BODEGA BEAU (& PEACHES)--Salty Dogs

What a great Christmas we had at Pelican House, the place we rented in Bodega Bay, with Peaches and Beau. This was their first trip to the seaside, and Peaches got quite an introduction to the ocean when a large wave crashed down on her. Good thing she was on the leash or she would probably still be out there paddling around with the seals. She was unfazed and took it all in stride (better than I did) and seemed to love our trip, as did Beau. Seeing them so happy made up for never getting to take Bubba and Daisy to the ocean when they were with us. Peaches and Beau were in their element with Sandy Claws and muddy paws. Because of the rains, our Christmas Eve hike along the cliff path was muddy, and the dogs were black up to their bellies from trudging in muck.

The waves would get a lot choppier as the weekend progressed and the torrential storm hit on Christmas Day. The rain, which came in buckets all day long, streamed down the expanse of windows and made us feel like we were under a waterfall. We had nowhere to go, no technology to fry our brains, and almost no TV. Without screens to stare at mindlessly, we were able to appreciate the spectacular view when it wasn't raining. It was splendid when the sun lit the distant hills and an ancient lone tor that jutted from the landscape. Christmas night after the storm we were treated to a magnificent sunset with a brief flaming ball of a sun that seemed to roll along the horizon in a streak of crimson before sinking into the sea. There was nothing between us and the ocean to obstruct our view--this alone was worth the rent.

I was still learning to use my new Bloggie, so I didn't get as much good footage as I wanted to. I've included a couple of clips here, though. Dolly Parton sang about a Christmas to remember in Tahoe; this was our Christmas to remember at Bodega with our two happy salty dogs.