ojai news at The Ojai Post :: blog, newspaper, events in Ojai, California

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

Except, apparently, in Ojai - I did not get my mail today.

I posted this one the other day on the Open Thread but the Bee's Wax Man censored it and took it down before sealing off the site. Here and now is as good a time as ever.

The New York Times had a short article about a Research Center that tracked and posted something like 935 lies by the Bush administration in the run up to the occupation of Iraq.

"Web Site Assembles U.S. Prewar Claims
By JOHN H. CUSHMAN Jr.
WASHINGTON — Students of how the Bush administration led the nation into the Iraq war can now go online to browse a comprehensive database of top officials’ statements before the invasion, connecting the dots between hundreds of claims, mostly discredited since then, linking Saddam Hussein to Al Qaeda or warning that he possessed forbidden weapons.

The Center for Public Integrity, a research group that focuses on ethics in government and public policy, designed the new Web site to allow simple searches for specific phrases, such as “mushroom cloud” or “yellowcake uranium,” in transcripts and documents totaling some 380,000 words, including remarks by President Bush and most of his top advisers in the two years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks....."

The link to the site is:

http://www.publicintegrity.org/default.aspx

A George Soros funded propagada mill.

We did not get our mail, and the mail in the box was not picked up. Not sure why - the roads seem to be clear. My "high speed" internet has not been working since Wed. afternoon, and apparently won't work again until the sun comes back out. My phone line is dead. Sigh...
(Guess maybe it's a good thing it doesn't rain much around here - the whole place might collapse!)

Thank God for George Soros and others like him.

In Upper Ojai - the three rivers on my property are flowing again. Went out at 9PM to check my fence line and dig it out for the flow so my fence isn't taken down again like it was in the last flood (a couple of years ago). Came home from Carp, and 150 is holding (for the most part) - it's nice to see some water back in Casitas. I'm just waiting for the next punch (Sat-Sun) to see if 150 holds between Upper Ojai and Ojai/Carp . The CalTrans trucks are doing a great job keeping the rocks off the road!
I just find it kinda strange that CHP isn't reporting any incidents, and NOAA isn't showing current rain and river totals. I know we're getting hit (and we can use the water), but does anyone have some good links for current info? According to NOAA this is just the prelude for the slamming we are going to get Sat thru Sun.
Hope everyone keeps dry and safe, and we don't have a repeat of two years ago when Ojai became an island. Life is always interesting in Ojai - we burn or flood. Heck I had to buy a digital camera to take pics for the folks down south (LA and Orange Counties) 'cause they couldn't believe the excuses why I couldn't come to work some days (chuckle).

Ginny: http://www.vcwatershed.org/fws/

Scroll down the page a bit.

well i'm outta here again.
can't say i'm too sad about it with all the rain predicted.

off to Austin, TX (the "3rd coast") for music, of course, music, of course and music, of course.

then San Miguel de Allende where oh so many friends have relocated in the last 5.6.7 years.

then Yelapa- heavenly remote fishing village

I'll let you know if I find some sun and warmth

and i'll do my best to bring some back

stay warm in your hearts and souls, sweet ojaians!!

I just called the P.O. to ask about my mail and was told there have been no problems. If you aren't getting mail, let them know: 646-7904.

Buckets of rain,
Buckets of tears,
Got all them buckets comin' out of my ears.
Buckets of moonbeams in my hand...

"Raindrops keep falling on my bed,
All i can think is that the maintenance guy said
'Roofers are a-coming!'
But raindrops keep falling on my bed, they keep falling

"So i put a bucket at my feet,
Then got another for the leak above the sink
Gonna call tomorrow!
Raindrops keep falling on my bed, they keep falling..."

"There's a monitor where the mind once was
An aircraft passes overhead
Resounds like rain in the bucket of my head"

Well my three rivers dried up (smile), and my fence and tress are still standing. I figure this thread should start lighting up later tonight and tomorrow. So far Ojai has weathered these storms, but from everything I’ve found on the Web we’re gonna get hammered starting tonight. OC is ordering voluntary evacs for their ‘burned’ canyon areas, Ventura has put on additional staff and quick water rescue teams, the RV park by the Ventura River is planning evac routes, etc. According to all the reports the ground in Ventura Co is now 75% saturated (like it was in the 2005 flood), and we can expect and additional 5-10” up here in the next 2 days….so things should get interesting. Oh, they (can’t remember if it Ventura Sheriff or Fire or NOAA) are recommending stocking up on supplies. So while we are in this break my day will be spent digging and moving rock to divert flood flows (my three rivers), and running to town to get gas for my generator. I figure when all the agencies are throwing up red flags, I’ll error on the side of caution and do some prep. This next storm sounds nasty (they are even predicting potential tornadoes in Ventura (sigh)).
One bright side to all of this….doctors always recommend folks exercise to stay healthy. Well, when you live in Ojai you are either clearing your property for fire season, prepping for floods, and during the lulls playing in our beautiful outdoors – who needs gyms and exercise instructors (chuckle). By the way the mountains up here are gorgeous with all the snow! If you get a chance today, take a drive up Dennison and take a look at our winter wonderland.

FYI on funders of Center for Public Integrity:
http://www.publicintegrity.org/about/about.aspx?act=funders
Alas, I'm not listed--I could only afford $25! Any other locals out there?
Probably, IMHO, one of the most reputable and important govt. research institutes for accurate info.! Highly recommended!
Let's start a list of such...since the MSM is so insularly corporate-controlled...

got inspired by the morning sunlight and decided to squeeze in a few laps at the Athletic Club.....

how beautiful it was.... bright snow sparkling on the mountains.... (how ironic that we admire the photos on our computer screens when the real thing is right outside....)

but the lap pool was down to seventy-eight degrees.... too cold for civilized exercise.... so had to use the rec pool instead, always at least six degrees warmer.....

as i was swimming, the wind was whipping up everything in sight, even the water.... kind of like rough surf on a windy day in the ocean.... the little metal signs warning of wet pavement got blown into the pool.... a lady swimmer had her big multi-colored jacket blown into the pool.... and a heavy cloud began creeping over the sky....

all these signs suggested it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.....

and it's a hard
and it's a hard
and it's a hard
and it's a hard
it's a harrrrrd rain's a-gonna fall.......

Sorry to post the previous on this thread...maybe start another one, Tyler? We sure could use accurate info. links during the media onslaught running up to the CA Primary--surfing cable channels last night during the local news (KEYT), I saw the same Hillary commercial being run on 3 LA stations! Onslaught, indeed!

Speaking of "buckets," my best friend in high school in New Orleans started using "buckets 'o..." as an endearment for just about anything: "Buckets 'o love,"Buckets 'o muffins," "Buckets 'o biscuits" (like when kitties knead on our tummy)...well, you get the imagery!

Buckets 'o drips: A long-time Ojaian said, when I complained about my ONE bucket catching a drip in my kitchen, "You're lucky--most have at least three!" Alas, we renters put up with leaky roofs, antiquated plumbing, cheap construction just to afford being in Paradise! I skipped a party last night to make sure MY bucket didn't overflow! Off to drive Mom up the grade for a look a Paradise in winter...

Hi Judy K - we'll keep this thread going for a while, but I'm planning on monitoring the rains when they hit, including agency reports. Stay tuned, and thanks for participating.

I've got the bags, where does one go to obtain sand?

I would call the Fire Department in front of Soule Park Golf Course and ask them.

1201 E Ojai Ave
Ojai, CA 93023
(805) 654-5000

If not, the beach?

Well small diversion walls are built, firewood is moved next to the house, gas is ready for the generator....and the sprinkles just started falling in Upper Ojai. I'm ready to hunker down for the rest of weekend (smile).
By the way, a bunch of folks made it up here today to snap pics of the 'winter wonderland'.
Now, let's wait and see how this storm develops....hope everyone stays safe and dry...and Upper Ojai doesn't become an island again (sigh).

Per NOAA -
WE COULD SEE SOME MAINSTEM RIVER FLOODING WITH THE VENTURA AND SANTA CLARA RIVERS APPROACHING BANKFULL AND POSSIBLE CREST ABOVE FLOOD STAGE NEAR THE MAIN STREET BRIDGE IN VENTURA ON THE VENTURA RIVER LATE
SUNDAY MORNING.

BTW - Ye Ol' buckets of rain are now falling in Upper Ojai.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OXNARD HAS ISSUED AN

* URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY FOR LOS ANGELES...VENTURA AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA...

* UNTIL 200 AM PST

* AT 800 PM PST...DOPPLER RADARS INDICATED WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN ACROSS LOS ANGELES... VENTURA AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES. THUNDERSTORMS WERE EMBEDDED IN THE AREA OF RAIN. RAINFALL RATES HAVE INCREASED TO BETWEEN ONE QUARTER AND ONE THIRD OF AN INCH PER HOUR IN MANY AREAS...WITH LOCAL RATES UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR POSSIBLE. THE RAIN WILL CONTINUE WELL INTO THE NIGHT. THIS WILL CAUSE WIDESPREAD PONDING OF WATER ON AREA FREEWAYS AND ROADWAYS...LOCAL FLOODING OF INTERSECTIONS AND UNDERPASSES. IN ADDITION...SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS MAY OVERFLOW THEIR BANKS.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING...

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* ALL OF SANTA BARBARA...VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES ...INCLUDING NON-BURN AREAS.

* THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING

OK, after reading NOAA I decided to put on my 'big bird' yellow rain gear and walk the property. Right now 2 of my 3 rivers are flowing with 6-7" (geez just after 4 approx hours of rain)....the 3rd will join the group probably in the next 30-60 minutes. The small retaining walls I built today are holding, but all bets are off in the next few hours if this amount of rain keeps up (sigh). All I've gotta say is this is the fastest I've seen my rivers form in all the years I've lived here (10+ years)...even compared to 2005. Me thinks we may be looking at a repeat of 2005, but I hope not. The roadside run off on 150 hasn't turned into 'white water' yet, but again my guess (with the water running off my property) it will in the next 2 hours. I just keep telling myself we need this rain, and heck one of my rivers lies where my well is (thank you Ralph, Brandon and Neil Hansen for the perfect location!) so I should have plenty of water next year (chuckle).

Stay dry and safe...I've got my fireplace going (smile).

middle of winter

middle of the night

middle of town

nice, even steady

rain, rain, rain

let it rain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifff5NbKQZI