so endearing).
Stayed in for the rest of the day. The wind is howling and rain is intermittent but maybe not as strong as predicted.