Sunday, August 31, 2008

Sand Spit Picnic

August 31, 2008

It was a beautiful day for a picnic, so we set out from Pasadena Point in Baywood and paddled west to the sand spit. Today's flotilla was comprised of the Wonderful Wishons (Rob, Kim, Pearl and Emery), their visiting friends Carrie and Chris, and yours truly. The sun was out, the tide was up, the wind was down, and a picnic lunch was packed (thanks Kim). The happy crew had a pleasant paddle and enjoyed the splendor of the sand spit, far from the Labor Day crowds present elsewhere.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Morro Bay paddle August 7, 2008


This 3 hour paddle had it all! I rolled the boat down to Pasadena Point and headed NW into a decent wind on a nearly cresting 4 foot tide. As soon as I got out, I was treated to another display of bird diving and feeding, this time augmented by 6 seals, 3 abreast, who were flat out booking through the feeding area. They were too fast for me to get a photo. I paddled to the sand spit and hiked up to the top and over as far as the snowy plover rope-off area. A beautiful day with gorgeous vistas in every direction. I continued my paddle north along the sand spit, all the way into Morro Bay. Along the way, I passed by a group of 100 or more terns, who were gathered on the low dunes and would sometimes alight en-mass. A hundred terns can make some kind of noise. I paddled past the great heron rookery, where I counted 14 sentinels on the dune watching out. No sound, no movement. On my return, there were a couple of seals, a bat ray, and 2 purple jellyfish (along with the hundreds of pelicans, etc.). I got back just in time to pick up my Noi's tofu stir. Tough to top an afternoon like that.

Morro Bay paddle August 6, 2008


Had another fine paddling outing with friends Jim and Linda Angelo. I rolled my boat down to the pier in Baywood, and paddled across to the Cuesta Inlet to meet Linda and Jim. On the way, I watched no less than 400 pelicans, terns, cormorants and sea gulls circling and diving to partake of the influx of feeder fish (grunion or anchovie are possibilities) in the bay. We had a fine paddle out to the sand spit, south into shark inlet, and a leisurely return to Baywood. The paddle was ALMOST as good as the dinner they fed me the night before. Thanks.