Saturday November 30, 2013 Jenner, CA.
Tan oak trees down on the fire trails
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do today. After some procrastinating, I decided to go up the hill for a little ride and hike. I needed to find out how many more trees were across the roads that needed removing.
As long as I was going up the hill, I thought it would be a good time to grease the bulldozer too. So, I found the grease gun and tied it on the little four wheeler and I was off.
The first thing I did was grease the dozer.
That didn’t take long. Now to find the rest of the down trees on the fire trials. Some of that, I was able to ride, until I got to a tree blocking the road, then I had to walk to check out the rest of the road.
This is one of the tan oak trees blocking the road, where I stopped and walked beyond the tree to check out more of the road. A lot of the trees across the road are from the tan oak die off we had a few years ago and they are now all getting rotten enough to fall down, so that’s why there are so many of them across the fire trails.
Most of my walking was pretty easy as the roads aren’t steep, like the one in this picture. Rather a nice walk actually.
I think I found about six or so more trees to remove off the fire trail roads, which I will do sometime in the near future. It was real nice walking around up there, as it was a sunny cool day, just right for walking.
After that, I went on home and had a nap and got something to eat. I was thinking of going down to Jenner to kayak, as it was supposed to be warm and sunny down there today, according to the weatherman. I procrastinated on going for a bit, before I got it in gear and headed down to Jenner, around 2:30PM.
Kayaking foggy Jenner
Just as Jenner came into view, so did the fog. It was just coming in over the town of Jenner. It was a bit breezy and cool too, but I drove my car down the ramp and was unloading my boat, when someone said, hey Bob. Looked around and it was my friends Marty and Patti. Marty just had a stint put in one of his arteries and was recovering. Said he just had to get out for a ride to keep from going crazy, so here they were. We talked for just a bit, but the breeze was cold and piercing, so that didn’t last long.
The river’s mouth is still closed
I said good bye and put my boat in the water and headed across to Penny Island and across to the south shore of the river and headed on up. I was hoping to get just beyond the fog, near Paddy’s rock as when I drove by, it was still in the sun. But not now.The fog was blowing in and still not warm at all.
I hung around up in this area for a bit, then headed back down the river.
I passed this same duck that has been on the redwood log for the last few days, but now was on the shore right near the same spot. I think this might be a shovel billed duck. I know it’s not a spoon billed duck as I saw a spoon billed bird in another blog last night and this bill is just not big enough to be one of those.
This is the view as I approached the east end of Penny Island. Lots of fog and some coots too.
I pulled into the little channel on the east end of the island and sat for a bit as the wind and fog was less in this area. As I was there, the wind that was blowing the fog in died down and the water was now flat and the fog was now heavier too.
A little walk on Penny Island
Since it was mostly foggy everywhere, I decided I might as well pull into Penny Island and go for a little walk, so I did. This is the spot I pulled into Penny Island, near the east end.
This is the view as I walked over to the old milk barn on the trail that goes though these trees.
I didn’t go too far as I was feeling a bit lazy and cold too.
I got back in my boat and headed down the back channel of the island in the fog which had gotten even thicker by now.
I headed down the back island channel in this picture in the denser fog. Some coots on the water in front of me.
There’s been a couple of deer hanging out near the west end of Penny Island grazing the grass. They didn’t notice me much as I approached in the fog. Here is one of them, looking in my direction, but not bothered much by my presence. 
It was almost time for the sun to go down and I was hoping the fog might clear as it will sometimes clear right before dark, then the water would be flat and calm.
I paddled around the west end of the island waiting for it to clear and it looked like it might, but it wasn’t doing it fast enough for me, so I headed on in.
Just as I got near the take out area and was taking my boat out, it did almost clear.
This photo was taken on my way out of town just as I was leaving Jenner, just as the sun was going on down for the day.
I came home and cranked the heat stove up and hit the couch until I was warmed up.
That was my day.