Pacifica Drama

The Darling Aground

Rigging The Pull

Living on the coast you can expect drama on a regular basis, most involving fools and boats.  The 80 foot 2.8 million dollar sail boat Darling pictured here was stolen from Salsalito by 3 pirate wannabes!  They ran the yacht aground in Pacifica a short time later. This of course made the news and the Coast Guard set up a rescue unaware the vessel had been stolen. The owner of the Darling caught the news and recognized his boat, and called police. The police with guns drawn persuaded the trio to surrender and promptly put them in the local hoosegow. Inside the boat was littered with beer cans and pizza boxes.

A landing craft type salvage boat was sent in at high tide in an attempt to pull the boat free. After much tugging the tow line snapped and as of about 5pm the Darling is still grounded!



Failed Attempt

3/5/13 Up-date:  The Darling was finally freed by a tug boat about 3 am and towed to Richmond California for repairs.

3/7/13 Update: Two of the 3 people arrested for this heist were released today. A couple in their mid 50's told police that the 3rd paerty told them it was his boat, they had no idea it was stolen...............humm!

Shallow Water 10 FT Keel

Army of out of Control John Henry's



John Henry

We are at a transition point where fossil fuel energy has to give way to green forms of energy such as solar, wind and hydrogen. If mankind were smart and not greedy, this could be a significant period of conservation and energy planning for the future. We need to squeeze the efficiency levels of hybrid, electrical and internal combustion to the maximum as a bridge to the future technologies.  However this is not happening and does not appear to be on any near future agendas.  Rather than face the reality of a finite resource life, energy companies are hell bent on using them up as if they will be perpetually replenished. They are in denial of an end game for fossil fuels and they are supported by the politicians they buy off. They are an army of out of control John Henrys hammering this planet to destruction.

Having worked in the engineering field it is clear to me that given enough money and resources just about anything can be conceived and constructed.  Yes, we can drill miles under our oceans but should we?  We can push high pressure fluids deep into the ground over vast regions; are we that desperate?

What’s up with blowing the tops off of mountains, are we insane? There is no respect for the environment, the animal and plant life that occupy it, the people who live here now or the future generations.  Is it just greed or some form of personality disorder or religious indoctrination?

I wrote an article in a previous blog post titled Climate Change is a Sub-set of Global Destruction. http://wildbayarea.blogspot.com/2011/12/climate-change-is-subset-of-global.html

I noticed both side of the Climate Change debate try to spin scientific data in such a way as to favor their point. Liars always figure, figures never lie best seem to sum up this tactic. My point is the scientific data does not even need to be examined. The planetary destruction that is unfolding before our very eyes is graphic evidence that we are f***ing up this planet big time.  There are 5 garbage pits or ocean gyres the size of states choking our oceans.    Mountain Top Removal Mining has destroyed 500 Appalachian Mountains, decimated 1 million acres of forest and has buried 2000 miles of streams. You don’t need scientific data, just look! The list goes on.

I would like to point out 1 mathematical phenomenon that seems to be over looked or ignored in the Climate Change debate. I’m talking about exponential equations that describe what happens to a physical system once it goes non-linear.  I hear the temperature of the earth has risen 0.8 degrees Celsius over a period of time and that if it increases at the same rate it will be 2.0 degrees Celsius higher in a certain future year. This is a linear projection but not necessarily a good model for such a complex chemical and thermal system as the atmosphere. Examples of exponential growth are found in nuclear chain reactions and bacterial growth. I don’t believe if we continue to damage the planet as we are doing today that temperature will stay linear or atmospheric chemistry will stay linear. We will reach a tipping point and be hurled towards infinity and out of existence.

So here we are in front row seats watching an army of out of control John Henry’s sledge our children’s future into oblivion.

John Henry's captain said to him:
"I believe these mountains are caving in. John Henry said to his captain: "Oh, Lord!"
"That's just my hammer sucking wind."

Rounding up Leopard Sharks

I was at Pillar Point Harbor today when a group of about 12 people showed up carrying some strange equipment including a small row boat and a very long specialized looking net. Since the bird activity was quiet I decided to watch this group and see what was up. They rowed the boat out into the harbor and about 6 or so people walked and swam in the water and guided the net in a semi-circle and started pulling it toward shore.

Leopard Shark and Researcher

Finally when it was all the way in, low and behold it contained 5 Leopard Sharks from about 1 foot to 3 feet long. They quickly measured them and did other test including sexing them and then released them. I did not talk to anyone as they seemed occupied in their tasks. When I got home, I noticed RTC Marine Ops on the back of one of the vests. Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies. Marine Operations supports San Francisco State University students, faculty, and staff in conducting marine research by providing research vessels, oceanographic sampling equipment, operator training and field logistics support.

Now I wished I had talked to them.

I’m amazed at what lies just below the surface invisible to most people. I’ve been out there for years and never saw a shark. Occasionally  I’ve seen a Bat Ray.

 

Side note: While attempting this post it's abundantly clear the Blogger interface is horrible.



RTC Researchers

 

 

Leopard Sharks Netted

Leopard Shark

Corporate and Local News

Yellow-rumped Warbler

CNN came into popularity during the first Iraq assault in 1990. I guess these type of events are very profitable for Corporate news outlets. So CNN, Fox New and MSNBC relish and may even help to create major events such as the Iraq War. Most of the main news anchors such as Wolf Blitzer were cheer leaders for the Bush administrations push for an invasion. I think perpetual wars and perpetual 24/7 news are closely intertwined. The two most commonly used phrases on cable news channels are "We'll be back after a short break" and "Breaking News". I've not done any research on this, but I would guess cable news has more advertisement time than any other channel. Breaking News is so over used as to be a joke.

I'm a news junkie type so I will scan TV stations and the Internet for legitimate news both nationally and internationally. Over the years cable news and network news have steered away from serious news in favor of more tabloid content ranging from celebrity ad nauseam to political drivel. This week has been a fine example as two non-stories have received much coverage, Beyonce's possibly lip-synced performance and the fake girl friend of a college football player.

On the local news front I estimate that there is actually about 5 minutes of interesting local news in any given day. Local news coverage begins about 6am and runs to about 9am and is covered here in the San Francisco area by 5 major news outlets. Most of the news time is taken up by some attractive weather person looking at a map and reading off temperatures that vary about 3 degrees. It goes something like this, humm Santa Rosa 51, Oakland 53, Kentfield 52 and burrr Berkeley 49. This is not made up!

I woke up to the local San Francisco news last week and the lead story was how some places in the SF Bay area had temperatures below freezing, like OMG 31 degrees. For 7 minutes they interviewed people complaining of cold hands and premature cold coffee. Despite 4 people murdered in Oakland the night before, the lead story is 31 degrees!
Yikes, these bozos really know how to waste time!!!!!

White-tailed Kite Vole Meal

White-tailed Kite swallowing vole whole!

Yesterday while checking the preparations for the Maverick contest down at Pillar Point I photographed this White-tailed Kite swallow a vole whole.
I always thought most raptors ate by ripping the prey into small bits.

King Tides

Surfer Beach Tide 6.4 feet swell 15 feet 1/22/12

King Tides are formed in the winter months of December-February are are caused by the position of the sun and moon. From my experience in the Half Moon Bay area, king tides are generally about 1 foot higher than normal high tides.
Surfers Beach is the closest that the ocean comes to highway 1 in the Half Moon Bay area.  This photo shows a swell 15 feet from the WNW at a 6.4 ft high tide. Surfers Beach faces SW.  Once I saw large pieces of driftwood on hwy 1 after a storm. I'm looking for the combination King Tide with large storm surge from the west . I believe under these conditions this would be a very dramatic scene.................I'm waiting!



I've been collecting the King Tide Photos for 3 years now and this year I've added some new places in Pacifica California.


King Tides Rockaway Beach Tide 6.9 Swell 13-15 WNW



Surfers Beach at low tide 1.1 feet 1/22/11

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve tide 6.7  looking S  121412

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve tide -1.4 looking S  121212

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve tide 6.7  looking N toward Moss Beach 121412

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve tide -1.4 looking N toward Moss Beach 121212

Tribute to Rich Stallcup



I was shocked to hear of Rich’s passing. He always seemed so healthy to me, both physically and mentally. I think everyone that knew him felt they were in the presence of a special gifted and unique individual. He will be greatly missed by so many people, a huge lose to all. I bet birds can sense his absence and are grieving as well!  I guess only a few select people knew of his illness. I sense that he had periods of great suffering. I’m really going to miss those bird walks, I’m glad I made as many as I did.



John Owen and Rich Stallcup

 I remember well the bird walk that Rich led for the Beach Watch people at Limantour Beach on October 24th 2009. Amanda Jobbins spotted a lone peep high up on the sand dunes. Rich immediately got excited; I and several other photographers shot as many photos as we could. Rich identified the bird as a rare Long-toed Stint. Immediately birders from all over Northern California descended on the site to get a look. Many doubted Rich’s ID and thought more than likely this was a Least Sandpiper. I’m not an expert birder, so technically I could not contribute any expertise to the controversy except two things. I’ve seen enough Least Sandpipers to be somewhat familiar with their behavior and this bird was exhibiting behavior not typical of a Least Sandpiper. Many people agreed on this point. Secondly Rich has so much experience and insight on birds; if he with confidence calls a bird, that’s what the bird is!  Last year on another bird walk with Rich, I asked him about the controversy surrounding the bird and he said, “there is no controversy; the bird is a Long-toed Stint!”  I knew that!

Long-toed Stint



 Rich was a person nobody can forget, so sad to see him leave, he touched everybody who knew him; me for sure!