Photos taken this morning by Rock Knocker
Tracks on Los Burros, aka Willow Creek
Photos taken this morning by Rock Knocker
Category: Home
The South Coast, the wild coast, NOT Lonely
What a great time we had … Celebrating life, beauty, and this incredible place where we live. It doesn’t get any better than this … Drumming, flute, music, ocean, creek, and great friends … Oh, and wonderful food!
The music ..
And, of course, the Jade!
And Guy’s famous BBQ
We will let you know when we have another, but it could be a while, as we are now focused on the Jade Festival coming up next month. We would love our north coast brethren and Cambria partners to join us!
Bob Mattson, Barbara Sparhawk, and Black Walnut
Last week I got an email from a friend and fellow blogger in Carmel Valley, Barbara Sparhawk. What an amazing lady. Her life has been so rich and diversified, I want to be her when I grow up. She wrote for CBS News, FOX, and others in NYC, all the while doing huge murals in NYC, Coney Island and other places. You can find a sprinkling of who she is here: hawk’s Perch
Any way, she emailed me about a walnut tree that had shed a limb that she wanted to offer to a Big Sur wood carver. Rock Knocker is such a carver, so I asked if he would be interested. “Hell yeah!” he said, and so we were off to see the Farm Center in Carmel Valley on Robinson Canyon Rd. I hadn’t been since I moved to the South Coast, and there were LOTS of changes! I love what the place has become – an artist’s colony. Here are some photos of that journey.
I am convinced that Barbara is a soul sister from a past life. If not, she should be!
Barbara carried 90% of the wood to Rock Knocker’s truck. What a gal! I’ll make sure there is a bowl for you, but RK says it will be at least a year before it is ready to carve. If he won’t carve it, I will. My maiden name is “woods” for a reason!
Memorial Day weekend, and I MUST have a fire.
Memorial Day weekend has begun. It is traditionally the start of our summer, but Mother Nature has her way with us once again. I am very glad that life got in the way of my planting my tomatoes.
Here it is only 6 pm, and it is only 40 degrees outside … Given that the sun is not even down, yet, freezing temps are possible tonight. Right now, I have built a fire in the wood stove, and am working on building it up to a rip-roaring one tonight. Tomatoes would not fare well tonight, and given the high winds, would have been dead come morning…so maybe next weekend? I guess I better concentrate on Early Girls this year!
The Sun and it’s power
The power of the sun, we all know, can be harnessed and used for household power. It provides the source of life for growing gardens, it can majorly affect moods, mine in particular.
The more I get in touch with Mother Nature, the more I get in touch with myself. I have learned I am severely affected by the weather. Gray gloomy days make me gray and gloomy. Bright sunny days make me bright and sunny. Stormy days are dramatic, and so am I.
And sunsets take my breathe away. Like this one from the other night.
Finally got my solar system up and running. Thus, the free flowing, stream-of-conscience post. I’ll write more about it later, but must say, clean, quiet, 24 hour power is a thing of beauty!
Rain Totals & Dirt Road Report
First, so none of you panic, I have had no reports of any problems on Highway One, thus the “dirt” in my title. A couple of yahoos showed up at my place a bit ago, on foot. They had gotten themselves stuck in a “ditch” in the middle of the road. I sent an email to Sherry Tune about this. I have been literally begging the USFS to grade this road for YEARS! Last time it was graded was the Plaskett II fire of 2000. These yahoos are really lucky that Rock Knocker just happened to stop by my place today, or they would be outta luck. My neighbor’s car is in the shop, and Rock Knocker is giving him a ride on Monday to go pick it up, and I won’t go out when conditions on Plaskett are this bad, so I would have lent them my phone to call 805-927-HELP, Cambria AAA, who is the only one who will come up here, and it is damn expensive!
On to rain totals, my gauge read .9 this morning, which is all that I recorded for yesterday’s downpour. I have doubts about the accuracy of that reading, however. Debbie, in Big Sur Valley, reports just under 1.5 inches for that neck of our neighborhood.
Warmer, drier weather supposedly on the way for this next week.
Upcoming Meetings and Events
This Friday is the Big Sur Multi-Agency Advisory Council Meeting.
FRIDAY, October 21, 2011 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 Congressman Sam Farr
II. ROLL CALL AND INTRODUCTIONS
III. APPROVE MINUTES OF July 15, 2011
10:15 IV. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
10:25 V. OLD BUSINESS
VI. NEW BUSINESS
1. Report on identifying future trouble spots along Highway One Steve Price, Caltrans
2. Report on Rocky Creek repair project Steve Price, Caltrans
11:00 VII. REPORTS FROM MEMBER AGENCIES
(please bring written report)
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FireScape Monterey (http://firescape.ning.com/ ) is hosting a symposium on October 26th at the Hidden Valley Music Center in Carmel Valley (88 Carmel Valley Road). Starting at 9am sharp, there will be presentations on Esselen and Salinan cultural resources and fire practices, US Forest Service Wilderness policy for fire management and fire suppression, Wilderness Act legislation, rehabilitation and recovery of bulldozer lines used during wildfires, healthy watersheds, local fire behavior based on fuel loads, effectiveness of landscape fuel treatments to protect communities from wildfire and the ecological effects of wildfire in local vegetation types. Come learn about the area we live in and what Fire Scape Monterey is all about. For additional information log onto the website or contact Kerri Frangioso (kfrangioso@ucdavis.edu).
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If you would like to donate money to the Benefit, please make it out to “Ned Callihan” and send to:
Ned Callihan
c/o Jaci Pappas
P.O. Box 429
Big Sur, CA 93920
Luci Post
Thanks to Soaring and the Post family for sharing this with me and my readers. She joins many of our beloved friends and family who are preparing a gathering for the rest of us, when our time comes.
Luci Post
September 1, 1919 – August 25, 2011
BIG SUR – Beloved matriarch of the pioneer Post family of Big Sur, Luci Lee Post was a loving wife, devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend to all. Luci embraced everyone she met with genuine interest, compassion and enthusiasm. She embodied unconditional acceptance and curiosity of all people, cultures, and traditions. A woman of substance, Luci devoted every day to helping others feel valued. Creating family was her legacy and she responded to others with grace, love and sweet presence. Luci was impeccable in appearance, effervescent in spirit, and full of charm. Her sparkling blue eyes and infectious smile illuminated any space she entered.
Born in Minneapolis, MN, Luci grew up in Denver with two brothers and two sisters. Deeply committed to her family, at the age of 12 she took on the role of keeping her siblings connected when they were suddenly separated by the death of their mother. Luci wed in 1938 and gave birth to Nancy and Linda. She and her husband owned a successful moving and storage business in Denver. At the end of the marriage she moved to Santa Barbara, CA. There she met and married Bill Post, the love of her life. They embraced their blended family with her two daughters and his daughters Gayle and Rebecca. The family bond was so strong the awareness of who was genetically related fell away. In 1973 the family moved to Big Sur. They lived in the home Bill had built for his parents, now called the Post House, and Luci worked at Coast Gallery. Later they moved to Carmel Valley and enjoyed traveling. Luci had the Midas touch with Reno and Las Vegas slot machines! When the family ranch became an inn, Luci became an inspiring role model of heartfelt hospitality for the family of employees at Post Ranch Inn.
Luci was a member of Church of the Oaks, the Left Footer Square Dancers, Big Sur Grange, Elks women’s auxiliary, Monterey Model A Club, and she was a founding member of the Big Sur Historical Society. The most important thing in her life was her husband Bill, and their joy and happiness flowed onto other people. Her cloak of unconditional love was flung wide to bring many in under her wing.
She was preceded in death by her husband Bill and beloved daughter Nancy Downing. She is survived by three daughters: Linda J. Lee of Seaside, Gayle Forster of Marina and Rebecca Post of Olympia WA, 7 grandchildren: Pamela Patterson, Gregory Paley (Maria), Anna Vargas, Gabriel Forster (Jessica), and Richard, Shane and Daniel Forster, and 7 great grandchildren: Jessica, David and Julian Paley, Paley and Madison Martin, and Rafael and Jade Vargas.
The final stroke that released Luci came on the anniversary of Bill’s birth. She flew to his arms. She will be missed by more than her immediate family, but then, all who knew her were her family. A private memorial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Big Sur Grange or Big Sur Historical Society.
Brother John
Those of you who knew Brother John, knew he was an amazing artist in metal. I have several of his jewelry pieces and one garden piece of his. I wish I had more.Those of you who knew Brother John know that he passed over recently. He will be missed by us all
A memorial will be held next Saturday, September 3rd at 3 pm at Ragged Point. BYOB. According to Lisa (see comments below) it is to be held at 2 pm. My information also came from someone who saw a poster. I’ll try to confirm the time. I’ll see some of you there.
Later today, I’ll post some photos taken this week of the work at Pitkin’s Curve and Rain Rocks.
Montgomery London
As I think everyone is aware, we lost a great volunteer firefighter, Montgomery London. Today, her obituary ran in the Monterey Herald. I so love this photo of her, I wanted to share it with my wider audience! An amazing woman who will be missed by everyone who knew her. Just the day before her death, she was doing what she loved – a BSVFB rescue from JP Burns State Park.
Thanks for asking Avis. The Celebration of Montgomery’s Life will be held Sunday, August 21st from 2-6 at Esalen.
Donations in her name could be made to the Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade or the Health Center.