January 22, 2017

  • Santa Barbara Holidays

    Over the holidays this year, I spent two weeks in Santa Barbara.  It was designed to be a relaxed two weeks,  with 3 celebratory dinners and  plans only to visit family members -- my nephews as I delivered their gifts, my sister, and my niece, who ended up in Italy while I was in Santa Barbara.  I took the camera, but did little photography.  Because there were only two of us for Christmas, we rotisseried a chicken -- just right for two people -- and made a Christmas dinner of it.  I did take the camera for a walk a couple of times, and these are my favorites of the photos.

    Although it was rainy as I left home, by Christmas Eve the weather was cool but very pretty.  It stayed that way until the day I drove home, with a few showers in between -- I was chased by a storm on the way home!

    IMGP0801-001

    The sea was beautiful, reflecting the afternoon sun!

    IMGP0802-001

    IMGP0803-001

    IMGP0804-001

    And this tree intrigued me!

    IMGP0805-001

    There had been no difference in the lake level since the last time I was in Santa Barbara, for Thanksgiving.  The level remained at approximately 7% of capacity!  And the early rains made no difference, as the ground was so dry that every drop sank into the ground as if it was a sponge.

    As I write this, we have had light rains almost every day for the first two weeks of January.  For the last week, we have had drenching rains, and in the last 24 hours it has rained almost 3 inches.  This storm should help raise the lake level -- the ground is now wet enough that there can be some runoff into little tributaries and larger streams into the lakes.  It's been wonderful to see some rain, although I will be very ready to see the sun again on Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning when one more storm has made its way through the area!

Comments (8)

  • So good to know you are getting rain.

    • We've had about 4 inches over the last week! It's been enough to create heavy flooding in low areas and mudslides below fire areas. It's been good to see the rain, but we're all ready for a little sunshine again!

  • I'm glad you are finally getting rain. I just hope and pray it sinks in, and there are no muc slides. The pictures are beautiful, as usual. I hope to go visit there again someday.

    • There has been almost 4 inches of rain over the last week -- we've had some flooding in low areas (a couple of freeways had to be closed), and some mud slides below recent wildfires, but we got through this series of storms with less damage than might have been. Lake Cachuma is beginning to rise -- it may gain 10 feet of water (it's been 100 feet low).

  • I'm anxious that the lake level rises - that would be the best result of the rains! Glad you had a relaxing holiday. Love the 2nd and 4th photos!!

    • I just heard that the most recent storm (still in progress) has raised the lake level by 250 feet. I don't know whether that yet makes water available to Santa Barbara -- there are all sorts of regulations that require there be a running stream entering the sea, 12 miles from the dam, before the City gets any water. That all has to do with the downstream users and their senior rights, and the fish that spawns in a pool just before the sea (they don't really know that there any of those fish left at this point, but they're protected!). Yhose two shots are my favorites, too -- they show beautifully the waves coming in, with a very distinct period -- I'm glad you like them!

  • Your pictures are beautiful! Popped in from Murisopis blog.

    • Thank you very much -- Please visit again whenever you'd like -- I post periodically still, when the muse and my camera join forces!

Comments are closed.

Post a Comment