Children's Bell Tower in Bodega Bay

We recently visited the Children's Bell Tower in Bodega Bay for the first time. It's a beautiful monument inspired by the 1994 shooting in Italy of seven-year-old Nicholas Green of Bodega Bay, and is dedicated to children everywhere.

Fifteen years ago, Nicholas was killed by highway robbers while vacationing in Italy with his family. His parents, Reg and Maggie Green, agreed to donate his organs and corneas, which went to seven Italians waiting for transplants, four of them teenagers. As a result, organ donations in Italy have since quadrupled and thousands of people have been saved.

Click to enlarge images.

The memorial was conceived and designed by Bruce Hasson, a Bay Area sculptor. It's 18 feet high and holds 140 bells, almost all of them sent by Italians: school bells, church bells, ships' bells, mining bells, cow bells. Some bells had been in families for generations, others were made especially for this project. The centerpiece is a large bell, thirty inches high, from the Marinelli foundry in Italy, which has been making bells for the papacy for a thousand years. Nicholas' name and the names of the seven recipients are on it, and Pope John Paul II went to the foundry to bless it.




Reg and Maggie Green hold a picture of their son Nicholas in this 1999 photo.


Reg Green's book about the death of Nicholas and the world's amazing response is titled The Nicholas Effect. You can read more about it at NicholasGreen.org."No matter their nationality or calling, people respond from the heart--presidents, movie stars, schoolchildren, grandmothers, Boy scouts, soccer players, surgeons, and organ recipients," says Reg. "Organ donor cards are signed. Poems are written, pictures painted, parks dedicated, scholarships established, medals given, children hugged."

The media interest was intense from the beginning, as the book relates, with virtually every major daily paper in the world carrying the story and the major television shows, including Oprah, Barbara Walters, Katie Couric and Tom Brokaw, interviewing the family. There was even a CBS movie of the week, Nicholas’ Gift, for which Jamie Lee Curtis was nominated for an Emmy.

Last month, on the 15th anniversary of this tragedy, the Press Democrat ran a poignant letter from Reg Green, Life through a child's death, 15 years ago today.

The Children's Bell Tower is located behind the Community Center, on the ocean side of Hwy 1, about 1.5 miles north of downtown Bodega Bay. Nicholas’ grave is in St. Teresa's cemetery in the nearby town of Bodega.

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Blue Whale Washes Ashore on Mendocino Coast

Photo credit Larry Wagner

This amazing photo of a 72' long blue whale was on the front page of our local newspaper today (click to enlarge it). Photographer Larry Wagner has several more shots of the whale posted in a gallery on the Press Democrat site.

Sadly, this gorgeous marine mammal washed ashore on Mon., Oct. 19, along the Mendocino coast, a few hours north of Bodega Bay. Authorities believe she was struck by a research vessel that was under contract to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to update maps of the ocean floor. The collision caused deep, fatal gashes in her side.

Whale researchers are using this rare event to conduct studies. Thor Holmes, curator of the vertebrate museum at Humboldt State University and a member of the California Marine Mammal Stranding Network, says this is a very big deal. Finding a whale carcass in good condition is rare, he said. Normally, whales die, sink and do not resurface until much later.

You can read more in the Press Democrat, they've carried several stories about about this tragic accident this week.

Larry Wagner is an incredible photographer, you can view his website here.

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Helicopter Rescues Man and Dog from Bodega Head Cliff

A man and his dog were rescued by helicopter from a Bodega Head cliff this weekend! I was out of town and missed all the action but I was not at all surprised when I heard the news. In fact I'm amazed it doesn't happen more often.

The newspaper reports didn't say exactly where it happened, but the photo above gives you an idea of just how close the trail runs to the edge of those cliffs (click to enlarge the photo) and in many places, it's a sheer drop down to the jagged rocks below. I've blogged about the hiking trails on Bodega Head before, you can see more photos here. It's often extremely windy out on the Head and I've marveled that people aren't blown off the cliffs on a regular basis.

In this case, it appears Bella, a one year old black labrador, fell off the edge and was stuck about 150 feet above the water. Bella's owner, 50 yr. old Gary Webb of Elk Grove, clambered down to rescue her and then he got stuck about 10 feet above her. Gary's wife was waiting above with their other dog and it took 40 minutes before she was able to flag down a passerby to summon help.

At last, the Sheriff’s Department helicopter, Henry 1, arrived on the scene. Using a long line and harness, they saved Bella first because she was in the most precarious position, then Gary. It must have been an incredible sight and I would have loved to have seen the rescuers in action. Miraculously, everyone escaped uninjured from the ordeal.

Bodega Head offers spectacular ocean views and is a gorgeous area to hike, but it is rugged and you have to exercise caution. Certainly keep dogs leashed (it's the law anyway) and don't get so darn close to the cliffs.

For more information:
Press Democrat
Sacramento Bee

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Salmon Creek Art Walk

I saw a sign out on Hwy. 1 in Bodega Bay today promoting the Salmon Creek Art Walk. It's coming up Sat. & Sun. Nov. 7 & 8, 10-5, just in time to start thinking about holiday gift-giving, right?

I found their website and it looks like they'll be offering a beautiful variety of art including pastels, stained glass, sculpture, cool handmade leather boots, and more. Established in 2001, apparently the Art Walk is highly regarded and has become "the premiere Sonoma Coast art event." I'll look forward to checking it out this year!

Salmon Creek is a small community one mile north of Bodega Bay, on the west side of Hwy. 1. For more information, call 707-875-9609.

Pampas Grass in Bodega Bay

I love pampas grass season in Bodega Bay. The beautiful thick, feathery plumes line both sides of Hwy. 1 and the surrounding hillsides as you wind down into town. You'll also find patches in other areas including this stretch of Westshore Rd. along Bodega Harbor.


The silky "featherduster" plumes start out as a pink-purple color then gradually turn a warm white. The stalks grow as high as 6-8 ft. and are surrounded by tall, thin, sticky, sharp leaves. In fact, they are so sharp, they're a barrier to animal movement and have been known to cut the hide of deer trying to walk through them!



Unfortunately pampas grass is not native and it's highly invasive throughout the California coast. Authorities have taken steps to eradicate this opportunistic grass and discourage people from planting it on their property. They say it's an aggressive colonizer that competes with native vegetation, displacing native coastal dunes and other shrubs.

I get it and I won't plant any in our yard, but you just can't help admiring the beauty of these majestic grasses blooming now in all their glory!

It's Mating Season, Deer

Yesterday my daughter ran up to me and whispered urgently, "Mom, there's a deer looking in our window!" I followed her over to the front door and sure enough, there stood a beautiful buck with two point antlers, staring back at us through the glass. I ran to get my camera, thinking he'd probably be long gone by the time I got back but nope, he had just started wandering casually out toward our front yard.


We watched him for quite a while and took several photos. His casual demeanor and lack of concern about us actually made us a little concerned about him. Why wouldn't he run away? Then, we suddenly spied another smaller deer curled up under a nearby bush in our front yard. We couldn't get close enough to see if it still had fawn spots but it didn't look adult-size. (I couldn't get close enough for a photo.) Okay, so why would a buck be hovering around protectively over a juvenile that appeared to be hiding? If this was a doe, she'd instinctively try to lead us away from her baby, but this guy was hovering around and refusing to leave.


We decided to call Sonoma County's wonderful, long-time deer expert Marjorie Davis of the Wildlife Fawn Rescue, to ask what was up. After asking us a number of questions, she figured it out. Turns out it's mating season! The small deer under the bush was probably a young female, possibly not quite old enough for mating. Marjorie said it was probably not a fawn because they've all been weaned by now and can eat on their own.

Regardless of the young doe's age, the buck was interested and he was sticking close by. Marjorie cautioned us not to approach him because he could get aggressive under the circumstances. We continued to observe them off and on over the next half hour or so and at one point, the doe must have made a decision to run for it because just like that, both of them were gone! We looked around the surrounding area but couldn't find a trace of either of them.

But get this! While searching for the deer out back, we instead saw a bobcat trotting through the meadow carrying lunch (a rodent) in its mouth. Too bad I didn't have the camera for that one.

Wow! All these exciting close encounters with nature in beautiful Bodega Bay! It's hard to get any work done around here.

Resource:
Wildlife Fawn Rescue
707-931-4550

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Lucas Wharf Restaurant & Bar, Bodega Bay

Click to enlarge the photos.

When we first moved to Bodega Bay, we were told "Tourists go to The Tides restaurant, locals go to Lucas Wharf Restaurant & Bar." Well the first part was true, I'd been coming to Bodega Bay as a tourist all my life and loved going to The Tides. I liked how it had evolved over the years to its current incarnation which includes a large restaurant, a snack bar with picnic tables out by the water, a cool gift shop, and a fresh fish market.

But Lucas Wharf is popular with locals and tourists alike. This seafood restaurant, perched over the harbor, has more of a rustic, seaside atmosphere, with lots of dark woods, a long, full bar, fireplace, and views of the dock, fishing boats, and adjacent fish company, The Seafood Guys.







Beyond, they also have gorgeous views of the Bodega Bay harbor and Bodega Head. From their many window tables, you can usually see harbor seals or sea lions swimming around and barking under the pier or in the harbor. This summer we often saw an adorable baby sea lion sitting up on the dock, apparently waiting while its mother fished below.





On windy days, wind surfers and kite boarders provide free entertainment as they sail along, performing amazing flips and spins above the choppy waves in the harbor.

Lucas Wharf's menu features freshly caught fish and other seafood entrees as well as a variety of steak, chicken and pasta dishes. Their website is pretty limited and the Menu button doesn't work, so I scanned it here for you instead.


We’ve had some nice meals there recently. I love their cheeseburgers, Caesar salad, and the shrimp louie salad. Our daughter loves the sauteed calamari and the clam linguini in garlic cream sauce, and my husband always orders the fresh fish of the day. Last time he had a deliciously prepared grilled salmon.

The Lucas family originally purchased this waterfront property in 1976 and opened a fish market and deli, where they sold their fresh catch of the day. Walter Lucas and his two sons had earlier leased the spot, the site of an old fish processing plant, to dock their commercial fishing trawler "Silver Seas." They caught and sold snapper, rock cod, ling cod, petrale, rex sole and other bottom fish. Their wives ran the businesses while the Lucas brothers did the fishing.

The family expanded and opened the restaurant and bar in 1984, and James and his wife, Peggy Lucas, became the sole owners in 1993.

They also have this somewhat dilapidated pier that people can walk out on. The views out there are lovely but the wood has rotted through in some areas. I'm surprised it's legal, watch your step.

Today, the complex includes Lucas Wharf Restaurant & Bar, The Seafood Guys fresh fish wholesale and retail market, and the Island Style Deli. Yes, island as in Hawaii, here in Bodega Bay, don't get me started...

Lucas Wharf Restaurant & Bar
595 Hwy. 1
Bodega Bay, CA 94923
(707) 875-3522
Open everyday for lunch and dinner
11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays