August 28 | Watsonville
As we rode along the coast today, I saw flocks of pelicans flying inches above the surface of the water, their wingtips nearly as close to each other as they were to the ocean. When I was in my 20s, I lived on the beach in Southern California, and watched pelicans fly just this way.
I also watched them fish. One would rise out of their tight formation, and from 50 feet above the water, would tuck its wings, point its massive bill straight down and plunge into the sea with a force I was sure would break its neck.
It would rise to the surface, swallow the fish whole that it had caught, and rise to hunt again.
From the same living room window, I would watch dolphins body surf at dawn and dusk. They were not hunting, unless unbridled joy of living could be described as their sustenance. I know they don’t live on joy alone, but it does seem to be an essential part of their existence, and always inspired the same in me.
Today I found sustenance in the joy of cycling. We rode about 65 miles, climbed about 3000 feet, and experienced unbridled joy of living all along the way. And when we got to Sunset Beach State Park in Watsonville at the end of the day, there were warm showers waiting for us.
What could be better than that?
To learn more about Bike The US For MS, visit biketheusforms.org.
