Here on the Central Coast, one of the team sports you find is dragon boat racing. Dragon boats are long, very slim rowing shells propelled by crews of about half a dozen oars, and the teams around here seem to consist largely of people around my own age demographic (i.e., the near dead). They often train in Morro Bay, where they come into close proximity with the sea lion colony that hangs out semi-permanently on a long pier not far from the sandspit.
Apologies for the quality of the image above — I took it with my phone, in mediocre light, so I posterized it; but I love the juxtaposition of the earnest human paddlers in their dragon boat, and the (no doubt bemused) sea lions crewing what appears to be a three-masted barque.
(You can get a bit better shot at the sea lions from the image below, by the way, which I took some months ago when Carol and I went on a whale watching trip.)
Dragon boat racing looks fun! I’ve been thinking that when I have some time on my hands, I might like to try out for a crew. Some time aside from working at my day job, of course.
And doing a photography side gig. And writing.
And taking care of the house.
Okay, maybe not.
Ronald Crittenden 