Friday, February 29, 2008

Do you Petanque?

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.


Every Sunday afternoon, 2:00 PM till 4:00 PM or there abouts. See ya there.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

The Long Haul

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"!!

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Springtime Musings

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.

Monday, February 25, 2008

A Morning Walk

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.


Sun dog.

The Pudding Creek Trestle Pidgeons!

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Practicing in the Storm

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.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Another Mnemonic

Red sky at night, Sailor's Delight. But...,


Red Sky in morning, Sailor's Warning!

How it works.

And here it comes!

Friday, February 22, 2008

Replaced Hydrant

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.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Okay, let's try this again!

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!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Announcement

PUBLIC NOTICE
OF PUBLIC MEETING AND WORKSHOP
GEORGIA-PACIFIC MILL SITE

Fort Bragg, California
Si desea informacion en Espanol, communiquese con Jesus Cruz, Especialista
en Participacion Publica al 1 (866) 495-5651

The California Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is holding a Public Meeting and an Open House to provide the community with an update on the site investigation that is currently underway at the Georgia-Pacific Mill Site under the oversight of DTSC. Representatives for DTSC will be at both meetings.

This Public Meeting is being held to provide interested community members with an overview of the project and answer questions from the community. The Public Meeting will be held on Thursday, February 21, 2008 at the following location:

Redwood Elementary School
324 South Lincoln St Fort Bragg, CA 95437
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The Open House is scheduled for the following day Friday, February 22, 2008 at the following location:

Fort Bragg Town Hall
363 North Main Street
Fort Bragg, California 95437
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Caution! Over 1 meg download, 200 page report.

Magic

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!!


Meanwhile, everyone is heading for work. I am so lucky to be retired!

Nice!
This ain't living just left a comment on this post telling me I am one day off on the eclipse. It will actually occur tonight, the 20th of February!! See what happens when ya get old and retired!!
-
This just in via Green as a Thistle. Big fire in Toronto. Amazing Photos.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Odds and Ends

Another use for shopping carts!!
Sunday night someone blasted out of the RiteAid parking lot, not out the driveway no, this person jumped the parking lot curb, took out one of the city trees beside HWY 1 and a cast concrete streetlight pole!!
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".
With the economy going like it is, as the Zen Master said, "We'll see."

Nice!

And finally..., the other morning I spotted this fishing boat out on the horizon with it's lights on.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Just a Suggestion

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.