Monday May 12, 2014 Jenner CA.
Paddling around Jenner with the critters
I was on the water around eleven this morning. The sun was out with a light wind that came and went throughout the day.
Up or down river?
I wasn’t sure which way I should go this morning, up river or down to the river’s mouth. I crossed over to Penny Island and started to go up the river.
I ran into these birds getting some sun and the Great Blue heron was fishing too.
Down to the river’s mouth area
Well, I turned back down the river and headed for the river’s mouth area. I passed this turkey vulture eating something, either a deer or a seal. I couldn’t tell, as it was already picked fairly clean.
The river’s mouth is open deep
The ocean was fairly calm today and it was high tide as I approached the river’s mouth and looked out into the ocean.
A little walk on the sandy beach
I pulled ashore near the end of the river an got out on the sand for a little walk.
This was my view of the river’s mouth from the sand looking south. That’s the river water going into the ocean by the rocks and jetty.
A flock of Brown Pelicans flew by as I was standing there on the sandy beach.
Back up to Penny Island for a little walk
After awhile I headed on up to Penny Island where I ran into these terns resting on the west end of the island.
I pulled onto Penny island at the west end and went for a little walk on the gravel.
After a short walk, I headed on up the back channel of Penny Island, headed on up the river.
The Great Blue Heron takes over the log
As I approached this log jam, a great blue heron flew in and forced the cormorant off the top of the log and took it’s place.
In this picture, the great blue heron just displaced the cormorant into the water off the logs top position.
The other cormorants weren’t too happy about it and started grunting at the heron.
Well, that great blue heron wasn’t having any of that, so it moved down the log forcing the rest of the cormorants into the water. Since the duck there didn’t complain, it didn’t bother it and they both sat there in the sun as I passed on by.
Paddy’s rock and the bovines
I paddled on up to Paddy’s rock, where I run into these bovines taking it easy and getting some sun. That new calf was only a couple days old, a late one, as most of the other calves were born earlier in the year.
The sound of a wild turkey
While I was checking out the bovines, I heard a turkey call. I couldn’t see or tell exactly where it was, so I got out my elk call from my pack and made some turkey type calls. It gave an answer and eventually, I spotted the tom across the highway and up on the hill from me.
It was looking for the turkey that made those funny noises with the elk call. It gave a couple more calls, but wouldn’t come any closer, so I started on back down the river on the south shoreline taking my time as I went.
Holding down my ramp rage
By now the wind had settled down to a breeze. As I was approaching the town of Jenner, I saw a guy land his kayak right in the middle of the boat ramp. He went somewhere and left his boat there for about a half hour as I approached closer. Just as I was nearing the ramp, he pulled his van down to the middle of the ramp and proceeded to load his kayak on the van taking a lot of time.
Now, the sign at the ramp says ten minute loading zone, but he was there for almost an hour while I patiently waited in the water in my kayak for him to get the hell out of my way.
Here he is trying to get his boat on top of the van, having a bunch of trouble trying to keep it up there. He was lucky the wind was down or he would of really had some trouble keeping it up there.
So, I’m sitting in the water in my boat trying to be patient with this old guy.
He finally got it tied down and pulled on up into the parking lot, so I pulled onto the ramp, got my car, loaded in a matter of minutes and headed on out for the day.
Sometimes I wonder if some of these types of people even realize there are other people in the world trying to work around them? :O)
Wild pigs by Jenner, you bet, we have it all here
Just as I was leaving Jenner, I saw this unusual sight just off the highway. Some wild pics had come down to feed on the lush grasses right next to the road. A momma and her little ones and some other fairly good sized pigs too. I had to pull over to get this picture.
Loading up the van for a little trip north
I went on home and had a little nap. Then I started loading up my van for a trip I’m going on tomorrow.
I took the van down to town to gas up and get some things to eat at Safeway.
I’m mostly loaded up now and ready to go except for the cold stuff that goes in tomorrow.
Boonville to Marty’s cabin
My plan is to go up to Boonville to spend a few days with my friend Marty at his cabin out in the sticks. No internet there, so it will likely be Friday when I post again at Fort Bragg, CA. where I plan to kayak the Noyo river on Friday evening where I should be able to post at the local McDonalds.
I will then spend the night up there near Little River and go kayaking on the Big River near the town of Mendocino, CA. on Saturday, then back to Boonville on Saturday night to spent the night again at Marty’s cabin.
So, you should hear from me again on Friday if all works out ok.
Nice day kayaking Jenner.