Tag Archives: Mendocino County

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King Tides, the biggest tides of the year, hit the Mendonoma coast yesterday. Ron LeValley was at MacKerricher State Park and got this magnificent photo.

The California King Tides Initiative invites photographers to post their photos of these extremely high tides. It is thought they will give us a look at our future with sea level rise happening in the years to come. Here's the link to post your photos or to learn more: http://www.californiakingtides.org/

And here's what Ron wrote about his experience yesterday: "King Tide! Today was the highest tide of the winter and some big waves were coming in. We went to the beach at MacKerricher State Park and watched the waves go over the beach and on to the road next to Lake Cleone. Eventually we had to leave because State Parks was worried that the road might have to be closed, and we were on the other side of the closure! We have to plan for these tides more in the future. This is a hint of what it is going to be like regularly in the future as ocean levels rise."

The next King Tides will occur on January 9 to the 11th, 2013

To see much more of Coast Photographer Ron LeValley's photos, here's the link to his web site: http://www.levalleyphoto.com/home/

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Matsutakes, the prized wild mushroom that smells of cinnamon, are continuing to appear.

 It's important to carefully dig up this mushroom to see the complete stem. It does have a very bad lookalike so only forage for this mushroom if you are very certain of your identification.

And here is one of my favorite edibles, a Queen Bolete, Boletus aereus.

Yet another storm is hitting the Mendonoma Coast. But this weekend is forecast to be sunny. We will be ready for some of that yellow stuff!

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Rick and I live a half mile back from the Pacific Ocean yet the sound of the crashing waves can be heard - and felt - inside our house. The ocean is in full voice and there is no denying its presence. Rich Kuehn photographed waves hitting Gualala Point Island yesterday from his home at The Sea Ranch.

There is an amazing amount of power in this photo. I thank Rich for allowing me to share it with you here. To learn more about this special island, here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/05/05/gualala-point-island-a-rocky-island-off-the-sonoma-coast/

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Sue Tara was cleaning up her land in Gualala last week when this big guy crawled out from under her deck.

These big Salamanders - they can be more than a foot long - can actually vocalize. If disturbed they give a throaty call that sounds a lot like a dog bark. They start out life in the water and need unpolluted waterways to thrive. Logging is their other threat. What a unique and wonderfully bizarre creature we see once in a great while on the Mendonoma Coast!

Thanks to Sue for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

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Ron LeValley photographed a beautiful wave from the Little River Headlands in Mendocino County. When he looked at his photo he saw a woman in the wave with magnificent hair. Can you see her?

To see more of Ron's beautiful photography, here's his website: http://www.levalleyphoto.com/home/

And to see Ron's photo of a "perfect wave," here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2012/05/01/a-perfect-wave-as-photographed-by-ron-levalley/