Wind-resistant gull, WH

The order of the day for me and my shadow was that we were going to go on seal patrol. Stasia had never seen a seal in the wild, and when she discovered that I had a pretty good idea of where we might find one or two, she was definitely up for an adventure. The recent spell of warmth was, however, history, and with at least a 30-knot wind blowing and temperatures below freezing, it was not exactly exploration weather. So we parked by the Watch Hill Lighthouse and I shoved open the car door to see if any seals were working the surf. If I found any, Stasia said that she would risk being blown out to sea to add marine mammals to her life list. But there were none in the neighborhood, so she stayed inside and marveled at a Herring Gull holding its position on the sea wall. "He looks cranky," she said, cranky being her word for anything and anyone out of sorts. "I think I'd be the same way in this cold and wind," I replied. "Me, too," she agreed.