Friday, October 25, 2013, Jenner, CA.
A slow start to repairing the car
My intensions today were to get up and get going on finishing repairing my broken car.
But, with these big redwood trees around the yard, the sun didn’t get to my work spot until about noon, so I puttered around putting some more stuff in my van for my trip.
So, around noon, the sun was on my car and all the dew from the night finally evaporated for the day, now I could work.
I started off putting the engine oil pump back together with new o rings to stop an oil leak. That accomplished, I timed the timing belts and put that all back together, radiator back on and everything all hooked up. Check.
Crossed my fingers and turned the key and it started right up, all looks and sounds OK, no oil or water leaks.
Time for something to eat and a little nap.
Oh, I forgot to tell you, I baked some buns just before I started the car work and here they are. Yummmmmmmmmmmmm.
Going to Jenner for an evening kayak
After my little nap, I looked at the clock and it was just after three PM, time to go to Jenner for a little boat ride.
Off to Jenner I went, stopping to get some gas for the car. Looked under it for oil leaks and water leaks at the station and I was still good to go.
Arriving at Jenner, I noticed the river water level looked like the river’s mouth was still closed. There was a slight breeze, but no fog and the sun was out too. Great.
I paddled across the river to Penny Island and into the little channel on the east end of the Island and watched for awhile from there.
There was this goose eating grass there that didn’t seem to be bothered by me much. Wonder if this guy was the same one I took a photo of the other day that was so tame also?
I exited to channel on the south side and went on up the south side of the river, passing this seal sunning on a submerged redwood log. This is one of the seals that mostly stays in the river most of the time. I figure there are four or five seals that mostly live in the estuary and don’t go out to the ocean much. When the river’s mouth closes, most of the harbor seals leave the estuary for the ocean, but not these guys.
I paddled to Otter’s log for a break and then up to Eagle’s landing and from there over to Paddy’s rock where I spent some time taking it easy.
Paddy’s Rock
After I got tired of taking it easy at Paddy’s rock I headed back down the river on the north side.
Here is the view of Jenner. Almost no wind now as I paddled along.
I headed back into the little channel on the east end of Penny Island where I took another break. While I was in there I noticed something spooked a bunch of ducks on the north side of the island. Maybe some otters? No, it was a lady in a kayak that spooked them. Turned out to be one of my blog readers who also has a place in Jenner.
I shot the bull with this lady for awhile. Her name was Penilapea. I’m not sure on the spelling of that and my spell checker isn’t helping. :O) I said by, and headed down the north side of Penny Island towards the river’s mouth at a leisurely pace.
The Russian River’s mouth is closed for the count.
As I approached the closed river’s mouth, the sun wasn’t too far from going down for another day.
This is the view of the closed river’s mouth. The part the guy is standing on was were the river’s mouth was open a couple days ago. I figure there is six or eight feet of sand piled up there under him. A rough ocean at high tide can really pile up the sand.
It was sunset watching time now, so that’s what I did.
Here is a seal in the water just before the sun went down.
As the sun was going down, I worked my way back towards the take out area at the visitors center.
The sun just went down in this sunset picture.
And one more sunset picture before I went on in for the day.
I took my boat out of the water and went on home. At home I looked under the car again, just be be sure and no leaks. Great.
No leaks makes it a real good day and throw in the kayaking too and it was a great day.