My lovely nature goddess... now you desert my garden of your usual tendernous only to make it a virtual desert with your harsh dry winds and fiery heat! You convinced me with your lush blessings upon my flora and now you take so much away before I even know what you are about!!!
Yes, it is that time of year where all of those who chosen to be consumed by the dreams of the perfect world of So. CA suddenly realize that this is not always so! (not to mention that we could possibly crumble off into the Pacific at a moment's notice if the Earth's crust makes a hiccup!) When we burn...we really burn!!! No matter how much we want to avoid it...it just makes for an even BIGGER burn! It is a part of nature that we live in a zone where the earth's crust tends to shift as well as in a desert environment that needs to 'shed it's skin' periodically in order to maintain it's health!
We can blame it on those cigarette smokers who throw their hot burning butts out as they drive by...but we cannot deny that we have interferred with and contributed to the fires that produce 100 ft. flames instead of 10 or 15 ft. at the most! We destroy so much of the natural habitat and we do stupid, greedy things like plant Eucalyptus trees and similar fire-yummy trees and shrubs. Some of us dump crap down the gullys and canyons like mattresses, sofas, and all kinds of garbage! What about all those weeds that we have introduced and weep down the slopes of our lush and rich gardens into the coastal chapperal below...right about now they are just at the right stage to light a magnificent bonfire!
Yet we cry out for help to aid us for a disaster that is "an act of god" beyond our control! So many homes lost to the fiery demon! We were stupid enough to live here and we are still more stupid to blame something or someone else for this occurrance!
Maybe someday we may be able to understand the earth's tectonics where we might be able to influence related events...but there is far too much evidence to suggest that it is by our own folly and greed as well as a consistent ignorance that we are inundated by the fires that we have experienced in the last decade!
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I am sure that I speak to a sky without the sun, the moon, or the stars. Still here is what I have yet to say:
It is unbelievable how many little Pacific tree frogs are about in my garden! I still see the regular adults in far fewer numbers but I sometimes have to be careful where I step or move around a potted plant for fear of squashing one of them! I account the prolific outcome of this last winter's breeding season to the late appearance of the Dragon flies. The larvae of the dragon fly esp. the one's that are in the "darner" group can get quite large and are aggressive enough to capture a swimming critter that is larger than they are. They are quite capable of capturing fish and tadpoles. I do not condemn these magnificent creatures! They offer many benefits. The adults consume many flies, gnats, and mosquitos on the wing. The larvae consume huge amounts of mosquito larvae. The dragon fly also has great mystical significance. It is an admirable symbol to apply to one's life! They are a feat of technical engineering in flight and have survived since before the dinosaurs with almost no changes to their already perfect structure other than size or color!
I really do miss the breeding chorus of the adults. They came opportunistically early this last season and of course ended earlier. I am thankful for this(missing most of the dragon flies) as now I am inundated by cute and often quite humerous little froglets!
I hope that I will not be so tardy with news and comment if there is anyone out there willing to participate here. I equally hope to respond in a more timely fashion to any who approach this blog! There may still be hope for me!
Michael
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