Why we didn't get in the water on opening weekend this year.

It was a good decision. Santa Rosa Press Democrat:

"Mendocino County emergency personnel faced their first rescue this year barely an hour after the abalone season opened April 1. In that case, a San Francisco diver who entered the water in stormy conditions was swept half a mile from shore, where rescue personnel found him weak and hypothermic, fire personnel said."

In other World Wide Abalone Diver News:

"A diver has been killed in a horrific attack by two feared great white sharks near south Australia's Coffin Bay. The man, who has not been named, was savaged by the sharks when he surfaced after diving for the valuable mollusks abalone.Police said a search of the area had failed to find the man's body."

Well - that is Australia. Not even the same ocean really. And he was diving in "Coffin Bay". Who is going to dive with sharks in "Coffin Bay". These kind of attacks almost never happen to abalone divers in Northern California.

Heading back

This is getting painful.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Strike 3

Never got in the water. Weather is gorgeous, but water is brown with zero viz, - still - with swells dropping to 8 feet it looked almost safe enough to go in. Alas, we ran out of time. No abalone for you.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Sea Ranch Sunset

The sunset is a popular presentation at the Sea Ranch Lodge.

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Nevermind

Swells are too big. We'll check in again tomorrow.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Your New & Improved Convenient Ca Fishing License...

... with Abalone and steelhead report card. Most California fishermen wear their fishing license with accompanying various and sundry mandatory report cards as a dashing sash or wrapped around the head like a turban.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Abalone season opening day.

But conditions do not look good. Heading north to check it out.

Home again

Mission accomplished

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Russian River Estuary

Running high. Those little white dots in the center pic are seals.

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We have a driveway again

Bill climbed the tree with a chainsaw and made short work of the offending trunk.

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Brush fire

Trying to clean up some of the underbrush.  Like emptying the ocean with a teacup.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Gualala estuary

Open and more rain coming.

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Yeah... That's going to be a problem

An incoveniently broken tree.

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At the ranch

Angy seas

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Over the bridge

Too early for abalone.  Winter winds made a mess of the trees and we need to clean it up before the season starts.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Tsunami hits San Francisco

I woke up this morning to the news out of Japan and heard that the remnant of the tsunami would be hitting SF a little after 8 AM. Drove out to a bluff-top outlook of the Golden Gate just to see if there was anything to see. Can't say the waves looked any different to me, but got some pretty pictures. Here is the original post from the Pre, followed by other pics:
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Looks remarkably similar to any other 3 foot wave.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

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19th hole

BP 103
MW 104
RZ 104
RE 120

Understandable. Roy could barely walk let alond play golf after drinking all the extra beer.

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Rick brings us home on 18

After completely screwing up the back.

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Roy out of the trap on 17

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17th tee

Roy is happy because he stole my beers.

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