Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Frenzy and Calm, Side by Side

This view from the cliff overlooking the mouth of Big River looks about the same as I remember it from the mid-60's. At that time, the most interesting places in Mendocino Village were an eccentric little shop with an amazing collection of vinyl records and virtually all back issues of The Mother Earth News, and Byrd Baker's whale-carving operation and traveling whale museum.  There was also affordable (by me) food.  No longer.  The only remnant of that pre-commercialization that I recognize is Dick's Place.
Another view that hasn't noticeably changed is that overlooking the beach below the cliff, although the precarious trail down to the beach is gone and the newer, tamed version is barely visible n the right-hand edge of this photo.
Down at the beach itself, thanks to the power of the ocean, is constantly changing while remaining mostly the same.  There are always some surprises for the observant beach comber.  When our 20+-year-old kids were toddlers, we spent many hours on this beach making campfires out of driftwood and popping the dried floatation devices of the seaweed.  Also, hunting for the longest possible intact Bull Kelp.
I'm not sure what caught my wife's attention here, but she caught mine - along with the great example of the flexibility of sedimentary rock and one of the many little caves found here at low tide.
From the head of the newer trail down to the beach the large circus tent of the annual Music Festival can be seen.  We did go into town and enjoy brief visits to the Gallery Bookstore and the Out of This World science store, but went back to Fort Bragg for dinner.  Next, a few more photos before we left Mendocino.

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