Crossroads Home on Brunos Island

You will see from these pictures of Crossroads in her slip at the Bruno's Island Marina that the San Joaquin River does not lack for wind. These pictures were taken on Thanksgiving Day of 2009. That night our Signet wind speed indicator topped out at 52 knots. Fortunately, we were hunkered down in our slip on the windward side of the island. That means the car on the lee side was not quite so lucky.

The San Joaquin River has a unique mix of wildlife. While the water is fresh, many sea lions venture up this way from the San Francisco Bay and sun themselves on the buoys. One late night, I stepped into the cockpit and looked on the port side for the dock which seemed like it was missing in the blackness of the night. A minute later, there was a large splash and I could now see the dock. I realized that the blackness was a sea lion that I startled. Fortunately, I didn't inadvertently step on it!

River otter, ducks (northern mallards), geese, snowy egrets, hawks, beaver, heron, and sometimes even eagles are among the many types of wildlife we see here.