Murder He Wrote: One 35-Year-Old-Man's Account of Mendocino County

      Mendocino County lies three hours north of San Francisco on a rocky, moody coastline reminiscent of The Vacation State. In fact, the village of Mendocino (population 894) was settled by "Mainiacs" and other New Englanders who imported their logging skills to this small village and other Northern California towns. Looking at the architecture, it's hard to shake the image of Maine from your perception. The town is dotted with cute, clapboard homes in the mini-Victorian style.

      Murder, She Wrote, that quintessential television series which starred Angela Lansbury and ran for 12 seasons, was filmed in the village of Mendocino but "took place" in the fictional Maine town of Cabot Cove. I tried to explain the premise of the series to Mauricio, who grew up in Chile. "Think of an even more eloquent Isobel from Downton Abbey tying together all the conspirators at the tail-end of a murder mystery each week and you have Murder, She Wrote,"I explained. At least this is the way I remember it.

      The ecology this far north is peopled with stately Douglas fir, Coast Redwood and Shore Pine, all quite different from San Francisco's expansive Monterey Cypress and messy Blue-Gum Eucalyptus (although there is a smattering of those in Mendocino, a transitional hardiness zone). Along the road you see a lot of invasive Scotch Broom in full yellow bloom, an invasive species that was introduced to California in the 1850s for nostalgic reasons and in a clumsy attempt to stave off erosion.

      We stayed in an adorable log cabin in the forgotten village of Comptche surrounded by second-growth redwoods, wild turkey and deer and wet, blustery weather. It was here at "Harmony Ranch" where I officially turned 35 on Saturday night. For such a transition, Mendocino proved the perfect balm. I had no clue how intensely romantic it would be (especially the county's coastline) and many a moment over the weekend, Mauricio and I would be standing together or apart on these rocky headlands, staring over thirty-foot cliffs and watching these plumes of ocean crash below. Each monster wave drew me deeper into reverie of everything that life has thrown at me. The coast of Mendocino does not resemble the sharp-edged, intact mountains that cascade into the sea like in Big Sur, but rather contain these flat, rocky shelves on which you can stroll (again, a nod to the more human-scaled New England coast).

      Back to 35: I admit to a passing storm of panic and self-pity but this type of attitude benefits no one, save my enemies. I've got to remember that I'm healthy, coupled and have a strong network of friends, family, colleagues, mentors and dogs. And the good news is that nobody had to die on this trip to Cabot Cove except maybe my 34-year-old self.

Part II: Whale Witnessing

      There were quite of few events and activities that we mis-timed or missed in general: Orr Hot Springs and the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens and any of a number of whale watching expeditions that depart from Fort Bragg. Whales have been popping up for me lately in the strangest of places. In shamanic terms, whales are known for their music, language and record-keeping. Back in the city, I picked up a used, dime-store copy of Moby-Dick by Herman Melville and started reading this "whale of a book" during our weekend away. What masterful words! It possesses everything: adventure story, gothic novel, New England history, oceanography, early Darwinian science, religion. All that's missing is a few seafood recipes (baked schrod, anyone?).

      With the new moon in Aries on March 30, I am increasingly ready for an adventure of some sort and it simply must be that of the manly kind. April 2014 is going to be a traumatic and explosive month astrologically (more on this at a later post). "The Cruelest Month" is also the close of the whale-watching season in Mendocino County - at least when it comes to spotting the storied California Grey Whales as they swim north to Alaska. Unlike the East Coast, there are many spots out here where you can see these leviathans from land. I don't know if it was a trick of my mind but I swore I witnessed a spout or two several hundred yards off shore. Calmer weather days, of course, make for the best viewing.

      NPR resported today that Japan lost a major UN court case  which prohibits their whaling industry from continuing in the Antarctic. What's even more salient is that Japan is going to abide by the ruling and adhere to international law. This is a classic case of Mars (God of War) being detrimentally and temporarily disarmed as it visits the sign of Libra through July 25. What's even more devastating, at least to us warriors, is that Mars is in retrograde (and, mind you, also under the power of its opposite sign!) until May 19. To wit, masculinity is taking a back-seat for an uncomfortable stretch and while this can enrage many of us Martians who favor a more direct approach, it's high-time we "grow up" and act civilized or at least see what all the fuss is about. This is best done by putting on some new threads, applying a few lotions and acting like a gentleman at Libra's 24/7 cocktail party. The next few months present many perfect opportunities for restraint and diplomacy. Japan's charm offensive, for one, is receiving hugs and kisses from whale-lovers around the world for their newfound pacifism towards the Earth's greatest creatures! Now if only uninitiated-Martian-Russia could show the same type of foresight to their fellow human-beings.

      So while we didn't enjoy an official whale watching trip, I cannot help but feel I'm on a journey of whale witnessing.  Another bright spot for their cetacean family is that California is on the verge of banning Killer Whale shows at Sea World. A bill is now in the California legislature to rid the entertainment center of its abusive circus acts. This diplomatic act may be the best thing to come out of Mars as Libra's houseguest. Stay tuned!