Category: 2012-2013 Weather

Found Terrier-mix puppy

UPDATE – what an awesome place we live in! Only moments after I first posted this, we got a comment with a lead on the owner, and now, only hours later, Biggie has been identified as Sammie, and the owner is off to SLO on Tuesday to bring him home. Thank you ALL for taking care of each other – including our pets!

Last weekend, a traveler in our midst, from SLO, found a terrier-mix puppy running down the middle of the road on the northern end of Big Sur. she has this to say:

Hey Kate!

I found “Biggie” as I’ve been calling him at the north most end of Big Sur running down the middle of HWY 1. He is a tan wiry furred terrier with a black nose, small, about 15lbs or less and adorable. He was super scared but also very sweet and came to me when I stopped, but was skittish about being picked up. He’s never been aggressive though always loving. He is also intact. He had a brand new black color with white dog bones on it, but now tags :[ I did take him to the vet to be scanned but no microchip was found…he is a pup. 1 year max. Missy is beautiful you’re lucky! This little guy is adorable and I would love to be his owner but with school and classes I don’t have time to give him the attention and training he needs. And him not being neutered has made potty training difficult as he want to mark everything in the house…Here are some pictures of him:

I believe he’s some sort of terrier and chihuahua or dachshund mix. Possibly Cairn Terrier…I found him last Sun the 19th!

Thanks for the help! I really appreciate it. I know he would love to find his owners and if not that, his forever home.

Roxy Smith
Roxy.smith10@gmail.com
Cell – 310-245-1227
Sent from my iPhone

I have several really cute photos Roxy sent, I finally got them uploaded.

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FOTO Friday, 10

This isn’t one of mine, and in fact there is no credit given to the photographer, but I decided it superseded the one I had planned.

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Drought

There is an interesting article in today’s Herald about California’s drought. It has broken scores of 160-year-old records. You can find the whole article here: ridiculously resilient ridge

Here are just a few quotes.

“…meteorologists have fixed their attention on the scientific phenomenon they say is to blame for the emerging drought: a vast zone of high pressure in the atmosphere off the West Coast, nearly four miles high and 2,000 miles long, so stubborn that one researcher has dubbed it the ‘Ridiculously Resilient Ridge.'”

“The current high-pressure ridge is even stronger and more persistent than a similar ridge that parked over the Pacific Ocean during the 1976-77 drought, one of the driest in the 20th century.”

“Last year was the driest calendar year in recorded history in California in most cities, with records going back 160 years. The first snowpack reading in the Sierra Nevada earlier this month found a snowpack of just 20 percent of normal.”

The Herald article took me to a California weather blog that is full of interesting information, weather blog including this graphic of the high pressure ridge that parked itself over the Pacific Ocean last year and the first month of this year.

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Don’t get me wrong, this weather is better than summer – no bugs! BUT … and this is a big BUT … I am a native Californian, and I reach SS age this year. I’ve seen a lot of California weather. Nothing like this. I have foregone planting new bare root fruit trees and roses. I am debating a vegetable garden this year. My spring is still producing well, but if all the aquifers that must feed it are at 20% of normal, how can my spring be far behind?

Rain Rocks Rock Shed and Pitkins Curve Bridge

That Rock Shed is absolutely gorgeous! Nice job, everyone.

Charlie Hench, Resident Engineer for Cal-Trans sent these photos, taken, Tuesday Jan. 7th by Wayne Walker, Charlie’s structural representative.

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Local Assistance Center, Friday 1/3/14

Sorry, I didn’t finish my retrospective yesterday. Will try to finish today.

From Monterey County Office of Emergency Services

Hi All,
If you have not already gotten this information, I wanted to share this with you and anyone else that it would benefit. This is from the Monterey County Office of Emergency Services, which will host a local assistance center for residents impacted by the fire. Please share widely –
Happy New Year to you all,
Maia Carroll

We have scheduled a 1 day local assistance Center for the residents impacted by the Pfeiffer Fire. This event is being sponsored by The State of California and Monterey County.

Location: Multiple Agency Facility, Big Sur Station #1, Big Sur CA(MAC) Hwy 1 just south of Pfeiffer State Park entrance
Time Frame: Friday January 3rd, 10:00AM -5:00PM
There will be Wi-Fi is agencies need it as well as tables and chairs. Only a few phones lines in the room where we will be located.
There is ample parking for everyone.

Agencies invited/confirmed:

State Agencies:
Franchise Tax Board
MVD
CA Dept. of Insurance

County Agencies
Social Services
Assessor’s Office
RMA permits
OES
Federal
NRCS

NGOS
ARC
Tzu Chi

USFS Update, 12/23/13 – Pfeiffer Fire

Pfeiffer Fire
Los Padres National Forest December 23, 2013 10:00 AM UPDATE (No further evening update)
Fire Information Phone: (831) 667-0951

Incident: Pfeiffer Fire, started on December 16, 2013
Location: Pfeiffer Ridge Area, Big Sur, CA
Agency Jurisdiction: USDA Forest Service.
Cooperating Agencies: Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade, CalFire, Monterey County Sheriff, OES, CHP, Red Cross, Cal Trans
Current Size: 917 Acres
Cause: Under Investigation
Containment: 100 %
Containment: 12-20-2013
Current Resources: Crews:-2 Engines: 09 Dozers: 0 Helicopters -2 Air tankers: As Needed
Total Personnel: 188
Structures: Residents-34, Outbuildings-4
Assessment team’s confirmation shows a total loss of 34 residences, an increase from previous reports.

Today’s Activities: Crews continue to mop up and patrol. Due to predicted increased temperature, but higher relative humidity, fire activity inside the perimeter is expected to be less.

Residents of Clear Ridge, Middle Ridge, and Front Hill areas were allowed to return to their homes on 12/21/13.

PG&E will continue working along Sycamore Road and Pfeiffer Ridge Rd. They will be using a helicopter to transport materials into the burn area and job sites.
Central Coast Interagency Incident Management Team 7, under the Command of Incident Commander Mark Nunez, transitioned management of the incident yesterday, December 22, 2013 to Curt Schwarm, Type 3 Incident Commander for Los Padres NF. The team would like to thank the community of Big Sur for their cooperation and patience during the Pfeiffer Fire Incident.

Weather: No major weather changes are expected over the area today.

Evacuations: Evacuations of residences in Pfeiffer Ridge Community from Sycamore Road on the south to Clear Ridge on the north, to Highway 1 on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west are still in effect.

Community Meeting: Community Meetings will resume on Monday at 10:30 at the Big Sur Station, Highway 1, Big Sur, CA

Road Closures: Sycamore Road, Pfeiffer Ridge Road, and the road from River Inn to intersection with Pfeiffer Ridge Road. Both lanes of Highway 1 are currently open. Situational Awareness while driving is encouraged due to increase. BE SAFE!

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering free confidential site visits for fire effected land owners. John.warner @ca.usda .gov.
PG&E contact # 1-831-479-3074 WWW.PGE.com

NO BURNING IN BIG SUR

Dear Big Sur Community,

Even though Burn Season has officially begun, due to the lack of rain no burning will be allowed in the Big Sur area of burn zone 32 until we receive more rain. The Big Sur area is from the SLO county line to Hurricane Point. You may hear the message on the 800 number say it is a burn day, but you need to check the Fire Brigade number prior to burning.

If you got a burn permit last year it will be good for one more year. Please remember to call the Fire Brigade number at 667-2113 if you plan on burning, (on a permissive burn day).

Thank you,
Martha Karstens
Chief, Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade

Flowers by Kate – the other Big Sur Kate

Wednesday, I got a lovely and sweet surprise. Ken, the Cal Trans engineer in charge of the Rocky Creek project, sent me a lovely bouquet of flowers. He didn’t use a flower shop in town, he used Big Sur’s own flower lady, Kate Healy. Isn’t this a great community?

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Sonic Booms

Sonic booms from planes playing war games 70 miles off the coast were heard from Big Sur to Santa Barbara. They rattled my windows and my dogs. Katherine Turner & Burt Ewling of The Cambrian report that Andrews Air Force Base confirmed practice strike runs.

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Jade Festival

Kate’s internet is not reliable at the moment. She will call me for updates regarding the Jade Festival. At the moment it is still on hold. Kate says Sam Farr was able to obtain an exemption on the permit. Parking and camping are still issues. We will keep you posted.

Debbie