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Archive through November 24, 2007

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: Oct. 2007 ~ Dec. 2007: WILDFIRES and mudslides: ARCHIVES: Archive through November 24, 2007 users admin

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Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Monday, November 05, 2007 - 2:11 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
Sorry Bee. Your comment about wondering about a course of action was unclear.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Monday, November 05, 2007 - 4:20 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Bee, that's a real concern. When I moved to Modjeska in early 1969 they had just been through the big floods in late 1968 and it was because the creeks hadn't been cleared upstream (Cleveland National Forest) for years that they had MUCH more damage from the creek not properly flowing.. large trees had grown in the bed, etc, and then some whole houses were swept away and many many more were flooded and mud-filled than would have been. There were also lots of mudslides but I'm not clear about the precursors for those since I hadn't lived there.

And I know for certain that several houses that had structural damage from the mudslides were "cleaned up" and sold or rented out.

And I know the whole time I lived there, they would routinely send out notices to clear brush or else be charged and we rightly got the notices and cleared, but the woman next door, who owned her place kept her place cleared ALL year and she'd still get the notice, so they certainly did not even a drive by ahead of time. We didn't have much in the way of services. Not much road maintenance, no drains, no sewers, no trash pickup, no streetlights, very little tv reception, heck even when they got the "dots" that helped so much to keep people in their lanes, when they finally brought them out to Santiago Cyn Road they went up to Irvine Lake and stopped. Took complaints and several more years to get them installed on out to Silverado, Modjeska and beyond (I forget how far out they came from the other direction at that time. And these were two lane, twisty country roads with no lights and prone to some heavy ground fogs at times.

One thing we DID have, in Modjeska, was a Postal "Star Route" and they actually delivered mail to a box at the road by our driveway!! That was HOT STUFF!

Of course enterprising people stepped in and we paid to have or trash hauled to the dump and someone put a boostered antenna high up in a big tree up on Modjeska Grade and for $8 a month we could get basice tv reception! The place we rented was right on Modjeska road at the very bottom of the canyon.

Beekindpleez
Member

07-18-2006

Monday, November 05, 2007 - 5:32 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Beekindpleez a private message Print Post    
Oh, Sea. You are talking about the good old days, for sure!
We had Star Route, too!
The day we got a satellite dish was a sacred day in our house, as we had lived here seven years with no TV. lol My kids were Sooooooo happy to have TV! (Because there is no other TV service offered to this area, we can have east coast feeds as well and that's how I can watch BB when it's really LIVE. I just love that)
We still have no sewer lines (we've got septic tanks...ewwwww. lol) no gas (propane tanks) can't get "caller ID" on our phones (our lines are too old) and the power goes out every time some fool crashes on Live Oak Canyon Road.

It was so dark out here back then that you could see every star in the sky. Now they've built up so much around us (Coto, RSM, Ladera, Foothill, Portola, etc) that the sky is a light haze color now and you can barely see stars.

New folks who move out here want to put in sidewalks and streetlamps and lines down the middle of our little road, but us old timers tell them it isn't going to happen.

Each of us is responsible for maintaining the road in front of our houses so, every year we have to consider whether we need to re-top it and stuff.

I do love it out here, though. It was just the most wonderful place to raise our kids. They really did not like it when they were young because they couldn't just go up the road and hang out with friends.
If they wanted to be with friends, we had to drive to them or they to us, so we had a lot of control as parents.
Now, My sons are delighted that they lived here, but for many years they hated it.

But it is quiet and peaceful and very private and I hope it will always be my home.



Costa...no need to be sorry. My situation is a bit unique as I truly do live in the boonies. The scary thing is that if those mountains up behind us come down, there really won't be much we can do. Mother Nature is stronger and much more unpredictable than man.
But believe me, we're already working up our sandbag program for this year. It will definately be different than ones from years past.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Monday, November 05, 2007 - 5:46 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Oh right.. we had the big propane tank, too!

Oh no we never wanted sewers, sidewalks, etc.. didn't want that interference. When we came out to look for places to rent at night it looked like an old camp, just lights inside houses or by the doors, almost seemed like coleman lanterns and BLACK BLACK BLACK. We used to love driving on Santigo Canyon Road out by Irvine Lake when there was a full moon and no one was around and turning off the headlamps on the car..

I didn't have kids but Modjeska was so small that kids could run around some and ride bikes or horses to each other, but still they were pretty isolated. Other than the little store in Modjeska and in Silverado we shopped, did laundry, etc, down in El Modena or El Toro. Of course in the early years I worked in Santa Ana for the County and he was going to Cal State Fullerton and we had one car, so we put on tons of miles and just shopped on the way home. There was NOTHING commercial past El Modena.. Lake Forest was being built and we would meet friends from El Toro at the lakes to train our dogs, later we'd go to Coto.. the original plans for huge estate places had fallen through due to the failure of the landowners or developers so we paid a tiny fee like $9 a month for use of the land, ponds and we could go into the hunt club place. It was amazing for people with labrador retrievers! Our dogs were happy campers!

I just hope we get the kind of rain Costa mentioned, slow slow slow and soaking in, not sliding.

They used to dump seed with the water or phoscheck but I'm guessing the environmentalists got on their case about dropping non-native seeds.. but dang, you need something to take root! Not the best time of year for that.

I also loved living out there very much.

Treasure
Member

06-26-2002

Monday, November 05, 2007 - 6:16 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Treasure a private message Print Post    
Wow!! That is some interesting history! I love places like that. ehehe

Actually, Congress was almost like that when I moved in last year. The only street light is the one that a neighbor across the street from me had installed and pays for. That happened just about a month after I moved in.

I was so disappointed when that light went on. I had been enjoying the late evening skies with all those stars. Then one night I came home from a Gold Prospectors meeting to find that light so very bright. I couldn't see the stars and my living room was light up so much that I had a hard time getting to sleep for a few night.

He finally lowered the wattage of that light, but I still can't see the stars as well as I did when I first moved in.

I have been here 1 year and one month. The place is changing already. sigh

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Friday, November 09, 2007 - 3:34 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Santiago Fire 100% contained.

They are putting big bales of hay along roads and other places in an attempt to ward off mudslides, should it rain. Even as much as half an inch, too fast, could be very bad.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Friday, November 09, 2007 - 3:48 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
How are the winds? They are getting kinda bad here, windows shaking, stuff flying around outside.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Friday, November 09, 2007 - 4:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Hmm, no and I've been in Orange, three places in Santa Ana, Fountain Valley both north and south of the 405 today and all was calm in all of those places.

There is a little breeze now, enough to whirl some of the more easily whirled items in my patio and my wind chime is sounding a bit. The weather channel thingy says 8mph here..

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Friday, November 09, 2007 - 5:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
It's windy here, but it's from a low pressure system. And they are not an issue now, cause the humidity is so high. (I mean, there's always risk of fire, but it's much worse when we have really low humidity and really high winds.)

Beekindpleez
Member

07-18-2006

Friday, November 09, 2007 - 6:14 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Beekindpleez a private message Print Post    
So happy that fire has finally been contained. We still have lots of firefighting activity going on in the area...forestry trucks, etc.

No winds today. In fact, it's cool and even a bit damp here.

Sea...I saw that article about the big bales of hay. I hope they throw some out our way.

Beekindpleez
Member

07-18-2006

Friday, November 09, 2007 - 6:18 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Beekindpleez a private message Print Post    
Oh...and great news. Since I talked about it here, I'll post it here as well.
We are seeing our grand daughter on Sunday. First time in TWO years.
Oh, happy day!

Sportsfan
Member

09-03-2007

Friday, November 09, 2007 - 9:26 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Sportsfan a private message Print Post    
That's awesome Beek! Have a really great visit!

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Saturday, November 10, 2007 - 6:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
I was thinking of you, Bee.. hoping you could get some bales of hay.. heck it might help some.

What great news about seeing your grand daughter on Sunday.. something good came of the whole fire mess, huh?

Beekindpleez
Member

07-18-2006

Saturday, November 10, 2007 - 6:36 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Beekindpleez a private message Print Post    
Thanks for the thoughts, Sea. I swear I can feel good thoughts when people send them my way.
Bales of hay have been ordered here. lol In Silverado the County is doing it. I guess we're on our own, though.

Yes...something good has come from the fires. Something good always seems to come from the bad in one way or another. I am SO excited about tomorrow that I'm like a five-year-old myself. Ha!
I even set up a little Barbie corner in my bedroom. My DH thought I was nuts, but I have a feeling we will have a little fun in that corner together. wheeeee

I'll let ya know how it goes.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Sunday, November 11, 2007 - 2:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Hoping it is going well right now, Bee!

Beekindpleez
Member

07-18-2006

Sunday, November 11, 2007 - 3:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Beekindpleez a private message Print Post    
Oh, Sea. I have not yet heard from her and I'm starting to freak out. I thought she would be here by now. Said she would call around noon. Dang. I'm really getting worried. I came to check here, pass a few minutes and saw your post. So happy to see it as I was hoping to talk to someone.
I'm hoping it's just nothing at all and she's running late.

Beekindpleez
Member

07-18-2006

Sunday, November 11, 2007 - 3:28 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Beekindpleez a private message Print Post    
Whew...just heard from her. She'll be here in about 45 minutes.

Beekindpleez
Member

07-18-2006

Monday, November 12, 2007 - 2:52 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Beekindpleez a private message Print Post    
What an incredible day this has turned out to be. A true delight. An absolute blessing.
A day filled with love...who could ever ask for more?

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - 2:44 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
That's so nice, Bee!!!

Beekindpleez
Member

07-18-2006

Friday, November 23, 2007 - 6:26 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Beekindpleez a private message Print Post    
We're having Santa Ana winds again (mighty cold ones) and they are blowing the ash so bad that we cannot venture outside without a mask on. My porch is completely covered in ash again and you never would believe I had just dusted this house.
It's kind of scary because it's hard to tell if it's ash, or more fires starting up. But this is horrible!

Treasure
Member

06-26-2002

Friday, November 23, 2007 - 7:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Treasure a private message Print Post    
It will take some rain to settle that ash. Of course, that will make a mess trying to get the wet ash off your porch.

Beekindpleez
Member

07-18-2006

Friday, November 23, 2007 - 7:08 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Beekindpleez a private message Print Post    
Oh well..it's a mess anyway. I would really like some rain...but not TOO much. Worried about mudslides now. It's always something, huh?

Skootz
Member

07-23-2003

Saturday, November 24, 2007 - 5:50 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Skootz a private message Print Post    
Sorry you are going through this Bee, I can so relate with the ash thing. We have had 2 barn fires and the ash in the clean up...terrible. I forgot all about that part of it until you mentioned it.

Hope you get some much needed rain.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Saturday, November 24, 2007 - 8:15 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
{{{Bee}}}

Ophiliasgrandma
Member

09-04-2001

Saturday, November 24, 2007 - 10:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Ophiliasgrandma a private message Print Post    


You want ash? This is a 1980 photo showing the Mount St. Helens ash plume heading towards Yakima, Washington...which it eventually almost buried. It took 6 months for the town to completely dig out from under the mess.

There was another big eruption a few weeks later that headed right for Portland. It happened after dark. Outside it looked like it was snowing. The next morning the landscape was all in shades of gray, white and black. It looked like a black and white photo of a snow-covered scene. The biggest lesson I learned from that was, 'Ash doesn't melt'. We had the biggest mess to clean up. Eventually, rain washed the ash off all the plants and lawns. But the blowing ash from the roads lasted for what seemed forever.

About 15 years later we had our gutters replaced and they still had ash in them.