Sightings

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They didn't know what the lights in the sky were very early on Friday January 24. The lights were south of the Mendonoma Coast. But Don Krieger soon discovered what they were. He wrote, “Here's a picture in the moonlight of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket putting 23 spacelink satellites into orbit this morning.”

Janet Pierucci also witnessed this event from her Sea Ranch home. She wrote, "Not sure what phenomenon this is but what an incredible sight.” Janet soon wrote back to tell me about the liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Janet got a series of photos, but this was was a few minutes later. Interesting to see!

Thanks to Don and Janet for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

More rain today! We've gone over 8 inches since last Friday and we're closing in on 50 inches season to date. After this storm, it is suppose to be dry until mid-week.

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I've seen Scarlett Waxy Caps in the forest, but I've never seen a wooden photographer taking a photo of one!

Hope you enjoy this fun photo taken by Craig Tooley. To see much more of Craig's  nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

Rain and more rain! 7.87 inches since Friday. 48.60 season to date. A "normal" wet winter here is 50.00 inches. We're going to surpass that number.

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The Salal Trail on The Sea Ranch is a public access trail. It begins at Gualala Point Regional Park. Just after the pay station, turn left into the parking area. The signs for the trail are there. The trail goes along Highway One, past the golf course, and then heads west. Salal Creek accompanies you and rewards you with a beautiful sight. John Guinn captured the magic of the Salal Creek falls.

Here's a photo I took some time ago.

It's a beautiful part of the trail.

Thanks to John for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

We've had some nice soaking rain. Creeks and rivers are flowing wonderfully now. I read my rain gauge in the 7 am hour. As of Sunday morning we've had 2.68 inches of rain (Donna, I told you an incorrect total this morning!). Season to date we've had 43.41 inches. It's raining as I type this and we have a river of rain event predicted for tomorrow, Monday.

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This sighting is from over a month ago, when the King Tides were taking place. Cindy Morey had a wonderful find during the extra low tides. She wrote, “This Sea Star with 22 arms was alive and in a tide pool way out in the rocks during low tide on Irish Beach. It was really something to see. I've only seen one other one near the same place many years ago.” What Cindy photographed was a beautiful Sunflower Sea Star, Pycnopodia helianthoides.

About ten years ago, a disease called the Sea Star wasting disease severely impacted many Stars, but it seems to have hit the Sunflower Stars the hardest. It’s estimated 90 percent of the big Stars died. I have not had a sighting of one since the outbreak so Cindy’s photo was so very welcome. I shared Cindy’s photo with folks at NOAA and they were excited too. Sunflower Stars prey on Purple Urchins which proliferated in the Stars absence, so with the Stars hoped for recovery, balance may be restored in the ocean.

Thanks to Cindy for allowing me to share her photo with you here. Cindy is an artist with the Coast Highway Artists Collective. You can take a look at this link: https://coast-highway-artists.com/

Rain has returned to the Mendonoma Coast. Hooray!

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The full Moon setting by Fish Rocks presented quite a beautiful picture. As evidence, just take a look at Rozanne Rapozo's photo. Fish Rocks is off Anchor Bay, about five miles north of Gualala.

Thanks to Rozanne for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

Cold fog this morning, cold clouds this afternoon. Rain beginning tomorrow night!