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wSpring Tide |
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The tandem pull of the sun and the moon
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wMonday, July 22, 2002 |
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A great weekend usually includes water and this one was no exception.
I joined 35 friends and strangers for a float on innertubes down part of the American river on Saturday. The tubes are from big monster trucks, so they're plenty big enough for a safe ride down lil rapids.
We met up just below the Auburn dam on Saturday morning. The rangers gave us a little bit of grief, wanting to charge us the boat launch fee for getting in the river. One of our friends who's seminally in charge of these things finally told them to give him a ticket on his car if they wanted, and he'd be happy to come back to court to discuss the matter further. No ticket from the rangers in the end and we all got launched and happily paddled off.
I brought my lime green scuba fins for motoring power and hooked up with some nice folks -- Mary and Ian. Ian had done some work programming the video shows at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, so we had lots to talk about. Mary and I decided we were the Wet Marys, which everyone agreed were infinitely preferable to Virgin Marys. About nine of us finally ended up tying our tubes together and we made a grand flotilla. Ian had remembered the bubbles -- what more could you possible need?
It was all smooth floating til we got to the last bit of rapids. These are like, class 2 rapids... you might run into a standing wave, but its all pretty tame, by river standards. Anyway, there were some older teenage boys with water guns, standing in the river spraying people. First we got soaked, then I felt my tube hit something. A body in motion wants to stay in motion, so my tube flipped and I went under in the white water.
My first thought was "damn I'm wearing my glasses!" and I confess I was a bit tense.. but I reminded myself to relax -- "its just water, Mary" I put my hands in front of me to watch for rocks -- and I powered my way out of it (yay for scuba fins). I got into calm albeit fast moving water, still had my hat and glasses on and kicked my way over to a tuber who saw me flip. It took some motoring and time to get back to the group, but we made it eventually. Now, going face first down unfamiliar rapids, even if mild, isn't something I choose to do -- I didn't know if there were rocks my head was aiming for or what have you, plus I don't usually go swimming with prescription glasses on my face, so it was a little stressful, but self talk and good luck got me through it none the worse for wear.
Apparently the obstacle I hit was one of the bozo boys who were spraying people with their water gun. I heard from my compatriots that he was dragged under the flotilla for about 100 feet and that he kept getting mowed down by the tube with the cooler in it. They were getting worried about him drowning, I guess. I'm just glad there was a goddess that day, enacting revenge on behalf of 90 year old chicks with glasses who get dumped into white water as a result of adolescent male stupidity. muhahahah.
We made it to the end of run without further incident and crawled out of the water a bit chilly after 5 hours on the river, but happy. I spent a good part of it actually in the water, or half of me in the water, anyway. Today I'm aware of a whole buncha muscles I forgot I had... ouch. And I got a bit of sunburn on my legs from the knee to the top of my neoprene scuba booties. That's actually the worst... when a furry cat tail brushing against your skin hurts -- ow! and well... "moo!".
After a fine bbq in the park, and hanging out with my fellow river rats, we headed for home, tired, a bit skanky from the river, a bit burnt, full and happy.
posted by
Just Mary at 1:16 PM
4 comments
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wThursday, July 18, 2002 |
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More food.
Got organic tamaters yesterday, organic bagels an organic creamcheese. Great breakfast, with fresh ground pepper and sea salt.
burp.
posted by
Just Mary at 1:44 PM
6 comments
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wWednesday, July 17, 2002 |
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You know what I love? I mean aside from plankton... I love microwaved popcorn -- "kettle corn." Its slightly sweet, slightly salty. Yum.
You know what's not good to eat? Plankton. My professor told us a story of this guy who was sailing around the world. He decided he'd live on plankton soup. Somewhere in the middle of the atlantic, he started bleeding out. The silica bodies of diatoms in the plankton were the culprit.
Can you say "diatomaceous earth?"
So let that be a lesson: no (plankton) soup for you!
("bleeding out"... bleeding from orifices)
posted by
Just Mary at 1:00 PM
3 comments
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mmm dinner last night was roast chicken,fresh corn on the cob and a yummy salad.
posted by
Just Mary at 8:54 AM
4 comments
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wFriday, July 12, 2002 |
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Psuedo-nitzschia australis and Dinophysis are blooming in the waters of Monterey Bay. A double whammy. Should be an interesting day at the lab tomorrow.
posted by
Just Mary at 1:33 PM
8 comments
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wWednesday, July 10, 2002 |
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Its blog hiatus!
Summer is almost half over and my to do list remains as long as it was. My research is currently stalled, I'm still underemployed and I haven't started studying for the GRE or dealing with when I'm taking it. sigh. Instead of moving forward, it feels like I've been swimming the wrong way in a rip tide.
Fortunately, I've seen the direction its headed and I'm now moving perpendicular to the current. Hopefully its not too wide and I'll be out of it soon and will resume making some headway. I know shore is around here somewhere...
posted by
Just Mary at 10:04 AM
3 comments
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wTuesday, July 02, 2002 |
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That went over so well, I think I'll throw in another:
The main feature on this picture is the resting cell of Chaetoceros. I love the delicate structures inside.
While looking for a link for Chaetoceros, I found Plankton Theater. Gotta love the web.
posted by
Just Mary at 2:18 AM
5 comments
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