Day 2: Hang 10 and hang on

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• Central Coast tide pools teeming with critters

  Central Coast tide pools teeming with critters

  Growing up as a kid in California, I always assumed that the rest of the world’s kelp beds and tide pools were filled with as much life as the ones we enjoy in San Luis Obispo County. Traveling throughout the world with the Navy, I quickly realized that’s certainly was not the case. The majority of coastlines that I visited did not have kelp beds and their intertidal zones were seemingly barren.

  As we head into fall, you can see the kelp beds of our county growing in size before the first large swells of winter rip them apart.

  If you ever have a chance to dive on these kelp beds on a day with good seawater visibility, please do it. Rays of sunlight often beam through this underwater forest illuminating fish, invertebrates and the occasional marine mammal. It has been rightfully compared to flying near the ground through a redwood forest in Big Sur.

• Wind offers lesson in renewable energy

  Wind offers lesson in renewable energy

  More than 1,200 fourth- grade children throughout San Luis Obispo County will have the opportunity to attend the San Luis Obispo Farm Bureau’s Great Ag Adventure at the Paso Robles Event Center on Wednesday, during National 4-H Week.

  This event allows students to explore different aspects of agriculture in San Luis Obispo County. Each year, volunteers from the local farm community share their expertise with students by providing different demonstrations. This year’s science experiment will be “Wired for Wind,” which will introduce students to the possibilities of using wind as one source of clean and renewable energy.

  Farmers and ranchers have been harnessing the wind for centuries. Windmills were first used to grind grains and produce flour for baking bread. Those windmills were later modified to run water pumps and eventually to generate electricity. Today, modern windmills called wind turbines generate large quantities of electricity.

• On that day, the wind fed the flames

  On that day, the wind fed the flames

  It was windy, hot and dry on Oct. 20, 1991 at Alameda Naval Air Station near Oakland. We kept the cargo door open for the entire duration of our flight in our Navy H-3 Sea King helicopter as we practiced hovering near the Golden Gate Bridge.

  On most days, hovering near the iconic, international orange-painted symbol of San Francisco meant keeping the helicopter pointed toward the Pacific Ocean as the persistent westerly (onshore) winds blew toward the inland valleys. However, on that Sunday morning, we kept the helicopter pointed to the East Bay as gusting easterly (offshore) winds buffeted our aircraft.

  Reaching the end of a long Navy Reserve drill weekend — and wanting to see the 49ers game at Candlestick Park — we headed back to the base. We made our final approach to the runway and noticed smoke coming from the Oakland Hills.

• Think you can’t take the heat? At least you’re not a chicken

  Think you can’t take the heat? At least you’re not a chicken

  Weather affects all forms of agriculture, from the raising of animals to the growing of crops.

  When a heat wave swept across San Luis Obispo County in June 1990 with higher-than-normal humidity levels, the Cal Poly Poultry Science Unit — which sells wonderful eggs throughout San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties — lost birds due to heat stress.

  When temperatures rise above the 90s, chickens are subject to overheating. They can’t sweat like humans to keep themselves cool. Instead, they pant. According to Cal Poly’s eminent poultry authority, professor Robert Spiller, chickens have a series of thin-membrane air sacs in their body cavity.

• Shell Beach man reported missing after his dog is found unattended

  Shell Beach man reported missing after his dog is found unattended

  Dylan Winebrenner of Shell Beach is missing, authorities say. Friends found his dog alone on a remote section of coastline in Pismo Beach.