Mama Loves the Beach!: May 2011

May 31, 2011

Midway . . . Hopeless Tragedy or Catylyst for Change . . .

Seeing these photographs of dead albatross full of plastic on Beth Terry's website, Fake Plastic Fish now called, My Plastic Free Life, changed my life forever.

Chris Jordon, Photographer

I would never again stroll on the beach without picking up trash. I would never again look at the tide break and mistake tiny pieces of plastic for sea life. I would never again buy something in plastic and feel OK about my purchase.

I have lessened my use of plastic drastically but I have a long way to go to be plastic-free. As a matter of fact, it may never happen. Plastic is everywhere in my life. My printers, my telephone, my contact solution, the tags on my cats . . . even my camera. The list is endless. It may not be realistic for us to become truly 'plastic free' in our culture today but I do believe we can have a drastic impact just by being aware of the mess we've created thus far in the name of cheap and convenient.

If everyone of us picked up some trash every time we stepped outside it would make a difference. If everyone of us was intolerant of littering and it became an immense social stigma, it would make a difference. If everyone of us purchased an item in glass, or cardboard or something that is truly being recycled, instead of plastic, it would make a huge difference. If everyone of us was aware of the overwhelming destruction plastic has on our environment, we could make a difference.

Disconnect left lying on the beach . . .

Picturing Excess . . .

I added another video that Chris Jordon created for TED Talks. In this powerful 11 minute talk, Chris shows his photographs that represent 'excess' in our culture.

Chris gets his message of cultural excess and disconnect across beautifully using a universal language ~ pictures. I don't see the need to expand too much here on his message as he has done such a beautiful job.

If you're enjoying this blog, consider leaving a comment, I'd love to hear from you via this blog . . . thanks!

May 20, 2011

I'm a Climate Scientist . . .

I'm not a scientist but the folks in this rap video are and they have a strong message about global warming . . .

WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE

'Hungry Beast' has created a 'clean' version of this song but personally I think we need strong language about this issue. So here it is . . .

CLICK HERE to buy this version of the song on iTunes

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Beach Hike . . .

Tide pooling

Beach trash . . .

threw this crab pot high up on rocks a week ago . . .

We found this crab pot but had nothing to pull it with so we stashed it up high on rocks with the intention of coming back with a rope to pull it down the beach.


crab pot filled with trash lashed to a sheet of steel

We pulled this trash for two miles down the beach. My husband carried it over boulders we climbed to get from beach to beach.

We had to drag it through a tunnel that was about three feet tall . . .

Somewhat ironic to find this beer bottle among the trash I retrieved from a cave . . .

What's the oddest beach trash you've picked up?

May 19, 2011

Bodega Bay Wildlife . . .

seals & gulls near Diekman's Market

I leapt out of the car to get this shot so it's not the best photo but captures something many people never see.

Doran Beach Castles and Kites Day . . .

Castles and Kites entry ~ April 23, 2011 ~ Photo by Darris

Petaluma entry ~ Photo by Darris

twisted shark humor . . . ~ Photo by Darris

nose humor ~ Photo by Darris

Doran Beach Dragon ~ Castles and Kites Day ~ Photo by Darris

Valley Springs, CA sand artists ~ Photos by Darris

I didn't get a photograph (had ya there for a minute though didn't I!) but I spotted two breaching Orca whales just beyond the breaking waves. There were other whales swimming along with them, possibly Gray whales. Uncommon to see whales at all at Doran Beach but to see Orca's is rare indeed.

Orca ~ photo credit/National Geographic

Bobcat-Spring Lake ~ Thomas Reynolds, photographer

This bobcat wasn't photographed in Bodega Bay but it's such a great shot! These guys are roaming all over our coastal hills but are rarely seen. Wildlife photographer and park volunteer, Tom Reynolds, told me he and a friend spotted this bobcat off the trail at Spring Lake, sunning on a rock.

An avid bird-watcher and photographer, Tom is photographing wildlife all over Sonoma County everyday. He generously shares his photographs with me and frees me up to share them with you.

Immature Great Horned Owl ~ Tom Reynolds, Photographer

Peregrine Falcon ~ Thomas Reynolds, photographer

A Beautiful Day to Die . . .

The beach was nearly abandoned. On days when rain threatens we often have the beach all to ourselves.

sun bleached snail headed for a puddle

puffy white clouds against blue sky

Cumulonimbus

rain over the ocean

About these clouds from Wikipedia:
Cumulus clouds are a type of cloud with noticeable vertical development and clearly defined edges. Cumulus means "heap" or "pile" in Latin. They are often described as "puffy" or "cotton-like" in appearance. Cumulus clouds may appear alone, in lines, or in clusters. Cumulus clouds are often precursors of other types of clouds, such as cumulonimbus, when influenced by weather factors such as instability, moisture, and temperature gradient. Cumulus clouds are part of the larger category of cumuliform clouds, which include cumulus, cumulus congestus, and cumulonimbus clouds, among others.^[1] The most intense cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds may be associated with severe weather phenomena such as hail, waterspouts and tornadoes.


Beach combers enjoying the waves with no one around

Beach trash

Other than the trash we hauled in, we were enjoying our surroundings until we noticed a disturbing site. We counted four dead birds within about a mile of beach. This gull death was a particularly sad site to see.

Seagull with salmon hooks in gullet

line is in the birds beak

The bird was entangled in fishing line. It took two of us to pull the fishing line and hooks out of the bird. I was shocked when I saw the enormous hooks this bird had swallowed. It's difficult to know if it was the hooks in his gullet or the fishing line that mangled his body that was the cause of his death.