Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

My husband and I had a lovely three days celebrating our anniversary.  We saw seals and sea lions and their pups.  We walked along the ocean.  We swam in the hotel pool.  We sat out on the patio among flowers and trees and fountains.  We ate well.  Our room even had a view of the ocean on two sides.  It was tiny, with a small bed, but the view more than made up for it.  But my "awake" moment came the first day.  I'd brought my opera binoculars, on a whim, and as we hiked up close to a bird rock with a circle of cormorants, I decided to use them instead of carry them around my neck.  Now, I see cormorants every time we walk our local reservoir, but I barely glance at them, as I am busy being fascinated by the pelicans.  Big black birds, so what?!  But with the binoculars, I could observe that they have this magnificent jewel-like blue under their beaks, irridescent and glorious.  They also have white filigree feathers on their head that wave in the breeze.  Their heads are like the most beautiful herons, and they are downright elegant!  Who knew?  Not me.  So the rest of the weekend I paid close attention.  I saw a group of seals that I at first thought were rocks.  I could admire the spots on a sea lion mom.  I found a seal's head amidst the kelp.  Being patient, still and probing reaped reward upon reward:  the joy of sea life all around me!