As the Rains Quit I Head For Jenner For a Paddle and Kelp

Friday October 22, 2021 Jenner CA.

Paddle day

The rain let up around noon so I thought I better get a paddle in before the next rains came.

But first I moved four more loads of mulch to the avocado tree just to warm up.

Jenner overlook

I drove down to Jenner and decided to go to the overlook at the mouth to have a look at the ocean.

The ocean was real rough with big waves breaking on the beaches and the river’s mouth was still closed.

Big waves

Only waves breaking over where the river’s mouth was.

I drove on back to the Jenner boat ramp and put my boat in the water and parked the car.

A bit of visiting

I had just got in my boat when this biologist lady showed up. She is going out to collect data from some measuring devices on the river in different spots. We chatted for a bit and I chatted with John whose on the left that lives here.

I was thinking to paddle up stream but after I got across the river I had an idea to collect some kelp so I headed down river towards the mouth area along here.

I was going along here at the bottom end of Penny Island when I spotted the cormorant tree up ahead.

The cormorant tree

The cormorant tree with cormorants resting on it. It’s just a cormorant tree for the moment, tomorrow it might be the pelican tree.

Birds

From there I paddled on over towards the closed river’s mouth going by all these birds resting on the water and some of them doing some bathing.

Pelicans and gulls resting in the water.

More pelicans I paddled on by on my way to the mouth area.

Flying birds

I made it to the closed mouth and sat and watched for a bit. There were lots of birds flying around over my head.

Kelp for dashi

I was looking for some kelp that the waves washed into the river from the ocean as I wanted some to try to make some dashi, a Japanese broth used for almost everything in Japan. It’s made with kelp and shaved dried fish flakes which I just ordered up.

I searched around to find the freshest ones. Here’s some in the water that I harvested. I cut the stuff under the water off it’s huge stock.

Got some

I looked to see if I had something to put it in but I didn’t so this is where it ended up until I got back to the boat ramp which I headed back to from here.

I drove on home and got the kelp out and gave it a good washing. Now I will hang it up to dry.

Mulch

It was late in the day when I started moving more mulch with the wheelbarrow. I kept at it and got 8 more loads moved for a total of 12 loads today.

It was just getting dark as I did the last load so I headed on in the house for the day.

Nice day.