Becky's into modeling

Becky's not a Fashion Model but...here's

 

Becky's @ Bay Model

 

The weather has been mostly wet for a couple of weeks now here in the SF Bay Area and likely to be for a few more. Something we really really need out here in the West this year. The last couple of years have been quite dry.

 

However, long range weather models (and TV weather gals too) showed that there was going to be a let up last Thursday, so I decided to see if I could rustle something up.

 

I called one of my semi-local friends and said, "How'd you like to see some modeling?" Being a curious type like me, she said sure and we arranged a multi-day visit to her place.

 

The modeling I was suggesting was not us, or other fashion models, but the old Army Corps of Engineers "Bay Model", now a National Park here in the Bay Area.

 

It is a nearly two football fields sized model of the San Francisco Bay and surrounding water shed. The horizontal scale is 1 to 1000, vertical scale is 1 to 100 and was used for roughly 50 years to model the effects of various changes to the bay due to changes in land use, seasonal water flows, channel blockage, dredging, etc, for the second half of the 20th century. The modeling is now mostly done on computers, but this physical model is still used for education and public policy purposes.

 

I've known about it for years, but only recently had the opportunity to visit when it was open.

 

The day was nice, the weather great, the crowds low and my friend's company always nice.

 

My friend and I had planned to get some more pictures, but we quickly got involved in the aspects of this kind of modeling and didn't even get to see everything...so I guess we will have to go back again... Oh darn.

 

Anyways lots of interesting local history too. The site (including this building) was used during WWII as a shipyard, "Marinship", making mostly oil and fuel tankers, similar to the Liberty and Victory ships being made across the Bay at the Kaiser Richmond shipyards (T-2 and T-3 tankers for those in the know). Nearly a thousand ships were built in the shipyards of the bay area during the less than 4 years of the war (1942 -1945). A really amazing feat of engineering and construction. Nearly 100 were built here, one being built and delivery in only 33 days. Wow. (Today, I fear we would still be arguing about the first page of the contract at the 33 days mark.)

 

Anyways, I had a great time with my friend Roxy and then we had a nice dinner at a grand opening at a new fancy restaurant in Napa. A simple but fun evening.

 

The weather was mostly wet on Friday, but I meet a couple of other friends for lunch on my way back home.

 

All in all a nice three day mini local vacation. Looking forward to doing it again, now that we have some of processes worked out.

 

I hope everyone is having a good New Year so far. Its only 2 weeks in and I'm on track for a bigger and better year.

 

The COVID rates are way up again around here, but with a little extra caution, I've been OK so far. I'm still avoiding most tight crowded spaces, but that still leaves lot of less crowded and more open spaces to operate in. The Bay Model was great for that. Maybe 20 folks "packaged in" an open two story space the size of two football fields... not crowded at all.

 

I'm looking for another break in the weather, but I'm glad we seem to be restocking our reservoirs well at the moment and am glad to trade a few sunny days for that needed water.

 

You all be well.

 

Hugs, Becky

 

Done