Winter Has Returned to SoCal!

The calendar tells us that Winter begins around December 21 but most years it is not until February that Ventura gets its coldest and wettest weather. (This year, we seem to be bouncing back and forth between rain and snow and periods of mild and really hot weather.)We got nearly 3 inches of rain in the past five days and more is predicted for this weekend. Coming out of the Angeles Crest Forest late Friday night, I encountered rain, lightening, and snow (I was the only one on the road at the time so it was too dark to get any good photos - besides, it was cold and wet!) Yesterday the snow that had fallen at 4,000 feet elevations and higher was clearly visible from our house - yay! I've taken so many pictures of our local snow that I thought I'd add this mirror view from the side of the road on Victoria Avenue. That view is one of my favorites!

And now that we've had some good soakings, the spring flowers are really beginning to bloom!

Ventura CROP Hunger Fight Begins

We will have our 2009 Kickoff on January 31st at 2:30 (if you would like to attend, please see the Ventura CROP Hunger Walk blog) but I have just setup my online fundraising page. Just click on the posting title or go to my page to learn more and make a donation. We would love to have more walkers this year so if you'd like to join us, sign-up and join us on March 15th.

Ten Consecutive Days of 80 Degree Weather

"My" unseasonably warm winter birthday weather is finally coming to an end, but this year it lasted much longer than usual. Hope this isn't another indication of global warming!

Loved My Birthday Weekend But the Inauguration Trumps It All!

We had a wonderful time at the Los Angeles Arboretum, the Arcadia Residence Inn, and the Huntington Library & Gardens. I loved the tea at the Huntington's Rose Garden Cafe and the weather and clear skies couldn't have been more beautiful, but watching Barack Obama's inauguration before going to work and seeing all the associated events after work and over the weekend was absolutely The Best!

Another Beautiful January 14th

With the exception of one year in recent memory, my birthday day has been blessed with "unseasonably" warm weather. Maybe "unseasonal" means "un-winterlike" but as long as I can remember, we have had Santa Ana winds or after-rain clear skies year after year on the 14th of January.(KEYT and The Weather Channel can't seem to agree on the actual temperature but the 80s only happen during Santa Ana wind gusts.) It's very SoCal seasonal!

Since I worked late today, Tom got sushi takeout and we had a mild weather, late-afternoon, birthday dinner at Hueneme Beach.