Wrap-Up

Only one structure damaged in a 14,100 acres. How lucky. Better ask the wildlife how many homes they lost...how many nesting areas, how many food sources, how many hard fought territories, shelter and ranges they lost. That many died , there is no doubt. That more will die...probably.
Nature has always been this way. Fires have always played a part. But, if arson is involved, the crime is doubly detestable. Not only have firefighters been injured, vast sums of money have been spent. That seems good enough reason to me to use every resource to determine who is at fault! As the fire wanes, so does interest in the story. It is our hope that the investigation into the crime continues at full speed.

My Brenda Starr moment is over - the blog will go on as before - talking about mundane things. What it's like to live in the desert - oddities and great things about Borrego Springs...when to plant peas, carrots and chard...how hot the summer...the monsoon...and you know what.

WHEW ! I'm glad that's over!

It Feels HOT !

This morning humidity was at 69% and already around 90 degrees F. Almost everyone who lives in Borrego understands that calls for air conditioner use rather than swamp coolers. When you think of the fire fighters working in this high temperature/high humidity environment you have to wonder how they do it! For instance, we were out early trimming Lantana. We lasted about forty-five minutes before we decided to return to our comfortable air conditioned house! Thanks to every firefighter who is out there.

The cause of the fire has been tagged arson. The cost, so far, is $ 12.9 million. I wonder if the perpetrator (s) will ever be found and be held financially responsible for the fire.

This afternoon: Humidity had dropped to about 22 percent but temperature increased to around 108 F. ( feels like 110 degrees ) Sky, clear with a few white clouds over mountains, wind light. Total area burned, about 21 sq. miles.

Fire Prevention

Last night we saw more than a glow in the sky,,,we saw fire along a near-by ridge. The humidity is high, today ( 75% ) and the winds still light and from the south east...all in favor of gaining control of the blaze. The weather report says there is a slight chance of rain, today.

However, if you live in Borrego Springs you have probably done some thinking about the conditions in your own backyard regarding fire safety. We looked at ours and found a few things we could do something about...how about you?

Around noon taday, drove to Indianhead Ranch. There are hot spots on the south side of Henderson Canyon, well monitored by crews stationed along the entrance road of Indianhead. We noticed an ATV on one of the pick-ups.

Signs in the Sky

We woke up this morning and knew something was amiss. The sky to the east looked eerie and there was a misty cloud to the west. One step outside affirmed our suspicions...a wildfire in the mountains. The fire seems to be on or near the Los Coyotes Reservation. As I write this, the smell of smoke is obvious.

We have had near-by wildfires before, some of them resulting in the local school being used as an evacuation area. We hope this fire will be contained soon as we think of all the animals nearby who must be frantically trying to escape the flames.

The Grabbers

Last night we were sitting on the patio with friends when Lola started going berserk! She ran from us to the corner of the back wall, looked at us, ran back and forth...her excitement obvious. We assumed another coyote was sniffing outside the wall and kept our conversation going. But Lola was not to be ignored. She insisted we investigate. We turned on the flood light as one of our city friends suggested and she followed Lola to see. " It's a SNAKE ! ", she shrieked. That DID get our attention!

Lola was standing over a writhing mass of black netting, Texas Ranger branches and pebbles. Mr. Take Charge took a quick look and told me to run in the house and grab the grabbers ( aptly named tool ). I found two and also grabbed a big flashlight. Yes, something was definitely wrong. The snake was moving but not going anywhere! Identification was important. No rattler noise. No triangular head. A gorgeous pink cast led me to say, " I think it's a rosy boa ! " ( Charina trivigata roseofusca ) Not dangerous. We looked more closely while our friends kept Lola away.

We determined the snake was helplessly entangled in a mass of bird netting which had covered the strawberry bed. The netting had blown into the ranger bush and was also entangled with that. A bad snake situation. I returned to the house for small scissors. The braver of the two of us held the snake just under the head ( after a little nip on the hand ) while I started cutting away the netting, which had tightened around the snake's body. It took about fifteen minutes before we had freed it, put it outside the gate and watched as it moved swiftly away.

Bird netting, along with plastic fish line, six pac covers, bottles and other items can be a deathtrap to animals. I remember another instance that we had to cut away netting from the apple tree to free a cotton tail: A young cottontail and a squirrel shared the same burrow. They seemed to play together, chasing one another round and round the yard. One day, we heard a dreadful squealing. The squirrel was making so much noise, we had to investigate. The rabbit was ensnared by the mesh and was dangling from a lower branch of the tree. We had to cut him free, also.

There is a moral to this story - and, by now, you know what it is. The snake was so beautiful and strong...we marveled at how the tail kept wrapping around the shaft of the grabbers...the way of the boa, I guess. We estimated the length at around three feet and actually had to "unwind" his tail after he was free of the netting. Another eventful Borrego memory!

A Wild Place

A desert garden, if modified, can also be seen as a "wild place", where desert animals can find all the items they need to survive and flourish in an arid environment. Their needs are few...water, food, shelter and refuge from predators.
In direct contrast to the garden inside our walls, is the outer garden, which has been designed to provide for wildlife needs, offers us a chance to view desert wildlife and know that our garden fulfills their needs. Sometime ago, we applied for and received Wildlife Sanctuary Certification status through the Humane Society of the United States. We had to make some small changes to fulfill the criteria but our acreage fit easily into their scheme.
Luckily, we had removed few desert plants from the construction area when we built our home. Native plants are a primary requirement and we had plenty of those...we only bulldozed the building site and the driveway was planned to avoid some mature Ocotillos. We had to transplant one to another location and we removed scrubby looking plants from the roadside. We had put low chicken wire along the perimeter of the lot to protect new oleanders we had planted. Boy, that made no sense at all! We removed all that so animals could have free access. Also pulled the oleanders...but, know this: Oleanders NEVER die or " just fade away...." A little rain and up they come again! Now, in place of our orderly "property line" is a jumble of native plants and cacti, allowed to grow unfettered. We added several shallow water basins under irrigation drips already in place. The drips keep the basins full at all times. We already had rocks and boulders in the yard and never use pesticides. All requirements met!
Now, you can look outside our inner garden wall and observe many animal paths leading into our yard. As time has passed, the large clusters of ratany, chuparosa and cheese bush have formed dense thickets and offer perfect refuge for many animals. We also have many creosotes, indigos, brittlebush, mesquites, native palms and cacti ( yes, even different types of cholla, which is somewhat annoying, this time of year due to cast off sticker balls ) Cholla is a major factor in keeping cactus wrens near-by and we just LOVE those birds! They hunt and feed voraciously on all the insects we can do without!
We never put food out for any animals - including birds. We know their needs can be met by food they find right in our garden. We love to catch glimpses of desert wildlife...especially here, in our own yard!

Borrego's Magic Dragon

Something has arisen from the desert soil...a magical, whimsical creature executed by artist Ricardo Breceda and sponsored by Dennis Avery. I predict this creature will draw visitors from near and far. Every parent will want his child to see this new giant piece of art. It certainly brought forth the child in me when I first viewed the completed sculpture!

I was truly at a loss of words. I had been watching the large pieces of metal scattered about for months, seen the crane, waited and waited, but I had no idea of what the final sculpture would really look like. We drove up Borrego Springs Road the other day and there it was ...on both sides of the road. I experienced a feeling that could only be described as pure happiness and glee to see Borrego's Magic Dragon. Bits and pieces of old fables, Medieval tales, science fiction ( Dune ), Chinese festivals, old movies...all the lore of many years flooded through my memory as we viewed it.

That it is a creature of the desert is certain...it has the music of desert snake attached to its tail. The dragon has chosen his place and he will be here far longer than any of us. He will bring joy to many and, probably, good luck to Borrego Springs. In fact...HE may be the cause of Borrego's first traffic signal!

I used to tell a story...it went like this: IN THE EARLY DAYS, coyote walked many paths. One day, as he was pursuing his travels, he came to a very wide valley. Others warned him as he approached the valley, " You must not enter this place...NO ONE who has entered has ever returned. It is a bad place, guarded by a giant dragon, who kills all who try to pass through. To continue your journey safely, we strongly advise you to go the long way...around this evil place." Well, coyote listened, for he was very smart and often heeded good advice. However, coyote was also lazy and was often prone to use shortcuts. He figured the valley would save him a lot of time on this particular journey. He looked carefully and saw nothing much to alarm him. He decided to enter and pass through the valley. At first, he noticed nothing amiss. However, as he traveled deeper into that still, quiet place, he thought to himself, "This IS an unusual valley, for sure...I see no movement of any type and I am getting to feel a bit strange about this place." He did notice, however, some tall straight trees which had lost all their leaves and made the place look barren, indeed. OH,NO...he also noticed, under the trees, piles of old BONES... and the more he looked, the more bones he saw. He said, " I sure see a lot of bones, but I don't see any dragon...I'll bet he no longer lives here." And, with that, he heard a thunderous voice which echoed over the valley..." HAH, COYOTE! You should have listened to the advice...You are in my mouth, which IS the entrance to the valley!" Oh,oh, caught in a trap. But coyote is smart and moves quickly...as he heard Dragon's first words, he raced to one of the dead trees and, with a mighty yank, pulled it from the earth. He wedged the tree between the Dragon's jaws and as he did this, many animals of all kinds came running forth...pumas, bears, mountain sheep and more...even the smallest animals, gnats, flies, tics, bees and more...lizards, snakes, toads, salamanders and more...all ran from the Dragon's depths to freedom. Coyote watched as Dragon's jaws closed upon the sharp tree stake. He soon died and from that time to this, many of those same animals live here, in this place...and from time to time, many of the old bones and pieces of the dead trees are found here, in this very valley!

Storm Update

My weather station friend called this morning to tell me the rain total for yesterday's rain. Just around .35 inch. She said they felt terrible about missing the storm. They had been in La Quinta for shopping and appointments. They drove home, late afternoon, through the washes on S-22 and said there had been no heavy run-off.

That is often the way of these summer storms...very localized. AND - we were the lucky locals, this time!

RAIN !

WHEE! It happened! Around 2 pm this afternoon, I saw the first lightning flash, followed by a distant roll of thunder...but then, the wind started and I knew, for sure, that we were going to get some rain. Everyone at this house gets excited when the summer deluge finally arrives...seeing the first half dollar sized drops splat on the pavers and pool, more lightning, thunder increasing in volume until the loud crashes seem right above the house, phones beeping and growing dark ( just a small power interruption, this time) , the noise of rain on the roof, rain gutters spouting, sirens in the distance...somewhere may be flooding. We love Borrego during these times!

Our son and a friend from Fairbanks Ranch called, worried that we were experiencing a flash flood. They saw the warning on T.V. but , by then, the event was over. I imagine the badlands experienced some washouts and Palm Canyon Dr, probably looked like a stream. I saw the Cal-Trans truck go by, checking the roads, but the duration ( about one hour ) of the downpour probably prevented damage.

We aren't the only ones who love the summer rains. The desert trees, bushes, plants and animals take immediate advantage of even a few drops of moisture...think of how they must feel now!

Smog or Monsoon ?

We were exposed to our first Borrego monsoon many years ago. We often stayed at Peg Leg, in our RV and prior to that, we had attended field trips to Anza Borrego Desert State Park offered by Cal Poly, Pomona. We had always loved the trips and the seclusion offered by the Park. We decided Borrego would be and ideal place to retire, later on...

Well, that time came faster than we thought. We bought a lot, contacted a local architect and started creating the house of our dreams in this little hideout, far from the noise and congestion of our coastal home. Out of necessity, we had to drive to Borrego many times during the summer and consult with the architect.

We would leave the beach at 4 am to avoid traffic and head out the Riverside Freeway to get to her office in time for our appointment. We both vividly remember the first time we saw desert monsoon weather. As we left Ranchita, on Montezuma grade, the entire desert below was covered with, to our novice desert eyes, a gray haze which we thought must be smog. GOSH! We were devestated and wondered if we had made a huge mistake.

Our architect soon explained what it was and threw in a few stories, too. We started looking forward to the desert monsoons and can tell some great tales...about the time, sitting on the porch watching an approaching squall, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Soon, we were in a thundering downpour and saw lightning strike the neighbor's palm tree, splitting the top, then travel into the house, where it destroyed the refrigerator and washer! Another year...we saw lightning hit a camper in another yard. We always examine the mountains with our binoculars after storms, looking for wisps of smoke, some of which we have reported. Everyone here can tell you of the many electrical outages we have had during this time of year. A little summer excitement is good for everyone! ( Update: 7/6, This morning air so heavy you could slice it...Weather Underground says humidity only around 50 percent. When I called a neighbor who has a weather station, she said it is around 70 percent. Guess who I believe? No rain, yet but still hoping! ) Central air conditioning necessary, even during the night.

Borrego is a great place to live, but be sure to bring your surge protectors and home weather stations with you!

June Gloom in July

We used to live at the beach, so we know what June gloom means. This morning, in Borrego, we awoke, looked out the window and there it was...a month early...another example of this crazy weather pattern!
When you can't see the Santa Rosa mountains from our house it is either due to a dust storm , heavy rain or monsoon moisture. June gloom at the beach differs from Borrego...it is COOL. Here, it is HOT!
Air so heavy you can feel it, taste it, smell it. And, the humidity is only hovering around sixty percent...an outside temperature of 88 degrees will feel like 94 degrees. As the day progresses, the temperature will rise and the comfort level will decline. This, we know from experience. Borrego usually basks in clear bright sunlight and experiences very low humidity. This, we also know: Swamp coolers are worthless during monsoon periods. You definitely need to turn on the air conditioning, regardless of the cost!
When the first monsoon appears, we feel great expectations...probably shared by all inhabitants of desert regions throughout the centuries. We hope for the thunder, lightning and drenching rains that will renew and revitalize the desert, filling tinajas and providing for all the desert creatures and plants. As for us, when we open our next bill from San Diego Gas and Electric, we won't be too surprised!