The SF Bay Area and much of Northern California have been getting soaked with rain this weekend. There are a variety of names used to describe the weather phenomena at play: La Niña, Atmospheric River, and Bomb Cycle. What's in a name?

La Niña: Spanish for "baby girl" this name sounds downright mild. It describes a condition where waters in the ( Read more... )

I like to browse Coronavirus statistics a few times a week to see how trends are developing. One of my favorite sites is the New York Times, "Coronavirus in the U.S." When I checked its California detail page a chart I've never before paid attention to jumped out at me: the map of infection hotspots in the state.


( Read more... )

North Coast Roadtrip travelog #7
Back home - Mon, 29 Mar 2021. 11pm.

We wrapped up our three-day weekend road trip to California's north coast today, driving some 440 miles home. Along the way we managed a handful of stops- including one to drop off some rocks, a few for attempts at lunch, and one for a serious hike on the Mendocino coast.

Had ( Read more... )

North Coast Roadtrip travelog #6
Crescent City, CA - Mon, 29 Mar 2021. 8:15am.

I haven't written much about the hotel we've stayed in the past two nights in Crescent City. All I did write has been about the prevalence of Covid-denying idiots there. But there was a good reason we chose it. It's one of few hotels on the shore in Crescent City. We ( Read more... )

North Coast Roadtrip travelog #5 
Crescent City, CA - Sun, 28 Mar 2021. 8pm.

We've had a busy day out here on the far northwestern coast of California. But busy in a good way: less driving to places and more doing stuff once there. Today we've taken short hikes to a few waterfalls, walked through old growth forest among huge redwood trees, and ( Read more... )

North Coast Roadtrip travelog #4
Crescent City, CA - Sat, 27 Mar 2021. 9:30pm.

As we've headed further north in California today, intelligence and responsibility have headed south.

Friday evening we left the SF Bay Area, where mask compliance is nearly 100%. When we stopped overnight in Ukiah, 110 miles north of San Francisco, mask compliance was ( Read more... )

North Coast Roadtrip travelog #3
Leggett, CA - Sat, 27 Mar 2021. 10am.

When we stopped at a roadside convenience store outside tiny Leggett, CA, for snacks this morning we found something unexpected: a new hawk!


( Read more... )

North Coast Roadtrip travelog #2
Ukiah, CA - Sat, 27 Mar 2021. 8:30am.

Just 10 ½ hours after arriving in Ukiah we are leaving. It's not that there's anything particularly wrong with the place; but this town and the Hampton Inn we've stayed at are merely a Friday Night Halfway stopover en route to adventures further north.

While even 8:30am is later ( Read more... )

We've headed out of town this evening... and it's not just to get a shot 105 miles away from home. It's a legit, leisure road trip!
Friday Night Halfway
Tonight we're bedded down in Ukiah, CA, 155 miles from home. It was a not-hard trek up to here, well north of San Francisco along US-101. We left home at 6:45 after work and a quick supper of ( Read more... )

After we got home from our North Coast road trip Sunday night Hawk cleaned up the stones and shells we collected at Agate Beach. She laid them out on towels to dry. Here's our haul:


( Read more... )