Allen Vinson recently photographed this Harbor Seal as a wave curled up around her. She sure looks happy!
The cool water of the Pacific Ocean must feel good on a warm September day.
Thanks to Allen for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Allen's nature photography, here is his website: http://allenvinson.smugmug.com/
The Gualala River usually closes in the spring, after the winter rains. A big sandbar always forms at the river mouth, and the river then backs up and fills to the brim. We've been waiting and waiting for this to happen this year, and it finally happened mid-week.
Here is what the river looks like when it is closed - just beautiful.
Craig Tooley took this aerial photo of the closed Gualala a few years ago.
You can see the big sandbar stretching across the river's mouth. Some of the river seeps through the sandbar and some of the water will evaporate, as the river slowly loses water. Now is the perfect time to kayak the river.
Fun fact: When the river is closed, the water at the mouth is called a lagoon. When the river is open, the water at the mouth is called an estuary.
Thanks to Craig for allowing me to show his aerial photo. To see much more of Craig's work, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com
Oh, we had a wild storm last week on Thursday. It was windy and pouring rain. In advance of the storm, the surf was huge. Pam Ryan photographed some of it.
I live a half mile away from the Pacific Ocean, but I could still hear - and feel - the booming waves. Today is it breezy and clear as can be.
Thanks to Pam for allowing me to share her photos with you here.
Sometimes when I look out our windows I almost can't believe what I'm seeing. That's how I felt this morning at the stunning sunrise.
If you look closely, you will see the lights of a fishing boat out near the horizon. The colors of this sunrise only lasted for a few minutes. But isn't it beautiful? I love how the Pacific Ocean glows with the reflected colors.
A while later this morning fog enveloped our house. You just never know what will happen next on the Mendonoma Coast!
Paul Brewer photographed the beautiful sunset from the banks of the Gualala River. You can see the river is currently closed to the Pacific Ocean by the sandbar. Past the sandbar is the ocean.
Mike Nelson also photographed Sunday's sunset from the beach at Gualala Point Regional Park. The colors of the sunset can sometimes make the ocean look purple, a lovely sight.
Thanks to Paul and Mike for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Paul's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.capturingnatureswonders.com/