Take that California Trip...
INVERNESS, CALIFORNIA—January 27th, 2008
The authors of the best-selling Point Reyes Visions have expanded their horizons to encompass the entirety of California. Richard Blair and Kathleen Goodwin bring a unique view of the state with the images and text in their new book, California Trip.

Web order books are signed by the authors and are discounted to $39.95 for the next few weeks to introduce it to our web visitors. Or call us at 415 663-1616 for the same deal. In stores it is $49.95

Travelling thousands of miles throughout the state, they have captured its spirit with photographs that range from surfers, farm workers and movie stars to exquisite pictures of California’s deserts and mountains. This is an unusual book for the depth of perspective it gives the viewer of its cultural and natural landscapes.

From the hippies and the protests of the sixties to California today-the authors were there with cameras and a reporter’s notebook, recording vital details of California’s unique place in the world. Goodwin and Blair weren’t just reporting; they were deeply involved, freezing and frying in the mountains and deserts, demonstrating against the wars, dancing at concerts, always observing.

California has been brought to life–its people, craziness and peak moments of beauty and truth. The content is honest and revealing, breaking new ground for a California picture book by including ignored but important subjects, like earthquakes, immigration, gay and lesbian rights, the rise of organic farming to name a few.

California is a place where freedom still thrives. If you are interested in a nontraditional yet reality-based view of California, this book will turn your head.

Blair and Goodwin created this large format artist’s book in their live/work studio. It is 11x11 inches, clothbound, with 300 pages and 600 photographs. This heralds a new kind of book: where artists can take their project all the way to press and intensify their work through each stage. They photographed, wrote, designed, scanned the book. It was a long-term effort of almost 40 years. The printer used a special printing technique to print the book with no halftone dots, but rather microscopic speckles and ultra bright inks.

Peace, love, and good vibes. Now really needed.

Loretta Farley

For early risers, some of the lowest daylight tides of the year are just a few weeks off with the new moon on June 3:
     
Thursday, June 5 6:59 am -2.0 feet

Friday, June 6   7:50 am -1.8 feet      

Saturday, June 7   8:40 am -1.4 feet

Sunday, June 8   9:32 am -0.8

Plucky little snowy plovers are hard at work nest building on the Great Beach,  11 nests have been identified this year but 6 nests have been lost to predators and wind.

A word on coyotes, often seen along Limantour and Bear Valley Road.  This time of year, the pups are in the den, and parents range far and wide for extra food and may behave a little more defensively if near their dens.  Point Reyes is abundant - gophers, rabbits, lizards, frogs, quail eggs, etc. so it is rare that they might attempt to get food from human sources (garbage, picnic leavings, pet food left outside. etc.) in this area.   However, south of Point Reyes - in Golden Gate NRA, coyotes are making their way into neighborhoods abutting parklands.  Rule of thumb is not to leave food of any kind out - secure garbage cans; put away pet foods, never leave food out in camp or picnic areas.  If an animal is approaching, unusual behavior, create a bad impression - yell, throw dirt, back away and do not run.  Report at park visitor centers if you are approached!

Fire season has officially begun at Point Reyes.  Beach fire permits are not issued in advance and must be picked up the day you plan to have a fire at the beach.

Armchair wildlife viewing along the Bear Valley Road corridor - Wednesday, a river otter seemed to be scoping out the creeks and dropping in at the Red Barn Classroom; soon followed by a coyote.  Two young male black tails, their antlers in velvet, put on a boxing match along the road.  Further afield, the last of the northbound gray whales have been rolling along Drakes Bay, mother and calf pair observations were made on Thursday and Saturday.

Poppies are out all over Bear Valley pastures, along Abbots Lagoon, patches along local highways.  Large, white blooms along roadways are Cow Parsnips - they always look like cauliflowers  and the stalks can be 5 feet high.