Had a great day on Saturday as we went sailing with a friend. A sail boat is a lot of work we found and complicated. I’m impressed by the technical feat of it all.

If my house was my boat, I don’t know how comfortable I would be taking it for a spin around a big bay.

Here is a summary of my dive day in Carmel and Monterey on April 22, 2012. I spent the day on the Sanctuary Dive Charter.  The weather was very nice and saw at least 4 gray whales as we traveled up and down the coast. The first dive at Fire Rock was wonderful.. my dive buddy, Paula and I did this great swim through there and the vis 30 feet. For the second dive we went to Point Joe, the vis had decreased and most didn’t stay very long on the dive. I did as much as I wanted but the current was kicking up and by the time I hit the surface I was far from the boat. Captain Mike came and got me, I enjoyed having a pick up from a boat.

Here is are my dive profiles — both maxing out at around 80 feet. Also below is my favorite photo from the day.

Dive 1: Firerock, off the coast from Pebble Beach

Point Joe, around Monterey -- very up and down dive profile

Cliff House Family Photo, a photo by Ed Bierman on Flickr.

Recent cool find on ebay — Cliff House Souvenir Family Photo. Hard to see in this photo but the first Cliff House is just off to the right. Destroyed in the early 1890s and from the style of photo, this image could be around 1880s or slightly earlier..

Several months ago, Margaret and I were coming home from Harbin Springs and stopped at the Yountville Pioneer Cemetery

About it:
George Calvert Yount (1794-1865) was the first United States citizen to be ceded a Spanish land grant in Napa Valley (1836). Skilled hunter, frontiersman, craftsman and farmer, he was the true embodiment of all the finest qualities of an advancing civilization blending with the existing primitive culture. Friend to all, this kindly host of Caymus Rancho, encouraged sturdy American pioneers to establish ranches in this area, which was well populated before the Gold Rush.
CALIFORNIA REGISTERED HISTORICAL LANDMARK No.693
Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with George C. Yount Parlor No.322, Native Daughters of the Golden West, Colonel Nelson Holderman Parlor No.316, Native Sons of the Golden West, and the Yountville Cemetery Association, October 18, 1959.

Here is the data of my last dive day on March 4th, 2012.  I was on board the Beach Hopper 2, Mary Sue had some great sugar cookies that went fast.   The conditions on the surface were wonderful and the sea was flat.  We saw a couple of gray whales in the distance.

Under the water, the vis was very good — between 20 and 30 feet.  The water was cold, however, with a nice upwelling that dropped the temperature in the high 40s.  The only downside to the day was  that I had camera problems and got no underwater photos.

Dive 1: New Valley, Carmel, CA
Time: 45 minutes
MAX. Depth: 103 FT
Avg Depth: 55 FT

Nice site with good rocks supporting hydrocoral and anemone.

Dive 2: Bryant’s Crack, Carmel, CA
Time: 30 minutes
MAX Depth: 82 FT
Avg Depth: 50 FT

Wonderful site — first time here with valley’s and dive through.  There were many invertebrates on the rocks and we saw a nice octopus who just sat there and watched us the whole time.

On Saturday I visited my 12 California Mission which is actually the closest to where I live. The Santa Clara Mission is a very nice place. The Santa Clara University campus is one of the most beautiful campuses that I’ve seen.

There isn’t much left of the original mission at this location. A single adobe wall exists along side the church. The church itself burned to the ground in 1926. The rebuilt church is beautiful inside with a marvelous ceiling and altar area.

If you want to see artifacts, visit the art museum where various mission and university items are located.

Santa Clara is California’s oldest-operating institution of higher education, with more than 150 years of history.

My collection of images from the Portland Art Museum in December