like balboa

i remember the first time i saw the pacific ocean
it was at dillon beach north of san francisco.
i was studying chemistry at the college of the pacific,
now university.  we took a field triip to their
marine biology station near tamales bay.
i remember the fog when we drove to tamales.
i was with a small group of people.  we
came over some sand dunes and there it was.
majestic, powerful, broad and gray.  i
knew what i was going  to do although i
had not told anyone about it.  i stripped
down to my bathing suit and ran to the water
and jumped in immediately before
anyone could stop me.   it was cold.  it was
a form of baptism.  i will never forget that
day, or the marine biology station.  it was
a wonderful time.  i learned about sea
anemones and tide pools.  that was when
i first began collecting succulents.  i
took first prize that summer in my division.
i spent about six weeks in stockton, went in
to san francisco for a long weekend, visited
yosemite and rode south to san diego where
i stayed with my great aunt edie.  we did a lot
of things together, on the bus, and then
i flew home.  it was a great summer.  1961.