Tag Archives: The Sea Ranch

Maureen Simons sent in a photo she took on June 4th of a beautiful waterfall on the Salal Trail on The Sea Ranch. Her daughter calls this special place the "Lord of the Rings place" and you can see why when you look at Maureen's photo. It's magical! With the late rains we had, the creek is running high and strong.

The Salal Trail is on the north end of TSR. Maureen advises, "If you park on Grey Whale, just off of Leeward, then head north on Leeward about a block, you'll see an opening for the trail on the left. The trail runs all the way to the bluff trail." This is private property though so you need a parking pass to park there. But if you are staying at TSR or own property here, you can find this magic place for yourself.

Several large Rosey Russulas - Russula rosacea - were found by Rozann and  George Grunig on The Sea Ranch this past week. This is not the time of year for these mushrooms to fruit but the late rains must have confused them. They aren't edible. If you tasted a little bit of the cap, it would be hot and you would have to quickly spit it out. But they are beautiful to look at and to photograph. And look! Rozann photographed them on top of the Independent Coast Observer. That's where my Mendonoma Sightings column can be found each and every week. mendonoma.com

Siegfried Matull manages to get some of the most fantastic photographs of Western Bluebirds on the Mendonoma Coast. How does he do it? I've learned his camera is set on a tri-pod and pre-focused on the birdhouse currently occupied by two Western Bluebirds. With his camera that can take nine shots per second, he sits next to his camera with a remote control cable in one hand and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon in the other. That's taking pictures, Mendonoma Coast style!

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The late rains have coaxed The Prince to bloom. Agaricus augustus is a delicious, meaty wild mushroom with a wonderful almond odor. I found one lone Prince on our road this past week but Jacquelynn Baas of The Sea Ranch hit the big time and sent me a photo to prove it. In fact she has found so many Prince mushrooms that - get this - she is tired of eating them fresh and is going to dry this batch. I can only shake my head in admiration.

Jacquelynn is an accomplished writer and you can find out more about her books at this link: http://www.amazon.com/Jacquelynn-Baas/e/B001IU0Q28/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

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The sun has finally decided to make an appearance and a welcome one it is. Our rain total at our Anchor Bay home has topped 70 inches for the season with this last storm. It's time for some good weather! A Swainson's Thrush is singing his beautiful song and the fragrant smell of wisteria and from our incredible banana bush are wafting in through the open sliding glass door. This is more like it! But to remind us that winter was just a few days ago, Carolyn André recently photographed storm waves off The Sea Ranch and is kindly allowing me to share it here. The Pacific Ocean - I never get tired of looking at it.