WATCHING CLOSELY

watch and wait

Courtesy CAL FIRE- photo by Etericsson

   Ten years on the California coast has acquainted us with the fire season. This year it is closer to home.

 Courtesy USFS

   3,785 Firefighters now battle the Chimney fire that  threatens the Hearst Castle.

 Photo by Tom Cochrun

   The blaze has grown to 31 thousand acres and is some 3 miles from the famed Castle.  
   The private Hearst Ranch has moved cattle but lost out buildings including an historic fishing cabin.

 Courtesy Cal Fire

   Cal Fire says the blaze is erratic and they continue to bolster the effort. 14 Helicopters, 7 air tanker planes, 50 dozers, 43 water tenders, 311 fire engines, 104 crews and some 3,700 firefighters continue to battle the blaze that feeds on drought parched wild land.

 Photo by Joe Johnston-Courtesy San Luis Obispo Tribune

   The Castle has been closed to visitors. The fire is 35% contained.  

Courtesy USFS

    The southern end of the fire borders the Paso Robles appellation wine territory. Air quality has been affected and a coating of ash continues to settle on cars and homes. 

    California media is experienced at fire coverage and long time residents take it all in stride. Evacuation procedures and plans are discussed. We assure ourselves we are far enough and fire fighting efforts will halt its advance, but it is an uneasy inner truce. One can not help but feel powerless as nature plays its hand.

    I think it is reminiscent, in a small way, of the Brits during the Nazi bombing blitz of WWII. They continued with life and tried to make it as normal as possible, despite the nightly bombing. Here we go about our routines, watch the smoke clouds over the mountains, pay extra attention to the media, we may even listen to special frequencies hearing the emergency command center, pray for the safety of the fire crews and wait desperately to hear the containment percentage increase.

      As tense as that may be, we know that for a few dozen families in the fire zone homes are gone and more than one thousand others are threatened. 
      Watch and wait is what we do.

       See you down the trail.

HOW DO YOU WANT TO LIVE & IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS?

EARTH NEWS

     A service of this blog is the link, just to the right, to the Scientific American blog, an incredible source of real news and valued information.  Mainstream and social media are buzzing today with "news" that last year was the hottest on record.  Scientific American has been on, into and all over the facts for several months.  They posted earlier.  Do yourself a favor and keep an eye on their site.

       Now what are we going to do about the climate and the implications of continued change?

WHAT DO YOU THINK? 

      Have you followed the proposed changes at one of this planet's treasures, Yosemite National Park? 

      To help protect the wild nature of the Merced River and environs, the park plans to eliminate a 1920's skating rink, bike and river raft rental, while rerouting some roads, using more shuttle buses and constructing a pedestrian underpass to connect the lodge with the falls.  

      The plan has been years in developing.  Public comment is accepted until mid April.

     Visiting Yosemite, and nearby Sequoia National Park is a profound experience.

HEARST GRAZING

      A drive on the scenic Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1)
is even more amusing when the Hearst zebra are grazing.

     Spotting zebra in a heard of cattle prompts tourists to brake suddenly.  Did I really see that?  Is that what I think it is?

     The Hearst Castle, built by Julia Morgan for William Randolph Hearst sits atop a mountain on the 80 thousand acre San Simeon-Piedras Blancas ranch.  It's an impressive stretch of California central coast.

Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons

    The zebra are a vestige of the old man's penchant for wild animals.  Thru the years, the heard has grown and often grazes along side the Hearst grass fed beef.

  Hearst zebras were the center of a shooting incident almost two years.

    A commercial talks about California cows being contented.  Must be true for California zebras too, don't you think?  Fewer predators than Africa and a great ocean view.

    See you down the trail.