Life of Wry

So, yesterday?  I needed to go to Elk Grove for an eye exam (there is just no end to the to-do list when preparing to be gone for a month).  As I came out of my appointment and headed toward my car, I noticed the sky was a serious shade of black.  As I began to drive home, it started to rain.

This spring has seen a lot of rain.  Really a lot.  And I’ve been out in it.. also a lot.  But I’ve seen nothing like this.  This big black cloud unloaded drops the size of marbles that splatted so hard on my windshield I worried for the glass.  Really, I’ve never experienced such big water falling from the sky with such violent force.  These drops bombarded my car so relentlessly I started to laugh nervously.  I’d look into the windows of other cars and the reaction was the same.. we were all kind of hysterical.  Nobody could see very well–the lane lines were buried under water–so we all either stopped or drove on very, very slowly.  You could see it’d end, because there was light to the west (see photo), but it was also clear we were caught in the middle of a ferocious storm cell.

Just then my radio program was interrupted by that emergency broadcast signal we’ve all become so familiar with, but I had a sinking feeling this one was not “only a test.”  No, it wasn’t.  A guy came on and warned of isolated storm cells and severe thunderstorms, and essentially said, GET OUTA DODGE!  Then he issued an additional warning to people in Yuba County that funnel clouds were forming and a tornado was possible, and that people were advised to get to safety immediately, meaning a basement or some other safe, secure structure.  Which made me kind of look around and think… uh… basement anyone?  Please? Yuba County’s well to the north, but, you know, what do you do?!

My five minute story ends here, because I then drove right out from under that nasty cloud and was suddenly surrounded by a whole bunch of sunshine and a radiantly clear, blue sky.  Huh.

So.. this shot was taken as I’m driving north on I-5, just minutes later: sun (glorious sun) to the west of me, storm cell (thankfully) to the east.

Plus, a cheery, happy rainbow–most of which I missed, fumbling for my camera.

Anyway, a welcome sight.

You know you live in flatsville when a railroad overcrossing is the highest point in town.

In my earnest, yet somewhat vain, attempt to squeeze 6 months of recommended training into 3 weeks, I hit the overpass at Covell and F again today, this time with a backpack full of books (please don’t try to picture this).  I think we ascended–a word that will take on entirely new significance in about 2 weeks–the pass 12 times today.  We being Lorilyn and me.  Twelve was all that we had time for, plus, OH MY FREAKING LORD it is monotonous.  Having someone to talk to is a good idea.

Last Monday I bagged the pass 14 times, and a few days before that, maybe 12.  With nobody to talk to.

I tell you, this is training at its most desperate.

For your information, it takes exactly eight minutes to cover the distance between the bus stop across the street from the Davis Art Center and the fire hydrant near the corner of J Street.  That provides you with two go-ups and two go-downs.  The west side is steeper, and the railing, pictured above, is a perfect place to do a whole bunch of stretches.  While you stretch, you can take in a very nice view of the thoroughly rain-soaked Little League fields.

And that’s just about all there is to say about that.

Another spectacular day for looking at clouds.  Looks like a bunch of cotton balls, huh?

Clouds.. cotton balls..  such the clever analogy.

Reminds me of dinner tonight.  Peter, looking at a pile of glistening deep-fried orange chicken nuggets, says, “Oh, look! this one looks like Argentina.”

(Which…. don’t they all?)

Ok.  As you’ve no doubt noticed, I’m not finding any time to write these days.. all having to do with the fact I’m getting ready to leave in a week and I’m preoccupied with trip prep.

So… today, just a photo essay of a gorgeous hike on an unexpectedly sunny day.  Forecast was for rain, and when it didn’t, I took the opportunity to head back out to Mt. Vaca for a short but useful trek training hike.

The journey starts with the freeway onramp… heading west toward Vacaville.

We are between storms and the sky’s amazing.  This is shot out the passenger window (while my eyes are on the road, of course), somewhere near Dixon.

Got off at Cherry Glen, right on Pleasants Valley, and headed down the road about 5.5 miles to Mix Canyon Road.  Pleasants Valley is one of the sweetest country roads around.  Must return with more time for picture taking.

(Returned to Davis via Lake Solano and Winters, but I think the I-80 way might be faster.)

Started up Mix Canyon Road.  I don’t think that’s Mt. Vaca, but somewhere a couple thousand feet up and 5 miles down the road, one gets there.

Whatever creek this is, it’s seriously flowing.  You have to watch out for poison oak along the edge, however.  Tons of it.

Due to limited time, I turned around at the 2.5 mile mark, just halfway to the top, but it was still a great, fast hour and a half. Well, well worth it.

And this is the end… car’s around a bend or two.

For the record, this is the photo-of-the-day.  I’m so impressed with my phone camera.  Plus, this area makes a photographer out of anyone.

I believe this is a hackberry tree crashing into that nice Smooth as Silk on C Street, where I go, if infrequently, to get pedicures, facials and expensivo moisturizers.  The tree was formerly rooted behind Burgers and Brew and the news crew estimated it to be about 80 feet tall.  And heavy.

Here’s the roof close up.  Youch.

Meanwhile, over on Third, between B and University, another hackberry (I believe) has fallen, this one landing on Ciocolat.  We saw people inside, however, drinking their coffees and eating their scones… not as much damage was done here… just a road closure.

Here’s what that tree looked like, as close as they’d allow me to get.

The 10-day outlook is for more rain.  And probably more wind storms.  More canceled practices and more canceled Little League games.  A big messy mess.

Five days ago, I was scrambling around on the banks of Putah Creek to get a shot of the beautiful redbuds in bloom (that gorgeous tangle, above)….worth the scramble, I thought.

Then, I crawled close to the water’s edge to shoot a rabbit across the creek.. a little muddy, a little slippy, had to grab a few branches to keep from tumbling into the water…and you can’t even see the rabbit.

And somehow came home with a case of poison oak.. which showed up a couple days ago.  And itches like mad.  Could not have imagined I’d encounter poison oak.

Consider yourself warned…

Trying to get in a little hill work before a trip to the biggest hills in the world.  I’m a little worried that life at sea level in our flat valley will not be adequate preparation for a Himalayan trek.  Earlier this week, I hit the railroad overcrossing over by the Davis Little League fields and ascended that, what, 60′ hill twelve times.  The Sierra are covered in snow, and too far away anyway, so that leaves valley mountains like Mount Vaca, if one is looking for a climb.

Wasn’t the best day for a hike, but then again, it was a great day for testing my foul weather gear in foul weather–something we may get a lot of in Nepal in mid-spring.

Still…. it was WET.  The worms and salamanders were out in force.  This little guy (see above), unlike many of his buds, made it all the way across the road.  There aren’t a lot of cars on this road, but enough to flatten a good many salamanders and worms, we noticed.

Anyway, we began the hike on a morning that looked like this.  Very pretty, very green, very rural.  Our destination is not visible; it looms far beyond, and was hidden by heavy clouds.

It was dry when we started.

But it didn’t take long before the weather, as predicted, turned into this.  It is sleeting.  Yes, sleeting.  Here’s Lorilyn, all smiles.  Always eager for a hike, that girl.

Later, after four and a half hours in this, she was still smiling, but there were plenty of reasons not to: her gortex had failed her, her clothes and boots were completely soaked, her granola bars were drowned in standing water at the bottom of her backpack (but we ate them anyway) and her phone had completely died (due to water damage).   Meh.

Two things: 1. that’s hail that’s gathered in clumps by the side of the road.. we also saw snow and lots of slush, and 2. that creek is raging, but nothing like it was on the return trip.  After a few hours of relentless rain, the creek was torrential and was a swollen muddy brown.

After 2.25 wet hours, and 5 steep miles, we got to the top of Mount Vaca: 2819′.  At least we think this is the topmost point; it was hard to tell for all the clouds.  No promised views of the Sierra, or Mt. Diablo, or Mt. Tamalpais, or the Golden Gate Bridge…

…still, it was a good destination and a nice hike.

Irish Soda bread, an extra hot cafe au lait, a sunny, cold morning between storms on the corner of 3rd and B.

This very exciting thing arrived today: a map of the Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal…. aka the Mt Everest region, and more specifically: the hike to Everest Base Camp.  Love maps, and have been staring and staring at it.

This is where we will eventually end up… before turning around to go back, but not before we get a good look at Mt Everest.  The elevations are in meters, by the way.  The EBC’s 5364 meters translates to 17,598′.

En route to EBC, we’ll climb the Cho La pass: 18,668′ and get one of the best views of Everest from a point of sorts: Kala Patthar: 18,176′

That will be amazing, if I’m not barfing all over the place.

And, of course, here’s Mt. Everest: 29,035′ (gasp).

Was having trouble deciding on a picture for today.  But, really, if there’s one thing that defines March in Davis this year, it’s rain.  So as I sat at the corner of 3rd and C, waiting for my turn to pass through the intersection, I snapped this pic…

…and thought a little about Spring:

Headlights blurred through wet and steamy windows.

Trees in mid-transition. Flowers shiny and heavy.

Splashes of mud dotting my legs.

Carpenter ants seeking refuge in the warmth and dryness of my office.  I guess.

Ginger lemon tea.

So many canceled baseball games.

More days driving Peter to school than I can ever remember.

Entry hall turned mud room.

And today especially: dramatic downpours that we rarely see.