a day of california cousins

sunday in bolinas was about as perfect as coastal weekend days in northern california go. 

we woke up to that thick cold fog that settles in heavy and contented, smelling of eucalyptus and otter, and laid about in our jammies by the fire and cuddled the cats. 

there was also a sweet little funeral scene for a mouse that didn't quite escape one of the cats. 

then we headed up the mountain to just above the fog and had a little hike and play time, complete with tree climbing and resting in the sun.

after lunch, the sun came out, the fog slipped away, and made a beach day of it. the downtown bolinas beach is quite of scene eccentrics and weirdos (that's not the word i'm looking for.....it's quite the scene of ..... bolinas folk?), and we were right in the middle of it. 

also right in the middle of it: this big sea lion, lying on the beach, despite all the humans and dogs.

 it turns out he hopped up on the beach in response to a big great white shark who was swimming just a few feet away. a few other sea lions joined him on dry land through the day.  we still let the kids swim, mostly because at the time we DID NOT KNOW about that shark. (even though this guy, "patrick" was fishing on the beach next to us and kept catching tiny leopard sharks). 

oh bolinas.