Coastline Treasures

Does it ever seem like your living room lacks that little something extra? Or your bedroom just isn’t as cozy as it should be? If so, chances are you’re in need of a little furniture revamp. Creating a warm and inviting space is possible in any room of your home with a few small additions. For example, an accent table adds a lot of character to a room, and placing a lamp on top of the table provides an instant cozy light source.  You might also think about rearranging your existing furniture to be more functional, and rearranging the furniture once in a while just for the heck of it makes the room different and unique.

The walls can also make a room look much barer than it is, so painting the walls, adding a chair rail, or placing pictures and posters makes for an appealing aesthetic.

While on a trip to Savannah Georgia we went on a bay cruise.  We cruised along the shoreline watching the pelicans diving for food and the pods of dolphins swimming frantically.  There was a shrimp boat in the bay casting off some of its days catch into the waters.  These dolphin figurines were such a delight to watch against the beautiful sparkling waters and skyline.

The dolphins raced around the boat jumping up into the air trying to seize these delicacies.  They showed off their physical abilities while prowling for this food; jumping, twisting and turning to be the first one.  They were not afraid of the fishermen or the boat as they had come to know them quite well.  I wondered if this was a daily occurrence for these playful sea mammals.

Dolphins are carnivorous marine mammals and relatives of whales and porpoises. Despite their meat-eating habits, they are actually quite friendly, and I was able to swim with two dolphins in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico last year. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life.  I thought their skin would be rubbery, but it was soft. 

The dolphins I swam with were well-trained and seemed very contented, performing many tricks, pretending to dance with us or shake our hands, and if you were brave enough, doing a trick where two of them swam in tandem and threw you a few feet across the pool (I did this, too-it was fun). If swimming with a dolphin is something you have always wanted to do and you have the chance, I really recommend it. Of course, the water park sold crystal dolphin figurines, T-shirts, and everything else you can imagine that might have a dolphin on it.

My husband inherited Aunt Kate’s drop leaf table and chairs.  For years we stored it in the attic as it was just too small to use, or so I thought.  Many years went by before we cleaned out the attic only to rediscover this table.  It was a beautiful table from the 1950’s with dark stain and petite claw feet, both sides dropped down.  As we reexamined this table we realized that it would make a great accent table in the entry.

We slid it in place along the entry wall with the sides down to create a narrow landing.  We added a tall vase with flowers and an antique dish to collect car keys on the way in.  Above it on the wall we hung two smaller pictures that were framed and matted the same, one on top of the other.  With very little effort we were able to create a welcoming entrance.

Dolphin art and statuary have been memorialized throughout history.  The Triton Fountain of Rome, Italy by the greatest sculpture of the Baroque period, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, is one example.  Built in 1642 of travertine, this fountain was the first of its kind for the reception of public waters.  Built to provide water from the Acqua Felice aqueduct for public water use as well as a decorative fountain, all previous fountains were passive basins.

The Triton fountain features a muscular Triton, a merman, who in ancient Greco-Roman legend is a minor sea god.  Kneeling on an open scallop and with a conch shell to his lips creates the venue for the fountain’s water.  At the base of the fountain are four dolphins with their mouths open and tails entwined holding the scallop.  This dolphin décor fountain is just one example of history and art using dolphins.

To this day, my grandmother hasn’t let me live it down. I’m referring to an incident from my childhood, when we drove over to Grandma’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. I was about 5 and had just finished stuffing my face with turkey with all the trimmings, corn, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. The adults were understandably sluggish after this bountiful feast, and so they failed to notice when I slipped away from the table and went to look at the glass animal figurines on a high shelf in the living room.

Moments later, the clatter from a few rooms over was almost deafening, and my parents and relations came running with genuine concern. When they saw that I had managed to knock over every last knick-knack, my fate was sealed. I spent the rest of that evening helping with washing and drying the dishes. It doesn’t seem to matter how old my grandmother gets; she’ll always remember that holiday from long ago.

Have you ever seen whales migrate?  What a sight!  Living in southern California we are blessed with the migration of several different kinds of whales; Gray Whales, Blue Whales, Humpback Whales, Minke Whales,  and sometimes Orca Whales also known as ‘Killer Whales’.  Each year whales will travel between 10,000 and 12,000 miles round trip from the warm waters of Mexico to give birth, to the cold waters of Alaska to feed.  Due to their near-shore migration route, we can easily watch their yearly migration.

Along with seeing whales come the dolphin.  Some seen here are the Common, Bottlenose, Risso, Pacific White Sided and Dall’s Porpoise.  Dolphins love to play and jump above the ocean and surf the waves.  I remember a time when whale watching, this dolphin came from nowhere and started jumping the crests of the boat waves.  Next thing I knew, there were dolphin figurines all around the boat, jumping and playing with each other.  You couldn’t help but smile and laugh while watching their antics. You could see that they were having so much fun!  If you ever have a chance to go whale and dolphin watching, I would highly recommend it!

While visiting a friend, I was amazed at the glass animal figurines that she had collected.  She had a large curio cabinet where she displayed them.  Not only was this a great way to display them but smart as well.  They all stayed safe inside away from the daily chaos of kids and animals.

She told me that when she was young and on a trip with her family, she bought her first glass figurine.  That started a tradition.  Every time she goes on a vacation, she brings back a glass animal figurine to add to her collection.  She said that sometimes it is an animal that might live in the region and sometimes she gets it just because she likes it.  Either way, she does not see this tradition changing in the near future.

When decorating a room, adding flowers or greenery in decorative vases brings in a touch of the outdoors.  Consider the area that you have for your vase.  Is the area round, square, rectangle or oblong? Would it been seen from all sides?  Once you know where you are going to put your vase; you can then determine its shape.  A round table would be enhanced by a low round vase that can be seen from all sides.  A tall vase would fill a corner table nicely.  Displaying a fan shaped vase on a mantle would add a bit a drama and color.

Decorative vases come in glass, metal, woods, ceramic and more.  Some are smooth, some with texture, some with color, some have embellishments; the shapes and designs are endless.  Vases can add some fun to a room too; how about animals such as birds, dolphin décor, cows or pigs.  Colors can be classic or dramatic such as plaids and polka dots.  Whatever you choose, make your vase stand out.

Dolphin home décor is replicated out of true features of a dolphin.  So, does it make you wonder about dolphin behaviors?  One of the most common types of dolphin is the bottlenose dolphin, and because of this, it’s most interesting to study their behavioral patterns. 

Its common to think of the different migratory patterns of animals, especially sea animals, in relation to the seasons.  However, the truth is, bottlenose dolphins do not migrate the way most animals do.  In fact, they don’t technically migrate at all.  Migration refers to the movement of an entire species from one geographical location to another.  However, bottlenose dolphins do not move as a species, but rather individual choices within the pod.  They also do not completely change geographical location. 

Instead of migration, bottlenose dolphins “move”.  They travel up and down the coastline, sometimes at great distances, to find and follow food.  During movement, some dolphins move great lengths; others barely relocate.  This is why in any season its possible to see a dolphin at the beach.