Is this really Oregon in April?

Well, not sure if this photo was taken in April--but it is a spitting image of yesterday's scene at Shortsands. Surfing and sunbathing in basically the nicest weather imaginable-- what's not to love? Saw some insane double-overhead rides and some equally intense thrashings. I stayed on the inside to avoid the craziness...

Who needs Australia...

...when there are plenty of sea snakes in Mexico? Tell me you wouldn't scream just like I did if you saw this near your feet...

Happy Hearts Day!

In celebration of Valentine's Day, here are a few romance-inspired treasures in Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

1. Heart Reef, in the Whitsunday Islands (how romantic!)

2. Clownfish-- all clownfish are born as males, but when their female breeding partner dies, the males change into females. Crazy stuff.

3. Red Throat Emperor (if you look closely, the tail fin looks like a red heart... )

4. Hamilton Island, Great Barrier Reef... perfect location for a honeymoon or romantic getaway-- and the site of the Best Job in the World!

5. Ah, back to the dugong. This 5,000-year-old cave drawing depicts a dugong. When seen from above, the dugong supposedly bears a striking resemblance to a human woman, except with a tail instead of legs. Ancient sefarers' observations of the dugong could have been the "origin of the mermaid myth"(Wikipedia).
First of all, if the idea of mermaids isn't romantic, I don't know what is. Secondly, dugongs are, on average, 9 feet long and 550-660 pounds. That is one large woman.

Bluebird day

Yesterday was a perfect day on Mt. Hood... sunny, warm, spring conditions, making turns with my dad and my good friends. It doesn't get any better than that!

Video is up!

Check out my application video! It is up on the "Best Job" website... and if you think I deserve it, give me a 5-star rating!

tick, tock...

So, you know how when you're waiting for something, it seems to take forever? ("A watched pot never boils" and all that.) That's how it is for me with the "Best Job in the World" right now. I submitted my video application, and I am checking my email like 20 times a day in hopes that they have posted it on their site. Still waiting and hoping-- and hopefully the next time I check I'll have good news . . . patience, Grasshopper.

The brainy seahorse

So for all of you not so into creepy crawly things, I thought I'd better balance out the day's entries with a post on a cute creature. They may not be cuddly, but I think seahorses are downright precious, with their long snouts, curly tails, and ability to turn bright colors in "social moments" (what exactly does that mean, Wikipedia?). The Great Barrier Reef is home to nine species of seahorse. Male seahorses stick close to home (within 1 square meter of their habitat) while females roam up to 100 times that distance (no wonder I like this fish so much!). The male seahorse is the one who gives birth: anywhere from 1 to 2,000 babies ("fry") at a time. Another interesting fact about the seahorse: it is a genus of fish officially called the Hippocampus, which coincidentally is the name for a part of the human brain involved in short term memory. Ooh, and this is kinda cool: their eyes can move independently of each other. The more I learn about these bony fish, the more I want to know!