Califronia Dreamin; Part VIII-XXXI-MMXI

So many things about this state are great. Geographically, there is just about everything except high humidity, although it may seem so in certain places. The real trouble is that it takes more money than I have to live in an acceptable coastal situation. That would be one in which I could afford a relatively quiet place withut a bunch of odd roommates. I cannot imagine roommates at my age. I haven't done that since my early twenties and not for long even then.

That doesn't rule out a sugar momma who can convince me I'm not free-loading. Convincing me would be the hard part.

The fire threats are what really bug me. Earthquakes, not so much. It seems really puzzling that more measures to mitigate the threat are not taken. Down the hill, in my back yard, there are markers indicating where the Cleveland national forest begins. It is mostly weeds with a few scrubby shrubs. They can weed-eat the dry brown weed field up to that point, but can't touch that. All that dry stuff is ultra fire prone. It catches much easier than your average kindling wood.

But, in the name of environmental "stewardship" it is off limits for fire prevention. So, I guess it makes more sense to endanger the whole area and many people, and risk the forest burning out habitats coyotes and whatever than it is to take different measures where people and property stand to lose.

Whatever the rationale, unless you are pretty close to certain coastal areas, you are at risk. If anything could ever send me back east, this is it. I have a bad feeling about this year. There was already a brush fire by the highway west of Alpine. And another couple of larger ones near where the tourmobile number one bit the dust.

The real annoyance is that I have yet to hear of new creative ideas to predispose the forests to limited fire spread. Some areas---where people and property are at risk, should be altered to create built in fire breaks and I think other steps could be taken. They can't so it because of the new religions which treat earth and anything non-human as holier than thou.

It is my belief that preservation of forests and us need not be mutually exclusive plans. All that is wishful thinking. In the mean time, I guess this is one more reminder that I should quit coasting through life and make some money so I can better dodge such threats.

I've even started bringing my computer if I leave home for a day or more, just so I will at least have that if a fire hits my mountain. Only one way on and one way off that hill as far as I know. And even on each side of that dirt road they can only cut the brush back maybe a foot. So, if that part burns there is no way it wouldn't jump that winding dirt road.

It irks me when things aren't built back in a manner to withstand the next storm, and it irks me when measures to prevent a disaster like fire are forbidden. With all the people who sneak into the country on foot and camp in the hills as they go, fires get started a lot. They not ony don't care if they leave trash in their path, they don't follow Smokey's campfire rules. Actually you are not supposed to have a campfire at all in most of these areas. And there's lightning, and careless legal people, not t mention the occasional arsonist.

I'm not enujoying this time of year. From now until maybe November sometime, it is high fire danger time. That is the main thing that sucks about where I live. That and the fact that government tends to work against you. They hate it that everyone isn't living in a city highrise.