show menu

Bodega Bay Beat by Joan Poulos - April 2017

Boating can be hazardous to your health and apparently to that of some boats. The local harbor presently sports FOUR boats which the very competent Harbor master

The Sonoma County Sheriff Boating and Enforcement unit has funds to remove abandoned vessels, but apparently they didn’t anticipate having FOUR vessels to remove. There were two at first (one burned and one was abandoned) and now there are two more sailboats on the beach (just at the foot of my street (Whaleship Road). Bodega Bay is very dependent upon having safe waterways and the removal of trashed boats is part of the requirement . We are thankful that all the participants in the enforcement unit are on the ball. As a caveat: the boats near me are taped off to dissuade climbers.

Ironically the antique, wrecked Marin is beached just across the road. We often see people letting children play on the demolished boat and we stop and suggest that they are allowing a dangerous playground. The same is true for these two beached boats. Stay off of them. Pictures are o.k. but no climbing.

Every church has at least one fairly young member who helps do whatever needs doing. If the chairs have to be put out, he helps. If the tables have been left up, he helps. If a work party is scheduled, he always comes to help.Fishermen’s Chapel has lost one of just such a worker. Cris Rucker was just such a man. In a congregation of primarily aging parishioners he was a welcome participant. He and his parents,Ben and Jo Ann Bray, could always be counted on to help and to unfailingly bring flowers to each service. Cris died this week at his Duncans Mills home – far too young. We will all miss him.

One of our Grange members celebrated her 90th birthday this week. Shirley, Lois Boos’s daughter, pulled off a surprise party which was wonderful. Lois is amazing. She still gets out often and works at the Grange. She even has a table at the monthly Flea Market. She greets all comers, and knows most of their names. She is an active, happy lady and makes you feel like living to 90 wouldn’t be so bad.

Once again I got to greet my neighbors who come to vote. Our election March 7 seems wasteful. To get all the machines ready, have the ballots printed and have three people work fifteen hours seems like a waste of money. Voter after voter thanked us for “volunteering” (we worked thirteen and a half hours for $100). Bodega Bay voters want to come to the polls and see their neighbors (even if they had already voted the ballot they received in the mail and rather than mail it back, brought it to the polling place). There was only one issue on the ballot (whether or not to tax marijuana growers) and not much dissension. As thePress Democrat pointed out, elections cost money. With only 43 voters it does seem a bit foolish. Maybe the money would be better spent on the huge potholes between the Grange and Highway One. We have a few on Whaleship Road we would love to have filled too.

We are getting ready for Fish Fest. The posters are especially nice this year and we can just hope for good weather April 8 and 9. The 9th is Palm Sunday and that is the day the fleet goes out to sea and casts a wreath upon the waves to commemorate those who have died at sea. The ceremony is touching and many folks go up on the edge of the Head and stand by the monument to those who have died at sea. (It’s a good view from up there anyway and maybe a whale will cruise by.)

CERT afficionados are preparing for a brush up program for those who have taken the training some time ago and who admit that they are a bit rusty. It is a good benefit to a community to have a well- trained populace ready to deal with any emergency. Those who donate their time and effort to keep (or get) our citizens ready to deal with emergencies are doing a great service. Thanks.

This is a lovely spring (except for losing an hour of sleep today). The path to the beach is busy; the beaches are busy. The birders are intense about finding a new/different species, and the photos some take are absolutely wonderful. The blue heron who wades across from the horse corral seems to love having his picture taken. For certain John Hershey has taken some lovely pictures of him. There is one group here that I wonder what their pictures show: the tree frog people who grouped near what we call the rail pond.

Kayaking, sailing, digging for clams, horseback riding – who says there is not a lot going on in Bodega Bay. We hope the fix is in for Easter. It is much more fun to hunt Easter eggs when it is not raining (like last year.) It is a lovely time. The altar is normally lined with Easter lilies; the hot cross buns await the close of the service at Fisherman’s Chapel, and even the singing is lovely. Choose your church, but take time to celebrate this joyous day no matter what your religion. Dye a few eggs; go see a neighbor who can’t get out, and enjoy the happiness around you. For me, I send up a few prayers for Peace, and hope those in peril can find a way to safety. Happy Easter.

We've moved our commenting system to Disqus, a widely used community engagement tool that you may already be using on other websites. If you're a registered Disqus user, your account will work on the Gazette as well. If you'd like to sign up to comment, visit https://disqus.com/profile/signup/.
Show Comment