Intro to Central California

This is going to be lots of pictures, little verbiage. I'm just home from a quick weekend trip to Big Bear, CA to meet an old friend. Much of this is for my brother Bill, back in Illinois. Since I've been unable to twist his arm to bring his family and come visit, I'm resorting to a photo tour of parts of central California:


As I was packing to leave, Lucy, my old cat, decided to sit in my suitcase. It's usually Ellie who has to be IN things, but this time Lucy tried it, perhaps an attempt to keep me from filling the suitcase and leaving.






Big Bear is at about 7200 feet elevation. The air is crisp and clear with none of the smog we get. But, the trade-off is that the area is a tourist haven in all respects. Traffic is awful, fast and aggressive, waitresses and waiters can be surly, and gift shops are everywhere. A great place to visit; no way I'd live there.

Clean skies, white clouds and pine trees. Lovely.















We took the ski lift to the top of Snow Summit, just over 8000' elevation, where you can look down on Big Bear Lake. Hikers and mountain-bikers take the lift to the top and either hike or bike back down. I could not recommend the area for skiing - runs are very short - but for summer hiking, it's nice.






As we hiked down, storm clouds started coming in. We didn't get rain below, but it may have happened up above.











Heading down, one moves quickly from mountain to high desert. From here on the photos are taken from my car, mostly through the windshield, so please forgive the photo quality in some shots.










Heading north on Route 18, the road is narrow and very steep - a 16% grade in many areas! Looking out gives a view of what's to come and the start of dirty air.









The road here is much steeper than it looks in this shot. See the next one.












This is what you have right next to you on the side of the road. If you miss a turn, survival is pretty iffy.











Arriving safely at the bottom, you have high desert landscape with Joshua Trees (the large cactus-looking things) and scrub. It's very empty.











After a while you get on 395 North. We used to travel this route to hike on the East side of the Sierra Nevada. It's a long, boring, narrow road. For some reason this area where power lines of all sizes, descriptions and ages has always seemed incredibly lonely to me.









And, this is the landscape. I can't imagine living here, but signs for cheap land abound! It's dry, desolate and unfriendly looking.









From 395, one takes 58 across the state (got your map out?) via the Tehachapi pass. Here you find a wind farm. This picture is from a distance, out the windshield, at 75 + mph, and traveling a curvy and often steep road. These are giant windmills. On my way to Big Bear, I met a semi carrying one replacement blade. The blade took up the entire semi-trailer bed and stuck out over the back!









After Tehachapi you move into cattle country. Now, it may not look like that to folks from the midwest, but out here, this is cattle country. The color in this does not do it justice. The grasses are the color of ripe wheat and just lovely. But, it's obviously dormant season here.








At Bakersfield you catch the 99 North - are you with me? This is not my favorite part of the trip. Traffic is heavy, it's boring landscape, and just plain dull. I elected to take the short route, 65 North rather than the freeway.









On 65, it's citrus groves and oil wells and not much else. Traffic can be nasty. It's 2-lane and often not safe for passing - yet people do, double yellow lines be damned. I don't drive this road at dusk.









We've come across the state from East to West and arrived in the foothills on the opposite side of the Sierra, still a long way from the ocean.

This is Lake Kaweah, right outside of Three Rivers. It's full right now thanks to spring snow melt, but the water level will soon start drawing down to serve the citrus groves below.


So, I'm home. 5 1/2 hours one way. And, covering only a small part of this state.

So, will these clouds burst?

All around are dark, heavy clouds.


Some have trailers that mean rain is up there; but, will it fall?


Temperature has dropped to 88.


And the air has that unnatural stillness that, at least in the mid-West, means a storm is about to arrive. Here? Unknown.

I'd love a late, really out of season, storm. Of course, I love storms most any time. But now particularly, to cool and clean the air, to give a little drink to parched soil and plants, and to give hope. Storms do that, I think. At the same time they are dropping rain, they are spilling hope and a sense of new beginnings onto we humans. So, I'm hoping. . . .

OK - 19 and counting!!!

Here she is with 19 open blossoms!!!

The Restless Gardener

Why "restless"? Well, it's just me. Illinois to Mississippi; back to Illinois; to San Diego; to New Mexico; and now in the foothills of the Sierra. I don't stay put very well. And every place I've been, I've left plants behind. First, of course, I've had to learn to garden in that climate. In Mississippi, anything you stuck in the ground grew in the heat and humidity. The challenge was to be sure you put what you wanted where you wanted it and kept it there. Invasion was the name of the game. In San Diego, gardening is a breeze in the gentle climate. But some things like tulips and lilacs don't get enough cold to make it. New Mexico had sand and rock and summer monsoons to be contended with along with cold and wind.

So, it's May. In Illinois friend Yvonne is just setting out annuals. Spring is there. In North Carolina, daughter Monica may sunbathe today. It's the beginning of Summer. And here we're way past Spring and into the real heat already. This part of the world is a Mediterranean climate, and it makes no sense to folks who've never lived in that type of area. Our rains are over. Done until at least November. While the mid-West becomes unremittingly green, we will become progressively more brown. Only our stately old oaks and a few hardy shrubs retain their leaves. If you want color around your home, you must water. While the East is pleasantly washed in sun, we are hot, really hot.

Flora and fauna native here have learned to adapt. I'm still working on it.

Fortunately I am blessed with a bit of a green thumb. I'm known to throw out a bunch of mixed seeds and see what happens. Here, on a bank that I do water, old fashioned bachelor buttons and poppies like the morning sun and filtered shade cast by an old oak. The area is far enough from the oak's root system to make it OK to water. Watering our native oaks in summer will kill them for sure.


Again in the throw it out and see what happens vein, I don't even know what some of these are. I got a packet of shade and moisture loving seeds and pitched them in the few areas that may work for us. Most shade here is dry shade. These took just beneath a pistache tree that is still young and therefor gets watered.


And here, from the same seed packet, are delphiniums growing up through an out of bloom lilac. Funny. I've never planted delphiniums 'cuz I refuse to mess with staking, etc. But these are happy growing up through the lilac foliage.


A hybrid of a native is this chilopsis. It's heat loving and will put out these brightly colored tubular blooms all summer. Look carefully for the white dog in this picture.



This is a native I am told is very hard to grow, foot hill penstemon. It likes very lean, sandy or gravelly soil. It's planted in fill dirt that is rock, DG, and other non-rich soil. It's new and seems to be thriving. I'll have to be careful not to overwater in summer.



This is a Texas native called Texas Red Yucca. I'm not a big yucca fan, but this one is literally a hummingbird magnet. This shoot is about 3 feet tall, it's first year blooming, and next year will probably be 4 feet or more.


And butterfly bush is already blooming. A lesson learned here! I'll be trimming this baby, and the other 2 I planted, back almost to the base each fall. This one is about 7 feet tall. I had trimmed it back to about 4 feet last fall, and it took off way more than I expected. They can actually be invasive here, so I'll have to watch it. I do love how it draws betterflies and hummers though.


So, I've done my outside work for the day. Pulled a few weeds, trimmed a bit, put water out for birds and added to that in the fountain. Now it's too hot for man or beast and I'm in for the day. Hope you are loving wherever YOU are!

The view from my tub

OK, could we have a little drum roll, please? . . . ta, da, da, da, da, ta, dooop, de DAH!



My orchid is acting rather like the energizer bunny! There are eleven open blossoms, about 3 more ready to open and a ton of buds left. It hangs out over my claw foot tub and I gaze up as I soak pains away. You can just see one crystal from the chandelier above the orchid in this photo.

I can usually keep these guys alive and get 2 or 3 blooms, but this year, this one just took off! I can only say it must love the exposure in this window - mostly south, angled just a tad (that being a technical term) east.

Leads me to think I need a list of all the technical terms I've come to use over the decades along with semi-definitions. You know, things like "smidgen", "doo-dad", "dealy-bob", etc. I'll work on that.

Plant and Puppy

One of my orchids, actually one I've had for a couple of years, decided to go utterly berserk this year! It has so many blossoms and big heavy buds that I've had to prop it on a second orchid next to it in addition to the usual stick supporting. I moved it to the window above my claw foot tub, and it obviously likes that spot.


A blossom fell off a different orchid this morning, and I'm going to press it in my microwave flower press and make a note card from it. Cool, huh?


Meanwhile, last night Buck was displaying his level of stress and difficulty sleeping. Poor boy. I wish I could figure out some way to relieve him - NOT!! What I really wish is that I had his ability to be totally relaxed wherever I might be.

We had 3/4 inch of very late in the season rain a couple of days ago prolonging the wildflower season. I need to pick a few blossoms from various wildflowers and press those. Yet another project.

A quick update

Because this blog has always been directed to friends and family, I've started another directed specifically to my art. (www.artbyeddie.blogspot.com) It has a link to my web site. (www.artbyeddie.net) All of this is in preparation for the 2010 Studio Tour. So, check out either or both of those if you choose.

Then and Now

I often think I'm just not getting enough done or I'm not getting things done quickly enough. But, when I look back at pictures from two years ago when we moved in, well, I have to admit a lot has been accomplished.

This is our back wall NOW, with grass below, though it's pretty rough grass, and a bank full of blooms.

And here it is shortly before we moved in.





Even I have to admit there's a big difference! That first summer, after moving in mid-May, was nothing but dust everywhere. It was impossible to get anything to grow on the newly bulldozed areas in heat over 100 and in the midst of drought. Not pretty.







Out front by the little wall is a small fountain, a Japanese maple, and lots of stuff planted above the wall.









The "before" was pretty dismal!








Although there is still more to do, the front has a pretty welcoming view now. The boulders we had brought in added some definition, and we actually have a tad of green grass.








At the beginning we had, well, dirt, gravel and rocks.

So, I have to remind myself: Great progress has been made. Truly. When I look around and see only what remains to do, I'm discounting all we've done.


Patience has never been among my virtues, but I'm working on cultivating same. Time to meditate. Maybe I'll have some patience with that.

Time to cut back the grass and wildflowers

Each year, as Spring starts turning to Summer, we have to cut back the grass, etc. Beginning last year the County started to enforce a 100 foot requirement rather than the old 35'. So, 100 feet from any structure, has to be trimmed with all grass, weeds, wildflowers, etc., cut, brush removed, trees limbed up, etc. We are in a wildfire area, and with several years of drought having occurred here, much of California is a sitting duck for any kind of fire. So, even though I enjoy the look of the tall grasses even after they've turned brown, we follow the guidelines and cut it back.

Our lot is quite steep, and only a few areas can be done with the mower. Scottie's face pretty much tells the story - and it's not pretty!



Most areas have to be done with the weed eater. Think of doing over half an acre that way. Not fun. Today while Scottie is out on his long bike ride I plan to work on a couple of areas where I don't trust him not to decapitate things I've planted that are now barely visible amidst the tall grasses. Last year I did it all because he started the Summer season in Sequoia Park early. This year he's taken on much of the job.


I'm pushing for the idea of a bit of terracing and a small garden tractor with a three point hitch. I'm seeing a mower attachment, a tiller attachment, a blade, even an auger that could be used for planting trees in this hard clay. Yep. I'm putting that out to the Universe: Send us a reasonably priced small tractor and attachments. Think She's listening?

Perception

Big flower? Little flower? It's hard to tell with nothing else in the frame to compare. Each blossom is actually about the size of a half dollar.

And, how high is this grass, really? Being shot from the down side of a steep area, can you tell?

Does this help?


And, what on earth is this man so happy about? Click on the photo, and you'll find those are Easter eggs he's boasting.

What is Kevin doing? Smelling the steaks? Looking for dog hair maybe? Don't ask me!


What's going on here? Flour plus onions. . . . Actually Amanda is making pie crust. The onions are just waiting for another use. In the background Declan and Halle are coloring hard boiled eggs.

These two swingers have been taking turns, well sorta, in the hammock with the one not riding being assigned pushing duties.


So, would you say this was a wonderful spring break? Perception. . . .

Waaaaaay too busy

Let's start with NOW and move backward.

I just finished putting the living room and dining room back together after a major cleaning. I need to invest in a carpet shampooer! After renting a big commercial unit, I've learned a lesson. Anyway, the big area rugs in both rooms have been cleaned on both sides, carried outside (heavy when even slightly wet) and hung over outdoor furniture to dry, and finally put back down without all the pet hair and ground in dirt that has taken up residence. This whole operation was a two day job that almost did me in. But, it set the stage for the spring spruce-up of changing out dark red accessories for pale turquoise. It's a much lighter look.


Last week I managed a couple of days of weed eating, just around the house and walkways. In some places the grass and wildflowers are almost as tall as me. Yes, I know, I'm not tall, but still. . . . Anyway, Buck looks pretty next to the big rock.


Cocoa was working her way along one of the dog trails before I started cutting things back. I've left much of it for when Scottie returns home this week.


And, prior to all this, I was in North Carolina. I got to visit my daughter and grandsons and take in FOUR track meets, two for each boy. This is Monica and Cyrus, the oldest and a freshman at UNC. His endeavor was actually two days at one meet, his first major meet as a college man.


And this is Tucker, aka The Brat. This is one of his favorite spots to observe all that goes on in his kingdom. Tuck pretty much runs things his way. The two German Shepherds mostly bend to his will, though Bella will trap him with a paw if he gets too rowdy. And his people have simply given up on any discipline of The Mighty Tuck.


This is Cy - in the dark uniform - in the finals of the 400 hurdles. He finished third - as a freshman and in a big meet - WOW. His coach thinks he is on track to make junior Olympics, so I need to start checking out the exact when and where of that. We'll be going.


In between track meets Evan dressed as a King of Biblical times for a movie being made by a friend of his. Evan went from a young boy last June to a major Dude as a high school freshman this year.


And this is Evan in one of his events - don't ask me which, he ran several - second from left. He finished second in this and tells Cy that he will knock off Cy's high school record. Boys.


This week Scottie gets home from 10 days at his father's rebuilding a fence; Amanda and kids arrive for Easter. Next week I need to get started on my prep for the Studio Tour of 2010. Yeah, I know, I have a year, but it takes a bunch of time. It's expanding from 2 days to 3. There is to be a show in Visalia in January, before the Tour in March, that will preview the various artists involved. I have several new ideas to try painting; I want to get pieces of recycled art ready; AND I have hopes of moving my studio into what is now a storage building. So, I need a year. Yep. Watch this spot for news - and check out the web at www.artbyeddie.net.