Another Hot Day at the Beach

It was already 80 F, windless and sultry when we got down to the beach this morning before 9 AM.  Not a cloud in the sky.

FWIW, the Sea Nettle probability is still pegged at 100%.  This enormous mass of them collects behind the jetty at Flag Harbor.  The rest of the beach is bad but not quite this bad.  Enough to discourage barefoot wading, though.

Fortunately for Skye, her thick fur keeps the nettles off her skin.  This is about as deep as she'll go (voluntarily), and she did a lot of wading to beat the heat today.  As it was, she was getting pretty miserable, and we turned back early, fearing that she was overheating.  But she's fine, after a shower and a nap.

The Weed du Jour.  It seems to be about the only wildflower flowering this time of year.  I'm still trying to figure out what it is.

It has pretty yellow flowers, that continue to emerge from the top of the long stem.  It'll probably turn out to be some horrible invasive weed; it seems like most of the stuff that does well in the cliffs is.

Fellow shark's tooth hunters.  Actually, a boy with them turned out to be a fisherman of sorts, when we came back he had a Skilletfish in his bucket which I identified for him.

Only a few small sharks teeth today, and one drums tooth; nothing picture worthy.

Another fisherman (or is it a fisherwoman?) perched on the root ball of a tree deposited in shallow water by Tropical Storm Lee last year.  Almost time for more storms to come and shuffle the trash around and let a few new fossils out of the cliffs. We saw lots of Ospreys, and maybe one eagle, at a distance.

Someone kayak fishing in the channel at Flag Harbor.  I didn't see him catch any fish, but I did see him try, unsuccessfully, to bring in one of the boulders that make up the jetty.  10 lb test won't cut it.

Hendrix Goes Wild

Yesterday, Georgia had a dentist appointment in the morning, so rather than drive two cars to work, Georgia stayed home after the appointment, and tele-worked.  When I came home at 5:30, I expected to be attacked by both dogs, Skye (our aging Siberian Husky) and Hendrix, (our son's Mutt, who is staying with us while they represent the East Coast of the clan at the reunion in Pismo Beach).  Georgia was diligently working on data analysis on the kitchen table.

Skye ambled out and said hi, but Hendrix was nowhere to be found.  We scoured the house, we went outside and checked the fenced yard, and walked the immediate neighborhood calling.  No dog...

We still haven't quite figured out how she got out of the fenced yard, but we have a couple of theories, that we likely will not test. 

We went into full panic mode, and started combing the neighborhood in our cars, asking if anyone had seen a small black and brown dog.  Georgia got one "hit" about 3/4 of a mile up the road, and we both searched the area thoroughly, to no avail.  We called off the search at dark.

Georgia reluctantly called Alex, to get the details of what were on her tags, so we could tell the Animal Shelter if they found her.  He and Kelly were both concerned but utterly unable to do anything from the distance. 

We got up at first light, and started the hunt again.  Georgia got a second "hit" somewhere near the previous one, and as I was leaving to meet the carpool, a woman pulled up and reported she had just seen the dog (we were pretty sure by then) on the same road but closer to home, so back she went, while I went to meet the carpool.

About a half hour later Georgia called to report that she had tracked Hendrix down, only a block from home, sitting in the weeds, wet from the nights dew, and with some new burrs stuck in her coat.  She seems none the worse for her night out on the big town of Long Beach (MD), although a little less bouncy than normal.  But that's probably for the best, as she'll be under house arrest for the remainder of her stay.

There's Something Happening Here, at the Beach

 And what it is ain't exactly clear...

We got another early start to beat the heat, and even maybe the rain.  It was mostly overcast, with no wind, and temperature in the mid to high 70s and humid.  

 The Navy is doing something offshore, and it's very mysterious.  There were three vessels hanging out near the channel of the Bay, two small and one very large. 

One of the two smaller was clearly a crane mounted on a large barge.

 The big ship was odd; a catamaran design with a huge space under the hull.  It looks like another vessel maybe tucked up under there.


They were out there for most of our two hour walk.  Somewhere along the way, the two smaller one disappeared (moved away south or across), and eventually the big catamaran steamed up north.

Much like the Honey Badger, Skye don't care.  We attacked her this week with the comb, (it takes one of us to hold her down, while the other combs), and the result was a huge pile of down, and a dog that looks much slimmer and less scruffy.

Neither do the butterflies.  Eastern Black Swallowtail or Eastern Tiger Swallowtail black form? or maybe even a Spicebush Swallowtail?

Well, I'll leave that to the taxonomists among us.

For about 10 minutes the sun actually came out, and it was rather warm.

Probability of Sea Nettles, still 100%.

Lots of dragonflies about, but not streaming down the beach the way they had the last two weeks.

Baby, It's Hot Outside...

Another 90+ F day.  Still and muggy, too.  We met Joel around 8 AM, but even by then the heat was getting obnoxious.  Still, we managed the usual distance.

Joel was among the lucky who got their power back within one day.

 Sea Nettle probability still 100%.

 Red trying to beat the heat.

Oh, mom, it's just so hot!

Father's Day Special Part II - Happy Father's Day, Vince!

A few days ago, I did a post on Georgia's father, Vince, in anticipation of Father's day.  I had all the best intentions to do a few posts between then and now, but, well, life intervened.  Today I got back to it.

That's Vince in the lower left.  I don't know where, the photo is unannotated.

Today, we'll cover Vince's participation in World War II

I gave a bit of misinformation in my last post, when I said that Vince enlisted in the Army air Corps after Pearl Harbor.  When Vince enlisted he was given this diary to write in, and he did, more or less faithfully.  According to the diary he actually enlisted on June 2, 1941, with a note on June 5 that says:

I'm really in the Army now.

At some point, Georgia and I intend to scan and record this diary.  For the most part, Vince's hand writing was very readable, a skill that tends to have been lost to many of us.  I suspect he went to Catholic school and listened to the nuns...

This entry from Dec. 7 1941 may be of some interest...

Vince became the crew chief for a fighter.  He appears to have been stationed in several places, including Fiji and Guadalcanal.



The scrapbook is full of photos, in various states of disrepair.  I have scanned a few with Georgia's permission.

I assume this one is one of the places he was stationed.  Fiji perhaps?

A photo of a P39 after a less than perfect landing.  The note on the back appears to be from his pilot:

May I hope I never do this to the best Crew chief a man pilot ever had.                     Lt. Robert L. Petit

Some landings were more successful than others...

June 30, 1943

P-39 burning in which Lt. Clark exploded with minor burns.

Piloting in WW was a tough business:

June 30, 1943.

This ship was burned do (sic) to an accident in which a P-38 flipped over on take off. Lt Fiddler was in this ship. He died of burns the same day

C.P. Coats plane

85 - Blacki

And while it was probably safer to stay on the ground, it was not really safe:

339 Sunk June 16, 1943 by Jap Dive bomber. This day we had our largest day raid. 94 Jap planes were shot down. This took place mainly over our field & not over the bay.

The last entry in the diary is on Feb 13, 1944:

Early this morning we were bombed and things  tear loose.  Bombs dropped within a quarter mile.  L.S.T at dock

 No more entries, although there's still more room.  Did he quit writing, or did he get sent home?  We don't know...

Another section lists his duty stations:

Hamilton Field, Calif. USA 1-11-42
San Francisco, Calif. USA, 1-12-42
Suva, Fiji Islands, 1-28-42
Mausouria, Fiji Islands, No date
Itani, Fiji Islands, 4-2-43
Lautoaka, Fiji Islands, No date
Boa, Fiji Islands, No data
Guadalcanal, Landed, 4-6-43
Munda, New Georgia, Solomons Islands 11-18-43
Ondonga Island, Solomons, 11-18-43

We do know, of course, that he did come home, married Kate McNaughton, and went on to have two daughters, Mary and Georgia.

More later when I get around to it.

Father's Day at the Beach

We had a chance to get down to the beach this morning before Alex and Kelly had to leave to go back to Pittsburgh.

The sky was overcast when we started, but breaking up, and hence the photos show the sky in several colors ranging from gray to blue.

The raptors (and scavengers) were out in force today.  We saw several Osprey overhead...

And at least two Bald Eagles, one in adult plumage (white head and tail) and one in juvenile plumage, (dark head and tail and somewhat mottled).  There was a strong whiff of dead fish around, and also numerous Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures soaring around the cliffs, although I never saw them set down to feed.

 Alex, Kelly, Georgia (in back), Hendrix and Skye coming back down the beach after turning around.

Skye threatening to desert us and walk off with some one else.  She relented.

Just a final eagle shot.

Redundant Day at the Beach

Almost a clone of yesterday, a little hotter, and, if possible, a little less breezy.  We got started a little earlier to beat the heat, and only partly succeeded.

 Not an ideal day for a dog with a winter coat still...  She started out raring to go, and ended up dogging it.

Beer for brunch?  Hmmm. A little early for me, thanks.

 Aw, Mom, do you have to walk so fast?

 A nice day for a boat ride under a shady canopy.

A sailboat leaving the harbor after staying the night.  They asked if they owed any money.  Heck if I know. 

Father's Day Special Series - Part I

Last year I did a pretty comprehensive post on my own father.  This year, I felt we should do something for the other "Dad" in the family, Georgia's father, Vincent Massei.  Georgia and her sister Mary have been investigating the family tree recently, and Georgia had a whole raft of photos out last night, mostly either of her father, or by him, around the World War II era.  She gave me permission to scan a few, and make a few posts.

Tonight I will give a brief intro.  Vincent Massei was born in Eureka, California, to Italian immigrant parents in 1911, Giorgia and Joseph.  To the best of my knowledge, except for college, his World War II service, and a few trips to the East Coast to visit us, Vince rarely left Northern California. 

The Eagle House (Buon Gusto) on the only sunny day in Eureka in 100 years

The family ran a boarding house/restaurant, the Buon Gusto, on Second Street in Eureka (the seedy side of town).  Formerly and in a later incarnation, "The Eagle House,"  One of the funny stories Vince told, often was how one day, his older brothers, Albert and Tony (Anthony) left him behind when they went fishing in Humboldt Bay, a couple blocks from the Buon Gusto.  In his fit of pique, he open the tap on the restaurant's wine keg, and lay under it and drank wine until he passed out.  His brothers, whom I knew, verified the story.

Vince went to college, in San Francisco, I believe, on a football scholarship, and joined the service (or was drafted).  He went into the Army Air Corps (the precursor to today's  Air Force) and was sent to the South Pacific, where he served in Fiji and New Guinea as an air craft mechanic:

Vincent Massei in uniform:

Fine Day at the Beach 6/3/12

I just wish the weather could stay like this all summer.  Sunny, but with puffy clouds (yes, they have a scientific name; screw it). Mid 70s, breezy but not windy.  This is actually a picture from the end of the walk, when Skye decided she'd rather go back down the beach with Red and Joel than go home.  Either that, or she was confused.  She's not saying.

 A perfect day for a father-son kayaking expedition.

 Or professional shark's tooth hunting.  He had scuba gear, but now he's pulling the anchor, either to go to a new site, or give for the day.

 I found lot's of shark's teeth, unfortunately all small.  This is some kind of bone with a distinctive shape; it may be part of a jaw.  I'd like to figure it out; if you know, send a line.

 A perfect day for a sail.

 A small school of bait fish (likely Menhaden, but maybe Bay Anchovy) in shallow water.

 A good day for a sand castle.

Or maybe just a pet or head rub followed by a treat.