Birthday on the Beach?

       Are you ready for it?  Advice from a sea turtle?  Wisdom for a creature of the sea?  Here it is:

I like these words.  In fact, I think, "Hey!  This is a good goal to strive for in my 67th year.  Of course, I must add, "And wear a tirea proudly….as all Queens do!"  So, it's "Swim with the current, Be a good navigator, Stay calm under pressure.  Be well traveled, Think long term, Age gracefully…and Spend time at the beach!"  Ok then….now to follow turtle directions….

Nan as she begins year #67!

I have lots of opportunities to follow the turtle wisdom during the first hours of my birthday celebration.  ( Remember the Simpson "Birthday Rules" gift the birthday person one hour per year of age of celebratory fun…and, the person can press the on and off button whenever, so as not to waste any hours sleeping or washing dishes or sweeping sand etc.  The hours however, must be used up within one week, so as to encourage lots of fun activities as soon as possible!)

Headed off at 08:30

First up, the morning walk with beach buddies and pups.  We head out every morning, even birthday mornings, at 08:30 sharp and get in a mile or two hike.  Each morning the sun creeps up higher over the surrounding hills and welcomes us to our walk.  I work on navigating a smooth walking path along the beach road.

Swim Girl Nan

The water is warm enough to get in a swim and practice the "swim with the current" part of the advice. Also, no sting rays have been sighted in December or January….so far.  So I can "Stay calm" as there IS no pressure!

Sit Up Paddle?  

A little fooling around with the paddle board…after all, I'm already wet!  The water in the bay stays calm, so the fun continues.  Using up those hours!

Siesta Steve

Steve joins in resting up for the next bit of fun!  But what will it be?  Just then, what to our wondering ears should we hear…???….But the joyful music of the ice cream truck floating through the air!  We are out of the water in a flash…run for the pesos…and line up at the window.  All down the beach folks appear out of their rigs, and chairs, and kayaks, and palapas….smiling!

Make mine pistachio por favor!

I tell him in my beginner Spanish…"I'm glad you came!  It's my birthday!"  Oh!  He grabs back the ice cream cup and adds another scoop…this one pink…and says: "Many congratulations!"

Extra birthday congratulations scoop!

It's Friday, so off I go to my weekly Spanish lesson.  It's another long walk down the beach, getting me closer to my daily goal of 10,000 steps.  Part of aging gracefully?

Teacher Adrianna at the white board.

The night before my birthday, as I am falling asleep, I say to Steve: "I would like dolphins for my birthday…."

About three o'clock I am scanning the water in front of our campsite.  It's beautiful.  The sky is blue and meets the mountains across Conception Bay…and then there is water…lots of water, reaching across the bay to our beach…and…and…Wait!  AND, a fin…a dolphin fin!  I race to my kayak, and paddle like mad.  The dolphin, just one…comes toward me, and then turns.  He whispers: "Feliz Cumpleanos, Señora !"  I reply: "Gracias Señor Delphine…adios!"  And he speeds away, back out into the bay.  The birthday dolphin ambassador, sent with a greeting, on my birthday!

Just one! (with a mission)

Another lucky thing about Friday is that we often have an all beach Happy Hour at 4:00.  This one includes a homemade birthday carrot cake by Janelle and lots and lots of happy food.  Happy friends too!

Happy Nan and Steve at Coyote Happy Hour

We pass out mini mimosas to anyone who would like one…it's good to have help with celebrations!  The orange juice is from town, fresh squeezed!  The champagne is from home, carried down under the couch!

Wool…for winter nights!

Oh, there is more…a lovely wool serape for winter nights watching movies under the stars at the open air restaurant.  There are good friends to enjoy it all with, some uke playing…and the knowledge that it doesn't have to all happen today!  No!  There are 67 hours …but really, every day for a whole new year.  That is the real gift.  So I will keep the focus of the wise turtle.  What fun to consider how to be more "well traveled" and how to "age gracefully"…and what is "thinking long term…at 67?"  Then there is the great advice of "Spend time at the beach."  Now, that, I can do…right now.