Mission Spring Garden

Our friends and prior tenants gave us a great start with healthy soil, hardy plants, and a great layout of outdoor pottery. We added several seeds and a handful of starts. Some plants are on fire, some are slow, and some are growing out of style. There’s a few photos from Jan, but this is the current state. We will need to hire a concrete cutting service to get through the concrete in certain parts to get to the soil to have the garden of our dreams. Still, we’re just about done.

Two Harbors – Ripper’s Cove 7/22/2010

Packed Up at Two Harbors

Entering cave

Exiting cave

Lunch break

Photo from kayak.

First look at Ripper’s Cove

Ripper’s Cove

Snorkeling Ripper’s Cove

Snorkeling Ripper’s Cove with Giribaldi

Snorkeling Ripper’s Cove with Bat Rays!

Table view


Clothes line

Campsite site B

Mission Black Crowned Night-Herons

Skyler Mendoza

Black Crowned Night-Herons perching in the Mission. How crazy is that? Mission lake is long gone, but these water birds instinctively fly back here to roost.

Black Crowned Night-Heron poop

First heard about these Mission Night Herons from Candy on the SF bird yahoo group. I didn’t believe it. But, sure enough, when I walked up Dolores St. on the East Side b/w 16th and 17th I couldn’t miss the poop. Herons are a rather large bird so their poop is pretty big too. With this much rain poop will wash away quickly, but if you see it, that means Skyler is still here chillin’.

Notre Dame Plaza

The plaza is right across the street from Mission Dolores. Skyler is in that tree there.

Skyler Mendoza chillin’.

You might not even notice Skyler if you weren’t looking.

Skyler Mendoza

Skyler, don’t know how long you will stay, but we’re glad you’re here. You’re welcome anytime. Please come again.

Mission mushrooms ♥ the rain

I walked to McKinley Square behind SF General this afternoon. I was looking up for perchies that I’d seen on previous excursions (future UD bird post), but it was slim pickens.  There was however, an abundance of fun fungi when I looked down. Apparently, these guys just ♥ this wet weather. The good thing is that we already have the contact of a good company that takes care of topsoil, so it won’t be much of a problem to have the place ready for us once we do move in. It’s going to be great and so far all the plans we have been thinking about, well it seems like we will be able to do them all. It’s going to be our dream home before long.

After poking around McKinley for a bit, I descended into Dolores park.

Dolores Park Mushroom

I’m new to mushroom hunting, so I’m unable to identify these positively. My partner “kate at yr own risk” will have more insightful mushroom posts. The only thing I can tell you is that all of the mushrooms in San Francisco are “Magic”.

Tidepools: Pillar Point Half Moon Bay

We arrived an hour before the lowest tide hit -1.42 feet at 3:37 PM December 30, 2009. Negative tide reveals a whole new world to explore at Pillar Point: Massive mussel beds, starfish, sea urchins, sea anemones, abalone, crabs, snails, clams, a variety of seaweed, microcosmic universes, and the most vivid colors. As you can probably make out by looking at us, we aren’t professionals divers. So we got the best snorkel gear for beginners we could find just as a backup if one us wanted to do some snorkelling nearby. We were just outside of the Marine Park so we also brought our CA fishing licenses in order to legally take some yummy mussels.

The yellow shading indicates the James V. Fitzgerald State Marine Park.

In the future, new legislation will probably extend the park into where we were exploring. That would make this area a no-take zone, and no mussel collecting.

Here you can see how far you’re able to walk out on negative tide.

So close to the big waves of Mavericks.

Collecting mussels.

Alien universe.

Starfish beard.

No starfish were harmed in the making of this shot. He was carefully placed back in his home.

Grumpy fish.

Baby Uni

SuperStar fish!

Baby Rockfish? Cabezone? Monkeyface eel? or just little tide pool fish?

Mussels Mussels Mussels.

We go after a medium size.  December they are tasty and safe. Steam them in some coconut milk with some lime, or cook them in a paella. Yum, yum, yum.

Make sure you check with CA fish and game for up to date regulations. You do need a current CA fishing license, never harvest between May 1 and October 31, and never harvest in a protected area.

Postelsia, also known as the sea palm or palm seaweed

Underwater Uni

Can you spot the Abalone?

Abalone

Abalone are delicious. You can buy farmed red abalone in Half Moon Bay harbor, but this wild little guy is off limits. Take of wild abalone South of the Golden Gate Bridge is prohibited. North of the Golden Gate, you can take abalone, but you must have a CA fishing license, and an abalone punch card. Plus all abalone must measure over 7 inches. This little fella is too small even if he did live North. (Diving for Abalone UD post, coming soon.)

One more underwater shot.