Save Daylight?

I like the end of daylight savings time in the fall. Of course one of the best features is getting that hour back that we gave up in the spring. Yes, it is dark earlier in the evening but it is also light earlier. Growing up on a farm, my body and mind are programed to maximize the day and are most productive in the morning.

Colder weather always seems to come to the Mendocino Coast with the time change. We haven't had a good frost yet but it seems to be impending. We look forward to seeing the salmon travel up the river to spawn and the arrival of our winter migratory birds. Buffleheads are one of our favorites.



Shorter days and colder mornings have us spending more time indoors. We have started our winter training regime of cardio, strength and flexibility training. This year, I have realized the need to put more time in on the flexibility end. No, I am not admitting to getting older but realizing the toll that paddling takes on my body. So its time to pump up the pilates ball and throw down the yoga mats for winter cross training.

Mountain biking is good for cardio and agility and is down right fun, but targeted agility and strength training. We recently watched this YouTube video of Laird Hamilton's workouts. WOW - I have no illusion of being like Laird but find his workout regime to be inspiring.


Shorter days, chilly mornings, also resonate that it is a time to rest and recover. Tom Cat happily helps us with this aspect of winter training.

River Nazi

Noyo River Nazi??? I hate yelling and generally only raise my voice in dire circumstances. This week the circumstances weren't necessarily dire but here's my tale.

We've been having phenomenally warm and sunny weather on the Mendocino Coast. Kayaking on Fort Bragg's Noyo River has been GORGEOUS! Everything is green and blooming, and lots of different babies are starting to appear on and along the river (baby otters, merganser ducklings, fawns, kingfishers, downy woodpeckers).


I enjoy watching the babies as they learn about the new world. Even the Canada Geese's goslings are intriguing. (We have mixed feelings about Canada Geese. They are beautiful but non-native breeders in our area that are starting to overpopulate and really make a mess).


One of the joys of kayaking is being on the water and seeing wildlife. I emphasize to all of our renters the joys of watching wildlife from a kayak but also our responsibility to be respectful of it.
This week, I was doing some equipment repairs on our deck while a few of our customers were paddling on the river. I saw a few kayaks coming down river but didn't pay much attention to them as they were not part of the LFK fleet. A few moments later, I heard tons of splashing and honking from the geese. A boy in one of the kayaks was chasing some goslings and their parents. At first, I thought he had just paddled too close trying to get a good look, but it became apparent that he was chasing them. The goslings are fairly good swimmers but can't fly and were panicked and swimming in circles while the parents honked and tried to protect them.


So the River Nazi stepped up to the edge of the deck and yelled across the river, "STOP Chasing the Geese!" The boy stopped and his mom and sibling looked at me dumbfounded. They continued on down the river toward where a group of ducks were sleeping. I called them over and proceeded to try to explain the need to respect wildlife especially the babies.

From their expression, they either didn't get it or didn't care. I hate having to yell but felt it necessary to protect the creatures who make the Noyo River their home. I can only hope that they understood and didn't harass any more birds, harbor seals, and other creatures as they kayaked on the river.

Noyo's Odd Duck

Dolphin Isle on the Noyo River of Fort Bragg, California has become home to a male harlequin duck. We enjoy seeing him daily and admire his handsomeness but can't help to think that he is a bit odd.Over the past 3 years, this harlequin has delighted and baffled us. Typically harlequin ducks like turbulent waters not flat water estuaries like the Noyo River. Harlequins typically are solitary birds or hang with just a few of their species. This harlequin is quite gregarious with other ducks. He flocks with the buffleheads in the winter and the mallards the rest of the year.


He doesn't appear to have a mate. In previous years, we had hoped that he would convince a female to return to the Noyo with him. However, last year he only migrated for a short period of time, and this year he did not migrate. Here's a photo of him this summer on the Noyo in eclipse plumage.


Odd or not, we enjoy his colorful presence on the Noyo River.