rain

The weather today was decidedly dramatic and mercurial.  As I left the house this morning, I admired all the clouds massing over the mountains and moving away.  Twenty minutes later, somewhere at the top of S. Hoover, the heavens opened; cars started aquaplaning. and I can't have been the only person wondering where the white lines on the road had disappeared to.  A little later yet, and my customary USC carpark was looking completely beautiful, if damp.

Oh, and so far, so good - the sandbags held up yesterday and today.

 

ready for rain?

The first (small, modest) Pacific storm of the season arrived today - it would be good if we could have one a week like that: not stronger, and no drought.  But uncertain how much rain would descend, I did what I've been meaning to do for weeks, and decanted the collapsing sandbags, and indeed much sand that's dispersed over the past few years, into some new bags.  I know these won't ultimately be enough, and I should go to the fire station and get some more; and yes, I did read with interest some articles this week claiming that duct tape is as good or better (though that doesn't answer the question about what to do if you want to take the car in or out of the garage ...).  The problem we have is two-fold: the garage is on a bend, and when rain comes down really heavily it jumps the curb; and then there's a flat space where rain puddles ...  But this was sufficient reinforcement for now.

And then, yes, the rain did arrive, and not just the sandbags but the new gutter guards and piping did their job ...

 

The Winged Victory of Samothrace

I truly don't understand this headless angel: nothing, so far as I can see, to do with Hallowe'en (unless as a counter-force?) - rather, she, and her counterpart (for there are two of them) seem to be guarding over a perfectly normal modest house on Virgil.  I mean - I'm assuming she's not really an angel, but the Winged Victory of Samothrace (now in the Louvre) - the lack of arms as well as head rather confirm that, although the breasts seem a little too pointed and, er, prominent compared with the original Nike.  And also - her wings are gilded.  But even elucidating all of that doesn't explain why there are two replicas of this Greek statue visible on my drive home.

 

waving at you

It is, of course, Halloween season again.  I have something of a sense (yes, I know it's only October 19th, but still) that the decorations aren't as copious or as elaborate this year as they've been in the past, but some of the houses that one annually looks forward to are on fine form.  This waving skelly was new to me (I was taking a back street route from mailing stuff at the post office), but makes for a quintessentially Californian sight.

 

reservoir grasses

We're still on east coast time (and Alice is back out to Madison and Chicago tomorrow), so we were up very early to walk at the reservoir.  These pink grasses are so pretty.  We're meant to have lots in our back yard ... but last year they all bloomed white, not pink (which was pretty, too), and this year there's no sign of them sprouting flowers at all.  So I'll borrow these for my seasonal pleasure.

 

back!

We were welcomed back in style by Moth and Gramsci - clearly very glad to see us, even if Iris, their cat sitter, looks after them impeccably well.  Here's Grams, in a scratching box that also functions as a safe hiding spot from which to leap out at Moth ...

 

on our way back

A plum colored morning in Vinalhaven; a very grey ferry ride, and then a wet wet wet wet wet drive back to Boston - from where we'll be leaving at some early hour ...

It's been a terrific and very full couple of weeks.