Holly is dreaming of a DRY CHRISTMAS

[Richard Crowe]

Holly hasn't been getting as much exercise as she usually gets running around our big yard.  It has been raining constantly since Friday and this is unusual here in San Diego County, California.  I don't know how much rain we have received but, we have emptied Holly's outdoor water bowl at least once and it is almost filled up again.  The bowl is about 8 inches deep.  We live 1,500 feet above sea level and, while that isn't very high in comparison with some areas, it gives our little area a different climate than the lower lying areas.  We get a lot more rain at our house than they do in Escondido which is about 800 feet high and a totally different climate from the City of San Diego which is only 35 miles south of us but, at sea level.

 

Los Angeles, about 100 miles to the north, has really been hammered and the areas hit by the wildfires of the last several years are preparing for some major flooding and mudslides. So far, our area, although receiving a lot of rain has dodged the bullet.  We have had steady rain but not the gully washers that L.A. has experienced.  We are crossing our fingers because the brunt of this storm, dubbed the Pineapple Express because it has swept through Hawaii and over the Pacific Ocean to us, will hit us later today and onto this evening.

 

Our home has one advantage, we are located on high ground and not near any cliffs which might give way.  Our house is also located in a dip in the terrain which protects us from the fierce south and west winds.

 

Every dark cloud has a golden lining and the lining for these clouds is that we really need the water.  We have been living under several years of nearly drought conditions.  The snow cap in the mountains from which we get a portion of our water is quite high, in fact it is at record levels and this still is early in the rainy season.

 

Holly is not complaining about the rain but, she just can't get interested in T.V. or the computer which keep the human members of her family occupied.  She does have one fun activity; we have a two week old Maltese puppy whom Holly adores.  She lays by his pen for hours waiting for him to come close enough to lick.  Apparently, the puppy who has just opened hie eyes yesterday, knows Holly's smell.  Whenever he is awake and Holly comes near the puppy pen, he crawls over to the side so Holly can lick him.

[Richard Crowe]

We hope that Coronado will keep floating.  If it sinks, San Diego will also have a "bridge to nowhere".

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

What! Pouring? Nooooooo. I just looked outside and it is raining in Riverside also.

[Donna Vee]

I think I spoke too soon Richard.  IT'S POORING AGAIN...and we are headed down your way in a couple of days. (Coronado).  Do you think it will be under water.

[Richard Crowe]

Well, it stopped raining early enough for the San Diego City officials to pump out 1.5 million gallons of water from Qualcomm Stadium (AKA San Diego Municipal Swimming Pool) in time for the Poinsettia Bowl between Navy and San Diego State on the evening of December 23rd. A great job done by all, there was up to three feet of water in the stadium and it was pumped dry in time for the logo to be painted and for San Diego State to trounce Navy 35 to 3. 

 Holly says, "GO AZTECS! THAT'S MY DADDY'S SCHOOL!"

BTW:  Holly has used the dry days to great advantage and has caught up on her exercise...

[Donna Vee]

FNALLY some relief for us here in SoCal....Yesterday was gorgeous and today is not too bad either.  I'm SOOOOO glad.  We had 16 people over yesterday and all I could think of during the days prior was muddy paws, nice Christmas clothes, screaming guests and mayhem everywhere....lol.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

We are soooooo sick of this rain.  Those of us in Southern California just don't know what to do.....  We are cold and wet and..... and .... bored.  I know those of you in the rest of the country are laughing your heads off.  We are such wimps out here. Many of us don't even have raincoats and often we don't even have umbrellas.. We are used to sun-drying our doods.  Whine, whine, whine.

[Richard Crowe]

We have disconnected all our outdoor Christmas lights.  Some of our decorations have blown over - we have a polar bear lying on its side in a puddle. The wind is whistling out there. Our oak trees are really blowing but, we had them thinned out last year so they allow much of the wind to blow through them.  The trees that have the most problems are eucalyptus because of their very shallow roots.  We are happy that we have none of them on our property. They are also fire hazards; but it is hard to think about wildfires in this weather.

 

The Marine Corps Base. Camp Pendleton has closed except for necessary services. Many of the local roads have shut down and one shopping center in San Diego has its underground garage filled with water.  I keep thinking about the poor people who work in the local car wash venues.  They have not made any salary or tips for almost a week - right before Christmas.

Apparently this is a record storm which hasn't been duplicated in over 50 years. 

 

Judy and I are retired so we don't need to drive any long distances.  We just need to pick up another rescue dog today but, he is living quite close to us!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Oh wow...the news just said that San Diego is experiencing it's biggest storm in 5 years!!!!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Yes, Gracie Doodle is not a happy camper at all.  We are further south than Richard.  Down in San Diego but on the Peninsula of Point Loma.  The beach is just down the hill.  We live at the top of the peninsula so we don't have a flooding problem but we did find that the water was tracking down an electrical cord to our patio outlet,  down the inside of the wall and on to the lime stone of the fireplace hearth.  It is a chord to the patio Christmas lights.  Unplugged it and now the water is flowing to the patio floor.  We have had the winds too so all my potted poinsettia plants in the patio have fallen over and each time they do another branch breaks off.  When all the out of town guests arrive on Thursday I won't have any decorations left...not to mention the soot and leaves on the driveway and walkways.  Gardeners arrive Friday so we can get a clean up!  Gracie is in a real funk because she doesn't mind being out in the rain and can't understand why I don't want to go out and throw the ball for her.  Poor baby...we really have not had a break all day long enough for a walk either.  Do you know what it is like to go out in the rain to get a manicure/pedicure????  I had to wear my flip flops!   Geesh...wet,sloshy, cold feet!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I am sorry about the deluge. My son is out in Walnut Creek over the holidays and it's been raining off and on since he got there. The puppy-Holly connection is so sweet.