Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013, Jenner, CA.
First off was a fuel oil delivery that didn’t happen.
As I woke up this morning, it seeped into my head that I was supposed to call the fuel oil guy at ten to see about a delivery, so I can start using my new fuel oil heating stove. My wood supply is getting real low, as I had planned, as I wanted to use up some old wood, before using my new fuel oil stove that I installed in the house last summer.
I called at ten and no answer, leave a message. Oh, well, might as well go kayaking as it was going to be a nice day as soon as the fog burned off. The fog usually burns off fairly early around here, ten or so, but today it was hanging on a bit longer than normal, whatever that is? :O)
I stopped to talk with the fuel oil man.
The fuel oil guy’s place is just down the road from me and as I was passing the place, I saw him in his yard, so I stopped to see what happened. He said a customer called that had run out of fuel completely, so he had to take care of that. OK. no problem, we set up for Thursday again and off I went to Jenner.
The fog was burning off.
It was still foggy until I passed Monte Rio, and then it burned off and was sunny for the rest of the day. Great.
Was I going to get muddy putting the boat in the water?
When I arrived at Jenner, the river was low, because the tide was going out, which was to be a fairly low tide today, so I might get caught in the mud, if I wasn’t careful. I was able to get my boat in the water without getting into too much mud, but I might not be so lucky when I came back in later as the tide still had several hours to go out some more..
I paddled across to Penny Island and took my time heading up the river about a half mile or so on the south shore side of the Russian River.I like to just paddle a little ways, sit for awhile and observe and repeat as I go and that is what I did.
Plans don’t always work out as planned.
My plan was to do a little hike up the hill at a place I call Poison Oak Alley, well named. :O)
But when I got to the place where I would get out of my boat, it wasn’t looking too good for getting out and the tide was going to go lower, which would make getting back in my boat even harder later, so I canceled that hike.
Below is a picture of the area I was going to hike up to, right where that little point is on the ridge, about half way, near the middle of the picture.
Even though I didn’t do my hike there, I still spent some time there, just hanging out.
Below, is a picture showing how nice and calm the water was looking back down the river toward Jenner.
An otter surprised me.
After about an hour of doing nothing, I headed back down the river on the back channel of Penny Island. Just past the Otter’s log, I spotted this loan otter, checking me out. I just got the picture and he dove under the water. I watched his bubble trail for a bit, but then the trail and the otter disappeared.
Below, you can see the loan otter, checking me out.
A hike on Penny Island was the new plan.
There was still enough water in the island channel to make it though today, so I paddled down to the west end and went to shore for a little hike, since I didn’t make the other hike. As the tide was still going out, it was a bit on the muddy side, but I found some gravel that was a bit soft, but not too muddy and landed my kayak.
You can see my kayak where I landed on Penny Island below.
I walked around the west end of Penny Island looking to see what the high waters of the winters rains might have floated onto the island. Lots of stuff, but nothing I needed.
Below is a photo of the exposed area of the west end of Penny island, looking toward the river’s mouth. You can see that the tide is way out to expose this much gravel.
I spent forty five minutes or so on the island then put my boat back in the water and headed toward the river’s mouth. Just past the island’s west end these pelicans flew over my head and I was able to get a shot of them.
The Russian River’s mouth was open to the ocean.
It was low tide when I arrived at the river’s mouth. It’s open, but it since it was low tide, the water was slack on the rivers side, but the ocean was real rough out there as it has been for the last couple weeks or so.
Below is a photo looking out the Russian river’s mouth into the Pacific ocean. Lot’s of birds in the water and birds and seals on the beach. Seagulls, mostly.
I hung around the mouth area for about a half hour and started on my way back.
Turkey Vulture party or what?
Some turkey vultures and a seagull were on the shore eating something, so I had to investigate.
Below, you can see the birds that have gathered to feast on something?
The seagull seemed to minding it’s manners, which I thought was interesting as gulls are usually fairly aggressive, way more than the turkey vultures are. They seemed to have some kind of understanding.
What is it the Turkey Vulture is eating?
Below, is a picture of a Turkey vulture eating what I think is a fish, with the seagull patiently waiting for a turn.
Below, I have blown up the picture a bit so you can have a better look at what was being eaten.
Just a nice looking Turkey Vulture.
Just past that bunch I ran into two more birds. This nice looking turkey vulture, watching a seagull with a very old leathery star fish.
The star fish seemed more like a piece of leather as the seagull tore at it.
Below is the seagull with the old dead star fish, which he is slowly devouring.
I continued on, headed back to the visitor’s center boat launch area. Lucky for me, the water was still on the boat ramp, not below it, so I had a nice place to take out, that wasn’t in the mud.
Had a nice day, kayaking Jenner, CA.