Southern California – Ink, Yarn & Beer

Yesterday Hurricane Hilary came through the neighborhood, dumping lots of rain. We are west of her path and missed a lot of the damage caused elsewhere. Our backyard is basically clay soil, and it doesn’t drain nicely. A pump helps get the water out of the yard and into the street. If we didn’t do that, we could easily be flooded. Patio drains work well, but one in particular gives us problems periodically.

We were fine during the storm although many others were not, particularly in the desert where flash flooding of even an inch can cause a lot of damage. Areas burned by fire, too, are dangerous as the plants holding the soil may be too young or not even present yet. The cliffs and hills, too, are not particularly stable, and many times people living along or in them face trouble from fire and flood. Our house is on a slight incline, on a small hill, so rain water runs down. Storm drains run to the creek and that creek, in turn, runs into a deep canyon. When we were looking for houses, we saw a lot on hills we liked and could afford, but ended up where we are – a bit of good fortune as, so far and knock on wood, our neighborhood has withstood many threats nearby. Hopefully the natural gas main won’t blow up – even if it is a few blocks away, I don’t think it would be much fun . . .

And then there was our earthquake! It was about 5.1 and centered around an area called Sulfur Mountain. For us, it was a quick, sharp jolt and a bit of rolling. My in-laws felt it more intensely as they are south of the epicenter by about 10 miles. Other family members felt it as a roll, and others did not feel it at all. The worst part of it was the loud screeches coming from our cell phones, warning us of the earthquake. We didn’t duck and cover, but stood within door frames until the shaking stopped and then fetched shoes and socks – if glass shatters, you don’t want it in your feet, and if you flee your house, at least you have some protection.

An earthquake in the middle of a hurricane . . . .

We received a few warnings over our phones – loud and noisy, certainly designed to get our attention. Earthquake warnings came twice, and later in the day the flash flood warnings came. It is important to be ready for natural disasters, and though annoying, I appreciate these public announcements. They do get your attention! We pulled out our earthquake food, consolidated charged lamps and flashlights, made sure our coffee was ground (coffee will get you through many things!), and so on.

And now, our lives return to normal. The birds are busy twittering around the bird feeders; dog walkers are out. The air is heavy and moist and quite pleasant. My grass will get a bit greener. I had planned to harvest my potatoes, but that can wait a day or two. We head to visit Josh’s parents to sharpen knives and knit, perhaps some dinner. All these little disasters remind us of connections and family and friends, the beauty and fierceness of nature, and so on.

I could wax philosophical some more, but I need more morning coffee.

Toward the River

Meetup groups can be a great way to make connections, to do and learn about new things. Lately, I have been going on walks with the local Nature Conservancy group, and enjoying it immensely. I am amazed at what I see and what I learn. There are a lot of sharp eyes – the leaders spot things I wouldn’t notice, like horned lizards, and mountain lion tracks. Yesterday, we wandered over to Santa Paula, California, to explore the property the Nature Conservancy has there. It is up against the mountains and along the Santa Clara river, which is one of the last open rivers in Southern California – “unmolested” as Amy (the leader) says.

Remains

This hike consisted of a group of young men from a church in San Bernardino to a couple of young kids who found a horseshoe with the nails still in it and a feather from a red tail hawk. All told, there were about 15 of us. There were people I had met earlier – I expect they are regulars, as I am becoming – and newbies, too, who weren’t “new” to the world of nature, but just to me. Some had amazing knowledge of plants and animals and the ecosystems involved.

Horned Lizard

Probably the most interesting part of this hike, for me, was to learn about the invasive species here in California, and their negative impacts. These plants include arundo donax, black mustard, and fennel. They are everywhere. The arundo donax is an import from India and was used to control flooding along rivers. The problem is that it is very invasive and dense, crowding out native species. Black mustard was spread (supposedly) by the Spanish missionaries as the wended their way up from Mexico into California, using it as way to mark the trail from Mission to Mission. Finally, fennel (which has a taste similar to anise or licorice) is an import from the Mediterranean. Each of these plants are very familiar to the California landscape, but extremely, extremely difficult to eradicate. Each has changed the native landscape in its own way, not for the better.

Heron

Native species along the Santa Clara river include mountain lions, badgers, egrets, herons, coyotes, pond turtles, yucca, buckwheat, cat tails, bull rushes, black walnut, red tail hawks, and a lot of other plants and animals adapted to the dry climate. The Santa Clara river itself is not a river as one might think – not like the Mississippi – but a seasonal one which varies depending on the rainy season. Some years we might see it wide and filled, other years a bit more than a trickle. Where we trekked there were scattered ponds, low areas surrounded by cat tails and clogged by the arundo.

Tunnel

Many people think that everything in So Cal is just a freeway . . . it’s not. There are a lot of open areas filled with life. You just have to get out to look for it! Below is a gallery of images.