Good Morning Gatherworld - The Surf Is Up!

Good Morning Gatherworld!

It’s still early morning with no sign of dawn. I let Smokey Joe out and he returned soaking wet 15 minutes later. Now he is a large black and wet shaggy dog who has proven the weathermen’s predictions are coming true. As I was wiping him down I could hear the wind rising and now it is buffeting and banging the metal awnings of my trailer. It is supposed to rise to 70mph gusts by this afternoon here in the mountains east of San Diego.

For days the weathermen on the four local TV channels have been giving conflicting warnings about a storm bearing down upon us, but all reports have concentrated on the wonderful surf it would bring – 12, 15, maybe some 30-foot rogue waves! There were interviews of the most skilled surfers, and their gleaming eyes and enthusiastic body language indicated the eagerness they felt to do battle with giants. Amateurs are warned away. Meanwhile there seems to be a total lack of acknowledgement of a sewer spill reported yesterday that they said would close the beaches from the Mexican border at Imperial Beach to north of La Jolla.

Some weather reports said this storm would approach from the open ocean from the direction of Hawaii. I heard the words ‘Pineapple Express’ mentioned. We were to get the full blunt of the storm. Others said the storm was the same one that flooded the coastal areas of Washington and Oregon and it would lose much of its clout before it hit us. Satellite pictures have been displayed showing huge merging cloud areas in the Pacific bearing down on Southern California, and I heard the term ‘Arctic Express’ more than once. There has been no mention of California Eddy or Offshore Flo. They are probably snuggled up together for the duration over at Eddy's place on Catalina Island.

Yesterday, the weather pundits reluctantly turned from surfing to the realities of what might happen inland in the huge areas of October’s devastating wildfires – mudslides! But they quickly added on a cheerful note that there is likely to be snow down to 5,000-foot elevation and possible even to 3500 feet, and listeners should dust off their sleds and snow sliders for action. Oh, yes! The wind is likely to gust at 70 mph in the mountain areas. That’s where I live in an Indian horse camp in a trailer. I wish I had tie-downs like those on an aircraft carrier. Local Kumeyaay Indian clans have built two casinos near me in high places where the wind is often so strong, you need a rope to hang on to as you struggle from the parking lot to the front doors. The last time I went to the La Posta Casino, a 300 lb. Indian security guard had to come out to help me get inside before I warped right off the mountain! That is only about three miles away from me at a little higher elevation.

Come what may, I am pretty well prepared. I went to town last Monday and stocked up on groceries and other supplies for the month, and yesterday I battened all possible hatches preparing for the worst. I considered filling some sandbags for redirecting runoff that is aimed my way, but my old nemesis, Mr. Arthur Itis threatened me with midnight torture if I did that. Now, as I sit here plinking on my keyboard, all the chores involving my cats and dogs are done. I remembered to take my morning meds, and I downed an Ensure in case I forget to eat. Now I can bombard you with some of the articles that have been forming in my mind for weeks. If this feeling of manic inspiration continues, you are in for a deluge of stories you may or may not want to read. Well, you know where the buttons are to turn me off.