Tag Archives: Rick Jackson

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The highest tides and the lowest tides occur when the moon is full or when it's new. We had a full moon this week and a high tide mid-morning. Rick and I had breakfast at The Lodge at The Sea Ranch followed by a hike out to the bluffs. Huckleberry, our golden retriever, accompanied us on the hike. What we found was a turbulent sea, crashing waves and a feeling of excitement the churning Pacific Ocean brings to those who stop to admire its beauty.

 Below the waves have receded for a moment, revealing the rocks just offshore.

And this is a photo looking to the south. It's a bit washed out due to the brilliant sunshine but it shows you the waves crashing up against the bluffs. Imagine what it must sound like to those who live right on the edge.

The mesmerizing Pacific Ocean - I will never tire of its many moods.

My best to you today! Jeanne

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Jane Jarlsberg found these Oyster Mushrooms the day before Thanksgiving. She brought them to a friend's home to add to the celebratory feast. They are exceptionally frilly for Oysters but no less delicious.

Yesterday Rick and I found two beautiful King Boletes, Boletus edulis. You can see the sponge underneath the cap is still white, indicating it fruited recently. With age the sponge turns yellow.

And this morning, under threatening skies, we found a small Queen Boletus, Boletus aereus. The very dark top was nearly munched off, perhaps by a Deer. But the stem was sturdy and pristine. Fresh mushroom for the Jackson household tonight!

Thanks to Jane for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

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On a recent visit to the northern portion of Manchester State Park, Rick and I found quite a few Yellow Sand Verbenas blooming. But near a lagoon we found a small colony of Pink Sand Verbenas, a rare plant. Its Latin name is Abronia umbellata, subspecies breviflora.

Peter Baye identified this sand-loving plant for me. He also took the close-up photo above.

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Last Thursday morning, Rick and I, along with our golden retriever, Huckleberry, took a hike at Gualala Point Regional Park. It was a breezy day and the fog had pulled back leaving us in sunshine.

This is the view from one of the trails. On the middle right is the Gualala River lagoon. On the bluffs is the town of Gualala. The rocky islands in the middle are Fish Rocks, where a large colony of Sea Lions live.

Something moved in the grasses that caught my eye. When I looked at my photograph, I found I had photographed a Praying Mantis!

Paying attention to things both big and small brings unexpected surprises!

To see one of the most popular photos on this blog, here's the link to Siegfried Matull's photo of a Praying Mantis with its wings extended: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/10/07/two-photos-of-a-praying-mantis-from-coastal-photographer-siegfried-matull/

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Yesterday, Saturday, was Coastal Clean-up day so Rick and I met Linda Bostwick and Mel Smith at the northern end of Manchester State Beach. The fog was just off the coast and the air was cool, perfect for scouring the beach and lagoon for trash.

Here's the path from Highway One. The woods contain walk-in campsites.

Below Linda Bostwick with her poodle, Devi, stand in one of the campsites.

As we walked further into the park we saw beautiful grasses and sedges. A group of Cattails waved in the breezes. The Point Arena Lighthouse stands to the far left.

Below is a beautiful, small lagoon. Tomorrow I will show you two Sandpipers who were fishing in it.

And here is the result of our labors. Rick, Mel and Linda with the debris we picked up. Two items were left on the beach because they were too heavy - a small refrigerator and a small but heavy tire. These could be precursors of the tsunami debris that will  hitting our coast in the months to come.