Category: california

LAKE SONOMA

I have sailed on fresh water. 7 Chicago-Mackinac races, as well many small boat regattas for “E” Scows, Tornados, college sailing. But I am from the East Coast and have Sea water in my blood. Shocked when the spray is not salty. The sights and sounds are not at all the same.The regard for the water is just different. These photos were on a day that the locals told me was a rough day on Lake Sonoma.
While the lake was full of interesting wildlife the most surprising thing I saw was the floating head. This was a first for me.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ARCHITECTURE

As an Easterner, I am told constantly that California is a vapid place. It is very large but certainly not short of exciting things to see. There is not much of the 18th century unless it is Spanish or Mexican, however the examples of those styles are truly wonderful. Distances are a different scale, the opposite of the East.

I am more familiar with Los Angeles and still discovering San Francisco and the surrounding areas, but there is no shortage of discoveries.

The cow parade was just too good not to include.

SPEED UNDER SAIL

The wing sail for Oracle was test lifted today. more testing to come. Hydropetiere is on a mooring in San Francisco waiting for a weather window for an attempt to set a new record from San Francisco to Hawaii. The search for speed under sail has not diminished; a long way from Howard Chapelle’s “Search For Speed Under Sail 1700-1855”.

 

 

THE WEST

 

I am starting to be confused and amused. At any given moment, particularly in a big city, there are so many random events taking place simultaneously. More than anyone can grasp. San Francisco is no different. The scheduled trolley that kept moving past the stop, the conductor waving and smiling as it sped by.

The America’s Cup event would not deter the future bride. The low flying helicopter ignoring everything.

FROM 109 TO 59 DEGREES IN 5 HOURS

I could add that we went from sea level to 9000 feet during this drive. I has been 100 degrees for the last 10 days in the southland. As we drove north I could see the thunderheads forming over the mountains,I could hear thunder and lightning, but I really did not expect the rain. It did come but barely.