Month: October 2011

Trick or Treaters

Debbie sent me these photos of the l’il trick or treaters from Capt. Cooper school at the River Inn this afternoon. Such fun!
Lining up for treats at the River Inn! What fun for the adults to see all the l’il uns all dressed up. We are too spread out to trick or treat the way city folks do, and this is so much safer! When I lived in Palo Colorado Canyon, the fire truck took the kids up the canyon, with residents lined up along the road.
Look at those sweet faces and delightful costumes! Puts a smile on all of our faces!

I got a few more from Debbie, but the internet, which was cooperating greatly, was invaded by goblins, and has changed its mind! Watch out for the goblins tonight!

Report of Wildfire 101 & Jolon Rd./Bradley

1:30 pm – Just after 1 pm this afternoon, there is a report of a grass fire off the 101 Highway, near Jolon Rd. in Bradley. Unknown the extent. There is no wind here, but the Salinas Valley area is notorious for consistent afternoon winds. A fire watch was issued for today and tomorrow down here in the southern portion of the county. Won’t be further reporting, unless circumstances require. I will just be keeping an eye on this to see if there are any developments.

Happy Halloween!

Here are some free wallpapers I downloaded through my iPhone for today’s event. Granted, I should have taken my own photos of the local pumpkin patches, but I am finding that my life is so busy now, and with Halloween, the holiday season is approaching, which means even more “life” in my life!




It is a holiday I have always enjoyed, not the trick or treating as much as the story behind this event. It has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holiday All Saints’ Day.

Samhain is a Gaelic festival held on October 31–November 1. The Irish name Samhain is derived from Old Irish and means roughly “summer’s end”. A harvest festival with ancient roots in Celtic polytheism, it was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and continued to be celebrated in late medieval times. Due to its date it became associated with the Christian festival All Saints’ Day, and greatly influenced modern celebration of Halloween.

Many scholars believe that it was the beginning of the Celtic year. It has some elements of a festival of the dead. The Gaels believed that the border between this world and the otherworld became thin on Samhain; because some animals and plants were dying, it thus allowed the dead to reach back through the veil that separated them from the living.
(Information from Wikipedia)

For us, here in Big Sur, it means the traditional Bal Masque at Nepenthe to benefit our local Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade. It is a wonderful time with incredible costumes, so enjoy, if you have a ticket, and if not – be quicker next year!


Please be safe tonight but also enjoy the evening with friends. Bal Masque is a delightful experience. I haven’t gone in a few years, and the last year I did, I got a room at Deetjen’s which just made the experience even more delightful!

Pitkin’s Curve Bridge

And it all is coming together …

Pitkin's Curve Bridge #1 by bigsurkate

Pitkin's Curve Bridge #2 by bigsurkate

Pitkin's Curve Bridge #3 by bigsurkate

Pitkin's Curve Bridge #4 by bigsurkate

These were all taken in a drive-by on Friday. Also, the work at Dani Creek just south of Lucia is completed, and both lanes are now open. It is divine!

Monterey Aquarium ruled exempt from wastewater disposal in Sanctuary

I noted several articles yesterday about the above topic, and was intrigued. I admit, I have not done my own research, as my time is extremely limited at the moment, but both sources, huffingtonpost and abclocal/kgo are pretty reliable sources of information, although I note that both rely on an article written by Susanne Rust for California Watch. However, both links provided below have an internal link to a pdf report from the State Resources Control Board you can download.

“Last week, the State Water Resources Control Board exempted the aquarium [PDF] from a state ban on dumping wastewater in a marine protected zone.

The board decided the aquarium’s conservation and public education benefits far outweigh any dangers posed by the millions of gallons of treated fish, bird and mammal waste it dumps back into the bay.

“The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s beneficial uses include extensive public outreach and education on the marine environment, basic water quality research, and research to determine the needs and improve the quality of existence for marine life,” said David Clegern, a spokesman for the water board.

According to a report [PDF] released by the board earlier this year, the aquarium takes in about 1,400 gallons of seawater a minute, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. It then discharges more than 2 million gallons a day. The system is open, meaning seawater is pumped in and discharged continually.

The board acknowledges the discharge does contain waste, albeit “at very low levels.” The only exceptions noted were copper in one seawater sample and chlorine in others.

Copper is known to be harmful to marine organisms, damaging creatures’ gills, livers, kidneys and nervous systems. Chlorine can be lethal to many organisms, including salmon and oysters, at low levels. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/25/monterey-bay-aquarium-wastewater-dumping_n_1031276.html)

The same article by Susanne Rust for California Watch, is also posted to: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/state&id=8405320

Tule Elk

Here is a photo of Tule Elk taken with a telephoto (which I forgot to bring, on my trip by the elk) by reader Seth Melchert of Oakland. It was taken in the Isabella Valley area on the east slopes of Mt. Hamilton in 2006. It provides a better view than mine.

Here is one showing their distinctive rump colors, also by Seth:

Fracking Permits withdrawn

I received this forward from Steve Craig last night in which I thought my readers would be interested. This is more important than the photographs I was planning for today, so that project is on the back burner for a few days (or later today, if I get sidetracked from work!)

It is Steve Craig’s opinion that the test drills were not sufficiently financially lucrative to make the project worth continued effort on Venoco’s part, given the opposition and current economic realities. Way to go, HoldOn and others. The fracking battle may be over in our backyards, but other areas of the nation continue to face this battle for clean water.

“Dear Mr. Novo,

Venoco, Inc. does hereby withdraw our exploratory drilling applications for our #1b (File No. PLN090120), #7a (File No. PLN090119) and #34b (File No. PLN090118) pad locations, along Jolon Road and the nearby town of Bradley. As a result, there are no are Venoco, Inc. items for Planning Commission consideration and we request that our applications therefore be immediately pulled from the Planning Commission’s October 26, 2011 agenda. Effective Friday, October 21, 2011 we request that Monterey County cease any and all further work on these proposed applications and send a final invoice for work up and including today’s date, October 24, 2011.

Thank you for your prompt attention and consideration. If you have any questions regarding the above referenced projects, please contact me at (805) xxx-xxxx.

Bruce Carter, Venoco, Inc.”

Interestingly, I also received another email last night, reproduced in part below:

“1:30PM – VENOCO LLC: USE PERMIT REQUESTS FOR NINE EXPLORATORY OIL AND GAS WELLS – PLN100632 (Owners: Avila Sam TR ET AL; Ward Rowena Joanne Trs; Porter Estate Company, Bradley Ranch Inc) – APPELLANT: VENTANA CONSERVATION AND LAND TRUST AND THE CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Project Planner: Ramon Montano/Taven Kinison Brown. Project Description: CONTINUED FROM MARCH 30, 2011. Appeal from the Zoning Administrator’s decision to approve the Venoco Corporation’s proposal to drill up to nine (9) total exploratory oil and natural gas wells. … Recommended Action: Support Appeal and Deny Project.”

There is an article in today’s Monterey Herald here.

Great job, Steve and others!

A photographic hodgepodge

There are a number of photos I have been meaning to upload here, but just never seem to get around to it.

This first one was taken on the early morning run to the vet for Gideon’s surgery. One great thing about getting on the road early. I have seen this herd many times, but never this close to Highway One. Unfortunately, somehow, I forgot my camera and had to use my iPhone. Two of the males are getting ready to fight.

Tule Elk by bigsurkate

“The tule elk (Cervus canadensis ssp. nannodes) is a subspecies of elk found only in California, ranging from the grasslands and marshlands of the Central Valley to the grassy hills on the coast.[1] The subspecies name derives from the tule that it feeds off of, which grows in the marshlands. It is the smallest subspecies of all American elks, with the average weight of adult males only 450 – 550 pounds. The females average 375 – 425 pounds. The calves are similar to deer fawns, with brown coat and white spots. When the Europeans first arrived, an estimate of 500,000 tule elk roamed these regions. But by 1895, habitat loss and hunting had reduced the elk population to only 28.[2] Conservation measures were taken to protect the species in the 1970s.[3] Today the wild population exceeds 4,000.[2] Tule elk can reliably be found in Carrizo Plain National Monument, Point Reyes National Seashore, and portions of the Owens Valley from Lone Pine to Bishop.” (wikipedia)

I will add a few more later today and perhaps tomorrow, but I have been procrastinating on work long enough!

The World in Waves by bigsurkate

This is a light fixture in a restaurant – The Chart House, I believe. I did title this post a hodgepodge, remember?

Doorway by bigsurkate

This was a doorway in San Juan Bautista. It lent itself quite nicely to a soft black & white treatment.
Sunset o the Ranch by bigsurkate

This was also taken with the iPhone, thus the “halo effect” from the HDR. I took this back in May.

Okay, that’s it for today. Look for more tomorrow!

Fire Restrictions & other Fire-related topics

I just noticed that several queries were made via google for “fire restrictions – prewitt ridge” which directed the requestor to my site. YES, fire restrictions are still in effect – no open campfires and no charcoal stoves. Propane stoves ONLY at this time.

Also, a reminder that the major fund-raiser for the BSVFB is coming up on Halloween Night at Nepenthe – the Bal Masque. It is always a wonderful time for everyone. After what happened to Rachel Short last year, I hope everyone will drink responsibly and/or have a DD along.

Finally, a word from our Fire Chief:

“October 23, 2011

Dear Big Sur Residents,

Two years ago the Big Sur area received a grant for over $430,000 for wildfire fuel reduction in areas on the west side of Highway One between Esalen and Andrew Molera State Park. CERT leaders worked very hard to make this happen. The clearing has finally begun with contracts going to local and out of town contractors to do the work either by hand or with equipment.

The work done so far in the Clear Ridge area looks wonderful and will make a huge difference in the event of a fire. However, we are now hearing that some property owners do not want the work done. To leave areas with thick dense fuel where a fire can take hold and spread will completely defeat the purpose.

The areas being treated are either private property or on road company easement. If you don’t want any work done on your private property that is up to you. Work being done on road easement is exactly that, road easement, not private property, where the road company makes the decision on what will occur.

We would like to remind you of the Basin fire, one of the most devastating fires in our area which happened only three years ago. How quickly some of us have forgotten the lessons learned from this fire, with the IC stating he would not send engines to protect homes where the access was overgrown.

We at the Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade have not forgotten and quite frankly are very dismayed at the attitude of some of the residents in Big Sur. It would appear that some of you expect us to send our firefighters to fight fire and risk their lives to protect your homes, but you are refusing to provide safe passage for them to do so!! We will not risk the lives of our members and will not send them into dangerous areas. You must do your part if you expect an engine to respond to your emergency.

The clearing is like mowing a lawn, there are no roots disturbed and everything will eventually grow back. It will not make the hill sides erode. You should make plans to maintain the work that has been done to prevent overgrowth. We have received approval for the project, all permits have been issued and a licensed forester is closely monitoring the process.

You have chosen to live in an area where the danger of wild land fire will always be present, please help us out by choosing to provide safe access to your home, and remember, if or when we get there, 100 foot clearance around your home is the law!

Martha Karstens, Chief
On behalf of the Members and Board of Directors, BSVFB.”

Weather conditions

While the fog is all the way up here, which makes for rather drippy, wet, and cold conditions, there is a red-flag warning out for some areas per this report from NOAA:

“FIRE WEATHER…AS OF 2:00 AM TUESDAY…RED FLAG WARNING WAS ISSUED FOR LATE TUESDAY INTO THURSDAY MORNING. CONDITIONS WARRANT A RED FLAG FOR THE NORTH AND EAST BAY HILLS. HUMIDITIES WILL LOWER DURING THIS TIME. THE PERIOD OF STRONGEST SUSTAINED WINDS IN THE 15 TO 30 MPH RANGE WITH GUSTS 35 TO 40 MPH LOOKS TO OCCUR FROM ABOUT 3 AM WEDS THROUGH MIDDAY WEDS. WINDS WILL EASE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON BUT THEN VERY DRY AIR WILL FILTER IN WEDS NIGHT THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. WINDS WILL BE MUCH LIGHTER WEDS NIGHT BUT RH VALUES WILL LIKELY NOT RECOVER AT ALL…STAYING WELL UNDER 30 PERCENT.

WE ARE AWARE OF THE GREEN GRASS THAT HAS CROPPED UP BUT ALL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES REPORT CONCERN THAT FIRE WILL INDEED SPREAD THROUGH THE BRUSH AND OTHER DEAD FUELS WHILE LIVE FUELS HAVE NOT YET TAKEN ON MOISTURE. SO BOTH THE FUELS AND METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE MET.”

Also, Debbie sent me some photos of the Anderson Peak project to bury all the PG&E lines for a couple of miles in order to safeguard the condors. Unfortunately, my internet is not cooperating in allowing me to upload photos, at the moment.