Ano Nuevo is state park located on Hwy 1 between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz. Each year thousands of elephant seals arrive here to have babies, find a mate, and reproduce.
I wanted to visit Ano Nuevo for many years, but each year I would remember about it during peak of the season (Jan/Feb), when it was too late to attempt to buy a tour for a weekend. Tours are sold up to 56 days in advance. And weekend tours are usually gone within a day.
While discussing with friends, when would be the best time to visit, we couldn't understand how it was possible for elephant seals to have babies in such a short period of time: they arrive in Dec, they are gone in March. On the other hand, eleven month long pregnancies didn't make sense either. Now, after the tour, I know that elephant seals have so called "delayed implantation". The egg gets fertilized but does not embed in the womb till female elephant seal safely reach her home in Alaska and get some food in her belly. Elephant seals do not eat during their trip to Ano Nuevo. Time at Ano Nuevo, it's seals' time to reproduce and rest: they don't sleep the rest of the year.
The picture usually worth a thousand words, so I'm going to post few pictures from couple hundreds I've made during the tour.

Time to rest

Those babies are already weaned

- I'm bigger!, - No, I'm bigger!

Be mine Valentine!

Babies are fed for 28 days, after that they are on their own

I like you!

High School Speaker Series: Loving Your Teen Without Losing Your Mind

Having a teenager at home is almost like living next to a live volcano: you never know when it's going to erupt. I like to hear professionals on the subject, while not always helpful they are often enlightening.

High School Speaker Series: Loving Your Teen Without Losing Your Mind

Dr. Michael Bradley

Mountain View High School Spartan Theater
3535 Truman Ave, Mountain View

Feb 2, 7PM-9PM

Find out:

- How the enigmatic teen brain works (and how it doesn't)
- The Ten Commandments of Parenting
- The three top ways to earn your kid's respect (and the three top ways to destroy it).

Event is free but you need to register in order to attend: Eventbright_Registration

Weekend of Jan 28-29, 2012

Sometimes I love to spend a weekend at home alternating between good book and internet, but most of the time I feel guilty to allow my kids to sit in front of the computer/tv all day long.
There are multiple sites to let you know about all kind of events to take place around us. But it's so many things happening at once, checking those sites might be overwhelming.
I'm planning to post few interesting places/events to visit each weekend.


Things to do in Silicon Valley this weekend:

** Lunar New Year Celebration
Jan 28, 10AM-5PM; Children's Discovery Museum, SJ
http://www.cdm.org/viewPage.asp?mlid=5&m=1&y=2012&d=28&e=469

** Jigsaw Puzzle Building Competition
Jan 28, 9AM-5PM; Redwood City
http://www.jigsawjava.com/SpecialHolidayHours/JigsawPuzzleCompetition/tabid/89/Default.aspx

** All-breed Dog Show
Jan 28-29; Cow Palace, SF
http://goldengatekc.com/

** John Cage's MusiCircus
Jan 28, 1:30PM-5:30PM; San Francisco
http://www.calartsf.net/

** Julia Robinson Math Festival for grades 6-12
Jan 29, 9AM-noon; Berkeley
http://www.msri.org/web/msri/static-pages/-/node/277