Drought And History At Santa Margarita Lake

Today, after an extended absence from taking day hike excursions out into the hinterlands of San Luis Obispo County, my brother by another mother, Mike and I finally got out for a trek on the east side of Santa Margarita Lake (Salinas Reservoir) off of River Road via Pozo Road. The last time we visited this location was over a month ago and around the general time-frame that California had its big December 2014. Consequently, it was a lot wetter then in contrast to today. I found it shockingly dry despite those rains last month. The only sign that rain even happened was all the germinated green grass mingled with even more brown, dry, dead grass. Most shocking was the complete absence of any glimpse of the waters of Santa Margarita Lake. Of second-most interest today was our discovery of some relics of earlier eras of human activity in what is now the area of the lake-bed.  

After getting off the beaten path I spotted this concrete structure which normally should be under the waters of the lake.

I hiked down to the concrete structure to investigate further and attempt to determine its former purpose.

Upon viewing it from the south I determined it was a bridge for the former Pozo Road before the lake was formed.

In a normal summer this lake is a great fire break. This year the lake-bed will invite fire across its surface.
Note: this is the old Salinas River-bed heavily silted up due to the existence of the lake here since 1941.

Mike and Oscar made a discovery on this eroded stone outcropping just above the aforementioned concrete bridge ruin.

Chumash bedrock mortars.

The choice of location for this bedrock mortar site is obvious given it is at the junction of the Salinas River and a tributary.

My little monster amidst these wildflowers. I fear this may be as vivid as wildflowers get this year in the North County.

The bed of the Salinas River is outlined as a swath down the middle of the dead reed-covered dry bed of the eastern end of Santa Margarita Lake.

We found the remains of an old park outhouse... again off the beaten path we usually take here.
All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse

Apparently they are currently in my San Luis Obispo County tonight.... reducing to ecstatic tears at least one girl seen on the local news tonight by the simple fact they are here. A pox on all their house! Note I do not mention them by name having already sullied this blog by posting their visages here.... I'm such a whore!

Lock "Into The Sun"

I first heard the trance classic "Into The Sun" by Lock on Tiesto's Magik One: First Flight which I first heard upon purchasing it in or around 2001. This was at a time when trance was pretty much at its peak of artistic purity but was already being co-opted by commercialism and popularization from its underground roots from the rave scene of the 1990's. This is the extended original version, not Tiesto's shorter compilation version.

Note: a few years ago I posted "Of Trance & Air Raid Sirens" featuring another track from the same album as this song.

This Was Happening 315 Years Ago Now!

At this time tonight 315 years ago Pacific-wide tsunami looking very much like this graphic depicts and triggered by a M9.0+ megathrust earthquake on the Cascadia Subduction Zone was unfolding on the west coast of North America and eventually the entire Pacific Ocean Basin to varying degrees of intensity.

Picture of the Day - Hamming It Up With Mario

We visited Mario and his Hancock Street Cafe for the last time on this trip this morning right before we headed home to the Central Coast. Mario sent us away with full bellies and hearts. Here we see him hamming it up with a sandwich and the girls.
Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Note: to see additional adventures from this trip visit these pages:

Surprising Jon

Mario's World

Chillin' With Mike, Not Mick

Old Town San Diego At Night

Mario's Brothers In Arms

I Love The San Diego Zoo

Jon Meets Mario 

Jon Meets Mario

Tonight Jon was released from the hospital. After what Jon and his family have been through we felt it apropos to treat the Marsh Family to a dinner party at Hancock Street Cafe with Mario holding court. As the evening played out it was the perfect coda to our visit. Jon had a blast and seemed to be greatly cheered up as was his wife Laura it seemed. After the couple had left who was already there when we arrived, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. Well, aside from Mario's lovely and talented daughter who was there visiting and also helped Mario some by playing gracious hostess a little bit.
*Note: for more adventures experienced on this trip check out these:

Surprising Jon

Mario's World

Chillin' With Mike, Not Mick

Old Town San Diego At Night 

Mario's Brothers In Arms 

I Love The San Diego Zoo 

Hamming It Up With Mario

Jon being a silly savage...

... and his son riding in the saddle tracking down our dinner.

Oh dear, Brandon went and did it this time.... offering Jon a gnome's tushy to kiss is asking for trouble.

Pucker up, big boy!

Jon's Special Pizza... Mario's own invention. Note the meatball in the center: a custom touch.

Jon picking his nose for more pizza toppings.

Brandon needed a hug while we awaited our main course.

Brandon liked pulling on this bell a little too much.

I better hurry up and get married before I reach that age.

And so it began: Mario's dinner show began with the Mario Shuffle.

If I can't have Weird Al Yankovick then I'd gladly take Mario.

Jon and Mario connecting.
Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved)

I Love The San Diego Zoo

Today Jannine and Patsy and I had the privilege of visiting the San Diego Zoo while Jon was getting himself ready to be discharged from his long hospital stay. Jon and his lovely wife Laura were kind enough to set us up with tickets for the zoo so admission cost us nothing. This was really nice because admission is not cheap there although the price is well worthwhile considering what one gets for it. I typically HATE zoos. I empathize too much with the animals and feel their claustrophobia and sense of entrapment. However, at a zoo like this one they have larger and better "habitats" and such zoos are preserves for many endangered species and even breeding facilities for such. I last visited this zoo back in the mid-1980's when mom took my brother and I to San Diego during summer vacation a year or two or three after our dad died. I remember that we visited the zoo but remember no specifics. Therefore, today felt like my first visit and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, there is no possibility of doing the entirety of it in one day given the sheer volume of the San Diego Zoo.
*Note: to see additional adventures from this trip visit these pages:

Surprising Jon

Mario's World 

Chillin' With Mike, Not Mick 

Old Town San Diego At Night 

Mario's Brothers In Arms 

Jon Meets Mario 

Hamming It Up With Mario

Jannine and Patsy wanted to take the tram to which I agreed.

I did not let on to them at the time that I am uncomfortable being in such situations.

Initially as the tram ascended and early on I had to suppress an anxiety attack which was slightly discouraging to me.

However, I contained it in no small measure by distracting myself by taking many photos. Note the new habitat below being constructed. It appears the zoo has many new things going on so it keeps improving itself.

This is my favorite structure in the entire zoo. It has at least four levels with an open construction design reminiscent layout-wise of a Dr. Seuss structure but with a very different style, of course.

We were VERY high up when over canyons.

I LOVE the heavily forested nature of this zoo as well as the spacious mostly cageless exhibits.

I was greatly relieved at this point to be heading down.

I believe next time I should be fine on this tram now that I've "conquered" it.

Bontebok from South Africa.

Lesser kudu from east Africa.

Polar bear

Polar bear

Polar bear

Reindeer

Another bontebok from South Africa... my favorite animal here today.

Southern Gerenuk from east Africa.

Southern Gerenuk from east Africa.

Cuvier's Gazelle from northwest Africa.

Maned wolf from South America which is not actually a wolf or even a fox.

Elephant

Elephant

Giraffe

Rhinoceros posterior

Rhinoceros anterior

Koala

Male lion

Condors

Rattlesnake

Meercat

Bactrian camel

Koala

Orangutan....

..... in deep thought.

Like Linus, this orangutan dragged this burlap bag around everywhere it went.

Orangutan yawn

Gorilla mom with recently born young (born around Christmas 2014).

I assume that is the father bringing up the rear.

Alpha male silverback gorilla

Mom and baby gorilla again.
All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).