Saturday, February 25, 2006


Early this week we are expecting a very wet, warm storm with up to 6 inches of rain in the high country. This is good since we need the rain... but I'd rather see it fall as snow up there!  Posted by Picasa

Strawberry Peak, about 6000 feet tall, covered in a dusting of snow. Posted by Picasa

Snow is much more common in the pines on top of Mt. Pacifico. Posted by Picasa

Last weekend the San Gabriel Mountains got snow down to about 3,500 feet or so. It stuck around in the shade many places all week. This is in a plantation near Mill Creek Summit Posted by Picasa

The snow looks a bit out of place on the chaparral... Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, February 21, 2006


My new glasses Posted by Picasa

this picture is totally emo Posted by Picasa

The nursery, and Josh's beard. Note that if he shaves any time soon he is a wussy and sold out! Posted by Picasa

A lot of bikes Posted by Picasa

Blurry space invaders Posted by Picasa

the 5 freeway with no one going north... Posted by Picasa

My wild cucumber Posted by Picasa

Julie's Humboldt Lily Posted by Picasa

Josh gets really excited about his bike cam gadget thingie! Posted by Picasa

so that's what the bottom of the bottle looks like! Posted by Picasa

drag race Posted by Picasa

Thursday, February 16, 2006


Me and federally listed endangered plant Nevin's Barberry. Posted by Picasa

So it's been a dry year... something that I am not a big fan of. However, the native plants, who have been here much longer than us, don't seem to mind. This native bunchgrass was probably buried in weeds last year, after all the rain. This year, the weeds are anemic but the bunchgrass, with its deep roots, is using water beneath the surface to make tons of seeds. The dry years often offer an advantage to native plants. However, the forecast for this weekend calls for SNOW on this ridge, around 4000 feet, by this weekend. It will be interesting to see how a combination of dry weather followed by snow affects things. Posted by Picasa

Sunday, February 12, 2006


This is me at 'Midnight Ridazz', wearing Julie B's old bicycle helmet. (i need a new one). I left my camera at my parents' house so i have to resort to stealing pictures from Josh Posted by Picasa

Monday, February 06, 2006

Dry, Windy

It hasn't rained for over 20 days. It doesnt look like it will rain in the next week. It's locked in to a dry pattern. Maybe it's La Nina.

They say dry years are good for the land... it allows our native plants a year to catch their breath without hte onslaught of weeds. They say while there are less flowers during a dry year, the diversity is actually higher. Or so Julie tells me, anyway, and she usually knows what she's talking about. But even still, i don't like the dry years.

It's the offshore wind, the santa ana, that really gets to me. It alters my brain chemistry just a little bit, in a way that makes my current situation more frustrating than usual. But it doesnt look like either thing will change in the next week or two...

I realize it's my own fault, i stand in the sun because i don't want to trust anyone inside, then i complain that it's too hot. But that's okay. Eventually that will change. Sooner, rather than later.

This week should be a good one anyway. I just wish the Forest Service was closer to my age... the Park Service always had young people coming in, and cute girls... even if those girls were trouble sometimes, they kept me occupied.

Saturday, February 04, 2006


singing to the broom Posted by Picasa

Thursday, February 02, 2006


Shiny raindrops and the sunset in Davis, after more rain came through. It's amazing how different it can be between the northern and southern part of the state... last year southern California was saturated and it was dry in the north . This year it's the other way around. In any event, if i get tired of the dry conditions, i can just drive out of them. Dry years aren't all bad though. In many areas, dry years have a higher diversity of native plants than wet years... because the weeds don't do well during dry times. Posted by Picasa

into the fog... Posted by Picasa

more snow... Posted by Picasa

Sierra sunsets are even better than those in the Central Valley. Unfortunately, the picture didn't come out great... but the colors were not only in the high clouds, but also in the low clouds in the valley below us, and the sun was shining between the two layers. Posted by Picasa

Unlike the San Gabriels, the Sierras are full of snow. Posted by Picasa