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.

SOME CARE, SOME DON'T

WONDER WHAT IS SAYS ABOUT US

    Our mid 20's daughter offered as to how she is sick of hearing about the latest "sex scandal."  A wise and sensitive young lady, she suggested that perhaps America's sexual dysfunction leads to this prurient interest. May be. Might also be the historic interest in seeing people in power revealed as having feet of clay or human foibles like the rest of us.  And do you think there could also be a little truth to the adage "sex sells?"

      But, I also wonder about the betrayed spouses and children.  How do they live with the ignominy?  May well be some less than happy thanksgiving tables at a few homes.

     It could be a chapter in a book and maybe a turn in Cambria history.

     A popular young couple work hard, invest a lot of sweat equity turning an abandoned restaurant into a new and modern pub and steak house but in the first week of operation depart, the result of a break with their business partner.  

    There had been high hopes for the prime location.  Reviews were mixed. Now people are told the place will be headed in a new direction. What does that mean?  What was behind the split?  Locals are buzzing. 

     I've got an idea out of left field. Why doesn't Stephen Hearst, VP and General Manager of Hearst Corporation Western Properties, step in and create a real steak house, a premiere place for the world class Hearst Beef, grown just up the road?  It could also be the perfect venue for the Hearst Wine vintages that are also making an impact on the market.  Seems a perfect show place for their product, a unique dining spot in a somewhat crowded local restaurant scene. LA and San Francisco visitors beat a path to Cambria already, and a truly top quality steak house could add to the lure.  Marketing and Ad dollars are not a problem for the Hearst Corporation and this is after all their true "terroir."

    So from here in the peanut gallery, it's an easily offered option.
    BTW, for those who may not know.  Stephen is from the same clan as William Randolph Hearst-he of the Hearst Castle that tops a mountain just 6 miles away.  It is California State Parks most visited tourist spot. And the Hearst empires continues still.

    FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS ABOUT A GENERAL

    The headline is borrowed from my friend and fellow blogger Frank who send this interesting little bit of history.

Attention old surf rock fans-they may surprise you.

     See you down the trail.