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! Fog level, 8/8/10
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.
As those of you who went know, I was unable to attend. For the first time in many years, I did not have another engagement, I was not out of state, I was not sick. I was just exhausted. I took two naps yesterday instead of attending the meeting. bigsurkate was mentioned as a way to get some information distributed, but two people I have communicated with couldn’t remember what it was I was supposed to communicate. In the mean time, I will stay abreast of all that I can, and post as appropriate.
BIG SUR MULTI-AGENCY ADVISORY COUNCIL
Congressman Sam Farr and Supervisor Dave Potter, Co-Chairs
FRIDAY, July 30, 2010 10:00 A.M.
Pfeiffer Big Sur Lodge Conference Center, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Big Sur
AGENDA
10:00 a.m. I. CALL TO ORDER Supervisor Dave Potter
II. ROLL CALL AND INTRODUCTIONS
III. APPROVE MINUTES OF April 30, 2010
10:15 IV. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
10:25 V. OLD BUSINESS
VI. NEW BUSINESS
1. Anderson Peak Telescope Presentation Pat Barthalow
2. Presentation on Sanctuary Foundation’s Proposal to Jane Delay
Install an Interpretive Sign at Big Creek pullout
11:00 VII. REPORTS FROM MEMBER AGENCIES
(please bring written report)
Big Sur Resident Member
Big Sur Chamber of Commerce
Coast Property Owners’ Association
Monterey County Planning Department
Monterey County Board of Supervisors
Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District
California Coastal Commission
Caltrans
State Parks and Recreation
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
United States Forest Service
27th District, State Assembly
15th District, State Senate
United States Congress
12:30 p.m. VIII. REPORTS FROM OTHER AGENCIES
1:00 IX. NEXT MEETING ON October 22, 2010
1:05 X. ADJOURNMENT
“Thank you to the Big Sur Lodge for their donation of beverages, food and
use of Lodge meeting space.”
Do you remember this photograph I posted of the yellow hills of Big Sur?
Valley View by Daniel Danbom
Well, I ran into Joe Burnett, biologist for the VWS’s Condor reintroduction program, last night and he suggested a challenge. If Jeff Norman were still around (we miss you Jeff!) this challenge would not be necessary.
This is the challenge – hike into Mt. Manual, and take close-up photographs of the various yellow flowers contributing to this unusual phenomena, and send them to me at kwnovoa@mac.com I will post them on my blog. If you know what they are, include that information. But even if you do NOT know what they are, send them in, and hopefully, someone can help us identify them. We will also see how much of what we are seeing is native or introduced.
Here is a close-up of one flower that is making the hills yellow, at least close to the highway. Is it also on Mt. Manual? I originally thought it was a tansy, but I believe that may be incorrect, and would love for someone to identify it for me. It is all over right now, in more abundance than I have ever seen – both in areas touched by the Basin Fire, and those untouched.
Do you know what this is? Barbara Woyt does. It is Eriophyllum staechadifolium or lizard tail, also known as Seaside Woolly Sunflower. Is it part of the display on Mt. Manuel? Get out there soon, as this display won’t last long in this hot weather! And send those photos in! Let’s all find out what is causing this unusual display! Thanks, Joe, for the challenge. Now let’s see if my readers are up for it!
(Note, this photo was not taken for the challenge, or it would be a closer shot. Here, I wanted the hills and ocean in the background, but a good photo for this challenge would clearly show the flowers AND the leaves for identification purposes as close-up as your camera would allow.)
This has been on my wall for some time, and I’ve always wanted to scan it into my computer. I finally did. This was taken in 1993 at Rain Rocks. While slightly blurry (I was on “dawn patrol” in a moving truck – shush – don’t tell Cal-Trans) it is still a classic. Maybe I’ll upload it for sale at my smugmug site.
The next meeting of the BSMAAC will be held on Friday, July 30, 2010 beginning at 10 am. BSMAAC meetings are always held at the Conference Center at the Big Sur Lodge, and they request that you park below by the Lodge or the Store, and walk up. The agenda has not yet been sent out. It is normally released the week of the meeting. When it is released, I will post it here.
I have been attending all but a handful of these meetings since 1985. The information sharing and discussions that happen here are invaluable. It is the one time when almost all the stakeholders in Big Sur come together – governmental and private. So, if you can attend, do so.
There is something refreshing and alluring about the summer fog on the coast. Living up here above it, I get scorching temperatures, and look down on the fog below. Sometimes envious, but mostly grateful I don’t live in it.
Fog over Willow Creek
I had to pass into it several times this week, and was surprised about how thick it was. For me, the fog presents another photo opportunity. I love what the fog does to the forest. Foggy Forest Trees in the Mist Trees: Living Sculpture Timeless Beauty Tunnel of Light
This is just one aspect of the magic that is Big Sur. This lonely little columbine is one of the few remaining.
When I saw this, I had to stop and capture it. The dark, the contrast between the one bright spot and the shadowy green called me. I shot it dark in the camera, and unlike most shots, I only took one, and was happy with what I saw in the LCD. I was even happier when I saw it larger on my computer. This is straight out of the camera, exactly what I witnessed. Mother Nature’s gift. And interestingly, I violated all the cannons of composition by placing the subject dead center, and still, it works. Columbine & Ferns
Just because … Mother Nature’s beauty cannot be enhanced.
*********************************************************************
On a completely different note, Gideon has been sick since Saturday, and was at the vet’s Tuesday, and again today, when he was admitted to the hospital. News tonight is that he is improving. His fever is going down, and his pain has been lessened by an inflammatory drug. We are hoping he will come home Friday. Dr. will call again tomorrow morning. I am a tad distracted from my blog, but had this one prepared to go up. I’ll be back when Gideon is home again.
As I indicated earlier, Limekiln State Park officially opened in time for the July 4th weekend. Dan Danbom, a photographer who has been featured on this blog in the past, and who tied with Ken Harlan for this quarter’s header photograph, came down the coast last week to enjoy his prize. Ken Harlan provides lunch for two at Lucia Lodge, or an SD card to the quarterly winner. (I can’t thank you enough for your generosity, Ken!)
Since Dan rarely gets this far South, he used the opportunity to check out Limekiln State Park, and sent me a report and some photos for your enjoyment. Limekiln State Park 1 by Dan Danbom
From Dan: ” We also had wanted to see first hand the major construction of the highway, and also see how Limekiln had fared after the fire. When we drove by not long after the fire, it looked like it would be terrible, and it was closed. We usually do not have time to get that far south often.
Limekiln is different, but as we started up through the campground you could see the fire effects around, but a lot of the sorrel had come back nicely. Really we were very surprised how much the same it looked. We took our time up the Hare trail, and there were some big changes, and we could see where a lot of effort was put in to make the trail over, and improved. There are a lot of scarred and charred tree trunks and some left over fallen trees, branches that you could see would be hard to dispose of manually. But it really is still very pretty and a lot of the same character is still there.
It was a sunny day, and really contrasty, so not optimum for photos. (That is the one time I really wish for high thin clouds or some fog overcast, to give that open almost shadowless light for the forest.) But, I found a few selected vignettes of the creek, that still are pretty gorgeous in the shadows. And I think the redwood sorrel seems better than ever and really lush. So, it was a fun time taking some photos and enjoying a gorgeous piece of the coast. If you can stand a couple of more photos from me, I am attaching a couple of Limekiln for your review.” Limekiln State Park 2 by Dan Danbom Limekiln State Park 3, by Dan Danbom
Thanks Dan for the report, and the photos!
And as to his lunch at Lucia Lodge? This is what Dan had to say: “We read your comment that Limekiln was open or sort of, so since my schedule had changed unexpectedly, we decided to try to get an early start south, and take advantage of my Lunch (for Two) certificate for winning your header contest. Avis, mailed me a cert for lunch for two, at Lucia Lodge. So, despite the slow traffic at times, and the road stops, which really were not bad at all, we made it there for lunch. Very nice! It was a little hazy as the coast can be, but the view was stunning. We sat along the view table rail looking down the coast. Lovely lunch, be sure to thank Ken, (I will send Avis an email thanks too.) What a nice treat!”
