The full moon approaches on Monday, Nov. 14 with high tides peaking at 6.9 feet on Tuesday, Nov. 15. At its closest approach to earth, this moon, known as a super moon, will appear larger than usual at moonrise.
During very high tides in winter, sand is carried off the beach, exposing rock formations and ship wrecks, such as parts of the Pomo on Drakes Beach. The steam schooner wrecked in 1913 as it carried lumber from Albion to San Francisco. The sand ends up in offshore bars and will be returned to the beach in summer.
Warm air and recent rainfall has kicked in the mushroom season, typically November through March on the central California coast. Mushrooms, which drop spores into the air to be carried hither and yon, are the fruit or reproductive structure of various forms of fungi. Check with state and federal park staff about areas where mushrooms may be collected and about limits on harvest.
As I walked out in the morning darkness of the Olema Valley last week, coyotes howled up a storm. The name “Olema” comes from the Coast Miwok settlement name recorded in Spanish baptismal records at Mission Dolores. The original Miwok word for coyote is “ole.”