I'd mentally prepared myself the day before to ride into cold, foggy headwinds to check my trail cams on Thursday, but the morning turned out to be a gift of calm and clarity. As my first view of the Marin Headlands opened up from the Presidio, a dappled sunlight caressed the mountains. I stopped to pull the FZ80 out of my trunk bag even though I was pretty sure it would be a futile attempt to capture the light, although a ship came along to give the scene a little more interest. At the Golden Gate Bridge I stopped again when out of the corner of my eye I spotted a beautifully sunlit and well-placed iris patch.
The fog had been thick to the south when I started out, but it looked clear to the north. As I crossed the bridge I thought it might have been another good day for Chimney Rock. But when I reached Pantoll the wind and fog was billowing up the western slopes. Even Stinson Beach was invisible, and Point Reyes was probably in a gale. The change in weather came on so suddenly that it was hard to believe it had really been clear and calm when I started out.
The bulk carrier Port Pegasus heads out of the Golden Gate.
Springtime at the Bridge
All but one of the calypso orchids at the Bootjack parking lot spot I've mentioned in previous posts have faded away.
Sun and Fog on Bolinas Ridge
Goldfield Meadow with Oak and Encroaching Douglas Firs
California Poppies and Cobwebby Thistle on Bolinas Ridge
A Very Downy Turkey Feather
Mournful Duskywing & Blue Dicks
Numerous Chalcedon Checkerspots were enjoying the sun at the Presidio's Immigrant Point Overlook.
As I was watching the butterflies, a pair of F/A-18F Super Hornets from the VFA-41 Black Aces strike fighter squadron flew over the bay toward the Golden Gate Bridge. Their base is in Lemoore, south of Fresno, about 175 miles away as the crow flies, and potentially just 15 minutes away.
I was watching butterflies and Super Hornets to kill time until this container ship, the One Hannover, would get in position to show the difference in the quality of light, since earlier in the day, on the background hills. Note the flock of pelicans wheeling above the ship.
