I'm back.

At least physically.

Despite my being both a professional and avocational word geek, my vocabulary utterly fails me in trying to describe this trip. I mean, what words are there to describe what it's like to swim alongside a sea turtle, the current pulling you both side to side? Or to see a sea lion pup not even two hours old, hearing its sad cries as it clambers up to its mother's nipple? Or to walk six inches from a bird's nest (on the ground), with adult and baby birds in it, and have them merely look at you curiously? Or watch a tortoise half my height and several times my weight lumber through the grass?

I will have more to say as I digest and ponder the past week and a half, but right now, I don't have the words.

But those of you who asked me to take lots of pictures: be careful what you wish for...

First photo.

Finch among flowers.
Originally uploaded by Kath B.

There will be many, many more, but I'm not going to get them all uploaded tonight. But I wanted to give you a taste, and I think this is one of the best, aesthetically speaking. It's one of the Darwin's finches, I think of the medium ground finch species.