Excessive Heat Warning for inland areas beginning later this morning. The hottest temperatures arrive this afternoon and linger into Sunday evening. Be sure to stay cool and hydrated this weekend! Per NWS/NOAA

My favorite, looking straight down from the top. South is on the left, north on the right, ocean out of frame at top. All photos by Caltrans.

On July 12 & 13, as part of a drill, PG&E will be conducting helicopter patrols of power lines in San Luis Obispo/Santa Barbara Counties. You may notice low flying helicopters near the areas of Huasna, Hyw 166 east of Santa Maria, and west of Paso Robles near Lake Nacimiento.

More “abstract painting” photographs of Paul’s Slide:

Photo by Brian Mack

From Big Sur Fire:

We’re very much looking forward to our Annual Muster and BBQ this Saturday, July 8th at the beautiful Pfeiffer State Park. Come show your support for our crews who work tirelessly to protect and serve the Big Sur community. This is more than just a fundraiser for Big Sur Fire, it’s a beloved tradition and one of the last of such events in Monterey County. This is a chance to check out our fire engines and rescue gear, meet our newest firefighter class and share some really great food and fun with our organization and community.

The event runs from noon to 3 PM. Tickets will be available for purchase at the event, $15 for adults and kids 12 and under eat free! We will have our logo merchandise for sale with special pricing on some items. Parking is free for Muster attendees, just be sure to obtain a parking pass from the entrance kiosk. We look forward to seeing you there!

All photos posted here are from our 2022 Muster and credited to the talented Brian Mack who we are pleased will be joining us again this year!

This was my very first blog post on July 5, 2008:

“I began this blog, after 2 weeks of inundating everyone’s mailbox with news, links, editorials, and photos of the massive Big Sur Fire of 2008. I decided a blog might be a better venue for us all to stay connected, share information, and remain informed. PLUS, I got totally frustrated when my email send function became so erratic. I can receive, but sending is completely hit and miss. I am hoping the email fairy visits me soon! 😉

I will also be posting some of my photographs, also, as and when I can.

Welcome! Once the fire is past, I will convert this to random musings, I suppose, or it will evolve into something else.”

And this is what I posted after I’d been blogging for 10 years:

“Ten years ago today, I got pissed off at the Sheriff of the time during the Basin Fire when he threatened to arrest anyone who came onto Highway One to go help their neighbors. So, I called the newspapers in LA and SF and started this blog. I had never blogged before. Ten years, and just shy of 4,000 posts. Thank you all for being a part of this journey and helping me grow by following and commenting and calling me out, when necessary. Today, I am going to celebrate by being silent, unless, of course, all hell breaks loose.”

Fifteen years…hard to believe. I think I will be silent today, too, unless, of course, all hell breaks loose. (6763 posts to date. Whew!)

Have a safe and sane one.

Date:	Monday, July 3, 2023, at 7 p.m.
District:	05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact:	Kevin Drabinski or Alexa Bertola
Phone:	(805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3237

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UPDATE #45

SOUTHERN CLOSURE OF HIGHWAY TO RETURN TO LIMEKILN

TUESDAY MORNING JULY 4 FOLLOWING SINKHOLE REPAIR

MONTEREY / SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES – The southern closure of Highway 1 will return to Limekiln State Park on Tuesday July 4, at 8 am.

This follows repairs to a sinkhole which appeared on July 2, one mile south of Nacimiento-Fergusson Road and which necessitated moving the closure five miles south to Pacific Valley.

Crews have repaired the sinkhole and addressed drainage issues at the site.

Travelers on Highway 1 will again be able to travel from Morro Bay north to Cambria, San Simeon, Ragged Point, Gorda, and on to Limekiln State Park. All coastal businesses are open.

Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.