Category: Classic Big Sur

Mountain Adventure #736

And my day was interesting, to say the least. Mountain Adventure #736:

Okay, I made that number up. I don’t know what number this one is. I’ve lost track, I’ve had so many.

With all the adventures I’ve had, one thing that has never happened is my 1998 Jeep has never broken down on the dirt road….or my 1988 Range Rover before that. It is almost as if they know that is verboten. Well, today, that luck changed.

I was going through Turkey Flats, you know, Turkey Flats … I’ve taken lots of photos there.

Turkey Flats
See Cone Peak in the background?

anyway, all of a sudden, there was no response from the gas pedal. None. Okay, I said to myself, Ms. Cool Big Sur Mountain Mama. It is all down hill, so I’ll get to the bottom, and get my friend Lynne to call Triple A for me. (I forgot my cell phone, for the first time in ages – not that there is any signal there) Except that it is not all flat.

I am going through the Buttle property, making good progress, coasting, and I get to the itty bitty creek that still has water in it, and there is THE hill. I forgot about THE hill. It is one that is so minor in the scheme of things, that it is easy to forget. BUT, the Jeep would not make it up.

It’s just a little hill! This shows it coming back, going down it.

I tried coasting back down and up the back hill as far as I could, hoping for a sling shot or pendulum effect. I didn’t have to go too far, just get the momentum going. Three times, I tried. No dice.

So, I coasted back down to this itty bitty creek, figuring, if I am stuck here for a couple days, at least the dogs and I will have water.

What? You can’t see the “creek” in there? Okay, maybe not a creek, but a drizzle. Still, enough to keep the dogs and I alive for a few days or weeks, or until someone stumbled upon us.

I turned off the engine, sat there for a minute, then scrambled down to the creek bed in my town clothes and town shoes, and got water for the doggies.

Then, as calm as can be, I opened the hood. That’s what guys do, right? Well, it is still as foreign to me as the day I bought it. Makes no sense. Besides, it was the gas pedal inside that quit, not the engine.

I get down under the dash, check out the gas pedal, and see that it is to the floor and unresponsive. Hmmm. Throttle cable? Maybe? There must be something like that. I find that there is this elbow shaped thingy that is behind the gas pedal. Huh? That must go to something, I thought. Wow, if I pushed on that, then it did something – what I wasn’t sure, but I was sure this elbow shaped thingy was the key. THEN, I found this cable type thingy that came through the back top above the gas pedal from the engine compartment. It had a knob on it.

Now, the elbow shaped thingy, I found by feeling about, had a round hole with a slit in it. If I put the cable thingy through the slot to the hole, it held, and the elbow shaped thingy was now connected to the cable and connected to the gas pedal. And voila! The gas pedal and the throttle cable were again connected and speaking to each other, and I put my foot on the gas, and get a response. Hooray! I conquered the unconquerable!

This, from a woman with not a single mechanical bone in her body. I was, and am, absolutely surprised at myself.

Watch out Indy mechanics, here I come! Am I too old for another career?

Only in Big Sur …

The First Annual Burning Dog Festival, organized out of Santa Cruz, is being held June 11-14th at Plaskett Creek Campground. Yes, a “burning man”-inspired event that is dog-friendly, and includes hikes and events for your pooch,

The schedule is quite ambitious and can be found here: schedule. It includes hikes, agility course, art with your dog, costumes, BBQ, Luau, and trips to the Esalen hot tubs.

Of course, our local events that weekend include Jazz on the River at River Inn on Sunday afternoons at 2:00 pm. (see schedule here) and the Big Sur Wine Expedition is June 9th and 10th. (Additional information here). There is always a great line-up at the Henry Miller Library. The Woodsist Festival for that Saturday is sold-out, with a waiting list, but you can see the month’s events here: HML June Events. There are always global art, music, and dance events at Spirit Garden but I don’t see an events calendar for this year. Fernwood has live music on both Friday and Saturday nights and sometimes on Sundays and you can see their June line-up here. The Maiden Publick House often has live music on the weekends, too.

There are probably other events, as well, but I scoured and could not find them. But there are always “events” in Big Sur – like hiking, surfing, bicycling, campfire talks, shopping for local crafts, books, and other gems. It is the time when we shake off the sleepiness of our winter slumber, and host the millions and millions of people who visit us each year.

But for unusual? The 1st Annual Burning Dog Event has to take the cake. Should be an interesting weekend at Plaskett Creek Campground.

Wildflower Mania, Part II

This morning, my dear friend Barbara Woyt sent me some photos of wildflowers she had taken. We share a passion. She’s also an awesome birder – me, not so much. Some, you will recognize. She didn’t send me the identifications, and while I could guess, I won’t. I’ll just let you enjoy her photographs.
Photo by Barbara Woyt

Photo by Barbara Woyt

Photo by Barbara Woyt

Photo by Barbara Woyt

Photo by Barbara Woyt

Photo by Barbara Woyt

Well, good … no flogging is imminent! Whew! This is what she had to say about what they are (of course, the first one, pink, is a clarkia, and two of them, the Calochortus, you recognize from yesterday, but here is her take on the others:

“the yellow is a singular looking of a usually more many flowered annual that we see after fires – Emmenanthe penduliflora – this was my first one after the Basin fire but I have not seen it in the abundance I remember after other fires … perhaps it is where I am looking but I have seen it sparsely on Partington and down near the coast even in back burn set from the road

…. the creamy white is a Zigadenus fremontii an early perennial and the blue is the brodiaea jolonensis that grows near Jolon but this one is a little different in a way that makes me wonder if that is its exact name. Maybe the plant pro’s will respond & I will find out for sure.” Thanks, Barbara!

It’s hard NOT to get excited when there are beauties like this to find and photograph – or even look at. Join the mania, and see what you can find!

Okay, so I forgot a couple of the captions, BUT, they are ALL by Barbara Woyt! Thanks Barbara, and I know, I know, I didn’t wait for your permission – as you are so very rarely on line. You can flog me later! LOL.

But hold on, it doesn’t end here. You can see more wildflowers from bigsurwoman (Avis Latone) here:
and XT has included some in his bicycle tour down the coast, over N-F Rd. and beyond here

I’m sure there are others who are busy blogging about Big Sur Wildflowers right now, and if I find them, I will include links!

Wildflower Mania!!

Oh, lordy, I was in heaven today, June 1, 2010. Several of my absolute favorite wildflowers were in bloom today – mostly, these are summer wildflowers, or that’s when I normally see several of them. But the delicate beauty is easy to miss among the tall brown grasses. Not today – and not for me. Once I saw the first one, heading down my driveway, I was on a mission.

Okay, this first one, the Calochortus albus, or Fairy Lantern, I featured a few days ago, but they are really going off, and I got more shots, and better shots, and … well … they are Fairy Lanterns, for pete’s sake. Can you really see too many of these beauties? Nah …

Fairy Lanterns #1

Isn’t this sweet? Don’t you feel blessed when you see one of these? Like, maybe a fairy is going to run out from under a near-by bush?

Field of Fairy Lanterns

And this! A whole field of them! Some fairies are going to have a party here!

Fairy Lantern, close-up

Oh, I just couldn’t resist – one more. Can you tell I’m a nut for these beauties?

Then, there were the sweet delicate clarkias, a wine cup, and what looked like a miniature farewell-to-spring. These are on my property, so I’ll be going out to visit again tomorrow, with grubby clothes, so I can get down and dirty!

Clarkia

But this is the flower that started it all. It is a delphinium, or larkspur. That baby is so tall, it comes to my waist! Electric blue catches the eye!

Driveway Delphinium

This is the way I saw it, from the Jeep. I backed the Jeep up, and took this shot. Yes, I have closer photos, and I’ll post them in a moment. But first, a story to tell.


Okay, this is the only “stand” of larkspur I know about anywhere near me, and it never has more than 5-6 stalks of larkspur. One year, I collected seeds and planted them. I had little success. Of course, it doesn’t help that I used a weedwacker who thinks a stand of hummingbird sage is a weed. I set out rocks around them, and told him, “If you cut them down again, I will cut off your arm.” Well, not really, but I felt like it. Anyway, one year, I just collected the seeds and scattered them, outside my garden, thinking they would not get wacked.

Driveway Delphinium, #2

This is the result. Isn’t that just gorgeous?

Driveway Delphinium #3

It is times like this that I wish I had a macro! That’s my next “toy.” This baby is on my “down-and-dirty” list for tomorrow, too!

And right across the road, one of my all time favorites – the Calochortus venustus – some call it the Mariposa Lily. Both Calochortus are in the Lily family.

Calochortus, unopened

But right next to this one, one was completely opened. Oh, Joy!
Calochortus venustus, unfurled

Isn’t she a beaut? My favorite native wildflower up here! I am blessed that she loves this land and graces me with her presence!

And so, tonight’s sunset on the Wildflower Mania, but I’ll be back soon with some down-and-dirty photos!

Sunset on the first day of June

The Opening of Tourist Season, Part II

I arrived early at Ventana, so I got to watch the chef meet with the staff and explain the night’s menu.

While I was waiting for the kitchen to open, I had a drink at the bar. I overheard a conversation (not an easy feat, as I am hard of hearing) down the bar. “Oh, you should contact Big Sur Kate,” she said to the new kid on the block. With all the social graces of the hermit that I am, I raised my hand. “I’m bigsurkate,” I said. And then, Pam, a local, joined me.

After a lovely conversation and exchange of ideas, including the new kid on the block, I ordered the pork tenderloin. It was divine! And the salad? Absolutely heaven!

I really need to learn how to photograph food, but frankly, I was so tickled I remembered to photograph it before I dug in. Usually, I am 1/2 way through the meal before I think of it!

This was the menu for the evening. It is often changing, so you may see different offerings when you visit.

I packed up 1/2 my dinner to take home for another night, said good-bye to my new friends, and wandered down to Nepenthe for an after dinner dessert drink.

There I meet a lovely couple from PG who had lived in John Soper’s house on Burns Creek for a year. They, too, read bigsurkate. So much for playing “tourist.”

Then, my home on the South Coast beckoned and I tackled the windy road home, behind more traffic than I had seen all winter!

It will probably be the last time I play tourist until summer is over, but one never knows!

Opening Day of Tourist Season

Today was what I refer to as “opening day of tourist season.” And so, I went out and played tourist today. THAT was an experience.

For those of you who have been following me for sometime, you know I write “off-the-cuff” so-to-speak. I do little editing, I just write what I am experiencing, with little to no thought. Sort of a stream of consciousness sort of thing. God knows my “paid” writing is staid, logical, and well-thought out. This is anything but. So tonight, I just tell what happened.

First, getting off the mountain is always a treat. The views,

the flowers, the beauty – another shot of one of my favorite wildflowers, the Calochortus albus, or fairy lantern:

First, I went to Ventana

where I met with author Janey Bennett (“The Pale Surface of Things”) with whom I have been corresponding about her latest book. I’ve read her first book twice, now. It is fantastic! It is about relationships, finding one’s self, and finding one’s place on this planet. (Rather simplistic overview, but I don’t want to give the story away, and that’s not what this post is about.) It takes place in Crete in current times, but weaves together the time of the Minoans and the resistance during WWII, into the fabric of today. It has won numerous awards, and is a great read.

Well, Janey is working on her second book, and it takes place during the Basin Fire. We talked about logistics, facts, and an ending that made me tear up. I can’t wait for it to be released. We met at Ventana, where the story will probably end.

After Ventana, I met friends in town, did the usual, and then headed back down the coast. Town was CROWDED!! (I wish I had thought to take a photo of all the traffic! I could not believe it!) I so wanted to get out of there! Well, Big Sur was crowded, too. Like I said, it was the opening day of tourist season.

So, I first stopped in the local pub. Nothing new there, and I did not stay long. Then I went back to Ventana.

Oh, the ambiance, the views,

the food, the people! I took photos of everything, including my incredible dinner!

(to be continued)

Memorial Day Weekend

Today it begins. Memorial Day weekend is typically the start of the summer tourist season here in Big Sur. The day is sunny and beautiful and the gorgeous weather is predicted to continue all weekend.

Just a reminder (to myself, as much as to others), be patient, be kind, and pay attention on the road. One of my friends used to say that some tourists took their common sense, put it in the dresser drawer, and locked it up for safe-keeping until they got home.

I’ll be out and about to see what is happening on our fair coast today, pretending to be a tourist. 😉 Enjoy this wonderful long weekend, where ever you are!

Big Sur River

I took a drive through the state park the other day …

and ambled along the river.

I was amazed at how clear the water was!

And the redwood forest lining her shores …

majestic, is one word to describe the lofty redwood.

Sculpted by Mother Nature

And I ended the day at “the Dog,” looking at one of Cheryl’s many contributions.

The Coast …

… or how to fill a memory card from just one location. I could have stayed and photographed from here, on this day, all day.

#1

#2

#3

#4

And last one. (I took dozens, whittled it down to 8, then had battery issues, so got it down to 5.)
#5

Okay, now the fun part. Vote for your favorite. If you feel like it, tell me why it is your favorite in the comments below. If not, then your vote is completely anonymous, even to me!

Weather Watch for Monday, 5/17/10

I have been sitting above the fog, watching the clouds stream in all day today, enjoying the sunshine and warmth, aware of the upcoming storm system. The day is almost done, so it was time to check NOAA’s forecast discussion. This is what the professionals say about tomorrow’s outlook.

“CURRENT FORECAST HAS LIGHT RAIN BEGINNING AROUND SUNRISE WITH PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AS THE MORNING PROGRESSES. THE RAIN BAND WILL MOVE IN PARALLEL TO THE COASTLINE THEREFORE ALL AREAS OF THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL COAST WILL SEE THE ONSET OF THE RAIN AROUND THE SAME TIME. RAIN WILL THEN SPREAD INLAND FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE REGION. THE GFS AND NAM SOLUTIONS REMAIN WETTER THEN THE ECMWF ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE CWA. HAVE TRENDED THE FORECAST WETTER OVER THIS AREA AS THERE APPEARS TO BE SUFFICIENT MOISTURE OVER THE PACIFIC TO JUSTIFY THIS SOLUTION. THEREFORE RAIN IS ANTICIPATED ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION ON MONDAY WITH ACCUMULATIONS ANYWHERE FROM A QUARTER TO A HALF AN INCH WITH HIGHER ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED IN THE HILLS. MODELS CONTINUE TO MOVE THIS SYSTEM TO THE EAST RELATIVELY FAST WITH RAIN TRANSITIONING TO SHOWERS BY MONDAY NIGHT. SHOWERS SHOULD COME TO AN END BY TUESDAY MORNING.”

My life is a tad complicated right now, due to Gideon’s heartworm treatment, work that got postponed so I could vacation, systems that keep going out, or which are in need of considerable attention — all of which is making keeping up with Big Sur events a bit of a challenge. For example, I wanted to post a few links to the wonderful photos I have found of the big, big, BIG Sur Fashion show at the HML on Thursday, and the 2010 film festival schedule also at HML, and the Whale Rally on May 23rd, but the time has just not been there for me.