What a great weekend. I was invited to go on the Tall Ship, Tole Mour. It is pronounced, toll e, more. We left out of Long Beach on Sat. morning. Of course we didn't leave on time because a bunch of us got lost on the way to the parking lot and then again as we were walking back.
Once we got out of the harbor, on the other side of the breakwater things got interesting. We learned how to put up 8 of the sails. We all got together and pulled on ropes, using muscles I'd forgotten I had. Like the ones just below the ribcage, both front and back.
We were exposed to some of the activities students are able to do when they are aboard ship. One of them was climbing out on the very end of the ship. We strapped on a harness and hooked ourselves up and then climbed over the rail and made our way over the rope net to the view at the front.
The most challenging thing we did was climb the 70ft mast. Not only was it high, but the ropes where you had to step were very far apart at the start. Then when you got up to the top, the foot holds couldn't fit a kids shoe in them. But I did it, and I came back down the other side. When a number of us got back down, we started comparing our wobbly knees and shaking hands. It was the first time I've had a chance to do something like that and I was determined to do it all. I didn't allow myself to think if I was scared, I just did it.
Sunday was snorkeling day. I haven't been in the water in three weeks so I was happy to be wet. We saw lots of good stuff, but I don't have an underwater camera, so I don't have fish pictures. Connie has already figured out which camera I am going to get, now I just have to get it. I don't want to wait till Xmas, since we are going diving next weekend.
After the snorkel, we put the sails up and headed back. On the way out we saw a Minke whale and a pod of dolphins. On the way home we saw two whales and they breached right next to the boat. Beautiful
