saints at sea

My family is made of the stuff of saints.

They arrived in Barra de Navidad a week ago and endured almost a full week indulging my reading, research, and writing to prepare my lecture on Thursday. While I obsessed, they were patient.

Of course, this is not their first rodeo. They know how single-minded I become when I am in the midst of a project. And they know how to deal with it. Being familiar with the area, they entertained themselves.

But I am now back on track. To be the good son. The good brother. The good father.

Today we set out to sea.

I introduced you to my neighbor, Jaime, last month (touring costalegre -- the wrecks). He owns a fishing boat that he also uses to ferry tourists around our stunning bay.

When my friend Robin visited in December, Jaime took us to the shipwreck just south of our bay. Today we went north.

It was one of those non-destination voyages. We were happy just to be out on the water on a beautiful day.

The rocks at the northern entrance of the bay have long fascinated my photography sense. I suspect it is because they remind me of the rocks on the Oregon coast. Mountain spurs jutting into the sea is a sight that is part of my childhood. And the rocks here have an entirely different perspective than their familiar faces they present to landlubbers.

We were at sea for just an hour or so. But, for me, it was a tonic that helped get me grounded in the fact that my family will be livening up my house -- and, more importantly, my life -- for the next few months.

And you will undoubtedly be invited along on some of our journeys.