Well, the weather is not cooperating with our plans to move northward, so we’re still hanging out in Bodega Bay (i.e. Blowdega Bay, as we’ve heard it called frequently since we got here). On top of that, we discovered that our planned next stop, Noyo River/Ft. Bragg, is essentially closed to transient vessels for a couple of reasons for the rest of the summer. That means the next leg of our trip is going to be quite long – our first complete overnight passage – so we need a long, favorable weather window.

On Sunday, our family brought over all the food for a fantastic BBQ! We are so spoiled. It was great!

Monday and Tuesday were filled with boat chores. Some of these closely resemble household chores – cleaning, laundry, etc. We also gave the deck of the boat and the dinghy a good cleaning. We took a break on Monday and had lunch across the street at the Spud Point Crab Co – yummy clam chowder and live music too!

Today we took the bus to Sebastopol, leaving on the only trip over there at 10:15 am. The countryside here is really beautiful, with rolling hills and farm/ranch land and lots of trees. The bus coming back was not until 4:30 pm, so we wandered around town. We got some organic Santa Rosa plums that were delicious and, feeling rebellious, ate our favorite ice cream from Rite Aid (chocolate malted crunch) before lunch. After browsing around the town for a little longer we ran across the Hopmonk Tavern and decided to stop in for refreshments. We were so glad we did! The establishment is a converted train depot building, very attractively designed, with a beautiful beer garden in the back – dog friendly and all. We had a couple of house brews and shared a couple of small plates. Everything was first rate.

I had seen, in passing, a reference to Florence Avenue in Sebastopol, so we walked around until we found it. I didn’t know what to expect, but it is basically a neighborhood where most of the homes have a sculpture in the yard made of reused metal, flashlights, gears, bulbs, golf clubs, old wheels and so on by Patrick Amiot and Brigette Laurent. It was an entertaining diversion.

Before we caught the bus back we did a little grocery shopping – the never-ending task. Now we are relaxing back home aboard Toga, while the wind roars outside – 25 knots or more – but we are warm and comfortable inside.

A selection of Florence Ave sculptures. I love the mermaid.

Hopmonk tavern (the waiter caught Ralph making a funny face at me) and my souvenir from our day – a blue crystal, which seems appropriate for this town. Lots of crystals, etc. here

Bodega Bay – crab traps, Spud Pt Crab Co and a description of the town

This is my amazing little boat vacuum! I love this thing.