Stonecraft At Sunstone Winery

This evening I worked at Sunstone Winery & Vineyards in Santa Ynez for the first time. Being a rock guy I always love to see good stonemasonry and this property did not disappoint. I would have shot more images of the stonework at this place were it not for the fact a wedding was taking place. I hope to get back here again sometime and see more of it and shoot more images of it. Whoever designed this incorporated local sedimentary chalk slabs into the project and in many cases slanted them at a 45-degree angle much like the slanted strata in the nearby Santa Ynez Mountains to the south of this location.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Cuesta Grade Stratus Blanket

This was the sight I beheld as I descended the Cuesta Grade into San Luis Obispo this morning en route to Cal Poly classes starting at 8 a.m. This stratus cloud bank blanket burned off by noon. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved)

South SAFZ Short-Term Seismic Forecast

This does seem a bit ominous especially when combined with the fact there is hardly any promotion of this earthquake advisory on social media and what exists is presented as innocuously as possible.

Graphic of the Day - Current Wildfires (9/28/16)

Since the last time I posted this map some fires are no more and new ones have taken their place, most notably, the Loma Incident in Santa Clara Unit of Cal Fire, the Marshes Incident in Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit of Cal Fire, and the Sawmill Incident of Lake-Napa-Sonoma Unit of Cal Fire.

SLO Hottest In USA

Today, the current heatwave driven by autumnal, not vernal atmospheric conditions, pushed the mercury in San Luis Obispo, CA, up to 108° F, making it the hottest weather reporting location in the United States (Death Valley, CA, also reached 108° F today), and the 19th hottest location on Earth for this day.

Quite fortunately for me, I did not have to be in SLO today as I am at my high school on Tuesdays and Thursday and at Cal Poly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays this quarter. However, being in Atascadero, I was not spared some measure of summer-like heat as the mercury nearly reached the century mark falling one degree shy.

Loma Prieta Volcano?

Tonight I found this time-lapse footage on Twitter. This is the Loma Fire raging yesterday atop Loma Prieta Mountain on the spine of the Santa Cruz Mountains. This is the latest serious wildfire in California and broke out amidst the ongoing heatwave which is happening amidst the ongoing now-five-year drought. The fire seems to have begun near unto or adjacent to the communication equipment complex atop the mountain. As you may recall, the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake was centered below this mountain and made that name rather infamous.

The Anti-Bern Between Two Ferns

Last night I missed the first half to two-thirds of the first debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. I had intended to watch it all but got cock-blocked by family drama. However, I did get to finish watching the debate and from that segment got an accurate feel for how the whole thing went as confirmed by the consensus of analysis. A few days ago I first watched this brilliant and hilarious recent installment of Zach Galifianakis' Between Two Ferns featuring Clinton which must have been taped sometime in recent weeks given what is referenced within. The debate was engaging the way watching a train collision or plane crash whereas this downright funny. This is easier on the eyes and ears. Enjoy!

Scripture of the Day - Paul (Phil. 4:7)

Today and yesterday I became aware that I am and was yesterday emotionally floating through the previously mentioned pain and sense of being overwhelmed by the things currently going on my my family sphere. I have not been and am not now numb or disconnected from those feelings, but rather, I now realize I am and have been ensconced in a womb of peace and comfort in the midst of the pain and negativity. What I have is something I have experienced before but never so potently and blatantly obvious. What I have is a gift from above and is best described in the Scripture below:

"And the peace of God which transcends all human understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 4:7 (Kimicus ad Absurdum translation)

Quote of the Day - Friedrich Nietzsche

This afternoon as I drove home downloading my day by way of absorbing the painful developments of the previous 24 hours and 24 days and 24 months and 24 years,  I felt strangely strong and stable. At some point during my mind-wrapping-around session, this quote from Neitzsche came to mind. I hope I am not guilty of hubris but rather that quite legitimately I have acquired hard-won resiliency.

"From life's school of war: what does not kill me makes me stronger"

~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Picture of the day - Poly Fall Heatwave

This was the scene at Cal Poly's Dexter Lawn this hot fall morning in San Luis Obispo. This is the hottest I recall it being here since a particular heat wave in the Autumn of 2014. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - The Station

All weekend long as I worked at The Station in Los Alamos, people asked me when the service station-turned wine bar-soon-to-turn-restaurant was first built. Each time I have hazarded the guess sometime in the 20s or 30s as supported by one old-timer's assertion of that. Near the end of my final shift here this afternoon I noticed that on the wall above where I stood all weekend was this sign which states the place was "EST. 1926". DERP! I have two eyes and one mouth and need to starting using the former more and the latter less. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Nascent Alta Maria Station

For the second consecutive day I worked most of the day at the old The Station wine bar in Los Alamos soon-to-open-as Alta Maria Station restaurant in the same location. The timing of this intentionally coincided with the town's annual "Old Days" celebration and parade. At the beginning and end of my time there today when things were relatively calm I captured these images of this beautiful and interesting property/venue which first opened as an Old Highway 101 full service station in 1926.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Scripture of the Day - David (Ps. 118:23-24)

A lot lately I have found myself nearly singing this as a mantra inside myself as I head afresh into a new day full of opportunity not yet sullied by setbacks and the vicissitudes of life. Such was the case once again this morning on my drive to work when I would otherwise prefer to be in church.

"This is God's doing and it is awesome to behold. This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

~ Psalm 118:23-24 (Kimicus ad Absurdum translation)

Picture of the Day - Soul Cats

Today I worked an eight-hour shift at the soon-to-open Alta Maria Station Restaurant in Los Alamos. Today and tomorrow this rustic little berg is celebrating their "Old Days" annual festival and with the main drag Bell Street shut down the owners of The Station are holding an open house for the public to view the  improvements to the old highway service station-turned eatery. The Station is slated to open in the coming months as bureaucratic hoops are jumped through by the owners and their agents. Aside from Alta Maria wines and tri-tip sliders being served was a hot serving of American rock classics by the Santa Ynez Valley-based band the Soul Cats fronted by four gospel singers and supported by a ten-piece band. The girls killed it as did the entire band. As the singers were getting their tickets for food and wine I flirted with them that I needed to card them. They loved that so much that when they performed "The House of the Rising Sun" they dedicated it to me. That is one of my favorite songs of the 1960s and they proceeded to knock it out of the park and I was honored thus. Thank you, Jo (far left), for the dedication and the hug! Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - A Sunset At Halter Ranch

This evening I worked parking at the autumn pick-up party at Halter Ranch Vineyard in the Adelaida Area. The sunset and scenery upon which it cast its glow and shadow was worthy of sharing here. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Graphic of the Day - CA Reservoir Levels (9/16)

Here is an interesting update to where things stand in regards to reservoir levels throughout the state of California in light of the current historic drought entering its fifth year. Graphic courtesy of Ed Joyce via Twitter (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Soberanes Fire Two-Month Anniversary

Two months ago this morning, the Soberanes Fire started from an illegal campfire in Garrapata State Park in Monterey County's Big Sur Coast in the Santa Lucia Range. It would quickly spread into the Ventana Wilderness Area of the  Monterey District of the Los Padres National Forest. It would also kill one firefighter and destroy 57 homes, all of which occurred in the first week or so of the fire. The fire has burned 125,344 acres and is 71% contained with the remaining 29% containment requiring many tens of thousands of acres of additional acreage to char. The image above was captured by  Cal Fire Air Attack 460 during the failed Extended Attack the first afternoon of the fire two months ago today. This image was posted on the Cal Fire BEU Facebook page noting the fire had at that point consumed 250 acres. For an enlarged version of image above just click on it.
Photo courtesy Cal Fire (all rights reserved).

Graphic of the Day - Current Wildfires (9/21/16)

Here is the latest version of this map from Cal OES before it possibly changes dramatically as a significant autumnal wind event rakes the Soberanes Fire and possibly the Canyon Fire as well as any new starts that might erupt in wind-affected areas. Note: the Soberanes Fire is under a Red Flag Warning at this time as are significant swaths of California, north, east, and south.

Texas Tornadoes & Divorces

My friend Dan Chase told me this joke previously, but forgot it until he reminded me of it this morning.

"How are a Texas tornado and a Texas divorce different?"

"Not sure, but in both cases somebody is going to lose a trailer!"

Last Summer's Day At Kiler Canyon Farm

As with my previous visit to Kiler Canyon Farm last month which I covered HERE, I threw the adventure together kind of at the last minute last night by way of once again yelling over the fence into the backyard of the Chase Home next door and asking my lovely neighbors there (children or friends of children of the Chase Clan) if they thought I'd be welcome out at the farm the following Wednesday morning (Wednesday mornings are when the weekly harvest occurs). After receiving an encouraging exhortation from Claire and Noah, I headed out there this morning.

Once again today, the final day of summer, high clouds from the remnants of Hurricane Paine were drifting over the area from the east giving us what traditionally was and is called a "buttermilk" or "mackeral" sky, in today's case caused by altocumulus clouds.

I have come to love these people as an extension of my own ad-hoc, motley crew, adopted family which God has given me in light of my having hardly any remaining biological family of my own. It was nice to catch up with the fam and recharge the batteries before going back into the fray at Cal Poly for one more year starting this Friday. Following doing minimal work on the harvest itself as I was rather late showing up in the 8 a.m. hour, I helped as I could and broke bread with them.

Not wanting to arrive empty-handed and be a mooch, I stopped by a Mexican store (La Reyna) in Paso Robles on the way and picked up two pounds of fresh, local chorizo as a sort of breakfast potluck contribution. The Chases sent me home with a half-bushel basket of veggies. I reciprocated by picking up Quill's turquoise-colored stone order once I got back into town and Dan's ruby request for his child. Thanks, fam, for the food and veggies and fellowship!

The lower Chase House with the upper one being on a nearby ridge.

Hurricane Paine moisture streaming over the area this morning before the weather shift to autumn this evening.

Food and flowers are what this farm feeds.

The Barn exterior

The Barn interior showing filled and stacked and ready to go half-bushel baskets.

North view of the lower Chase House

South view of the lower Chase House.

"Scarlet Pimpernel" tomatoes as taxonomically designated by Dan this very morning for the first time.

Breakfast of champions

Communal-style dining that recalls to my mind eating at Samoa Cookhouse in Eureka, CA.

Right after breakfast word quickly ran through the farm of a rattlesnake in the garden that might have bitten a Chase cat. As it turns out, a Chase cat bit a gopher snake doing its darnedest to sound and look like a rattler.

I watched this cow get milked (and sampled said milk) at the potluck here in May, 2015.

Here Pig, Pig, Pig!!!

I LOVE this pizza/bread oven!

After hearing a tree cracking in the copse of oaks to the west of the lower Chase House, I headed off into said copse in hopes of watching something interesting. Instead, I found some interesting mechanical artifacts I was previously unaware were parked on this property.

This week's harvest being loaded up for delivery in Atascadero and Paso Robles, CA.
All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).