We decided to try fishing again, this time at Caspar Headlands, a place we’ve driven past. Reading about this area we found that a temporary pass is required, so we stopped by the Headquarters Building on the East side of Route 1 at Russian Gulch and were able to collect the required paper. Caspar Headlands is a relatively small area, state lands with access to the shore through a residential neighborhood. There are good places to fish and a lot to look at.
While Jonathan fished, Paula and I looked around.
When I caught up to Jonathan and Paula back by the fishing spot, they had found a LIVE ABALONE! It was in a tide pool and the tide was just coming back in, so we got a good look at it and took a photo.
That pale green circle is a sea anemone, the reddish oval below it is a red abalone. An aquarium docent I know said that if you brush the little feelers that stick out of the holes of an abalone, it will sometimes try to touch you with its foot. I got down as close to the water as I could and tiptoed my fingers across the abalone’s shell, trying to make contact with the feelers, but I didn’t feel them and then I felt a weird squishy thing and I jumped away from it. That was good for two reasons. The squishy thing was the abalone’s foot and according to Paula and Jonathan who were watching, as soon as it felt my finger it squeezed itself to the rock and pulled all its foot underneath the shell. By jumping up and stepping back up the rock to where the others were standing (slightly creeped out by the abalone’s touch) I just missed being completely swamped by a wave. The tide was coming in, so it was time to leave the abalone to its business.
Paula and I took a picture for mom (no hats, no sunglasses, make sure your face shows):
Only a tiny bit smarmy–don’t tell mom.
PS. We didn’t catch any fish. We had a delicious birthday dinner at Mendo Bistro, right in the same building as our current apartment. We retreated back to the apartment, creme brulee and a super duper Sauterne Chateau Guiraud 2011 that Paula brought. We declared it a joint birthday treat.
Llywindatravels 2022 