Voyages of Starship Arrowstar

Voyages of Starship Arrowstar
Starship Arrowstar and Shuttlecraft Maxwell

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Captain’s Log - Stardate: 20-16-07-23 – Mission Day 17



Captain’s Entry:
   
I really didn’t need a “Zoo Fix” as the captain assumes below, an “Ocean Fix,” YES. That said, when we arrived at the small Eureka Zoo, so good ol’ Rusty Pistons could run in and squash a few pennies for his grandkids, I decided it would be fun to watch the little kids and parents flocking to the zoo on a Saturday morning. It turned out there was a Pokémon Go flurry going on, so lots of people were standing around staring at iPhones and ignoring the zoo animals which, I assume, made the animals enormously happy. 

Now I understand the attraction people have for this game. As the young mother playing the game, while she watched her little boy playing in a meandering stream of water built just for toddlers, explained to me, “It gets me out of the house and seeing other people and places . . . and it’s FUN!” So after I waxed poetic about the wonderful social aspects of the game, I realized the marketing potential for drawing crowds to specific events, stores, attractions, etc. Then the old saw, “Is there money to be made?” occurred to me. Sigh. Oh well, it’s the American way! “Smiley Face”

We did take time to watch the pandemonium of parents herding children through the zoo walkways, but seeing the animals turned out to be just as much fun. Here are some photos to prove it. (I threw in a couple of pictures of the dahlia garden at the zoo entrance, too. There were hundreds of blooms there to add to my “screensaver” photo collection!)

 
Ever wonder what an eagle's nest looks like "up close and personal?" Huge, isn't it!

Bald Eagle

Spotted Owl.  Lumberjacks say they taste like chicken.


A red panda



This "presenting the flower" pose is in memory of my grandmother, Carrie Thomas


When we got to Ferndale, I was disappointed to find that the movie set for the “Majestic” film had been torn down and replaced with a parking lot. The building used for the café in the movie remains, but is derelict. Another sigh . . .


I did enjoy seeing the old Victorian houses in town with their new paint and polish. It felt like a step back to a more elegant time. Movies come and movies go, but these “old dames” hopefully will remain here so future generations can “take a step back.” 

Meanwhile back at the car . . .Rusty Pistons’ “pennies for the grandkids obsession” aside, my First Officer made me love him all the more when he said, “I smell ocean!” We took off down an unknown road going roughly west and drove, and drove, and drove through rural countryside. Both of us were thinking we were probably going to get hopelessly lost on this adventure, but we persevered. Then around a narrow curve, up popped sand dunes, people dining on portable tables and cooking over open fires right on the beach and kids frolicking in the churning surf.

Yes, the surf really was churning up sand like crazy as huge breakers crashed on the beach. The ocean was busily constructing rips that made me worry about the children playing nearby (and me too!) Actually, no one seemed to be venturing beyond the foaming surf, and parents were keeping a close eye on their kiddies, so I relaxed. An unexpected surge of salt water surprised both Frank and me, so my slacks were soaked. I figured oh well, now that I’m drenched with salt water I might as well add sand. I plopped myself down on a dune to soak in the “sound and fury” of the sea. Unexpectedly, I saw a black head bobbing out beyond the breakers. I thought, “Oh no, there’s someone (or a body) out there!” Okay, so I’ve got a vivid imagination. I’m a writer, after all! Anyway, the small head turned out to be a seal grabbing his dinner. I was thrilled to see him several times. 

I leave you with this question: “Why is it that the ocean has such a calming effect on most of us, even while it pounds the beach and roars its violent message of enormous power?”

End Captain’s Entry

First Officer’s Entry:

Today we went to the Eureka Zoo, then to Ferndale, CA, and then to the ocean beach just south of Ferndale.  In that order.




The captain got her “zoo fix” and her “ocean fix” and I got to try to press a few pennies.

The pennies didn’t get pressed.  The store where the penny press was supposed to be located was out of business and gutted.  By asking around I finally found the machine in a small store across the street but it was “broken” and there were no plans to fix it.  Today’s score:
Captain 2, First Officer 0.

By the by:  A few words about California Rt. 299 between Weaverville and Eureka.

First word:  Incredible! 

Second word:  Magnificent!

Third word(s):  One of the nicest, most beautiful, and easiest to drive scenic highways I’ve ever driven.  It is smooth as glass, twisty but not too so, and has lots of well marked turnouts and passing lanes, so I never stacked up more than a car or two behind me and even then it was just for a mile or so.

Kudos to California!  They really did that one right.

BTW:  To all our friends in Phoenix, the high here today will be 68 cool but sunny degrees.

End First Officer’s Entry

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