Mind-boggling Birds and Connections

Remember the Alfred Hitchcock thriller, The Birds? We had a close encounter with those birds last weekend. Staying at the Inn at the Tides in the village of Bodega Bay we discovered this beautiful spot’s claim to fame: The Birds was filmed there. In 2010 the census counted 1077 humans living in Bodega Bay. I think there are more birds and cows than people. Probably more tourists also, judging by the traffic. Pretty Bodega Bay, the rugged Pacific Coast with whales migrating and The Birds seems to be the extent of what the area has to offer.

Okay, there are also several nice resorts and restaurants along with a State Park crammed with RVs. Our stay at the Inn at the Tides was comfortable. Great room, great view and the huge, delicious complimentary breakfast at the waterfront restaurant satiated appetites until dinner. Never having heard of Bodega Bay we jumped at the invitation to escape San Francisco to meet a long lost cousin and his wife for the weekend. Good company, great conversation in a serene environment. Meanwhile, just a few feet away cattle grazed while looking at us with curiosity.

Upon our arrival in Bodega Bay we drive around the Bay to where the waves of the Pacific Ocean crash against the cliffs to discover that whale watching is underway. A short walk along the cliffs and a watchful eye and we have our chance to see a whale migrating north. Always a thrill. The day is sunny, sort-of warm and the wild flowers are decorating the hills. Each time we see ravens, seagulls or any bird we think of the terror of that movie The Birds. But we are safe and un-hurt. 

Back to The Birds. It depicts a massive onslaught of violence by throngs of birds on the people of Bodega Bay. The movie was produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1963. It introduced Hitchcock’s recent discovery at that time, Tippi Hendren. Rod Taylor was her co-star. Today Tippi, who I had never heard of, is 82 years old. She will make an appearance at Bodega Bay Labor Day weekend. That village is obviously trying to get all of the commercial mileage they can out of this one claim to fame. Tippi has actually appeared in 50 films during her career. One of those was the thriller Marnie. Her co-star in that film was Sean Connery. Today Tippi resides on her game preserve in Acton, CA. She has some 70 animals including lions, tigers and more. She produced a film called Roar in 1981. The film depicts the wild animals of Africa and is considered the most dangerous film ever made. During the filming her daughter was injured by a lion. You’ve probably heard of her daughter: Melanie Griffith.

Another film made in Bodega Bay was The Fog, a horror movie starring Jamie Lee Curtis. After seeing the fog roll in during the evening and hanging over the Bay the next morning I find the fog theme more realistic than the birds. In The Fog a mysterious fog invades the village and creates all kinds of havoc.

Travel continues to be mind-boggling. All the way from Bodega Bay, known for birds and fog, one weekend to the desert of Viva Las Vegas coming up this next weekend. Or is it what happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas? We shall see.

Stan the Man

Mind-Boggling Weather Experiences

I think we can safely say the weather lately has been mind-boggling. We arrived in San Francisco in February with expectations of a cold, foggy and damp climate. Instead we experienced warm and sunny weather during our first 4 or 5 weeks in the Bay Area. We enjoyed the weather. It was considerably more comfortable than the icy cold of winter that we left in New York City.

Suddenly everything changed. Snow in the Pacific Northwest, Eighty degree temperature readings throughout the upper Mid-West with New York not lagging far behind. In San Francisco the rains arrived along with cold winds off the Pacific. Fortunately we had planned a trip back to Florida to check on our home there. After flying over thunderstorms and tornados along with torrential flooding rains in the South we arrived safely in Southern Florida to peaceful 82 degree temperatures and lots of sunshine. The Weather Channel showed pictures of a snow storm in Arizona.

Another challenge faced us but we rose to the challenge. We boarded a plane in Miami and flew back to San Francisco. The next day we drove to Sebastopal, CA to attend a “celebration” of the life of a friend who recently died. The drive took place in a steady wind-driven downpour. The rain drove the planned outdoor “celebration” in-doors.

The next morning I boarded still another flight. I found myself in Seattle where I enjoyed a sunny, pleasant Sunday on the lake with my son and two granddaughters. The remainder of my week in Seattle however, was typical of Northwest weather with constant rain, drizzle, wind and chilly temperatures. Meanwhile two feet of new snow accumulated in the nearby Cascades. Come on, the calendar says spring has arrived and it was nearly April. The visit was punctuated by the first leg of my trip back to San Francisco. Seattle to Portland was the scariest flight I have experienced in a long time. The 80 passenger twin engine prop-jet was buffeted violently by turbulence throughout the flight. Later arriving in San Francisco I was greeted by sunshine and calm winds.

The weird weather changes from place to place have been mind-boggling. Put that together with traveling through multiple time zones and the recent “spring ahead” of daylight savings time and my mind is truly boggled.

And the weirdness of climate change goes on. The Weather Channel says 75,000 heat records in the U.S. were broke in March alone. It’s not over yet. The tornado season has struck Texas and other locales with a fury. Global warming is making itself felt. 

Without question it has been a mind-boggling couple of weeks.

Stan the Man