OTTER REPORT

For the second time in three years, Jean and I saw river otters in Paper Mill Creek near the south end of White House Pool. We saw three the first time. This morning there were five of the sleek, chocolate-brown creatures. They looked very fish-like and stream-lined as they swam up the creek.

We watched them for a minute or two before they went out of sight beneath the branches of a dead willow.

Local biologist Jules Evans thinks these otters may represent the off-shoots of a clan that has inhabited Walker Creek some eight miles to the north for several years. Perhaps over-crowding there forced these otters to venture into Tomales Bay to find a new habitat.

At any rate, it was a thrill to see them. River otters are much smaller that sea otters and don’t have the white whiskers that give those beasts their raffish appearance.

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  ¶ 1:04 PM

  HER LEADING EDGE

Everywhere that Kitty goes
She’s in the shadow of her nose.
Once you’ve seen it, you will find
That Kitty isn’t far behind.
Rude folks often gape and stare,
But Kitty doesn’t seem to care.
“I got it from my Mom and Dad.
“It’s the only nose I every had,
“But I suppose, if I were you,
“I would want a big one, too.”
9/9/04

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  WEATHER REPORT

The irony of West Marin weather, and in fact weather on the entire north coast, is that summer begins about the time the kids go back to school. Their vacation this year was unusually gloomy. The normal pattern of morning fog and afternoon sun never got established. It been fog all day or wind all day or both all day. For the past week, however, we've had clear skies, warm dys and very little wind.

Tomales Bay, where I go rowing whenever possible, has been gorgeous in the early dawn. The air is warm with little wind. The skies are clear and the water is either flat calm or slightly rippled. Brown and white pelican begin their flights with the dawn, The browns start diving for sardines and other surface feeders. Cormorants, egrets and great blue herons are akso on the move.

These halcyon days will continue until the rains begin. That's usually late October or early November. Perhaps by then, the kids will have forgotten their "summer" vacation and be looking forward to the next one.

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  ¶ 10:46 AM