fireworks!

they relit the 2 mile stretch of the Bay Bridge with thousands of LED lights that made unique patterns. It was first lit about 4 years ago. I had wanted to see it but never got a chance. Funding soon ran out and the lights burnt out. More money and better lights so it will be lit for a while

At the beginning of my run

tidepools around the bend

This probably was the lowest tide. In the past, this was considered to be one of the top 5 tidepools in California but alas, El Nino has screwed things up. Note to self, don't come here on El Nino years and come during a full moon though there was a full moon when we were in Cannon Beach. Didn't make up for the storm surges.

sign of the times. I assume they disturb the birds as there are some sensitive nesting areas off shore. To encourage the birds to return to a given area, they set up bird decoys. Birds love to flock.

Love these aloe

Montara shale comes up across granite. At one point, these layers were horizontal so a whole lot of earth movement went on and still does. Not a good place to be in an earthquake

very steep

back at the Seafood Festival though seafood is scarce this year no thanks to Red Tide

pretty gift shop I meant to revisit on the last day but instead spent in a hospital

bottlebrush plant and berries

This yard had several 6 foot jade plants growing out of the yard full of blossoms.

My iphone photo. Steve took better with a real camera

We packed in a lot this day .  First stop coffee in El Granada. I went for a long run as the sun was coming up. Yes the sun! On to the tide pools. Low tide was supposed to happen at 9:17 am.  I am perched on a promising rock that a nearby crevas would hopefully reveal sea life as the water receded at 9:10.  However the water did not recede, it was rushing in. I soon found myself out in the ocean.  I had to quickly jump into knee deep water. It has taken two days to dry out my shoes. Was the water cold? I was too panicky to notice.  And no sea life!  All these storms have wrecked the tide pools.  Everything covered with sand! And El Niño has destroyed the local crabbing industry. The too warm waters caused the poisonous red tide to grow making crabs dangerous to eat. Seals are dying off after ingesting red tide contaminated sea food.  

 

My niece came from San Francisco to spend the day with us. She has a twin who she does not get along with but I get parts of their life stories confused. Who went where? etc. But I was very happy to spend time with her, a very bright beautiful person.

 

In the past, to get from my brother's to San Francisco, one would have to drive through this twisty steep pass known as the Devil's slide. We went through it in the fog at 3am going to the airport the first time we came here. Scary.  Very unstable ground with two land masses clashing. Now a tunnel bypasses this area but they have opened up the area for walkers and bicyclists though good luck with the 9%grade. We walked it. Interesting geology and pretty views unappreciated when we used to drive it.

 

Back to town to walk through a local fair and then to dinner at an Indian restaurant . We opted to sit in an area full of pillows. I had thought there would be some sort of pit to put our feet but no, our legs were every which way uncomfortably. But the food was good.  We drove as close as we can to a BART station as driving now in San Francisco is especially impossible with the SuperBowl celebrations. We got there just as the fireworks started over the Embarcadero. They were very impressive. They can now make heart shaped fireworks.  It was warm, clear and calm. Even though there were thousands of people milling about, we managed to find a deserted pier along the Embarcadero to view the now lit Bay bridge. It has a zillion programmed light creating all sorts of patterns presumably never repeating. Near by Chris Isaac sang Wicked Ways. All sorts of light installations throughout the city.  The Ferry Building was especially lit up. Very beautiful and special. Our best day.