Tide Pools

Some of the best tide pools in California are at Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego. 

Tide pools can be small or big and are filled with sea water. 

Plants and animals can live in tide pools. The best time to explore tide pools is at middle or low tide. My mom and I went to Cabrillo at middle tide so we didn't get to see the octopus or any sea stars. But we did get to see lots of anemones. 

Anemones have to stay wet so sometimes they cover themselves with small pieces of shell and sand. 

Can you see all the anemones in this picture? 




We also saw some hermit crabs. Hermit crabs have soft bellies so they have to find empty shells to live in. When it gets too big for a shell it just finds a bigger one. 

Some sea animals hide in the long grass that grows in the water.

We saw a lot of mussels and gooseneck barnacles. They keep a little water in their shells to keep them wet when the tide is out.

When it was time to leave, this little guy tried to come with me in my shoe!

Sunday afternoons at Balboa Park

Balboa park is a big park in San Diego.  The zoo is in the park. Balboa was a Spanish explorer. 12 million people visit the park every year. Sundays are a fun day at the park. The organ concert is one thing. Brides and grooms go to the park for wedding pictures. 

It's fun to look at them. 

There are lots of people playing instruments. They want you to give them money. 

There are magicians too. 
A group that rescues birds is there on Sundays asking for donations. 

A lot of festivals are held at Balboa park too. 
A free (and crowded) trolley drives through the park. 

Killer Whales

Orca whales are also called killer whales. 

At Sea World there are killer whales in the Shamu show. They jump, swim, roll, slap their tails, make big splashes and eat lots of fish. 

Killer whales eat more than fish. They eat sharks, penguins, sea lions, squid, walrus, sea turtles, seals and other whales. They eat 500 pounds of food every day. 

They have 45 teeth. Their teeth are for ripping and tearing. They do not chew their food. They can swallow small sea lions and seals whole. 

They live in every ocean in the world. Most live in the Arctic and Antarctic oceans. Orcas are mammals. They are black on their back and white on their stomach. 

Males are 19-22 feet long. They weigh 8000-12,000 pounds. They live 50 years. 
Females are 16-19 feet long. They weigh 3000-8000 pounds. They live for 90 years. 
Females usually have babies every 10 years. Babies are called calves. Mothers help their babies swim to get its first breath of air.

The only enemy of killer whales is people.

Climbing Cowles Mountain

Mom found a new place to hike. We went there before Karate on Wednesday. 

Cowles Mountain is the highest point in San Diego. 

The hike is 1.5 miles and the elevation gain is 950 feet. 

The trail can be tricky but lots of people run up and down it. It is a busy trail. 

From the top you can see forever. 

You can see Mexico.

Cowles Mountain is named after George A. Cowles, an early rancher in San Diego.




It is close to San Diego State University. 

Basketball

I play on the Tigers basketball team. We practice on Thursdays. 

We stretch first, then we do drills and then play a game. We wear jerseys to know which team we're on. 

I have scored a couple times. One time I scored a 3 pointer! We have a fun coach and helpers from the university. My favorite helpers are Wanda and Vivian.

 In basketball you dribble the ball down the court and pass to your teammates so they can shoot and score. 

A basketball is made of leather and filled with air. It's about 30 inches around.  

                                                                      

Basketball courts have wood floors.  Basketball is a sport where 2 teams score points by shooting a ball through a hoop. 

Kobe Bryant plays for the LA Lakers. 

                                                        

Olympia High school has a  basketball team as well.

Bat rays

There are bat rays at Sea World. When we were here before you could touch them. They feel smooth and soft.
Bat rays have wide, flat bodies. 

They are fish, but they don't have bones. They are related to sharks. Bat rays move by flapping their fins like birds flap their wings. 


Bay rays hide from their enemies by burying themselves in the sand. Sharks eat bay rays.







Their mouth, nostrils and gill slits are under their body.


Bay rays eat clams, oysters, shrimps, crabs and mussels. They crush their food with their strong jaws. They have short, flat teeth for eating.

Their eyes are on top.










Bat rays have tails that can hurt people. Their tails have a very sharp point on the end and sharp edges. They also have vemon. 

Females have babies once a year. They have 2-6 babies at a time. Their babies are born big and can take care of themselves.


Bat rays can grow to 6 feet long and can weigh up to 200 pounds. They can live up to 25 years.

Tennis

I am taking tennis lessons on Monday nights at the Peninsula Tennis Courts. My teacher is Miss Michelle. 

People used to play tennis on grass lawns. 
You hold the racket like you are shaking someone's hand. 

You have to hit the ball over the net. The net is in the middle of the court and is 3 feet high. Tennis balls are soft and hollow. We use bright green balls. We are learning the forehand stroke and the overhead serve. We practice serving by trying to hit the chair on the other side of the net. 

Tennis is fun but it takes lots of practice.

We hit a lot of balls during our lesson. After we go through all the balls in the bucket we go pick them up and start again. These are my friends Vann and Jack.