Friday April 25, 2014 Jenner CA.
And some caterpillars too
The weather guy said it was going to rain last night and this morning. When I got up, it wasn’t raining so I headed down to Jenner to kayak for the day.
It was overcast, but no rain or wind when I arrived at Jenner. Ray was there, so I joined him. We put our boats in the water and paddled across the river to Penny Island thinking this was a real nice day. We sat in our boats near the island shore for a bit before heading on down to the river’s mouth area. Just as we cleared Penny Island a couple of big drops landed on us and looking on down to the river’s mouth area a cloud was dropping rain. Looked ok back up the river. We continued on down and pulled in below the restaurant to put on rain gear. Back in the boats and headed over to the river’s mouth,……………But.
The rain was picking up, so we abandoned that idea and turned and headed back up the river where it didn’t look like it was raining yet. However, the rain seemed to be moving up the river as we went. We headed for the back channel of Penny Island and headed up it.
I saw two terns and a Mallard drake on the shore of Penny Island so chanced taking out my camera. The terns spooked and left, but this Mallard duck was ok in the rain which was picking up. Diffidently a duck kind of day.
As we passed that duck, the rain started to come down heavier, so we were thinking it might be a good time to go in as it didn’t look like it was going to let up.
Let’s go home
As we neared the east end of Penny Island, the decision to head on home for the day was made.
We pulled into the little end channel of Penny Island, just barely making it through there as the water was barely high enough. I pulled through first and barely make it.
I pulled into this spot and waited to see if Ray would make it through? It’s still raining fairly hard.
Here is ray paddling in the rain and just getting to the shallow spot in the channel. He grunted and groaned, but made it through this spot, using his paddle to push through the mud. The water was only a few inches deep here.
I thought maybe the rain might stop before we got back to the launch area, but it didn’t. We took our boats out of the water and headed on towards home, thinking the rain would stop soon, but it didn’t.
As long as I had some time, I stopped to do some food shopping in Guerneville and it was still raining, so I think we made the right decision.
It was still raining when I got home, so I put the food away and got my wood stove going just a bit to take off the chill in the house.
Outside for a bit
Eventually, the rain stopped and I went outside for a bit.
My rose bushes are looking good.
Lincoln Roses.
A Pink Climbing rose.
California Dutchman’s Pipe plant
Remember the California Dutchman’s pipe flowers I took a picture of awhile back?
These were the Dutchman’s Pipe flowers that are now gone.
These butterflies have a thing for this plant and they lay their eggs on the leaves. They are doing a mating thing in this picture I took about a week ago. Ever try to take a picture of fluttering mating butterflies? I almost gave up.
As I said, the butterflies lay their eggs on the leaves of the California Dutchman’s Pipe plant.
Today as I passed where the plants are growing I spotted these caterpillars about two inches long on the plants, chewing away.
They eat quite a bit, but the plant grows fairly fast. This plant has more to it’s story which I will tell as it unfolds.
That was it for the day and the much needed rain has started again. Great.
Interesting day and still a good one.