We did a quick out and back to Buck Gulch Falls in Novato with the little ones.
What a great way to close out the year.
life, coding, technology, outdoors, photography
We did a quick out and back to Buck Gulch Falls in Novato with the little ones.
What a great way to close out the year.
It’s a pretty special moment when you get up to Indian Rock Park early enough to have the whole thing to yourself. The only problem with it is that I want to sit up here all day.
View from our backyard at 9am. Taken straight out of the camera, white balanced to sunlight. It looks like a photo taken on Mars. 💔
At the moment, something like 3,000 homes have been lost in the North Bay. It’s hard to even fathom the thousands of tragedies unfolding in the North Bay this week and how people who’ve lost their homes, pets, friends, loved ones, or all of it are even coping right now. ❤️
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In 2003, a meth addict trying to burn down a house started the Old Fire in the mountains near our house in Southern California. At the time, my dad worked for San Bernardino County and helped maintain their emergency communications system.
When the fires broke out, he was tasked with heading up the hill and bringing some emergency generators and other supplies to an *old* AT&T communications bunker on Strawberry Peak. It was built in the 1950’s and allegedly hardened to withstand a nuclear war. I ended up making the trip up with him.
For two days, we sat on top of the bunker and watched the fires slowly climb the mountain toward us. They were far enough away that we couldn’t hear trees burning, nor hear the bombers dropping Phos-Chek, nor smell smoke due to the wind blowing in a different direction, nor hear the sirens of firetrucks passing below on Highway 18.
At night, we watched the eerie glow of the flames play off the constantly changing patterns of smoke. Fortunately for us, the flames never reach the communications bunker.
Down below, 90,000 acres and 1,000 homes would ultimately be lost.
We had a few close calls growing up, but we were always lucky. I can’t even pretend to imagine the pain and suffering our friends and their families are going through right now.
My cousin is getting married, so Kerry and I came down to Southern California for the weekend and are staying with my parents in Mentone.
A few friends on Facebook left me some comments that said, “enjoy the beach!” Kerry was confused at what this meant. Apparently, I never told her about the history of Mentone Beach! The LA Times explains:
At least 60 miles from the coast, where the San Bernardino Mountains shoot through clouds, a signpost painted on a weather-beaten water tower beckons like a desert oasis: Mentone Beach.
[…]
Mentone, named for a Mediterranean resort in southeast France, seemed destined for coastal status: Its founders noted that “the climate and vegetation were the same; only the sea was missing.”
That’s right, this is where I’m from. See also, “In search of Paul Bunyan.”
This image from over a year ago at Dolores Park in San Francisco is especially relevant today. Blue skies, mid 60’s, an otherwise perfect day!