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Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Enigmatically Sunny California


 


There may not be a picture over this post, but I'll try. It's getting on midnight here in Vineyard,  10 miles southeast of the State Capitol and folks of all stripes, state leaders and citizenry alike are battening hatches against a storm no one would wish upon their enemies or, even worse, themselves. 

Excuse me, the lights are flickering in here and this post might exceed its predecessors' disjointivity. Went out to Pumphouse for nicotinic meditation an hour ago and was interrupted by felting racketing down from the roof hatch. Went out and noticed wind had rolled the tar-paper halfway up a hatch I nailed shut 40 years ago.

Oh no, the lights are flickering again and pooter's telling me "update failed". Is anybody working on this? I'll see what I can do...ah, --5 minutes-- success. But the little gray pop-up persists. I proceed, despite the funnel cloud reported spinning over North Sacramento, and select a 

"a", that seems to be where blogger and weather cut me off here. Storm has abated somewhat and I took a flashlight out to the barn. 7 cats have made a purring pile of themselves and seem to weather this storm in contentment. I shall go to bed now and try to do likewise.

   

38 comments:

  1. 'Effin pooters!' as they say here. Seven cats is surely lucky though. Storms have existed for a long time and so far they all pass xx

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    1. Lisa, you jewel! If I ever write a mystery, my detective will be named F.N.Pooters. Sherlock Holmes was often found by Watson at dawn, curled in his chimney corner under a fug of smoking shag. In this time of nicotinic meditation abhorrence, the public might admit a more politically correct habit of meditative flatulence that would still cause Watson to throw open the windows. We live in exciting times.

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  2. Oh dear. California can't seem to get a break with anything. Between that storm, wildfires and the virus, will there be anything left of the state? Im sure the birds love the ice skating Geo.

    Stay safe out there. The virus here seems to be hitting worst.

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    1. Dear Maddie, yes this western seaboard is the last thing lit on mainland and, as the world turns and daylight runs out of land. Sometimes I feel we get a gallimaufry of what's gone on east all day. I'm being careful, with matches in summer and gloves/facemask always, but trees lunging and spearing into houses...there's got to be a limit. Stay safe, my friend.

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  3. I do hope that you have ridden out this storm (and all the ones to come) in contentment.
    That is (as usual) a stunning NormaPhoto too.

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    1. Dear EC, relayed your compliment across the table to Norma. She glowed.
      Storms give me the jumps now. Used to excite me when I was younger. Now, in my 70s, I suspect jumps and excitement are indistinguishable.

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  4. Please both of you (and the cats) stay safe. The weather seems to be trying to do us in.

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    1. Dear Emma, we're staying safe --as I trust you are. I'm reminded of an old quote from Mark Twain, but can only paraphrase from untrustworthy memory:"Everybody complains about the weather but nobody DOES anything about it."

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  5. I don't think of CA and storms, but you seem to be getting unfairly targeted lately.

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    1. Dear Margaret, Understandable, given our decade of drought this new century. I recall Tom Selleck, years ago got in big trouble sending a farm tank truck into L.A. to fill from a fireplug so he could keep an avocado orchard alive on his property. This was when even deep private wells were only pumping air. Even here up north, we had to hire drillers to go deeper. We got through that; we'll get through this.

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  6. California has always been filled with unexpected surprises, and the weather isn't always as tame as outsiders think. I remember seeing funnel clouds in Orange County (and I was completely sober).
    Hopefully your recent storm abated and you & Norma are safe.
    I'm glad the purring pile of felines are comfy and content.

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    1. Dear Jon, Norma tells me the windstorm came from the south, so I figure Orange County felt it first. You'd know funnels form freely in the central valley and beat the crap out of us up north. I'm not completely sober, but appreciate how quickly folks of all political enthusiasms have come to each others' aid. We can learn a lot from purring piles.

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  7. Kitties have a talent for keeping each other cozy.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. Dear Janie, they sure do. I'm especially sympathetic to the young cats, under a year old, who have never endured a storm --but lately watched their world topple under high wind and frigid rain.

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  8. Stay safe, under a down quilt, sleeping the sleep of the innocent, dear Geo.

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    1. Dear Bruce, I can always rely on you for a solid plan. Thanks!

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  9. I see that you have quite a weather going on where you live, friend Geo. Anyway ... Me, myself and I was thinking this: First month of retirement done ... welcome to fixed income ... reminiscing the past ... marriage, kidlets, cow/ calf operation, growing grain for everybody and everything, white knuckle driving to work in the city, ever so satisfying interactions with my patients, travelling here and there and everywhere ... what's next ... retirement/ expirement? Anyway ... going outside for some "nicotinic" medication ... u comin? ... bundle up though, eh ... actually it's only -20C without the windchill ... smiles ... end of rant ... Sending love from snowy Alberta, Canada. c.

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    1. Dear Cat welcome to the wonderful world of retirement. I had to convert -20Celsius to Fahrenheit and the equation just said "yikes!" right of the = sign. Keep bundled up, ok? I've been retired 12 years and have nearly succeeded in not considering "expirement" --too limiting: DMV won't renew driver's licenses after that and then where would I be? Love reciprocated.

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  10. While the world has had an awful year, California has succeeded in having the most awfully, terrible year. Have you seen any swarms of locust about.

    Seven cats all curled up together is a sweet picture. Cats know how to persevere. It is about 18 degrees here are very cold today and the winds are whipping. While our outdoor cats sought refuge in their houses under our deck, Lovely Marilyn, the shunned sister, lay balled up on a chair ignoring the whole thing but trying to survive. Aren’t we all.

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    1. Dear Arleen, we haven't run through all the Biblical Plagues of Egypt yet, but that's ok. Plague of Frogs simply cleans out the plague of Flies/Bugs and gives our tiny treefrogs a chance to stock up. They do get indoors sometimes but hop right into my hand for a relaxed return to the great outdoors. Egypt survived; we will too!

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  11. Here in New England, I have lately been lamenting the fact that this has been a relatively mild winter, in terms of snowfall. Of course, I use that term because also being retired I wouldn't face the perils of driving in snowy and icy conditions. But recent weather reports have shown that winter is nasty in other places as well. Glad you, Norma and the kitties "weathered" the storm safely.

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    1. Dear Beatrice, yes, we are whole --Norma is whole And fit, And lovely. I am just whole, I hope. Any inclemency that makes me want to burrow under a purring pile of cats is just taking the "weathering" thing too far. Stormy driving --especially in predawn dark-- is deservedly in this laborer's past. We gas up the car about 2 or 3 times a year now. Best safety wishes to you as well, Beatrice.

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  12. Geo:

    I am more than a tad envious of your nicotinic meditation. :) May I ask what type of pipe tobacco you indulged in? I am contemplating a return to my pipes myself.

    It is interesting you have written about the storms you have had. My wife (and I) watch a number of home renovation shows (Flip or Flop is the major one) that occur in California (in this case, LA). We both recently commented on how often on these shows a small rainstorm will reveal a huge number of leaks in the roof of these homes, and that many, many go undetected for such long periods of time due to the relative rarity of stormy weather there. In my parts, the roofs get redone rather commonly to prevent our bigger culprit.... ice from penetrating. Simple rain seems to not end up being a worry here because the roof is replaced well ahead of when rain would typically show leaks.... because the ice highlights the needs far earlier. :)

    PipeTobacco

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    1. Dear Prof. Thanks for this delightful and uplifting comment. As my longtime correspondent, Dr. Mike Mulligan lately asked, "are you telling me you are still smoking?" I must admit the habit still calls. I replied, "I go out once per day to the pumphouse to fiddle with projects and/or smoke a pipe of tobacco." As to brand, I'm down to Virginia Bright-Mahogany Burly (long strand)from Bugler. But have not smoked in public for over 40 years. Have heard "Smokers Pride" is good --which mainly means not perfumed-- and can no longer get Prince Albert --pity. Given what's available now, your Lenten resolve years ago probably furnishes more satisfaction than a return to the habit.

      As to roof: I personally replaced ours with Ondura corrugated panels 30 years ago, then hired a roofing company to replace that with shingles 2 years ago. As we gain in age and fiduciary substance, life gets easier.

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    2. Prince Albert is gone?!?! That cannot be true, is it? I still have one complete tub and a partial tub in my collection. It was always my primary brand along with Sir Walter Raleigh, and in my contemplation of returning to the hobby, I was imagining the beauty of returning to Prince Albert especially!

      I am hopeful perhaps it is only missing in your area and that it is still being produced! I will have to investigate further. Very sad news if it is wholly gone!

      PipeTobacco

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  13. Oh, dear Geo., that does NOT sound as I always imagined California ("It never rains in Southern California"). I hope the worst is over now - and you and Norma (and the cats) are well! There is are beautiful stories by Tove Jansson about storms - about the Hattifnatten who sail out to get the electricity to become real alive - or the Filifjonka who always feared the catastrophe of a funnel cloud& storm - and then, when she is amid in one, is calm and collected...
    I hope you are now in the safe situation to feel just like that again - cool, calm & collected. And safe!

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    1. Dear Britta, I delight in your wonderful comment. I am far from Finland but cannot be more than a thought away from Moomin Valley. Yes, we are safe so far and trust you are too.

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  14. Jon nailed it on the head. This "outsider" certainly had a rosier picture of CA weather in my head. Ice in a birdbath? Funnel clouds? Not something I would've expected, but I'm glad to hear you, Norma, and the seven cats all came through the storm unscathed.

    Um, not to pass judgement, but I'm sorry to hear you're still indulging in nicotinic meditations. True, it's a delightful thing to call it, but... Never mind. You know the rest. If I don't pressure my daughter and son-in-law to quit smoking, I'm certainly not gonna do it to you. I never even tried with Mike, because I knew better. He was already smoking when we met 60 years ago, and he wasn't about to quit. Until he got lung cancer. Funny how quickly he dropped the habit then, but it was too late.

    Take care, and you guys stay safe.

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    1. Dear Susan, Norma and I --and 7 cats-- greet you and appreciate your concern. Norma and the cats don't smoke for one reason or another. I still indulge in one evening pipe a day --even after a partial beheading over throat cancer. Foolish, I know. I attribute it to having lived through an unfortunate depth of the prior century --promising ourselves that we'd return to the quiet routines and habits that made us feel normal. A misplaced hope, I guess, but close enough. But, as kids grew up and retirements settled, we felt a sense of accomplishment. My nextdoor neighbor, D.W. Kennedy, quit cigarettes 50 years ago after demobbing. He succumbed in August to covid-19. We met as children, became best friends and I miss him. In all, I'm not certain any single calculus determines our reach into this strange future. Too many variables.

      I do value your good wishes and extend mine. Stay safe, dear Susan, and take care

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  15. Norma captures some amazing photos, Geo. California can't seem to catch a break. I hope you, she, the seven kitties, and assorted other fauna are doing well!

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    1. Thanks, dear Louise, for your good and healthful wishes. We don't ordinarily have 7 cats, but these poor things have lost their human providers to covid-19. Neighborhoods everywhere are full of empty houses. Cats all over the place.

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  16. Hope things are repaired and back to normal. We had 13 inches plus of rain in 3 days in Cambria. Our location on a ridge helped with drainage, but we got a lot of wind. Mostly leaves and branches, one broken flower pot, the cactus survived. A few jade plants were tipped, but easily tipped back. A wind chime was broken, but has since been spliced/repaired and enjoying quieter breezes.

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    1. Dear Tom, Wind peeled up about 1/3 of the roofing on the pumphouse. I went up afterwards and promptly fell off backwards. Got banged up. Norma got very cross with me for climbing but I'm still mostly intact and will hire it done in spring. 'Til then, I'll take your wind chime's example and enjoy quieter breezes.

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  17. I hope and pray you and yours are well. Thank you so much for your touching comment on my Blog today. I very much appreciate your contribution and have responded there. I'll try a less serious post tomorrow.

    God bless you and your family.

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    1. Dear Victor, it is I who should thank you. It's a privilege to read and comment on your excellent, peace-oriented blog.

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  18. Hi Geo, I see another post above so know you weathered the storm and lived to write again. I'm glad. Maybe it was the nicotonic. I like a vodkatonic every now and then, more now if I'm being honest

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    1. Cara consigliere, please forgive my tardy response. A vodkatonic is clearly a healthier meditative aid than tobacco --as long as you don't set a match to it.

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