Thoughts on Earthquakes

I was born in earthquake prone Southern California and have lived here all my life. I spent the first 18 years of my life living on the southern end of the San Andrea fault.

I remember one summer we had a cluster of quakes that drove the family out of the house to sleep on the lawn for several nights. It was a scary time for me, even though my parents and siblings were sleeping close by.  They drug our mattresses out to the lawn at night so it was fairly comfortable but there were bugs and animals and all kinds of unknown noises. I should add, we lived on a kind of cattle ranch a little way from town.

My mother, brother and I were visiting my mother's sister and family in Oak View Gardens when the earthquake that was centered near Tahapi, Calif. did extensive damage there (1950's). Even though we were more then 200 miles away it shook us up pretty good. My brother wasn't impressed and went back to sleep.

Another time, when I was a teenager, I could actually see the ripples in the ground as the earthquake passed the house and heard the noise as it shook the neighborhood. Talk hard on the nerves!

The Northridge quake (1990's) knocked out power here for most of one day. The first time I remember loosing electricity. My daughter was attending CSU Northridge at the time and the parking structure she would have been in was a total loss. There was so much damage from that earthquake!

The authorities keep telling us we need to assemble items to get us through at least 3 days when the BIG ONE hits. I have started compiling a list and would like you to add anything you might think of that isn't included.


1. Water (1 gal. per day)
2. Non perishable food
3. Battery operated radio and batteries
4. Dust mask
5. Plastic sheeting
6. Duct tape
7. Moist towelets
8. Garbage bags and ties
9. Toilet Paper
10 Medications
11 Important documents
12 Cash
13 Blankets
14 Change of clothing
15 Sturdy shoes
16 Matches
17 Paper towels
18 Paper cups, plates, plastic utensils
19 Paper and Pencil
20 Books
21 Battery operated light
22 Tent

I think I will get at least 2 large plastic containers for storage. I also need to decide where to put the containers so they will be accessible in the aftermath.

Again, please let me know what you think I should add to the list. Your help is much appreciated.

Thoughts on Cats and other Pets

Meet Fez and Jackie. They rule our household! My Grandson, Matt, found them in a dumpster at his work place. There were 4 altogether and he captured them one by one. Fez came home first. Two others were placed in a home in Santa Barbara.

Fez is Alpha Cat, even though she was the runt and fit in the palm of Matt's hand when we got her. We were told by a vet that Fez was a male and the mistake wasn't discovered until she was taken in for neutering! The funny thing is she seems to have the more agressive personality and acted like a male from the first. By the way, Fez is on the left in this picture.

We had a hard time telling them apart when they were kittens and they still look alike from some angles. Jackie is the Big Girl, weighing in at over 15 pounds, and has the softest fur. She is also the shiest and disappears when company comes. If she is trying to get my attention she butts me with her head. Now Fez, on the other hand, uses her claws when I ignore her too long.

There is no mistaking the fact that Tim is the main person in their lives. He spoils them something awful and they follow him all over the house. He just can't bring himself to scold them if they need it.

Fez and Jackie share their bed with Tim and Karen. Notice I said their bed! Poor Karen loses her spot if she has to use the facilities during the night. Or else they have her so penned in she can't move. Their favorite place is her feet. I keep telling her she is bigger then they are. "Just toss them off the bed"

They are not the kind to cuddle. Fez will lay next to you and put one foot on you but it has to be her idea. Jackie will let you know when she wants to be petted otherwise, forget it.

We had a foster kitten for a few weeks. She was a pretty little calico. I called her Miss Kitty. We had her long enough to make up flyers to see if the owners were interested in getting her back. The cat rescue people arranged for her to be spayed and shortly after they found a home for her. Fez and Jackie did not like sharing with Miss Kitty.

We recently added a dog to the household. Her name is Lady.

We had a problem with some teenage boy coming onto our fenced and gated. I added discouragements but that didn't stop them so we are hopeful that Lady will solve the problem. She is another rescue animal who appears to have been abandoned. Lady is smart and apeares to have already had some training. She is fitting in well. We have a routine down for securing her while we drive in and out of the electric gate. My biggest argument against getting a dog was keeping her from running out the gate when we move the cars out. It is a little inconvenient to have to get out of the car to release her but a lot easier then having to chase her down the street.

Lady sleeps near the washer and drier at night. The baby gate keeps her confined, and she hasn't tried to go over it, although she could easily do so. She is sharp and has to check out anything that moves, even bugs.

The cats are not happy with the addition of Lady and Fez has had an anxiety problem. I know that sounds funny but she had to be given anti anxiety meds. She seems to be doing much better and is off the meds. The dog doesn't have the run of the house and the cats do.

Lady found a bunch of discarded credit cards yesterday while Tim was taking her for an early morning walk. It turns out they were from an auto burglary and are now in the possession of the police.

There will, without a doubt, be more tales to tell in the future. In the mean time, CATS RULE, DOGS DROOL.

Thoughts on my yard

This is the view I see from my patio. It's hard to believe that a short 2 years ago there was pretty much nothing beyond the roses other than dirt and weeds. we had a young man living with us that wanted to get into landscaping so working together this is what we came up with. After looking at those weed for more than 30 years, I had the money and didn't have to get anyone's approval so I said "Let's go for it.

One of the major things I wanted was a pergola. The first decision was how big? I was thinking along the lines of a small one but my landscape designer talked me in to a big one and I'm glad he did! It really fits the space much better than a small one would have.

This niche is the perfect place for the ice cream table and chairs. A perfect place to have a cup of coffee in the morning and think about what the day will bring.

If you look close you will spot a small magnolia tree there. It is the smallest tree we planted and was added less than a year ago. My landscape designer spotted Black Tulip Magnolia trees in the local nursery and insisted I look at them. I liked what I saw so I picked one out decided on the right spot and Nick planted it for me. Well, a couple of months ago that tree was gloriously covered with WHITE blooms! Obviously it had the wrong tag on it. That will teach me to always find a plant with blooms so I know for sure what they look like. I just can't bring myself to have that little tree ripped out and replaced with a Black Tulip. (Sigh) maybe I can find a place for another tree.

I think I've shown you enough pictures of my yard for now. Next time I will give you closer look at my rock lined, dry bed creek.