There is a game called Petanque and a group of us get together on Sunday afternoons to play.
It is very easy to learn but holds the attention. Luck and a measuring tape are often required!
We are now up to around twenty participants and often have several games going at once. Everyone is welcome. BYOM. "Bring your own mug", for coffee.
I had it in mind to see about doing a ten mile walk this morning. I'm trying to stretch my envelope in preparation for my birthday walk come April. Again I headed out the Haul Road, the edge of the "Marine Layer" out on the horizon.
Wee flowers are starting to open.
This is looking down on what I think are Indian Paintbrush.
I walked on past Mackerricher Park and finally arrived at the end of the blacktopped portion of the haul road. Just a little over five miles from home. Perfect!
I know ice plant is considered an invasive plant and in disfavor but it sure was pretty this morning. 
Could be art!
The Marine Layer starting to thin east of Lake Cleone.
Algae covered rocks just below the southwest end of Pudding Creek Trestle uncovered due to low tide. Obviously too much "fertilizer" in Pudding Creek.
All in all a nice walk and to top it off, a lady walking past stopped and asked "Are you that Walking Fort Bragg guy"?
I replied, "I are"!!
I have been checking out the springtime flowers along Cedar Street.
It seems they are earlier than elsewhere in town because they are further inland and more protected from the storm winds from the south.
This little cluster I found in Otis Johnson Park.
While I walk I often ponder things. There are two photos that recently appeared on the Astronomy Photo of the Day website. The above photo was take by the Hubble Telescope of two galaxies tearing each other apart.
And this photo is of the new CERN cyclotron which will soon tear subatomic particles apart. What amazes me is how come we humans seem to be located right in the middle between the very large and the very small. Anyway, that's one of the things I like to ponder as I walk along.
The weekend storm is over and I had an interesting walk to Mackerricher and back. The sun cleared the coastal range at 7:11 AM instead of 7:40 AM in the depths of winter. "Come on Spring Time"!! Along the way I noticed this strange pink cloud in the early morning sky.
Beating the Bounds says "No walk (or blog) seems to be complete without some fungi". I agree but he sure knows his fungi better than I!
Low lying fog north of Mackerricher State Park.
Kelp wrapped sea rocks.
The Pudding Creek Trestle Pidgeons!
I heard on our local public radio that the storm produced 30 foot seas. I walked over to the Noyo River Bridge to take a look and found the Coast Guard out practicing.
Here is a video I made of their efforts.
Red sky at night, Sailor's Delight. But...,
Red Sky in morning, Sailor's Warning!
And here it comes!
During this morning's walk I noticed the hydrant on the NE corner of Franklin and Redwood has finally been replaced. I wonder when the street lamp next to it will be replaced. Both items were snapped off flush with the sidewalk several months ago by a vehicle!
From the Pudding Creek Trestle the post eclipse moon settles into the west.
The weatherman has been promising us a sever storm for the last couple of days. Currently it is more like Hawaii! 55 degrees and puffy clouds.
For some reason I thought Tuesday was Wednesday this week and therefore the confusion about the total eclipse. So last evening, February 20th, I stepped out intime to catch this photo of the eclipse in progress. All in all not near as exciting as the photos I captured last August.
During my early morning walks I sometimes encounter a smell. This time of year it is usually wood smoke. At all times of the year I occasionally encounter the smell of someone's morning toke. This morning it was the smell of blossoms. I backed up and hunted down the culprit! Splendid!
Last evening was a total eclipse. It started at 7:00 PM and ended around 10:00 PM. Unfortunately the clouds arrived at 7:10 PM. What we would have seen would have looked like this but....
Fortunately I was awaken by the "post" eclipsed moon shining in my bedroom window at 5:20 AM. I decided to get up and see if I could get a photo of the moon setting over the Noyo Bridge. I did! But I was also able to capture that first photo which looks like an eclipsed moon but was actually the moon setting this morning with the atmosphere making it look reddish. Cool!!
Nice!
Another use for shopping carts!!
The location where the car came to rest is marked with florescent paint on the sidewalk. I'm sure we will be able to read all about it in this Thursday's Fort Bragg Advocate.
This "birds eye view" caught my interest while walking over the Noyo Bridge.
This also caught my eye. It concerns the land you see beyond this sign which is located near the intersection of Highway One and Highway 20. It proposes: ".... construction of 70 residential units, two office buildings, a 140-seat restaurant and a gas station/mini-mart".
Nice!
And finally..., the other morning I spotted this fishing boat out on the horizon with it's lights on.
In April of 2006 the Pomo Bluffs Park was opened. A nice addition to the city of Fort Bragg but here's the thing. The City is now making plans for a hiking trail along the coastal edge of the former mill site and I have heard there are plans for planting hundreds of plants and trees.
I look forward to the hiking trail, benches, restroom and signage but I think they should save their money when it comes to planting trees and shrubs. I walked out to Pomo Bluffs Park this morning to document what has happened to all the plants, shrubs and the drip system that was installed in this park just a couple years ago.
I only saw three plants still struggling to survive. All the rest were gone.
The benches, restroom, bike racks and trail are wonderful but the bushes and trees were a bust.
