CALIFORNIA DISCOVERY #1

The Pit River Valley

Though we'd been through a portion of this far northeast corner of California before, it turns out we really hadn't seen more than what driving on a through highway allowed. Until now. Two big valleys, several spectacular waterfalls and a host of natural and man made wonders were waiting be discovered. Above is the first of two large valleys - the Pit River Valley. The basin is a blend of farming and timber, with logging being the bigger industry. The valley sits within sight of both Lassen (to the south) and Shasta (to the northwest).

 Above is Burney Falls. Beginning as a spring that percolates up through the lava, Burney Creek delivers 10,000,000 gallons every day, all year long. The water eventually reaches the Pit River. The Pit accounts for 80% of the flow of the Sacramento River.

Like so many public places that were developed during the Depression era, the Civilian Conservation Corp was charged with dressing up many State and Federal park lands. This was originally built to house the earliest McArthur-Burney Falls State Park custodian.

Goldfish? No, Albino Rainbow Trout. However genetics happen, fish like these, when found, are kept from breeding. There were a half dozen of these unique trout at the Crystal Lake Fish Hatchery.

Though Crystal Lake has been around since 1927, it isn't considered an old timer. Not far away was the Hat Creek Fish Hatchery built in 1887 to originally raise salmon. In 1915 the eruption of Mt. Lassen threw enough mud and debris that it knocked out the remaining run of salmon and for years greatly diminished the trout population. 

The unusually colored horse (near black and pure white) caught my eye first. Then mama moved and the little colt came into view. The big hand of time seems to move a bit slower in this charmingly rural part of California.

CALIFORNIA DAWN

Sometimes All It Takes Is One Shot

It's crab season on the California Coast and the lights of the crab fleet add to the enchantment of early morning.

CROSSING THE LINE

From Georgia To Florida

Along the way we saw this. A strange structure with a very specific purpose.

We also saw two Navy ships also with a very specific purpose.

Adding to the mystery, two hangars that open on to the water. Any idea what we are dealing with?

It is all part of Kings Bay Nuclear Submarine Base near the Georgia - Florida state line. From what I could learn, there are three classes of subs that homeport here. 

Sometimes submarine resupply operations take place far from home, which is a service the two ocean going Navy tugs can provide (previous pictures). Also previously the two hangars can keep prying sky-eyes away from maintenance and munition duties. 

One of our passengers onboard was a navy vet and he said that the large steel frame cage in the top image was something called a degausser, which was developed during WW II to removes the magnetic field that exists in a ship steel hull that would cause a mine to detonate as it got close. Today the cage removes the magnetic signature from these sleek warships and, in theory, allows them to pass unnoticed from foreign listening devices.

Also passing frequently undetected for most all of the two weeks that we have been cruising have been porpoises. Occasionally the cry would go out, "Oh, look, fish!", and of course the porpoises would disappear. These two did not escape the camera.

We would hit pockets of industrial activity as we moved in and out of larger shipping channels. This is a paper mill.

We did see reminders of the destructiveness of Hurricane Sandy. Tidal surge can do more damage than the wind and rain.

BRUNSWICK, GA #3

It IS The Water

Watching over the waterways in the pilot house is Larry Creadle, captain of the Lady Jane. The Lady Jane is a working shrimp boat.
The Captain and his crew gave us two plus hours of magic as we trawled out to St. Simon Sound and back.

Son Cliff Creadle is manning the controls that help extend or "set" the shrimp trawler's net. We did two "sets".

Marine Biologist Paul Christian makes sure the descending net and attendant lines hit the water without tangling.

 Once the net is set then everybody waits.

It takes less than 15 minutes of trawling before the catch is hauled in. What a variety of sea life that is brought on board!

A prize almost anywhere on the East Coast is the Blue Crab. However, we weren't after these beauties.

And we certainly weren't after the Horseshoe Crab that Harry was holding.

 Nix on the intimidating little Pufferfish that this woman was bold enough to hold.

Now we're getting closer - not the squid at top left or flat fish but the shrimp with the long antenna lying in the background of the the catch deck. 

We came for the shrimp and they were plentiful.

Though fresh shrimp for all was the big draw (mate Cliff Creadle took on the added duty of boiling and serving them to us), I found the by-catch much more interesting, as you might tell from all the other pictures above. Look in the mouth of the Spotfish above. Do you see the critter with two little black eyes?

Here are the two again. The small multi-legged creature on top of the Spotfish is a parasite that is quite commonly found in residence inside a number of fish that inhabit the backwaters of the Georgia sloughs.

 Our constant companions were the seagulls and pelicans looking for handouts. Like a character from Nemo, you can almost hear this one say: "MINE!" Not this time. Any tasty shrimp were ours.