The most significant thing to happen during January was the beginning of a new political era, one that is certain to end poorly for everybody. Some enterprising souls are taking notes on the slow motion train wreck here. Tensions run high. Rioting has occurred. Various scummy fringe groups suddenly feel empowered. Innocent people are already suffering.
Of greater personal significance was the sudden death of my friend, Jim Kaiser. Jim played music with my brother. I'll write about him over on my music blog soon, as it seems the more appropriate place to post about him.
Locally, we have gotten a truckload of rain. At work, I've seen water in places where I've never seen it before. Creeks have jumped banks, power lines have come down. Creeks that are normally mere trickles or dry washes have suddenly become raging, frothy torrents. Most significantly, the trail to the reservoir was subject to a landslide, and is going to be closed for months.
Here's what the John Nicholas Trail leading up to Lake Ranch Reservoir currently looks like.
Here are a couple of the trails in Sanborn Park.
We got a foggy day too:
The picture below was taken in a spot where this in normally no surface water.
Sometime over the holiday break, the deer carcass near the driveway in Sanborn Park was reduced to a pile of scattered bones.
There were a few chilly nights too.
The only noteworthy excursion (not counting musical ones, which are reported elsewhere) of the month was a short trip to Hacienda Cemetery to find the grave containing an arm (the owner of which is buried in another cemetery, but that will be a trip for another time). We succeeded. It was a nice little spot.
