Dan Danbom sent me this shot a while back, and I’ve always wanted to post it here, even though it was taken in Monterey, rather than Big Sur.
Today, other than counting all the gunshots, and looking for campfires tonight, it is a quiet reporting day, so a good time to share this photo. And besides that, this is just a drop-dead uplifting photograph! Watch, as soon as I post this, something will happen that I will feel compelled to blog about!
It’s Friday the 13th and hunting season begins this weekend. Oh, joy! Dear season runs from August 14th through September 26th. There will be an additional season from Nov. 13, through December 5 a special buck hunt specifically in the Ventana Wilderness.
I have reports from two locals, on two different ridges that there is a serious increase in the number of illegal campfires happening right now. Not surprised.
And from today’s Monterey Herald:
“Gorda Springs Resort avoids red tags from Monterey County inspectors
Inspectors check employee housing
By LARRY PARSONS
Herald Staff Writer
Posted: 08/13/2010 01:32:38 AM PDT
Updated: 08/13/2010 09:02:04 AM PDT
The remote Big Sur outpost of Gorda was visited again this week by county health and building inspectors.
But the Tuesday inspection of employee housing at the Gorda Springs Resort didn’t result in red tags being issued, officials said.
Housing conditions for employees at the Gorda restaurant, lodge and service station on Highway 1 about 70 miles south of Carmel, was an issue raised in a civil suit filed by several employees, as well as earlier county inspections.” to read the rest of the article, go here: Monterey Herald Gorda Article
And now, to change the dialogue a bit, I would like to offer up a “featured artist.” I would like to make this a regular feature, but it would depend on others sending me jpg versions of their work, so no promises. The work could be in any form – paintings, photographs, sculpture, jewelry, whatever form your art takes, but sent to me in jpg format.
Today’s feature artist sent me three jpgs, but I can only find two of them. This artist has been the art teacher, as well as a teacher of other subjects, for over 15 years at the school down the hill from me. He has led the school in an “Ambassador of the Arts” program, a recycling program, has won many awards and grants for the students and the school, and is a commercial fisherman on the side.
Dave donates his art to every non-profit fundraiser around, and donates his time unselfishly to leading student created murals, including one on the K-rail at the Health Center.
Dave Allen has also been a regular contributor to this blog since its inception, and has provided up close and personal accounts of harrowing trips down the coast in difficult winter conditions. Thank you, Dave for all that you do for your students, your school, and the community of Big Sur! And thanks for sharing your work with bigsurkate readers!
If any other local artists would like to be featured, please send a couple of jpg files to kwnovoa@mac.com
6:30 pm – I just spoke with Sherry Tune of the USFS and we discussed the problems with the brush work. She informed me that the contract provides for chipping up all the material left. She is aware of the problems created by this work and is addressing them. One of those problems is drainage. That’s one of the things I like about Sherry. She is accessible, and she really cares about being a good neighbor.
I have some photos I will be posting later today of the work that has been going on. I am going to avoid any editorial comments about the work, and let readers reach their own conclusions. I have no idea if a clean-up is planned, or not. Check back later this afternoon. I have a few things to do before I can upload the photos.
Here is one of the two mowers. I have a number of photos to upload, so will be posting one or two throughout the day, as time and internet allow.
Okay, the photo above, and the next few require explanation, so you know what you are seeing. This is the source of a spring along side the road. It is just above the end of the county portion of the road, and the road is not currently maintained by the USFS (it was last graded 10 years ago.) This spring, during the winter has a habit of breaking out over the road, and we have almost lost the ocean-side edge a number of times. Rock Knocker and others have done work to keep that edge as in tack as possible.
Locals did some road work here, and hand dug a trench, with a berm, to keep the water flowing on the inside of the road, and not across it, both above and below the spring. This is necessary to keep the water from scattering, going down the road and across it, causing erosion to the outside edge. That trench is now filled with debris, which must be removed before the first rains.
The photo above shows more of the trench and the debris filling it up.
I am more than appalled at what Tom Hopkins (President of VWA) has sent in an email to Chris Counts, Jack Ellwanger, myself, and others, without knowing the facts. I have the facts. I will share the facts, and I urge all of you to GET the facts before you make claims like this:
“I was with my wife Julie Anne and VWA Executive Director Paul McFarland (Farley) last Thursday, the day those cars were dumped along Willow Creek Road. On our way up the road, about 10:30 AM, there were four cars (photo 1) and one boat farther up the road (photo). On our way out about 4 PM there were five cars. The wheel marks from the truck that delivered #5 were quite fresh. The truck tire tracks suggested that these cars came down Willow Creek Road, not up from Highway One. One of the junk strewn properties up Willow Creek Road was on the market a year or so ago. Maybe it sold and is being “cleaned up”. We have reported the dumped cars and boat to the Forest Service.
So it appears we have (possibly local) yahoos dumping cars and a boat on the road and other yahoos using this event to attack well intended conservation initiatives. Both of these behaviors are why Jack’s efforts to create meaningful dialog and respect for our public wild lands, among both locals and outsiders, is so important.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tom Hopkins, President
Ventana Wilderness Alliance
PO Box 506
Santa Cruz, CA 95061
831-429-9010 office
831-566-9988 cell
tom@ventanawild.org
http://www.ventanawild.org
~~~~~~~~”
These are the photos he posted to the VWA website and sent to me personally, presumably all taken by Tom Hopkins:
This abandoned boat has been there for YEARS, per my personal observations over 20 plus years. And it was brought in by some out-of-towner, according to my source.
As to these vehicles:
Both the USFS and the CHP were made aware of the situation before they were hauled to this point. Four of the five were picked up by a licensed hauler today. Three more were taken down, and these four are scheduled to be hauled away on Friday. The hauler can only take four at a time.
There is no way to have abandoned or broken down vehicles which are up a 4×4 dirt road picked up by a licensed hauler, unless they are close to the highway. Yes, this may be an “eye sore” for a few days, but it is the ONLY way to responsibly get rid of broken down and abandoned vehicles. So, that is what is happening.
I cannot fathom why Tom says: “other yahoos using this event to attack well intended conservation initiatives. Both of these behaviors are why Jack’s efforts to create meaningful dialog and respect for our public wild lands, among both locals and outsiders, is so important.”
What is Tom saying? How does local efforts to properly dispose of abandoned vehicles attack conservation initiatives? How does local efforts to properly dispose of abandoned vehicles have ANYTHING to do with Jack’s efforts – real or imagined?
Please be careful about what you put out about my community, because I will not sit idly by. I have been a lawyer for the indigent and downtrodden for almost 30 years. I am used to these kinds of fights. And, I am good at them. Because I insist on getting the facts, and getting them accurate. If my source, whom I trust, is wrong, I will not hesitate to correct my error, and apologize.
I make mistakes on this blog, I have posted inaccurate information occasionally, but when I find out it is inaccurate, I IMMEDIATELY correct it and apologize.
Now, if VWA wants to worry about an “abandoned” vehicle that is not being taken care of, what about this one, also up Willow Creek?
(this photo was taken by bigsurkate on 7/24/10)
People are beginning to search and plan for the upcoming Jade Festival, so I am posting a short reminder with the dates and times.
Just 2 more months until the 19th Annual Jade Festival, so mark your calendars for Friday, October 8th, starting at noon and going until 6 pm; Saturday, October 9th from 10 am until 6 pm; and Sunday, October 10th from 10 am until 5 pm. Everyone is hard at work putting together a great show of Jade and music and great food for your enjoyment. No postcards are being sent out again this year. I’ll post another reminder, with photos next month, which will also feature the quarterly Photo Contest for Fall – which this time, will feature JADE!! — the gem of the South Coast!
All proceeds benefit the 503(c) non-profit, SCCLT which provides grants for summer enrichment programs for the students of Pacific Valley School; equipment for the Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade; and has provided for the building of the Community Center/Classroom at the school.
There is a moment when the light starts to change color, an hour before sunset or so. It is the moment that my dogs and I tune into. It is the time when they must come in for the night.
The mountain lion is nocturnal, and she comes out to hunt. Dogs are easy targets, and I have lost my share. But with this pack the rules are sacrosanct, and revolve around the changing of the light.
Here, I had two dogs with me, the others were already inside. It is another time of light changes, much later than what we heed, but it yielded a blessed photo, so different from what others see. I could have focused on the cliffs, as most would do, or I could make the silhouette the focus, which is what I did.
The fog on the coast is quite high. It has to be almost 3000 feet, which is keeping it in the 70’s up here. Nice for me, but not for the rest of the coast. The added advantage of these cool days and nights is that the flies are dying off, again, so it has been a good summer in that respect, too
This is August – the month of scorching heat – often times beyond triple digits into the 110-115 degree range. And so, I sit at the open door in a light sweater. I’m not complaining, I know the heat is expected back this week. Instead I am relishing the moderate temperatures for this time of year – and no bugs!
And for all us optimists, the good thing about this much fog, this high, for so long, is it keeps the wildfire boogey man at bay. I’m a positive person in spirit and at heart. What can I say?
Also, for my readers in Santa Cruz, a vehicle fire at Highway 9 and Highway 35 has spread into the brush about 1:30 pm this afternoon. I would imagine it will be picked up quickly, and these cool temps will prevent it from spreading too far or too fast.
This is what it looks like now:
A bit closer:
And even closer still:
That is fog, not smoke at the western black line.
