Whale Tales
Yesterday was so great. Adam and I got up a bit earlier than normal for a Saturday and left for Gloucester, MA to catch the reservations Adam had arranged for the 1:30 whale watch (a fantastic early birthday present!). Having just been through that area scouting for another photo shoot, I knew it was pretty easy to get to, and that Rockport was only about ten minutes from there. We made plans to do the whale watch and then grab dinner in Rockport.
The actual whale watch was amazing-- by far the best I've ever been on. We saw over thirty whales, seventeen of which the guides were able to identify. While most of them were humpbacks, we also saw some minkes, fin whales (the second largest of the whales) and even a basking shark-- the second largest shark in the world. A species which is luckily totally nonthreatening to humans as it has baleen teeth like a whale. But boy was it huge! This is exactly what it looked like, but I did not take this photo:
There were just so many whales around us at all times, it was hard to keep up with them. The guide shouted just about every number on the clock to indicate which direction they were. It was truly something to be surrounded by groups of them coming to the surface and trumpeting. It was so noisy!
My favorite part were the rainbows formed by the mist blown out as they breathed.
I'm also pretty sure I've never really gotten a very good look at their baleen before-- thanks super zoom lens!
The sea was very choppy on our way out to the hot spots, but it didn't bother me at all. It was sort of like being on a kiddie roller coaster for an hour straight. I don't think it was Adam's favorite part though.
We stayed out in the area observing them as they fed, but around 4:30 we headed back to the harbour. We were off the boat around 5 and made our way over to Rockport.
Adam and I walked around for a bit and stopped in a couple of shops. One of which was a little toy store, which ironically carried the Red Farm Studios Paintable set for which I provided the colored versions of the drawings. (Of course we had to buy it!)
Then Adam and I stopped into a little place and hate burritos served to us by a very chatty nice lady. Before we left the shop area, we stopped into the candy store and got some salt water taffy, the perfect souvenir. Then I took Adam up to the beautiful rocky area that overlooks the town. It was very peaceful to be there as the sun was setting.
Then as it was getting darker, we hopped into the car and headed back.
On our way home we stopped at the North Shore Mall's Barnes & Noble and Adam got me The Office season 4 and Pushing Dasies, which if you have not seen, you should! It's adorable! We also found a very nostalgic dvd of Jim Henson's Mother Goose Tales, a very strange but faciniating show I used to wake up super early just to watch when I was little. I haven't watched it again yet, but I'm really looking forward to it.
All in all, it was the perfect surprise Saturday!!!
And today was also highly enjoyable. Adam and I drove to his house in RI this morning, and a noon I took the car and went to my Cousin Ashley's baby shower while he hung out in Scituate with friends. The shower was so cute. I mean, come on. Basically six hours of opening adorable onzies, baby blankets, and stuffed animals. I loved it.
This is a picture of the diaper cake my mom made as a center piece.
Did I mention I love everything? Because I do.
The actual whale watch was amazing-- by far the best I've ever been on. We saw over thirty whales, seventeen of which the guides were able to identify. While most of them were humpbacks, we also saw some minkes, fin whales (the second largest of the whales) and even a basking shark-- the second largest shark in the world. A species which is luckily totally nonthreatening to humans as it has baleen teeth like a whale. But boy was it huge! This is exactly what it looked like, but I did not take this photo:
There were just so many whales around us at all times, it was hard to keep up with them. The guide shouted just about every number on the clock to indicate which direction they were. It was truly something to be surrounded by groups of them coming to the surface and trumpeting. It was so noisy!
My favorite part were the rainbows formed by the mist blown out as they breathed.
I'm also pretty sure I've never really gotten a very good look at their baleen before-- thanks super zoom lens!
The sea was very choppy on our way out to the hot spots, but it didn't bother me at all. It was sort of like being on a kiddie roller coaster for an hour straight. I don't think it was Adam's favorite part though.
We stayed out in the area observing them as they fed, but around 4:30 we headed back to the harbour. We were off the boat around 5 and made our way over to Rockport.
Adam and I walked around for a bit and stopped in a couple of shops. One of which was a little toy store, which ironically carried the Red Farm Studios Paintable set for which I provided the colored versions of the drawings. (Of course we had to buy it!)
Then Adam and I stopped into a little place and hate burritos served to us by a very chatty nice lady. Before we left the shop area, we stopped into the candy store and got some salt water taffy, the perfect souvenir. Then I took Adam up to the beautiful rocky area that overlooks the town. It was very peaceful to be there as the sun was setting.
Then as it was getting darker, we hopped into the car and headed back.
On our way home we stopped at the North Shore Mall's Barnes & Noble and Adam got me The Office season 4 and Pushing Dasies, which if you have not seen, you should! It's adorable! We also found a very nostalgic dvd of Jim Henson's Mother Goose Tales, a very strange but faciniating show I used to wake up super early just to watch when I was little. I haven't watched it again yet, but I'm really looking forward to it.
All in all, it was the perfect surprise Saturday!!!
And today was also highly enjoyable. Adam and I drove to his house in RI this morning, and a noon I took the car and went to my Cousin Ashley's baby shower while he hung out in Scituate with friends. The shower was so cute. I mean, come on. Basically six hours of opening adorable onzies, baby blankets, and stuffed animals. I loved it.
This is a picture of the diaper cake my mom made as a center piece.
Did I mention I love everything? Because I do.