Friday June 10, 2016 Monte Rio CA.
Trying to get a belt for the tractor
I stopped in at the Napa parts place in Monte Rio this morning to hopefully pick up a fan belt for the Ford tractor I’ve been working on. But they didn’t have it, didn’t even order it yet. I laid into them about it as I’ve given them enough time to get it. Well, it turned out, they’ve just switched everything from Napa parts to CARQUEST parts and can’t figure out how to get things ordered. I gave them a bit of hell for not taking care of it somehow and said figure out how to get it ordered and I’ll stop by again when I come by in a day or two. I wasn’t too happy about how they handled that, but I’ll give them a change to get it together.
Kayaking at Monte Rio
I continued down to the Monte Rio boat ramp and put my boat in the water and it looked like this as I pushed out looking at the Monte Rio Bridge.
I turned and headed down the river going past these mallard ducks eating dead mayflies on the water surface.
I noticed this turtle sunning as I paddled along down the river.
I pulled into the Villa Grande Hole here and sat for a spell checking things out.
Mayflies are hatching out
I saw this great blue heron up in the tree preening itself. There was a cloud of mayflies up in the air I had to shot through, so that’s what the little white things are. None of the mayflies were a bother to me. As a matter of fact we have very few bugs that bother us in this area. Nice.
Just up above were I sat, there is this osprey nest with the little one stretching it’s wings.
I continued on down the river at a leisurely pace. I went past these merganser ducks at Sheridan beach.
Moscow hole trouble
I continued on down the river and was approaching Moscow hole down as far as you can see.
Trash slide
Unfortunately I came across this trash slide from a camp that appears to be above it. Lots of garbage seems to be making it’s way into the river here.
I continued on going past Rein’s beach here, headed for the Casini Ranch just down below.
The people at Rein’s beach have replaced a fallen tree that had an ospreys nest in it with this pole nest when the tree fell down and the new nest seems to be doing well.
I paddled on down to the Casini riffle and sat for a bit. When I started back up the river I saw this black crowned night heron sitting on this branch. I noticed it’s leg was banded. I can make out 142 on it’s leg band.
I paddled over to where Austin creek comes into the river and ran into Pete, a fisherman.
We shot the bull for awhile, then I left him fishing away.
I headed on up the river and saw this little four inch turtle on some moss.
Up the river above the Villa Grande Hole, I paddled by this green night heron fishing along the bank and doing some squawking too.
Just below Monte Rio I paddled by these two turtles sunning on this log.
I continued to the boat ramp and took my boat out and went on home.
Fire prevention
After a break I went outside and worked on cleaning up some tree debris by the creek for fire protection.
After another break, I put gas in the weed mower and mowed the weeds around the house for more fire prevention. I worked on that until finally the mower ran out of gas so that was enough of that for the day.
After that, it was almost dark so I quit for the day for another nice one.