Rainy Day People

Umbrellas on parade in downtown Redwood City, California.

The Internet is abuzz with news of the big storm that is inundating California. People being told to evacuate. Trees falling on roadways. Landslides everywhere. This is from the on-line site MSNBC:

"By midday Tuesday, more than 6 inches of rain had fallen in parts of the Santa Cruz Mountains and more than 4 inches in parts of Marin County, according to the National Weather Service. Santa Cruz County issued voluntary evacuation orders affecting about 60 homes near areas burned by the Lockheed Fire, a 7,800-acre blaze ignited in August."

It did rain a lot. But it is autumn and California hasn't had a drop of precipitation since June. And we do sit on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. I thought it was nice to see a little moisture for a change. And my windshield wipers, feeling out of shape from their summer vacation, had a chance to stretch their blades.

Windshield wipers fight to keep my windshield clear on El Camino Real, near Palo Alto, California.

My mother, who has been a real trooper this week, during Dad's first week in skilled nursing care, didn't let the storm keep her from her daily visit to the nursing home. She appeared at the back door, ready for the Swedish car to pick her up, sporting her rainy day shoes: a pair of brown-and-white oxfords that go back to World War II--at least--and thus, are even older than I am. They have terrific lug soles that have managed to survive all these decades and that make walking in rainy weather very safe. Ah for the days of American-made shoes with soles by U.S. Rubber that would last a lifetime.

The inches of rain swooshed down from the Santa Cruz Mountains and filled Adobe Creek in Los Altos, California. The little riverlet is dry all summer and it is the the place I caught my worst case of poison oak when I used the dry creek bed, one hot summer day, as a path to the grocery store.

Today, only a canoe would suffice on Adobe Creek. Like Mom, sporting her rainy days shoes, the little creek has donned its winter wardrobe. We won't be endangered by its poison oak again 'til the dry days of spring roll around again.

The water in Adobe Creek speeds its way into San Francisco Bay.

Residents Urged to Flee California Storm

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