Page 45 - Sonoma County Gazette - August 2018

Summer is slipping by soooo fast, as it always does. I hope you are all enjoying each and every day finding time to just laze around. Creating summertime fun, tending to the house, the garden, packing for trips, visits from family and friends, concerts, beach time, art shows, river time, summer camps, festivals that are favorites – how does one fit it all in and also relax!!
Algae bloom in the lower reaches of the Russian River
Just the quiet of the redwoods or the noise of the waves breaking. Now we call it ‘unplugging’. Lazing around without the ‘to do list’ and ‘not plugged in’ is essential. It will change your day. How about spreading a little joy, a little love, a smile, small talk...you that might need a little reason to slow down?
has been showing itself in alarming abundance this summer. Areas where in the past algae would typically line the shoreline gravel beaches, have seen the bloom cover the entire river surface from shore to shore. The areas above Bridgehaven up to Sheephouse Creek were especially bad.
Relaxing and slowing down at the local coffee shops is always a treat. And you never know who you are going to run into too for a friendly and warm chat. You can never just run in and get a cup of coffee as you will always end up in conversation with someone you haven’t seen for a while.
You know it is bad when a ‘stolen kayak report’ for a pair of kayaks taken from the Café Aquatica area in Jenner described the kayaks and added that they could be identified by a ‘tell-tale green algae stain’ at the waterline from being moored in the Estuary.
One such coffee and tea house is Whitecap Coffee and Tea owned by Amanda (affectionately known to me as Mandy) and Torry Olsen. I have known Mandy since she was born when we all lived our totally groovy times up in Annapolis. Now she and her husband Torry are running this wonderful successful business welcoming in locals and our visitors to the coast. I love everything about Mandy and all that she and Torry are doing with this bright and cheery place where you can get an excellent cup of coffee, fine teas, pastries, sandwiches. They are located in Anchor Bay with some great views of the ocean, art on the walls, free Wi-Fi, and plenty of room to find your corner space, or gather with friends. Congratulations Mandy and Torry for all your success. Follow them on Facebook facebook.com at whitecapcoffeeandtea
I know that the County has been encouraging septic upgrades along the river. But, some of the areas of the older vintage River Summer Homes that are all clustered together (and were never intended for full time habitation when they were built a century ago), are having trouble complying. The conditions are simply not conducive to the systems that the County currently approves.
ART on our MendoSonoma Coast has more galleries per capita than most towns in California. With some of the best artists, galleries, and exhibits what’s not to love about our artsy hometown vibe. Take a day and check off the list: Dolphin Gallery, Gualala Art Center, Spindrift, Studio 391, Dianne Neuman Gallery, Henley’s Art Gallery, Point Arena City Art, Point Arena Tile Works, Pop Up Gallery, and Sea Ranch Lodge to name a few.
There are sewage processing systems being used in other countries that gave been proven to effectively treat the septic effluent
to drinking water quality. Perhaps we should try using these in a couple of pilot programs in our river neighborhoods. They would be like
To actually see many of these artists in action visit the 26th Annual Studio Discovery Tour 2018 hosted by the North Coast Artists’ Guild.
mini neighborhood treatment plants. We need to do something now. We are running out of options and time.
August 25 & 26, and Labor Day weekend, September 1-3. It’s free and self-guided to go at your own pace visiting beautiful coastal areas from Cazadero to Point Arena. The artists you meet along the way are happy to demonstrate the making of their art and share their unique vision. A free, full-color catalog and map will help you make the most of your tour which you can pick up at Discovery Gallery, Gualala Arts Center, the Dolphin Gallery,
Now that we have addressed the man-made sources of river water quality degradation, we should do what we can to curb other sources of the nutrients that feed the algae. Maybe it is time to ask the cows that are cooling their hooves in the estuary as they munch on the rich grasses, to move a little farther upstream, where they are not such a direct negative impact on the situation.
the Mendocino Art Center, Elk Artists Collective, Coast Highway Artists’ Collective and various local galleries and businesses along the way.
Algae blooms on the river, dead-zones out here along our Sonoma Coastline, it is clear that Nature is out of balance. Our job is to make sure that we are not the cause, or if we are, to do what we can to correct our past mistakes.
The 57th Annual Art in the Redwoods Festival Fine Arts Exhibit Opening reception is Thursday, August 16, 2018 thru Sunday, September 2, 2018. This is the largest exhibit of its kind in Northern California with over 300 art items entered. This is the grand opening with the special ‘Hats Off Dinner’ the same evening with fine dining and entertainment. For
all the festivities during this wonderful event plus the ‘Call For Artists’, or to become a sponsor, please visit the website at gualalaarts.org/category/events/
My highlight this month is Peggy Berryhill who is the owner of KGUA 88.3 FM. Peggy is from the Muscogee Nation and one of the first women in Native Media sharing stories for over 45 years. She has over 15 recognition and achievement awards and continues her award-winning work right here in Gualala. There is so much to share but what inspires me most is her warmth and willingness to bring local stories to our community through her “Peggy’s Place” morning show. I love getting wowed by people’s life views and work.
Much love to you all and many blessings to each of you.
Every day more and more Tan Bark Oaks are dying. They turn completely brown, seemingly overnight! The Sudden Oak Death (SOD) syndrome has hit the coast in epidemic proportions. The dead trees stand out in stark contrast to the green healthy trees along our roads and in the coastal forests.
There are many amazing people among us on our coast.
The good news is that since these trees are pretty small in diameter, they are manageable using light equipment or even mowing machines. They can be dropped and chipped onsite, thereby breaking the continuity between the grasses and the crowns of the larger trees; eliminating the ‘ladder of fuels’.
Her quote on her webpage is a beautiful statement about Peggy “I love sharing the voices of Native People, the wisdom of the elders, the vibrancy
of the youth, and the promise that we’ll still be here tomorrow. I am always comforted knowing that somewhere in the world there are indigenous people praying to ensure the survival of all of us”. Please give Peggy a hug and a big thank you when you see her in town. To read more about Peggy or to listen to the radio shows visit peggyberryhill.com and kgua.org
One thing is for sure, there needs to be a wider swath cleared below the overhead lines. In the past month, the understory of tan oaks has gotten much worse. Looking up the power lines from Highway One, you see a wall of dead trees. There is no other way to describe it. A wall of brown, dead oak trees with millions of dead leafs, each one ready to explode like a fire cracker.
The young Tan Oaks that are crowded together in the understory of our Pines, Firs and Redwoods are the perfect ‘ladder fuel’. They are about 30 feet tall and thick with branches and leaves from the ground to their tops. They are bad enough when they are alive, but as standing dead wood, they are scary.
I wrote last month regarding the PG&E overhead lines that cut through our coastal forest in the Timber Cove neighborhood, and the alarming number of dead trees lining the narrow slot the has been cleared directly below the power lines.
Towering over them are tall Pine trees, in various states of decline in health; shocked by years of drought. All it would take would be for a pine tree to shed a top, snapping the power line, and have the live wire swing down through the dead forest below. A sobering thought.
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