A Little Wildlife Adventure

     Soon, we continue our Irish travels to Dingle, in the southwest, a place not to be missed!

    Today we do a little wildlife spotting with grandson Henry.

     The elephant seals at Piedras Blancas on the

California Pacific Coast Highway caught his attention.

   "Nana" and he marveled at Zebras near the Hearst Castle at San Simeon.

   Even the wildlife seem mellow, as gentle we go into a new year and a new decade. I wonder if these '20's will roar?

    Wishing you well being and cheers as we continue on the trail. 

An Amazing Story

     
   It was one of those direct to the heart moments. Standing before the group, explaining his goals for "Everesting Hearst," the young man said his goal in life is to contribute $50 thousand  to charity before he passes. 
    I was moved. Live your life in journalism and you hear a lot but I never heard someone measure their life by setting a goal to give to charity.
   To date he's donated $19 thousand. He's stuck on it hard and working on meeting the $50 k life's goal.
    Here are some extenuating factors. He makes a spartan living as a kayak outfitter at San Simeon beach. He's been a camp director, competitive runner and mountain biker, and never earned much. He says he's not interested in earning a lot of money, only enough to feed himself and his dogs and hit his charitable goal. He is Cubby Cashen, beloved by those who meet him.

     The evening he spoke to the Cambria Dinner Fellowship was the first time in a couple of years he had eaten with other people. He lives a somewhat ascetic life, devoted to nature and charity. In the last year he's adopted a diet of either a small pizza or pint of ice-cream for dinner. Energy bar or cereal at breakfast and sandwich at lunch. No alcohol, no drugs, no frills, just he and his beloved Chiweenies, in a small room.

     He is well known to animal lovers, domesticated or wild.
He's been involved in rescues, some harrowing, of deer, otters, elephant seals and birds that either fall off cliffs, get into deep surf, get injured, caught in netting or other travails.
   Pictured above are the companions he adopted, one of whom is blind, both of whom ride with him on road trips.
   He's in the habit of showing up at his outfitting post, and if no one is waiting for a rental or instruction, he takes to the sea to inspect the shore line, cove and surrounding bluffs to check on nature. He's the first to know when whales are in the cove feeding with their young. He knows when the sharks are around, or when the bait balls of anchovy roll in, or when the shearwaters are in transit and etc. And he loves it. He also has an abiding love for his mother who passed away.

     Every August 8th, his mother's birthday, Cubby donates whatever he earns to a charity, usually one involving animals.

     That is why he has begun training to ride his bike on Thanksgiving up and down the road to Hearst Castle until he reaches, in aggregate, the altitude of Mount Everest, 29,029 feet. "Everesting Hearst." 

      As he's worked out the logistics he figures he will spend 15 hours riding. Thanksgiving, because Hearst Castle is closed to tourists and he'll have the winding 5 mile climb to himself. He's got his hydration and food timetable established and continues to work on GPS certification gear. He plans to start early so he will have only some 3 hours of climbing in the dark.

      "The dark is when your mind starts working on you," he says.

     The beneficiary is the Short n Sweet Rescue Alliance on Jack Creek Road in the Templeton California area. Cubby says they have dogs, rabbits, horses and even donkeys in their care. If you are interested in helping this dynamic young man you can link here to his page. 

      You don't run into many folks like Cubby. He's got a personality full of sunshine. He is the first I've met who measures his life by being able to reach a charitable giving level. Amazing!

thinks he's a baby

     Our irrepressible Hemingway took quick advantage of a visiting baby carriage--and got a quick nap

the end of summer feast

   Our gourmet pal MM laid out what she calls the end of summer meal with some of her favorite recipes. Including her world class Fougasse.

    Great companion to the medly of perfectly roasted veggies, chicken breast and peach with pesto that is off the charts!

    There was a course of cheese, and chocolate dipped figs that didn't make it to the camera, because Mr. Camera was too busy indulging.

      See you down the trail.

FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOP

   Dessert first. Pleasure before brain bruising. Let's party.

    It is a delightful evening-Twilight on the Terrace-sponsored by Friends of the Hearst Castle. A fund raiser with emphasis on fun.

   When the California June weather is perfect, WR Hearst's Castle is a perfect venue for fine wine, delicacies, music and dancing on the plaza.

   The scenery and setting is story book.

    Up here at San Simeon, the warm glow of the sun, the majestic reach of the rolling coastal mountains, the grand pacific on the horizon it is easy to cocoon and forget, for a while, the lunatic games in Washington.

a devalued America

       Reaction to our nincompoop president's withdrawal from the Paris accords proves a couple of things. The US has lost its status as the leader of the free world. World leaders are laughing at the camera hog with orange skin, bleached hair and fried chicken for brains. They've made it clear the US no longer leads nor can be trusted.

       What may be worse for the trump gang is that corporations, cities, states, and business alliances are saying sorry bozo-we'll do the work of the Paris accords on our own.

       It has been an historic sequence to watch these facets of the American culture step up to say, "be the bonehead you want to be mr idiot, but we are going ahead and skip right past you and do exactly what we should-which is flip you off and work to control greenhouse gasses."

      There needs to be an accounting if you are one of those disenchanted, forgotten, angry Americans who supported the sexual predator, liar, business failure, cheat and reality television star. What is it about the fact that almost every major corporation and every other nation on earth, except Syria and Nicaragua (even North Korea and Russia) endorsed the accords that is lost on you? What makes you think this blundering amateur bozo knows what he is doing? What? What keeps anyone but the most numbskulled loyal to him?

resist

     History will record this as a season of idiocy and fever. Unless politicians and people renounce the bozo and his corrupt ways, they will be recorded forever in history as being spineless, stupid, corrupt, or all of the above. Trump leads only to the ash heap and ignominy. No one of intelligence,  integrity or morality follows. 

     These remain days that require judgement and voice. The majority of Americans need to be heard.

     See you down the trail.   

100% and Defining Local

contained

photo by Cal Fire

     The good news came from Cal Fire, The Chimney Fire is now 100% contained.

     Started August 13 the blaze destroyed 49 residences, 21  buildings, more than 46 thousand acres and for a week threatened the historic Hearst Castle.

      At its peak nearly 4,000 firefighters were on the scene augmented by 7 air tankers and 16 helicopters.  Cal Fire has released and re-deployed all but a few hundred firefighters.

       Local command will now supervise weeks of mop up, repair of roads, fire breaks, work to prevent erosion and stream run off.

      In the communities of Lake Nacimiento, Paso Robles, San Simeon, Cambria and in the adjoining wine country are signs and posters thanking the fire fighters. Heroes they are.

      Now they move to another fire or if lucky get a break and some time at home.

normal?

photo by Jacque Griffin

      Summer vacation season ends with Labor Day weekend and many California central coast residents are waiting to see an end to this. Midwest refugee Jacque Griffin captured this image noting it was "news worthy."  Traffic jams are a rarity, unless tourists flood the town as they do over the Pinedorado Weekend.

    The evidence of this photo is a touchstone in a community "discussion" in villages like ours. What is the balance between the quality of life of residents and the tourist hoards that are good for the hospitality industry?"  What is that balance? It's tricky.

     In the decade we have resided here we've witnessed an uptick in visitors. Friends who have been here for up to 30 years have seen a larger change, in size and character of the village as well as the tourist influx. 

    People came to Cambria because of its village quality and size. The quiet, natural character and location away from dense population was a draw. Some growth is inevitable but what remains with in the parameters of sustainability and resource use. How do you retain the character that makes a village unique and appealing? Would the restaurants we enjoy be here if there were not the seasonal visitors? What about some of those store fronts? What is reasonable?

     Opinions vary. In this village there are those who like its authentic, creative, funky and genuine nature. But there are some who prefer to see it more upscale, more like Carmel.

      This gets worked out by the coming and going of those who live here or who move on.

   Water is a friction point of course. Residents have reduced use by 20% to 40% but watch as thousands of out owners come and tap into our limited resource. And many tourists think nothing about dumping trash, leaving dog waste unattended, carelessly flicking cigarette butts, or ash trays and of course one of the most grievous offenses, take our parking spaces!

     In some ways, we are all tourists. California is a state where we drive. There is so much to see and do and so in our personal patterns we become visitors in another village or city.

   Though we note the end of summer often opens vistas and space.

   And it is hard to visit Morro Bay without an obligatory stop at Ruddells SmokeHouse where his fish Tacos have earned world wide acclaim. Deservedly.  But here I go only encouraging more tourist hoards.

    See you down the trail.

    

Day 13

photo by SLOSTRINGER

castle defense

    A modicum of good news as the Chimney fire continues to plague California's central coast, Hearst Castle is well defended. 

    Cal Fire and Hearst Fire personnel say the landmark is still threatened but precautions and fuel burns have lowered the risk slightly. In this erratic fire any help is good.

 photo by cambriacoffee

 photo by SLOSTRINGER

photo by SLOSTRINGER

     Air quality remains poor over most of the area and people are fatigued by the constant tension. Evacuation orders around Lake Nacimiento have been lifted in some areas and imposed in others. People living along a mountain road between Cambria and San Simeon have been put on alert.

   Media coverage has also focused on the appreciation of residents for the valor and endurance of the fire fighters. 3,972 are on duty at this fire. There are now 327 fire engines, 105 hand crews, 16 helicopters and 7 air tankers. The hand crews struggle against the rugged terrain as well.

    Presently we all hold on to hope that favorable weather conditions will give the firefighters a couple of days to bring more containment. 43 thousand acres have been burned. 48 homes and 20 other structures have been destroyed. The fire is 39% contained. Hot weather and more wind is expected the first of the week.

       The Chimney fire burns within view of the Pacific Ocean.
The juxtaposition of a port town just a few miles away and the raging mountain fire is mind boggling to me.

     Wild fires on the coast seem absurd, but extreme drought and untended wild land are a dangerous combination.

     The fire has given us an opportunity to examine what has been the incredible lack of judgment by local government that has refused to fund a forest management plan. We'll examine this in more depth next week.

     So we continue to watch and wait. We also find joy in small pleasures, meals with friends, being able to enjoy the comfort of our home and an occasional sight that brings a smile.

      We caught this "throwback view" in San Luis Obispo near the train depot. There was a time in Boomer lives when back yard clothes lines were a special playscape. 

      See you down the trail.

Heroic

photo by SLOSTRINGER

extraordinary

    17 Helicopters continue to fly into harms way as they battle the Chimney fire that has now grown to 37 thousand acres. They are part of a small army at war with an unpredictable fire.

photo by EPN564

     The shot above is part of the staging area in Paso Robles for the Cal Fire army. 

     3,983 firefighters are on duty. They are equipped with 326 engines, 107 total crews, 7 air tanker planes, 62 water tenders and 46 dozers. Coordination and communication itself is an extraordinary task. Firefighters from around California answer the call. 
     The logistics of attacking wildfire are vexing-whom to put where and in what role. There is a meteorologist on duty, for example, as the fire creates its own weather. The air temperature along the borders of the fire will range from 70 to 90 degrees and the humidity wildly fluctuates as well. The heat of the burning scrub, trees and grasslands mix with different microclimates and the fire behaves erratically. 

     Signs, social media posts, conversations and letters to editors by central coast residents praise the firefighters and offer prayers and other encouragement. These men and women do long and extended hours of dangerous hard work and many of them have been moved from other fires. Some go weeks without being home or seeing family.

     The statistic sighted are according the AM Cal Fire incident report. As of this morning 1,830 structures are threatened in the Lake Nacimiento to Lake San Antonio area.

     

      As the fire has tracked north in the last several hours the threat to Hearst Castle has lessened. But crews remain deployed on the Castle grounds and all tourist activity has been stopped.

      As seen below a Kern County Unit assess the situation at the Castle. 

    As long as winds permit the 7 air tankers continue to route over the central coast and drop retardant. Coordinating their flights and those of the 17 helicopters is also a challenge.

 photo by Joe Johnston San Luis Obispo Tribune

 photo Captain Lucas Spelman Cal Fire

photo Captain Lucas Superman Cal Fire

    There is a frightening edge to a large fire that grows so rapidly. The graphic below prepared by Joe Tarica of the San Luis Obispo Tribune shows how it has grown day by day.

        As noted previously, we watch and wait. We also admire those thousands on the front line.

      We also appreciate the work of journalists and free lancer SLOSTRINGER for their efforts to keep us informed.

      See you down the trail.