It was a beautiful start to the day, with just some mild overcast overhead.  I couldn’t wait to get out on the ocean since I missed out yesterday, but a few minutes into my paddling workout, a wind popped up out of the south.  Then the ocean got choppy and bumpy and it looked like it was going to be a windy day!  I paddled against the wind down to Kam II, and gave some thought to turning around, but decided to just keep paddling.  It was tough paddling against the wind, but I persevered and I hoped on the return I would get push from it.  I made it down to the boat ramp, but all the paddlers I had passed along the way, were bailing out on the wind.  I was hoping I hadn’t made a big mistake by paddling all the way down in the wind!  When I got to the boat ramp, I definitely was the only one there and it was still choppy.  I sat for a few minutes, and then spotted my first turtle!  By the time I got over to it, it dove down.  I knew the pontoon tour boat would be roaring in anytime…..so I hoped the turtles would start showing up.  Finally I spotted two turtles floating on the surface down near the boat lane, so I hurried and paddled over.  I sat between them for quite a while and they were just hanging out!  Then one of them swam over by my board and popped its head up and the other one dove down.  Turtle #4 surfaced closer to shore, so I paddled in a ways to get to it.  The turtle was a small one, and when I got to it, I startled it and it dove down under me.  Then it surfaced on the other side of me and popped its head up to look at me, then startled again and dove down.  Out in the distance I could see the tour boat making its way in and then I spotted another turtle out farther, so I paddled out.  It was a huge turtle!  It came right up to my board and just floated there.  The tour boat roared and I decided to take advantage of the fact that the wind had backed off, and paddle home.  Just as I was passing Kam III….I spotted another big turtle so I paddled over to it.  It was just hanging by me and then swam around me, and then it floated some more right next to me, so I called it my buddy!  I noticed a paddling friend coming towards me, so I started pointing to my “buddy”!  She came up by us, and the turtle spooked.  She said, “oh I don’t think it knows my board!”   Then it came back up and hung out some more.  Neither of us was sure about what the wind was doing, so we paddled north.  Suddenly she spotted another turtle out farther, so I paddle out to it.  It was friendly too, but not as friendly as the other one was, and it dove down.  I could still see it swimming under me, though!  We paddled together towards Kam II….and she decided to go in.  I paddled back to Kam I and the wind still had not come back in. The conditions stayed nice all the way through my swim too!  By the time I was all showered and sitting in my beach chair, the wind roared in and it was in for the day.  It was time to go home and celebrate Father’s Day with my husband anyway….but I hope it’s not windy tomorrow!