No Day like Today!

We are on the Pacific Coast, in the area of the Ring of Fire, the area  most susceptible to earthquakes and volcanoes.  Sea stacks tell us the story of this land and of this ocean.

Yesterday was another wake up call.  A call to know our limitations.
We can move somewhere else, or  prepare for the next calamitous event.


We  have two identical backpacks in our car, with supplies for a couple of days, plus blankets, extra jackets and shoes, medications.

I've had these supplies for a while. I refresh them every season or so, eat up the food and drink up the water and update the meds.  We take many meds, and this process of updating them is probably the toughest thing to accomplish since pharmacists do not give you extra meds for emergencies. 

Do you feel safe where you are? Good.
Do you want to be prepared for emergencies?
I will repost my backpack contents on my next post. If you are in a hurry, search my old posts, copy and paste, if you wish. You have my blessings and permission.

Sometimes, that's all we can do.

Weather Watching.

From November on, we watch the weather. Actually, we watch the dunes that separate our lake from the Ocean, right here on the last picture.  On this date, a few days ago, the waves breached the dunes, tumbling furiously down into the lake.

Over a decade ago, on this very berm that is now being reshaped by the waves, the town's sewer system was destroyed.  The lake water became brakish, salty. Fish died and the lake's ability to provide  residential water supply was compromised.  That event changed the narrative around here.

We now have a new outfall for the lake.  We have a new sewer system. We even have a new plan for city growth.  Weather wise, we seem to be prepared against another breach of the same magnitude, a breach folks were told happened every century or so.

As I photographed these waves pouring into the lake, I couldn't help panic a bit.  With one heavy stroke, Nature could change the face of this town, the face of our lake, our home.  With one stroke, we could be homeless.

With one stroke, we could all be washed out to sea.