YES! "After quiet weather with warm temperatures through Wednesday, we are keeping an eye on a substantial change in the weather slated for Thursday through Sunday. Confidence remains high that rain will return to our area later this week as a moist flow off the Pacific will bring rainfall back to our area." - NWS Bay Area

https://www.facebook.com/NWSBa

Skipping the Super Bowl? Then check out the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir at The Dance Palace tomorrow (Sunday, Feb. 1) at 4:00pm. This is a sliding scale event, no one turned away. It will be an amazing show, check the choir out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch? and more info here: https://dancepalace.org/events

Secret Spot of The Day: Do you know where this is? Have you ever been there? (thx EO)

A section of Highway 1 by Muir Beach that was washed out during December storms is set to reopen by noon Thursday, according to Caltrans. "It's ahead of schedule," said Steve Williams, a Caltrans spokesman. "The work basically went non-stop once it started. The weather really helped out."

http://www.marinij.com/marinne

"Another time we were thinking of opening a restaurant in Inverness, a town fifteen miles or so away from Drake’s Bay north of San Francisco, where the waiters would be well-known poets of our acquaintance who’d work there for a week or two and then be replaced by other poets." - from a rememberance of the Pulitzer Prize winning poet Mark Strand. Sounds good to me. (thx DP)

http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/n

Sonoma Sheriff's Helicopter Unit, Henry 1, had a busy weekend: "A woman injured in a fall was rescued by helicopter Saturday from the lighthouse at the Point Reyes National Seashore." That's what all the sirens were about on Saturday. Nice to know we've got such good team watching our backs.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/n

5:25pm - Single motorcycle accident on Route One south of Tomales. Sounds like they're bringing the Reach helicopter in, hope everything is ok.

Question: Why do people bag up the dog poop but then leave it on the trail? Is there a reason? Who's supposed to pick it up? This is not the first time I've seen this happen, so I'm curious.

Goat Video Update: They are at D Ranch by Drakes Beach happily eating invasive plants and being pretty cute. #goats #lawnmower

This guy was ruling the waves this afternoon at Drakes in Point Reyes. #microsurfer

9:38am - Anyone know what's going with all the loud, gun-shot like noises on the bay this morning? Are those hunters? Using bazookas?

High surf advisory starting Friday at 6am through the weekend. Very solid west swell with waves approaching 20 feet. If you go to the beach, stay away from the water, and let others know as well.

Local photographer and former park ranger Carlos Porrata has a photo show opening at The Dance Palace this weekend, the reception is at 1:00pm on Saturday. If you've seen his work, you know how amazing it is and how much he loves this place. This is a photo he shot this week of a Bobcat hanging with some Elk in Point Reyes. See you there!

https://dancepalace.org/events

"Officials with Point Reyes National Seashore will begin an experiment next week to reduce the invasive plant species on about 12 acres of national parkland, the officials said." Apparently they can't mow due to red-legged frogs being around and goats eat what cattle, elk and deer won't. The interwebs found this story mildly amusing and it's gone somewhat viral.

http://www.thedailymeal.com/pa

At the Palace Market this morning. I'm starting to see a theme here. (via Kathy Gower)

Elephant Seal frat party at Drakes Bay in Point Reyes. Quite the raucous crew. Lots of very cute pups out there too.

Spotted in town this morning. Just another day in Point Reyes. (thx RH)

12:49pm - CHP sitting by Perry's reminding people to drive slow and safe.

"Dewey Livingston knew by the trees and surroundings that this was Inverness, and more specifically Tomales Bay State Park, and the woman looked to be conservationist Caroline Livermore. We concluded the date of the photograph was circa 1950." Turned out to be the dedication of the Willis Linn Jepson Memorial in 1952. Read the original article, good stuff.

https://annetkent.kontribune.c

7:21am - Accident on Olema Hill, one lane closed. Take alternate route if you can. (Thx BE)

11:35am - There is a macaw that is in the eucalyptus trees near the "sand castle" (by the senior housing in Point Reyes Station). The hawks are going after it. (thx RH)

7:45am - Heavy, heavy fog this morning. Drive very carefully, plan for delays.

On a lighter note, I spotted this guy frollicking in the waves today out at North Beach in Point Reyes. Whales all over the place. And that's not a small whale, that's a big wave, be careful if you head out there.

Just in case you live way out in the woods and haven't heard this yet. The Golden Gate Bridge will be closed from midnight Friday night (tonight) until Monday at 4am. They're installing this nifty new moveable safety barrier and eliminating those brave dudes who drop the yellow cones in the holes. Kind of sad if you ask me. But hopefully safer for everyone.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/

10:46am - Haven't heard official word yet, but it sounds like the Pygmy Sperm whale that they found on a beach in Point Reyes yesterday isn't going to make it. Apparently he was a juveline, poor little guy. This picture is from KGO via SFGate.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/

Press Democrat has a story today about the challenges of cleaning up the now defunct Drake's Bay Oyster Farm: "Ben Becker, the national seashore’s marine ecologist, said he saw several hundred oyster strings on two wooden oyster growing racks during a snorkeling survey conducted from a 12-foot outboard motor boat this week, when the videos were taken."
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/n

"A pygmy sperm whale beached itself in the Point Reyes National Seashore on Thursday afternoon, according to the Marine Mammal Center. The 5- to 6-foot whale was alive at some point after it stranded, but its body was bloodied and it was unclear if the animal would survive." Please be respectful and leave it in peace so that scientists can examine it and learn what happened. A beautiful creature, very sad.

http://www.marinij.com/marinne

Surfer’s ring, lost on Bolinas beach in 1979, returned after 35 years. Remember, there's always hope...
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/

"Biologists who monitor the seal population recently spotted the first pup of the season born on the beach at Point Reyes. Most pups are born in January, and initially are about 3 to 4 feet long and weigh about 60 pounds. "

http://www.marinij.com/marinne

Photo by Kent Porter at the Press Democrat:
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/g

Point Reyes officially entered Spanish maps on January 6, 1603 when Sebastian Vizcaino sighted the headlands on the Roman Catholic feast day of the three wise men. Following Spanish tradition, the headlands were named after these religious figures: "la Punta de los Reyes" or the Point of the Kings. (thx EP).

http://www.nps.gov/pore/histor

A digital camera in black bag was lost on or around the Kehoe trail or parking lot Sunday, January 4th. Reward offered. If you've seen it or know anything about it, please leave a comment below. Thanks. (LL)

West Marin Mosquito Council meeting tonight. 7pm. Bolinas firehouse. Please attend to show the district that West Marin citizens still strongly support LOW toxic protocols for mosquito control.

http://westmarincitizen.com/an

Interesting way to memorialize your very special day. At The Old Western Saloon on the bar. Love the guy sitting on the stool. Maybe this was all Ken Fulk's idea. Photo by B.J. Martin.
https://twitter.com/bjmartin/s

Full moon rising! Look for it! "The January 2015 full moon is the first full moon after the December 21 solstice. In North America, we often this full moon the Wolf Moon, Old Moon or Moon After Yule. Astronomically speaking, the moon is full at the moment that it’s most opposite the sun in its orbit (180 from the sun in celestial or ecliptic longitude). For general reference, however, we can say the moon is full all night tonight, lighting up the nighttime from dusk until dawn." This picture is the same moon, tonight, in Italy.

http://earthsky.org/tonight/ja

Here's some inspiration for the New Year. A great post about how Colin Carpenter built this gorgeous, completely off-the-grid house in Inverness a few years ago. Living the dream.
http://tinyhouseblog.com/tiny-
Maybe Ken Fulk and Hidden Dragon should take some notes...