Spiders

Every morning around day-break I take the dog out. It is a great time to see stuff.

Like this spider. I see it every morning. Same spot. Just hanging out seemingly in mid-air.

We have a little game going -- the spider and I. Spider sits motionless in the center of its web. I watch the spider from a distance. It makes not one move. Probably sleeping, I think, or tired from a long night at work. So, I try to sneak up for a picture, a really good one. I don't make a sound and carefully move to within a few feet. Somehow spider hasn't yet noticed a couple hundred pounds of human creeping toward it. I'm gonna get a great shot. I slowly raise my camera, focus, and just before the click -- BAM -- the spider is gone scampering over its web and out of sight. Spider wins. I lose. One more blurry picture to delete.

If not great with the camera; I am persistent. This morning I finally got a passable shot. I couldn't get the spider in mid-web, but did get an interesting shot of it working away at the edge of its web. I'll take it.

I'm not a big spider guy. But they are fascinating to look at close up.


I don't know what kind of spider this is. It is big. The body is about the size of a quarter. The web is well constructed and about three to four feet across. Above is a side view of the web. Not something I'd like to run into at night. Fun stuff first thing in the morning.

Alligator Pears

I've been watching our avocado tree for many many moons. Going on six years to be exact. No production. Not a single avocado. Nada.

So this year we decided to do something dramatically different. We watered the tree. And ta-da. We have avocados! Lots of them.

I'm so excited to have avocados actually growing on our tree that I've gone a little overboard with documenting the tree -- from flowers to little fruit and now larger fruit. The photo above was taken a few months ago when the Jacarandas were in full flower and the moon happened to be out. If you look carefully you'll see baby avocados hanging toward the bottom of the photo.



This picture kind of shows why some call avocados "alligator pears." A nice descriptive name for a fruit I think.

I grew up with avocados. My grandfather grew them (and watered them I bet). He grew both Hass and Fuerte so we had avocados most of the year -- boxes of them.

To help them ripen up, my mom used to stuff avocados in the towel drawers. The towels were soft and warm and protected the fruit while it ripened. It was a common thing in our house to go to the towel drawers and dig around for a ripe avocado.

Then, of course, if you found a ripe avocado, you'd need some fresh lemon to go with it. And some toast. Salt and pepper. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

I'm told we have a couple of months before it is time to pick. I can't wait.

Coyotes

Since our Coyote Encounter, I've been trying to get a good picture of one of these sneaky varmints. I see a lot of coyotes around here, but for a myriad of reasons have never taken a decent picture of one -- it is too early for good light, or I can't get the camera out in time, or I get the photo, but it is of the coyote's hind end as he escapes into the bush. Never a decent shot.

But, early this morning turning a corner, I caught this guy by surprise. He froze and we froze. The camera worked and I got this shot.

When we lived more toward central Pasadena, we occasionally saw coyotes who would roam the street early in the morning. They are very good at what they do, which is sneak around and scavenge any food they can find. And they are not picky eaters. So, with more people there is more food around to scavenge, which allows for more coyotes.

Since moving to NE Pas, near the foothills, we regularly see coyotes. Mostly they're out in the early morning. I've seen them at night eyeing our chickens through the chicken wire. We also hear their hyena-like yelps. Here's sample of what a pack of coyotes sounds like courtesy of the LA County Agricultural Dept.

Our big Coyote Encounter was a year and a half ago. We had just started keeping chickens and were introducing our young hens to their newly built outdoor coop. Well, the gate to our otherwise super-secure coop was apparently left open. I made it outside just in time to see a coyote grab a hen in his mouth and run away. It was a sad day.

But, fortunately it was still spring and we were undeterred. We went right out and got six more day old chicks and started over. Since then, we make sure the gate is latched. We also have a dog, who barks like crazy whenever predators are near.

Earthside Story Continues -- California Wild Grapes

These are California wild grapes growing at the Earthside Nature Center across the wash from Eaton Blanche Park. I've been watching these for months now, waiting for them to ripen up. And here they are. They are surprisingly tasty little things. They have a small seed in the middle, not much pulp, and resemble (to this connoisseur -pronounced with a long "e") a very light sweet concord grape.

The vines plainly had been loaded. Many grapes, however, have already turned into raisins. Others have been eaten by birds. But, plenty ripe purple fruit remains. We had alot of fun sampling the wild grapes and even some wild grape raisins.


Earthside was a nationally known native plant garden, but has not been tended since about 1996. That means these grapes have not been irrigated for a long long time. No matter. These have flourished on their own.

I took this picture last May and it shows how the vines sprawl over the fence at the northern edge of Earthside. Reportedly California wild grapes aren't good wine grapes. We may test that out. However, the wild grape is strong and disease resistant and is used as rootstock for wine grapes.

Bonus picture of Mt. Wilson from the nature center kiosk. Two dead redwood trees have been removed opening up this vista. As you can see, the transmission towers high atop Mt. Wilson still stand.

Extra bonus shot. Here's a bench under a sycamore where you can eat your wild grapes. As you can see, a tractor has turned under much of the brush that took over the garden this summer.

Bear Signs - bear on the patio

This seems to be our year for bears. At 2 am a couple of nights ago we got up to see what the dog was barking about. We stood on one side of sliding glass doors leading to a patio and watched as a bear ambled by just on the other side of the doors. Unlike the bear that climbed our tree last July, this was a very very large bear -- several hundred pounds I'd say. And unlike the "teenage bear" we saw in July, this animal was not the least concerned about our madly barking dog. It was amazing to be less than five feet away from such a large wild animal.

The fires may have chased the bear down the mountain. But, I think he was around even before the fires. Someone has been throwing around our trash cans. One morning I went out to find our large city-issued green waste barrel completely flipped over and standing on its lid. I have a hard time standing that barrel up when it falls. It took something really big, like that bear, to turn the barrel completely over.

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Stronger than expected smell of smoke this morning. So much that I've closed the windows and started the air (which I hate to do). The Mt. Wilson cam still shows burning and smoke to the east. Hopefully nothing has erupted closer than that.

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Incredible photos of some of the fire's devastation over at Altadena Hiker.

Our Feathered Guests

The Station Fire displaced animals as well as people. We opened up our little chicken coop to take in some hens that normally reside in the evacuated area of NW Altadena. Including our hens, last week we housed 18 chickens -- almost triple our normal number.

In general things went well. From our standpoint, there really was little additional work in caring for the extra chickens. Got extra eggs (and extra poop) for a little extra food and water. Not bad.

We did, however, learn about a thing called the pecking order. There is definitely a hierarchy among hens and they sort our their ranking by pecking each other. When we put the two flocks together, the natural pecking order of our flock (and the guest flock) was disrupted. Dominant hens pecked at the heads of those who are beneath them to the point of plucking feathers and opening skin. There's a wonderful article on chicken pecking order here.

I talked to my dad (an old chicken and everything else farmer) about the pecking. He recommended mixing hot red pepper in Karo syrup and spreading it on the heads of the chickens getting pecked. The theory is that the pecking will stop once the bird gets a load of pepper. A quick Internet search turned up lots of home remedies for pecking mostly involving spreading some horrible substance over the head and neck of the chicken getting pecked. In commercial flocks they trim the chickens' beaks to prevent pecking.

All guests have safely returned to their home roost. The situation here is back to normal.

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The Mt. Wilson cam today is pointed east and shows a pretty healthy fire still burning.

Station Fire -- Friday Status - In Praise of Fire Bloggers

All signs are good. Only the faintest smell of smoke this morning at home. Smoke is light in downtown Pas as well. Red squares on the modis active fire map (indidcating fire activity within 24 hours) continue to dwindle and remain concentrated north-east of Mt. Wilson. I saw no activity on the southern front of the mountains. Accuweather still projects a cooling trend starting tomorrow with a high of 87. They forcast mid 90's today.

Last night Marcia attended the community meeting at Paznaz. I was playing soccer dad and couldn't make it. Her most vivid recollection of the meeting (aside from the crowd) were the comments from the Forest Service supervisor who emphasized that the size and devastation of this fire is unprecedented in LA County. Scrolling around the modis active fire map you get a sense for the ground this fire covered -- stretching from Santa Clarita to Acton to Altadena to Mt. Wilson and still heading east.

An overflow attended last night's meeting in Lee Chapel on the Paznaz campus. Plainly many people in the foothill communities of Altadena, Pasadena, Arcadia and Sierra Madre are interested in getting more information about the fire. Seems that officials who organized the meeting underestimated the level of interest.

Which brings me to the subject of fire blogging. It's important. And so are neighbohood email lists. When the air is thick with smoke, ash is falling and the helicopters are flying overhead, you want to know what's going on. And when your neighborhood is threatened by fire, you want information focused to where you live.

During last year's Chantry Flat Fire, local blogs were simply the best source of information about where the fire was burning and about threats to SM, NE Pas and East Altadena neighborhoods. The Foothill Cities Blog stepped up to serve as a kind of clearing house with clips and links to local blogs and traditional news sources. Bloggers in Sierra Madre tracked the fire's movements seemingly street by street. I posted photos and narrative from a NE Pas perspective. When we could see the fire from our neighbor's back yard and scrambled around for information, it was the local blogs that were most helpful.

The altadenablog has just been incredible in covering the Station Fire. The material they have posted and the many comments left by readers and other bloggers have been the best source of fire news for our area.

Station Fire -- What's in a motto?

Motto on Pasadena Fire Department truck.
Powerful stuff.

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Station Fire -- Thursday Morning

I just got back from walking the dog. It is definitely smoky out there this morning in our NE Pas neighborhood. It is kind of a dissapointment because last night I did not smell the smoke and hoped this thing was over.

The modis active fire map on google shows a vastly reduced level of recent fire activity. The red squares (indicating fire activity within the last 24 hours) are now concentrated on the west flank of the fire which has moved well north and east of Mt. Wilson (due north from Montrovia and Duarte). There are red squares on the west flank too (heading toward Santa Clarita) but most of the remainging recent activity is on the west side.

The Times reports that the Mt. Wilson towers and observatory is going to be saved after a five day battle. That is a complete turnaround from the start of the week when reports were that the fire was going to overtake the towers.

Meanwhile, the heat wave continues. Accuweather projects a high today of 96. That's well off record heat, but up from the normal high of 89. Their prediction for Saturday is a high of 87, which would be a welcome change.

Station Fire -- Wednesday Morning

This morning, for the first time in several days, I awoke to relatively clear air. There was no smoky smell and no ash at my home in East Pasadena. As I drove into work with my car windows down, I did notice the smell of smoke by the time I reached downtown Pas. But, I don't see any flames this morning and the news, for seemingly the first time in ages, is reporting positive signs.

The google modis fire detection map (which depicts recent major fire activity) shows a spot of fire southwest of Mt. Wilson that looks near the very top of Eaton Canyon. According to the map, fire in this area occurred 12-24 hours ago. I hope that means the fire is on its way out. I don't see any other active fire spots on the map on the south face of the mountains. The fire seems headed north-east behind Mt. Wilson.

I have the press of work this morning. But I hope to later post some thoughts about last year's Chantry Flats Fire, the current Station Fire and fire blogging.

Station Fire -- Tuesday Morning

Seems we're settling into a routine of sorts -- very smoky mornings with clearing air and visibility in the afternoon. This morning we awoke again to lots of smoke and some ash falling.

According to the modis fire detection map on google, the fire has now moved south of the Mt. Wilson towers and observatory. The map shows fire to the north and south, kind of sandwiching the towers. Movement of the fire south of the towers is a new development. I have been watching for movement of the fire to the south slope of Mt.Wilson, which is due north of East Pasadena. So far, I haven't actually seen fire on the south slope of the mountains, but the map certainly shows that it has moved this way.

The Star News and others report that the fire won't be under control for two weeks. I look at the map and wonder where the fire will go in that time.

The pyrocummulus cloud caused by the heat of the fire has been spectacular and chilling at the same time. The photo above was taken yesterday afternoon from my office in downtown Pasadena. Petrea has a great photo out today.

Accuweather says we'll hit 104 today. That's off record heat (111 in 1955) but well above the normal high of 89.

Station Fire -- Monday Morning from East Pas

We awoke againt this morning to very strong smell of smoke. So much so that we did something we almost never do -- we turned on the air conditioner. Yesterday morning we had the same thick smoky air and it cleared by early afternoon. We'll see what happens today.

Meanwhile, we hear and read reports that sometime last night or today the fire should reach the transmitters high atop Mt. Wilson. Fire maps, like this one from google, show the fire bearing down on Mt. Wilson. We also keep checking the Mt. Wilson tower cam which, when its on, has tremendous photos. As of daybreak (photo above), the towers were visible and we didn't see flames.

I've since gone into work and am writing this from my fourth floor north-facing office in downtown Pas. Though just a few miles away, the mountains are entirely concealed by gray-brown smoke.

Lots of local bloggers are doing great work on this fire and we check them reqularly. Altadenablog has been the lead dog and a great source of information. Ben at the sky is big has a list of local bloggers following the fire, including yours truly.

Station Fire -- From Hastings Village

We awoke today to the strong smell of smoke, which thankfully has dissipated. But the fire seems to have spread east and north as this view from the Hastings Village shows. If you zoom in you can see the towers of Mt. Wilson shrouded in smoke. The Mt. Wilson tower cam has had some tremendous shots of the towers with a smoky backdrop.

Update: The Tower Cam is back up and now shows flames behind the transmission towers. (8/31 at 5:00 am)

Station Fire -- DC 10 Super Tanker

From our house we watched airplanes and helicopters fly to and from the Station Fire, which is burning west and north of Pasadena. By far the biggest plane in the sky was this orange and white tanker that flew probably a dozen or more missions. Based on a quick search, I think this is a DC 10 Super Tanker. Photos and film of the tanker are here. According to 10tanker.com, the plane can carry 12,000 gallons of water or fire retardant and is a "game changer."



I was amazed at how low this huge plane was flying. On this shot, I just leaned back and looked up.

In other fire related news, we just took in some chickens that have been displaced. So far all birds seem to be on their best behavior. More tomorrow.

Record Heat

It is HOT. AccuWeather forecasts a high today of 106, easily surpassing the former record August 28 high of 102 set in 1995.

The heat's discomfort is compounded by smoke from fires in our local mountains. Earlier this week we could smell smoke from the Azusa Canyon fire. The last two days we have had heavy smoke from the Station fire in La Canada. I've watched the La Canada fire from my office in downtown Pasadena and last night could see the flames. As I look out at the San Gabriels this morning, I see a hazy blanket of smoke against the foothills north of Pasadena and east of Pasadena. Over toward La Canada, the smoke billows up, in kind of gray-brown clouds, against the blue sky. And then the gray-brown extends westward as far as I can see.

The heatwave is supposed to break on Sunday sending temps back down to the low 90s. Hopefully that will help the fire fighters.

"One of the most charming grottos of the world"

Let's turn the clock back to 1876 and say you wanted to move from the cold snowy east to sunny southern California. Well, there was no California Aqueduct, no Colorado River water and no Pasadena Water and Power. You'd have to find water yourself before you could live here.

So it was in 1876 for William Cogswell when he purchased property in what is now east Pasadena and built the famous Sierra Madre Villa Hotel. When Cogswell bought his property, he also purchased rights to 1/2 of the water flowing over a water fall in Davis Canyon, just north of present day Pasadena Glen.

Since water was such a precious commodity in an arid area, it stands to reason people were fascinated with it. The capture and management of water -- purely local water -- made possible the groves and vines that flourished in the San Gabriel Valley.

So, in the 70's and 80's when people trekked to the Sierra Madre Villa, one of the objects of interest was the source of water that made this wonderful place possible. Cogswell enjoyed escorting guests on a short hike to the falls in Davis Canyon where water flowed from the mountainside into a refreshing pool. From there it was diverted into wood flumes and clay pipes which carried the water downhill to a reservoir behind the Villa hotel. From there, it was piped into each of the Villa's guest rooms (running water!) and sent downhill to water the Villa's citrus groves.

Los Angeles Herald editor, James Basset, visited the Sierra Madre Villa and took a walk with Cogswell up to the falls at Davis Canyon. Basset's account appears in Tourists Illustrated Guide to the Celebrated Summer and Winter Resorts of California, published in 1883.

Here is Basset's description along with present day photos:

"In company of Mr. Cogswell, we treated ourselves to a walk to the grotto which furnishes the water supply for the Sierra Madre Villa. It was distant about three-quarters of a mile. Part of the way, the water is conveyed in a flume and for the remainder of the distance in iron pipes.

We had to ascend some three hundred feet before we reached the brow of a hill from which one appeared to descend to the source of the water supply.

Of course, this appearance was deceptive.

Perseverance at last brought us to one of the most charming grottos of the world. In a crypt, hollowed out of solid rock by the rushing waters (doubtless the work of many years), a sharp turn to the right brought us to a cascade which plunged for a distance of fifteen or twenty feet over a shelving rock.

The crystal clear water, cool and refreshing, compensated one for the slightly trying walk."

James F. Crank and the Sierra Madre Villa

Sierra Madre Villa Hotel, ca. 1886, Carleton E. Watkins,
Courtesy of the California History Room,
California State Library, Sacramento, California

I enjoy reading Pasadena PIO's mystery history series. Her most recent post told the story of how the railroad came to Pasadena. Prominent in that story is a man named James F. Crank. He spearheaded efforts to bring a railroad to town, donated land for the Raymond Hotel and, one way or another, figured in much of Pasadena's early development.

Mr. Crank and his family were also the first guests at the old Sierra Madre Villa Hotel. In fact, it was the Sierra Madre Villa that introduced the Cranks (and other prominent people) to the area. Here's the story as related in Ann Sheid's Pasadena: Crown of the Valley:

“The first real hotel in the area was Sierra Madre Villa which began as a large house. The land was purchased by William Porter Rhoades and his father-­in-law, artist William F. Cogswell, in 1874. They built a comfortable house, planted the grounds in orchards and vineyards, and landscaped with rose gardens and ornamental trees.

The house remained a private home until 1877, when the James F. Crank family arrived from Denver, seeking a healthful climate for the ailing Mrs. Crank. The Cranks stayed with the Rhoades, and during this time, a 20-room addition with a long glass-enclosed veranda transformed the ranch house into a full-fledged hotel.

The hotel soon became an important social center, attracting guests from around the world. Famous for its hospitality, beautiful site, and eminent clientele.... Guests came for a week, for a month; or for the whole season, and their ranks included such names as Ulysses S. Grant, Collis P. Huntington, the Crocker and Mark Hopkins families from San Francisco, and tobacco millionaire Abbott Kinney."

There's more.

Below is a scan of a magic lantern slide made in 1890 by photographer Frederick Hamer Maude. The photo is of the front of the Rhoades house which was expanded to accommodate the Crank family. While staying at this house, Mrs. Crank's condition improved and Mr. Crank became smitten with the area. They purchased the Fair Oaks Ranch, which was across the wash from Sierra Madre Villa and north of present day East Washington Blvd. The Crank House still stands on Crary Street in Altadena and is on the National Register of Historic Places.


As for this old Victorian --- it was disassembled in the 40's and purchased by a nearby studio named the Walt Disney Company. Trim from the house was used in a movie and later on a building along Disneyland's Main Street. Here's that story.

Hail in Pasadena

The National Weather Service predicts 100 today and 102 tomorrow with a hazardous weather outlook here. Up to 107 in the mountans. All in all, I thought it a fine day to think about the evening of January 24 when we had a hail storm. It is a big deal to get hail in Pasadena -- even in January. I remember listening to the rain on our roof that night and hearing the sound of rain change to the sound of hail. I shouted "hail" and we all ran outside to watch it hail. I scooped some up and took a picture.

Earthside Story - Update

Some good news to report on the Earthside Story.

First, a magnificent study of Earthside has been completed by Green Vision, a team of very talented graduate students in the Urban and Regional Planning program at Cal Poly Pomona. The report covers Earthside's history, significance (including that of its visionary founders), catalogues plant life on the site and presents future opportunities. You can get the whole report (including some great pictures) here.

Under the direction of Pasadena's own Prof. Julianna Delgado, the Green Vision team has turned out an extraordinary study that will help guide future plans for the site. Yours truly even got a mention!

Second, there has been concern about what would happen with the abandoned preschool and Girls Club building in front of Earthside. This past week the Board of Zoning Appeals approved a conditional use permit allowing the city and Huntington Hospital to operate an urgent care center and health clinic on the site. After some gentle advocacy, the city very willingly put in place a buffer area and several other measures designed to protect the Earthside site from possible negative impacts. Thanks go to new City Manager, Michael Beck, and Public Works Director, Martin Pastucha, who personally took on the issue, and to all those who thoughtfully advocated for protections.

Hawks Continued

I've learned that it can be difficult to identify particular types of hawks. But, thanks to Tamara, who commented on my earlier hawk post, this appears to be a Cooper's Hawk. The bird is about crow-sized and has the white tips at the end of the tail feathers. More identification stuff here.

All about birds has some great background on the Cooper's Hawk. They are "among the world's most skillful fliers" because of how they can weave around tree branches in pursuit of prey. They eat other birds, including doves, which we have see a lot around here. They also eat small rodents. Cooper's Hawks have strong feet and kill their prey by grabbing it with their feet and squeezing it. They've even been known to drown their prey by holding it underwater. Another bird site says hawks, in general, have eyesight 2-3 times better than ours. Unlike other birds, the eyes of hawks and other birds of prey are set to look forward rather than on the side of their head. They mate for life and can reuse nests year after year.

This is a bit far afield. But, Cooper's Hawk is named after William Cooper, a "conchologist," who studied mollusks and other animal life. He collected specimens of many animals including a newly found type of hawk.

Bear Signs

About a month ago I posted photos of the bear that had climbed up a pine tree in our back yard. In more than five years in our Northeast Pasadena home, that was the first time we had actually seen a bear.

More often we just see signs of bears. There was the time we found a pile of trash in our back yard (including a large container of cookie dough) right next to a pile of a different and very smelly sort. Then there was the time a bear pushed down our chain link fence -- just crushed it - on a night my son and I chose to sleep outside. And then there was the morning the guy painting our neighbor's house came running into our yard looking like he'd seen a ghost. The guy was literally shaking when he told me he had seen a "giant" bear. After some time, I walked him back to his job and he spent the rest of the day painting the inside of the house behind locked doors.

But mostly bear signs involve trash cans. This morning I walked out side to see our trash can tipped over. It was the second time this week this has happened. The recycling and green waste containers were undisturbed, it is always the trash can that is tipped.

Here's another picture of the bear we encountered a month ago. I wonder if this is the one getting into my trash can?

Hawks

Early Sunday morning I caught these two hawks perched on top of the power pole in front of our house. It is not uncommon to see hawks soaring high in the air. But, I rarely see them this close.

Later in the day the two hawks perched in our Jacaranda tree.

I've hunted over the web and can't definitively identify what type of hawk this is. Apparently Red Tailed hawks are the most common types of hawks. I didn't see a red tail here, but strangley enough red tailed hawks don't always have visibly red tails. Anyone know what kind of hawk this is?

Sierra Madre July 4th Parade

Official start of the 2009 Sierra Madre July 4th Parade. That's a 1968 Dodge Coronet Pasadena police cruiser leading the way with girl scouts holding the parade banner.

Veterans of Foreign Wars carried the colors. The crowd stood and cheered as these guys marched by. I like that.

This is an entry you won't find in any other small town July 4th parade -- the foundation for Sierra Madre's annual Rose Parade entry. In case you ever wondered what Rose Parade floats look like without the scaffolding and flowers, this is it.

We step back in time to the 1940 parade. No, just a lot of really old cars from this year's parade edited to black and white.

And, a lot of old cars. This 50's era Cadillac sported impressive tail fins and carried the grand marshall, Midge Morash. The tail fin design was reportedly inspired by WWII fighter planes, although some marketing genius claimed the fins blocked cross-winds and made for a smoother ride. Morash, who is known as "Mother Nature," arrived in Sierra Madre not long after this car was made and has done all kinds of good things in the city.

All in all, another wonderful parade in this beautiful city named after our local mountains. I enjoyed all the usual entries -- the priest on a motorcycle, the noname band, Sierra Madre City College, all the scouts and schools, old cars and bikes, tractors, postal workers and firefighters.

Vacation to NoCal and SoOr

We just returned from a trip up Interstate 5 to southern Oregon where we camped beside the Rogue River. Above is Mt. Shasta -- a dormant volcano with a cool 14,100 elevation. Views of Mt. Shasta (and snow covered Mt. Lassen to the east) dominated much of the trip north of Redding to the border. Shasta is at the southern end of the Cascade mountain range.

We pitched our tent at Valley of the Rogue state campground. The campground was a good jumping off point to experience the river and southern Oregon, but was too close to the freeway for my taste. Our camp neighbors, however, were great. Why are people so friendly when they're camping?

We fished along the river's edge and caught, cleaned, cooked and ate rainbow trout. My son did all the work, but I feel a good bit of satisfaction in helping him along. I took a crash course in fishing at Rogue River Pharmacy which has as its slogan "Guns and Drugs" and sells lots of both. Anyway, the white coated pharmacist and an old guy behind the sporting goods counter patiently schooled me on the right tackle, bait and fishing spots.

Fishing in the river a short walk from our campsite.

Highlights of the trip were Butte Creek Mill, where the owner gave us a tour of the water- powered mill built in 1872, the Rogue Creamery, which has the best free samples I've ever seen (jalapeno curds were incredible), House of Mystery, I'm a sucker for that stuff and the kids love it, Wildlife Safari, which deserves a separate post, and the Hellgate Jet Boat trip. I also became a big fan of Dutch Bros. Coffee , and, of course, no sales tax.

Out of Grants Pass, the jet boats took us westward into Hellgate Canyon. What a great adventure for the family! Our boat pilot sometimes floated along to allow for wildlife viewing and then seemingly floored it at other spots. Egged on by some college guys in our boat, the pilot turned a few 360's. We were all wet by the time it was over.

One of the more interesting shots I got on the jet boat ride was of this vulture who stood guard on top of the river bank. About 20 feet below a trio of vultures ripped away at a salmon carcass laying on the rocks. (I'll spare you the shot of the Salmon carcass.)

We saw two bald eagles. This one was perched in a tree along the river's edge.

We had a great time getting windblown and soaked on the boat. Wet head, big smile. Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

Bear Trees a Bear

Yesterday morning, this black bear was up in our pine tree. Actually, the bear is about forty feet up, looking down at me as I stood at the base of the tree taking his picture.

So what is a black bear doing in our tree?

The story starts with our dog, who happens to be named Bear. When we picked him up from the Pasadena Human Society he was described as part Akita. We read that Akitas were bred for bear hunting. Hence the name Bear. He's still a puppy, but is going to be a pretty big guy.

Yesterday at about 5:30 am, Bear started barking and heading for the back door. He and I walked outside to check things out. We saw the bear standing about 15 feet from us next to a pine tree. The bear reacted in a flash by scrambling up the tree. I could hear the scratching noise of his claws digging into the trunk as he climbed. He went straight up to some limbs about forty feet off the ground.

This picture gives you an idea of how high the bear climbed. If you look carefully you can see the bear resting on the second set of limbs up from the ground.

Though he kept track of us (of course I woke everyone up to come out and see the bear in the tree), the bear did not seem concerned. He nonchalantly hung out.

He stood on one limb.

Then he stood on another limb.

Then he went back to the other limb and sniffed around in the pine.

Then he put his head down and went to sleep.

What a way to start the day!

The Bear Facts

According to the Los Angeles Almanac, 150-500 black bears currently roam the Angeles National Forest. Interestingly, black bears are not native to our local mountains. The bear native to our area was the grizzly. However, the fierce grizzlies were eradicated by at least 1916. Some time later, authorities wanted to reintroduce bears to our local mountains. Instead of grizzlies, they chose the kinder gentler black bear. In 1933, Yosemite rangers brought in 11 black bears who are the forebears of our current bear population.

Black bears are omnivores, but eat mostly vegetation. Reportedly their adult weight can range from 90 to 600 pounds. They can run up to 30 mph, are good swimmers and great climbers. With their upright ears, black bears are the inspiration for teddy bears and for Winnie the Pooh.

In foothill areas bears are sometimes reported coming down into the neighborhoods in search of food. This seems true particularly on trash day. We've seen signs of bears around our house before -- a broken fence, trash cans knocked down and a some really foul bear remains. But, I never expected to have this kind of encounter!

Chicken Laws

As interest grows in all things green, there is a resurgence in chicken keeping. Just a generation ago, chickens were a normal part of everyday life. My father's family kept chickens. I grew up with chickens in our neighborhood. It was just accepted. I don't recall any problems.

So, Lolo (pictured above) and I were hanging around the yard this weekend. It has been a year since she and her five sisters joined our family. We agreed the whole experiment has been a great success. The chickens have been easy to care for and just plain old fun. We clean up every couple of weeks so they don't smell. Our hens are relatively quiet (no roosters). They don't wander into neighbor's yards (although a neighbor's dog got into our yard one day and gave us all a scare). They give us great compostable droppings for the garden. And, best of all, they lay eggs that are more nutritious and less taxing on the environment than those trucked into town.

So, what's the beef with chickens? Why aren't there more around? We did a little research and it turns out that chicken keeping in Pasadena often runs afoul (or is it afowl?) of laws that were passed in 1956. Lolo and I agreed that the old laws are outdated and need change.

Why the Nix in '56?
Pasadena's chicken laws are part of a series of ordinances that were passed in 1956 to prohibit certain farm animals and severely limit others. Cows, pigs, and roosters are prohibited. Goats and horses are extremely limited. Restrictions on chickens and other fowl are so severe that any fowl is prohibited in most Pasadena neighborhoods.
It was only slightly before my time, but most likely Pasadena's animal control ordinance took hold amid the twin pressures of post-war population growth and the drive to modernize. In an era of space exploration, TV dinners, and homogenized everything, there was probably no room for farm animals in a world class city like ours.

Better a Chimp Than a Chick?
Under Pasadena's Municipal Code, no person can have more than 10 chickens and the chickens must be kept 50 feet from a property line, 50 feet from a street and 100 feet from a neighbor's dwelling. Pretty strict requirements. As a practical matter, these rules bar chickens from most Pasadena neighborhoods. (Sections 6.20.020 -- 6.20.070)

There is a potential exception. The Municipal Code allows residents to file a petition with the city's Health Officer for permission to keep a chicken or chickens. The Health Officer holds a public hearing and makes a ruling. You can appeal the ruling, presumably to city council, provided you pay the appeal fees. (Section 6.20.200)

Though most Pasadenans cannot own a chicken, you'll be glad to know you can keep monkeys. The city code allows residents to own any "monkey, ape, chimpanzee, or any animal of the monkey type" as long as as you leash the animal when you go in public. I don't want to offend the pro-monkey forces, but, does it make sense to allow monkeys while outlawing chickens?

Urban Chicken Movement

Urban chicken keeping is a growth industry. In the year since I've been keeping this blog, I've been surprised at the number of people who have inquired about our chickens. East Pasadena's Centinella Feed sells so much chicken feed they have a hard time keeping it on the shelves.

Nationally, an urban chicken movement is fast pecking away at prohibitions against chicken keeping. There are a lot of great sites to visit on this topic including: Homegrown Evolution, Backyard Chickens, The City Chicken, and Ann Arbor City Chickens.

It is time for Pasadena and other cities to take a look at old laws limiting chickens. As part of its program to be a Green and Sustainable City, Pasadena says it intends to "support the public health and environmental benefits of locally grown organic foods." Loosening the restraints on chicken keeping is a good way to pursue this goal.