January 12th, 2017

Last Saturday, we woke up to 42 degrees.  Brisk!  The palm trees were shivering.  By the time we were showered, dressed and breakfasted that number had moved to 46.  It didn't move much after that.  It had rained heavily the day and night before and the sky appeared to be promising more but there was a little clear spot at that moment . So in the manner that has become the Humphreys way, we went to the beach. 

Actually we went to the jetty first, fully expecting it to be empty of all but die-hard fishermen. We were truly surprised to see a full parking lot.  By the time Tim craftily found what we will refer to as a parking spot, we realized it was all surfers!  Dozens of men and women in black wetsuits, with bare feet, carrying big boards and heading to the water.   Hearty souls, they must have espcially warm blood is all I can say.  Between the temperature, the wind and the dampness, it was dang cold!

We watched them for a bit. It's something I know I will never do.  I can barely traverse a hallway without banging into a door frame or tripping over a lumpy bit of air. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to do well balancing on a moving board.  But I admire those who can.  Still watching them, something occurred to me.  Why are wet suits black?

At the short distance that we were standing, and yes we are those idiots standing out in the cold and wind on the wet rocks getting pictures, the surfers looked, more than anything like a bunch of frolicking seals.  Or in shark-speak, lunch.  I've seen Jaws, I've watched shark-week and so I know that swimmers (i.e. surfers before getting back on their boards) are amoung the most frequent victims of shark attacks.   I actually did do some reading and if I'm not mistaken, sharks do not have great eyesight. So, observing what we did on Saturday, I think I get it. Yes, they do look startlingly like sealife.  Shiny, blurry,  black things wiggling around in the water. What do you call a group of seals anyway?  A school?  A litter? A flock? 

Sharks do see colour.  That I did check. So why aren't wet suits made in colours?  Yellow, Orange, Pink!!  Less likely to be mistaken, and easier to find if they wander off and get lost. Just seems an obvious solution to me. Common sense even! 

Ah, there is the problem.  I believe it was Will Rogers who said, "The trouble with common sense is that it's not all that common".  Bites us in the butt, every time. Shark bites this time. Ah well, now I need to quote someone else. Paul Newman as Butch Casidy, "I got vision and the rest of the world wears bifocals".

Avoid sharks and have a great day!