Today marks the vernal equinox here in the Northern Hemisphere. So, at 5:24 p.m. eastern time, spring will officially be underway. I’m ready!
California has had a rough winter, with 12 significant storms since late December. Our beautiful state swings from drought to drench with little in between, with devastating consequences.
Our suburban neighborhood is not at risk for floods, but the wind storm that followed last week’s rain packed a brutal punch. We lost power for 28 hours, along with several businesses, large and small. Traffic lights were out at major intersections, making it challenging to get anywhere and scary. Trees, large and small, were uprooted and dropped on fences, roadways, sidewalks, and trails. Snapped twigs and branches littered the roads along with debris the winds gathered along the way.
The railing across our deck twisted in the wind, then fell into the garden with the windchimes and two hummingbird feeders. Parts of our roof tiles littered the deck, and our back fence is now leaning precariously. One of my frost covers has traveled to parts unknown, and one of the two hummingbird feeders smashed, leaving broken glass and sugar water in its wake.
An enormous Monterey Pine leans across our back fence, making it hard to relax in the living room of our home when the wind is strong enough to shake the house. I’ve worried through many storms that the tree might come down, though, in a stroke of good luck, I had the tree assessed by an arborist late last year, then arranged to split the cost of a significant pruning. The arborist says the tree is “extremely stressed by drought conditions.” Removing dead and dying branches took a day and five crew members. The tree sits in our neighbor’s yard and towers over four properties. During the worst of last week’s windstorm, I either left the house or hung out in the front corner of the house, farthest away from the tree. I’m happy to report that the tree remained upright.
That evening, we found a charging station with power so Mike could get his electric vehicle charged for a presentation the following day. As we drove to a power station, we passed neighborhoods in complete darkness, while others kept their power.
Using the FDA guidelines for food safety, I had to pitch 90% of the food in our fridge and freezer. Fortunately, we have the resources to replace what we lost, but it is a painful reminder of many struggling to get by. An extra cash donation to our local food bank is in order. The needs here are significant.
These storms haven’t ended the drought but have filled several reservoirs, which is excellent news. Melting snowfall is also a significant water source during the warmer months, so as long as it melts slowly, it’s a fabulous resource for our parched state.
Here are a few welcome signs of spring.
Gardening Nirvana 
Tall trees near houses are very worrisome to me too — I am glad that that one remained in place, especially with such strong winds.
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I’ve often wondered if it was planted there by a homeowner that didn’t realize it would grow to this size. It’s the only one like it nearby, and I learned from the arborist that only about 5% of them remain in this valley. They’ve been devasted by a fungus called pitch canker.
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It is a good thing you had that tree pruned, it probably helped reduce its load and let more wind through. Wind and trees are a scary combo. It has been a pretty dramatic winter in CA, but from what I read, this how winters ‘used to be.’ At least parts of the state are now drought free. Too bad the water can’t be put directly into the aquifers!
Well, at least there are some pretty flowers to look at in your yard. ❤
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Eliza, I agree. I’m sure the removal of all the dead wood, along with ventilating the tree made a difference. It’s a spectacular tree, planted in the wrong place. The flowers are putting on a show, with the freesia leading the charge. Oh, that scent!
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Oh, my gosh! That was quite the windstorm. Glad the tree remained upright. Also glad that your husband found a charging station. It’s heartbreaking to lose all that food. So good of you to think of those who don’t have much money. Finally, despite all the wind, you have some lovely flowers. Cyclemens?
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Hi Laurie. It’s fun to find you here in real time. In reverse order, yes cyclamens. Aren’t they the best? I forget about them after they die back in late spring, so it’s always a nice surprise when they reappear. I keep meaning to plant more.
It’s terrible throwing away food. We lived in poverty for a time after our father died (we were 8, 9, and 14). Mom did her best but you can only stretch a dollar so far. I feel the waste acutely. I’m so glad the tree remained upright!
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Cyclamens are one of my favorite flowers. Just love them.
I, too, have lived in poverty, and I know exactly what you mean. Yes, you can only stretch a dollar so far. What a time that must have been for your family. So sorry.
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We had some rough years, but we made it through. The three of us completed college, my parents dream, and I know it taught us resilience and certainly how to spend and save responsibly. I would have happily traded those lessons though for more time with my dad. He was a horticulturist by trade and the reason I love gardening.
Page one of “The Dog Angel” took me back to my youth and those challenging times. Although my father wasn’t abusive, his death had a similar effect. We were left alone, living in poverty with a mom who did her very best. You never forget.
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Oh, my! What a sorrow for your family. It seems to me that there should be much more help available to those living in poverty. A new book, “Poverty, by America” by Matthew Desmond addresses this. Yesterday—March 21—Desmond was interviewed on Fresh Air. Very much worth listening to, if you haven’t already.
And, no, you never forget.
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I love Fresh Air! I missed this one, so thanks for the head’s up.
xo
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Wow, those storms didn’t leave many parts of California untouched. High winds like that play havoc with everything. I’m glad you came through it relatively unscathed. Your spring flowers are just what you need! Ours are 4-6 weeks away.
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The windstorm must have been so devastating. I find wind one of the most disturbing parts of weather ~ it always worries me. I can understand why you were concerned about the tree, especially seeing the photos of other trees that came crashing down. Wishing you a calmer, more settled Spring and Summer.
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I hear you.
Remember Frost writing,
“Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.”
He lived in New England. He never lived all his life with fire as a constant guest as I do in SoCal.
Your plants look happy.
Two more storms are coming now, with vicious winds. Bring ’em on. I like them much more than fire.
Stay safe and warm my friend. Your garden will welcome your organzing and thrive with the rains.
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It must be lovely to see your spring flowers after such a turbulent time! I hope that tree survives long-term as it is such a nice shape now and surely provides shelter for wildlife. Do you still have squirrels visiting? What a shame about the broken pots etc, but thankfully nothing worse. Do many people near you have solar panels for emergencies? We have invested in a big generator as well as some small solar panels for charging phones etc as our power situation long-term could be a problem and we can actually switch the house to generator power for a few hours if necessary – to at least save our freezer goods. I hope your weather has now calmed down and you can tidy up the damage and enjoy your garden again. Happy Spring Alys! 🌷🌷🌷
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Thanks for your comments, Cathy. Funny you should mention the squirrels, as they were out in force this morning. They cohabitate with our cats, and make themselves at home. The squirrels race up and down that pine tree and dare I say it, it’s a great place to chase and catch a mate in the spring. I’ve seen hummingbirds disappear into the branches after collecting fluff for a nest, and of course I’m sure it’s teeming with insect life. It’s a gorgeous tree.
Mike has already mended my pot which had a clean break and we will keep looking for another hummingbird feeder. We get a lot of traffic, so we like the large feeders.
We do have some solar panels in our neighborhood, but when we investigated for ourselves a few years ago, it seemed they weren’t going to work for us. I don’t remember why. We do have back-up batteries for our phones but no generator. This kind of power outage, along with this many crazy storms is completely out of the norm for us. We probably need to rething everything. Happy Spring to you, too. 🌷🌷🌷
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Wow, I won’t be complaining about our mountains of snow after reading about your storms. I hope that tree continues to be resilient and you have calm weather ahead. It’s lovely to see the welcome signs of Spring.
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Thank you, Sara. Mountains of snow are equally troublesome. In snowy parts of our state, some people have been housebound for two weeks with no way in or out and no wear to put all that snow. It’s crazy.
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Wow, that is crazy! We had relatives driving home from Florida when our big snowstorm hit. Haven’t talked to them yet, but I bet it took quite a while before they were able to get into their house once they arrived.
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Wow. It’s really been quite a winter everywhere. It’s hard to know where client change will take us, but the reading I’ve done doesn’t bode well. The extremes seem to be the new norm. I hope we aren’t too late.
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Your storms put our turbulence in perspective. Beautiful photographs nevertheless. Your house number is the scariest thing for me – I can’t imagine such a long street.
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Thank you, Derrick. Our street isn’t long at all, but you’ve got me thinking about our numbering system. San Jose is a city of nearly one million people, so most of the numbering is four and even five digits. We live in the suburbs. I love the quaintness of your home, garden, and community. It feels like a fantasy to me to live the way you do.
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Thank you very much, Alys. It would have felt like fantasy for me before we came here
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I’m happy for you that you could make it a reality. It’s such a beautiful place. Do you have a blog post about the move in? I would love to read it.
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Thanks very much, Alys. Some of those I am recovering at the moment are a daily record of our move and the work to be done in house and garden which would probably shock you. I will send you a link or two.
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Thank you, Derrick! I’m looking forward to seeing and reading them.
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I’m pleased, Alys. This one focussing largely on the kitchen; following on, when we get to those posts, you will find just how overgrown was the garden. Enjoy 🙂
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Whewie! That was a real mess! I don’t mind a little bluster with thunder, but it never lasts long here on the prairies, I kind of just rolls through. Even so, in June, it can and normally does, rain everyday. It’s a lot of work cleaning up, and no doubt people had other plans. Power outages are unsettling too. I dread them. I’d worry about a pump in our basement being out for 2 days in a storm. Thanks for your squirrel photos, they’re cute anytime, all the time. I’ve seen one hopping around our fence, quite entertaining for P & B. I worry for a little one and Skittles from next door. He’s a pretty street smart kitty. The snow is beginning to melt here, but the ground will be frozen for some time, so it’s nice to see all your flowers too. 🥰🌸
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The cleanup is evident everywhere. I’ve seen new fences going up, dead trees coming down, piles of tree limbs at the curb, etc. It’s far worse in other areas of the state with a broken levee displacing an entire community of 3,000 residents. The flooding terrifies me, and yes power outages are unsettling as well. Do you have a backup pump for your basement? We have friends in Millbrae who almost never lose power, and the’re having to bail water below the house. What a slog, eh? I’m always struck by how long you have to deal with the cold, snow, ice, shorter days, and difficult driving conditions. You have an entire set up challenges every year. A tip of the hat to you.
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Unfortunately, there’s no room for a backup pump in the hole it sits in. But we do have a back up battery that is to sense a power outage and kick in. Plus a back water valve that is to stop water from coming up in the floor drain. You get an insurance discount when you have these things. Sorry to hear your friends got flooded! It’s a possibility living so close to the river, but I guess there’s risks no matter where you live. Karen M’s mom lived on the crest of an embankment into a valley, with a 5 lane road far below and her basement flooded one year because her neighbourhood got a heavy and quick downpour that couldn’t run into the sewer grate fast enough. I remember being shocked because you really couldn’t live higher up in Edmonton. Go figure.
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You’re right of course, that everywhere we might live has some sort of risk. Here people worry about earthquakes, but they are so few and far between. The 1989 quake was the worst I’ve been in. We buy low furniture or strap tall furniture to the wall. Most of our framed pics are now plexiglass instead of the real deal and home foundations are bolted down.
I’m stunned at the story about Karen’s mom. Good grief, what a shock.
It sounds like you’ve done your due diligence where your home is concerned, and yay for getting a better deal with your insurer. They love collecting your money, but they are reluctant to pay out when you need it.
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Truth? I’m more scared of fire than flood. Usually flood damage is repairable. Our homes are so close together here in the valley. As Doris Day sang, ‘Que sera sera’. I’d sing, Fingers Crossed but it probably won’t be a hit 😀 x
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Fire is terrifying and incredibly destructive. I share your fear. Let’s hope we can finish out our lifetimes without either one of them.
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Such wild weather… and it just keeps coming in waves from coast to coast! I’m so sorry that you had to go through loss of power and such a big cleanup, Alys. It hadn’t occurred to me that an EV might need to be recharged during a power failure! I’m glad that you found a power source for Mike’s car.
Alys, I always know that Spring is on its way when I see the colorful blossoms in your garden! Happy dance!! Your Cyclamen is gorgeous. I’ll be eagerly waiting for your Sweet Peas to bloom! Here in Illinois, foliage is just beginning to pop up. The buds are swelling on my Daffodils. Today tiny snowflakes are fluttering down. “Snowflakes are winter’s butterflies!” Warm hugs, dear friend!
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Warm hugs back your way, Dawn. It has been a rough year, two years, really, for so much of the world. We’ve seen extremes everywhere including heat, rain, hail, snow, floods, fires. It’s hard to absorb it. Thank you for the love.
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Our summer in New Zealand, has been one of extreme weather – with every month having at least one disaster. Enormous trees falling onto homes or on to the road, roads being undermined and no longer a road and in some places only foot traffic allowed. Floods after the cyclone that affected other parts of the North Island…
Now it’s officially Autumn and the weather is very much like a “summer” we didn’t have…I note very little leaf fall at this point in time.
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I’ve been following your heartbreaking weather these past few months. The flooding, the earthquakes, the terrible destruction. I’m so sorry. Our poor planet is confused.
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