We have had almost a month of no burn days. Great time to look for free firewood. How many are in the same boat as me, want to burn but can't?
Winter Spare The Air in San Francisco Bay Area
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There's a lot in California that isn't San Francisco and L.A. You don't have to go very far north of San Francisco to hit some really nice country and serious winter in the mountains. I'm planning a trip to Mendocino County in the spring.
Tenn Dave
Minister of Fire
I'm shocked by the stupid generalizations said about California.
The OP didn't ask for this to be an opinion piece on CA. It's a big state. Lots of good things come from CA too. Let's keep the politics out or it's heading to the can.
I suspect quite a few, mostly in metropolitan areas, make one wonder if the amount of vehicular traffic has a fair amount to do with it, industry as well which usually centers around major metro areas in a lot of cases for ease of shipping goods as well as available workforce. some places are simply not good locations for large metropolitan areas to be centered on but what ya gonna do?
I lived many years in Cali, including both ends of the state. Love love love Cali. There are cool things to see everywhere you go. It's where my wee bairn was born. I especially love noCal and those big rivers. The rugged noCal mountains are where I learned my former craft. An old biologist friend is trying to lure me back, and I am sorely tempted.
Spent 3.5 years living on the south end. No need for heat (very moderate climate) and it was a neat place if you liked cities. I don't like cities and came back to IL because of family. (I am VERY family oriented.)
I can honestly say that I never saw an "air" issue in San Dog - but that could have changed by now. It always seemed that there was at least a light breeze - that may have been the game changer. (Circa 1987)
I can honestly say that I never saw an "air" issue in San Dog - but that could have changed by now. It always seemed that there was at least a light breeze - that may have been the game changer. (Circa 1987)
It's not hard to figure out that the reason so many live there is.......it's a great place to live! People who could live anywhere in the world (billionaires, silicon valley folks, etc.) often choose the Bay Area........
But for those who like burning carpets and stumps in OWB's or whoreding firewood, there are probably better places......I'll grant you that.
But for those who like burning carpets and stumps in OWB's or whoreding firewood, there are probably better places......I'll grant you that.
We drove down to Oxnard (LA) last summer and it is a nice state. The coastal areas are very mild, not hot and not humid. The politics and the very high prices for everything are what keeps me away.
If you get a few dozen millions from your stock vesting or the company IPO, the money problems are solved......
It proves that old real estate maxim about location. Given the topography, there are only so many houses in areas where the best weather and access is....and they are dear! My daughter bought a 950 sf shack that would be free in Detroit, $20K in Pittsburgh, etc....for about 320K. That's in the bad neighborhood. However, being able to be outside virtually year-round is quite a bonus....
I'd rather have them tax away 50% of my 50 million than make 50K somewhere else and only pay 25% on it
I will admit. LA is weird. In fact, most of the whole place is strange to those of us with roots and the old Protestant Work Ethic. I can't stand people who appear to have it too good!
Except for booze. Wine, beer and the hard stuff are way cheaper there. In the north part of the state the property values are pretty reasonable too once you get away from SF.
If Jersey & New Yawk drivers could just drive a bit better.....
I agree with the NY drivers, but the other problem is all those PA drivers coming over here and clogging up our roads all summer long. It turns a 45 minute commute into a 1 1/2 hour commute.
It was a relatively "dry" vacation except for swimming in the Pacific every day. I did notice that huge low cost booze barn just south of the CA/OR border that I have hear about people making booze runs to.
Sometimes I wonder why we live in such a dark and rainy part of the country. We do get a few months of pure perfection, but is that enough? when there are climates such as those in CA?
I was born (1948) & raised in California - Bay Area. Went to college in San Luis Obispo, then joined the Navy. Over the next 30+years I lived a lot of different places, but since the Navy has such a presence in California, I found myself living there more than anywhere else. In my (so far) 65 years, I'd say 30 of them were spent living in California. Lots of time in San Diego (where I remember wearing shorts & a T-shirt to walk my dog on New Year's morning 
). Then go up to Truckee where they average 17' of snow/year 
. I guess my comment about this thread would be that there aren't really any valid generalizations to be made of the state in its entirety. It's a big state, and consists of widely varying contrasts in about every characteristic you can name. A drive from the border with Mexico to the border with Oregon is a real adventure and is quite different depending on what route one takes. People like to talk as though everyone in California is a tree-hugging bleeding heart Liberal. Well, tell that to Darrell Issa. It's a wonderfully diverse state in every way with a lot to offer to pretty much anyone. If you haven't spent any time there, you've no idea what it's really all about. Rick
). Then go up to Truckee where they average 17' of snow/year . I guess my comment about this thread would be that there aren't really any valid generalizations to be made of the state in its entirety. It's a big state, and consists of widely varying contrasts in about every characteristic you can name. A drive from the border with Mexico to the border with Oregon is a real adventure and is quite different depending on what route one takes. People like to talk as though everyone in California is a tree-hugging bleeding heart Liberal. Well, tell that to Darrell Issa. It's a wonderfully diverse state in every way with a lot to offer to pretty much anyone. If you haven't spent any time there, you've no idea what it's really all about. Rick
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Just ain't enough room there. And chances are your family is not there.
Lots of reasons......but I know lots of folks who moved there. Most stayed. Sure, some go to other Western states if they are into the great wide open spaces and homesteading, etc. - but it's really hard to beat the weather in CA.
The fruit and veggies are amazing too....the nuts, wine, etc.
As I said, it's probably guilt (work ethic, etc.) that keeps a lot of people here. Our national creed is somewhat "work you arse off".....and we don't take too well to putting sunglasses on and drinking wine all day.
Which, of course, is what everyone in California does? Oh please, enough with the ridiculous stereotypes.
I was in a training session with a vendor (technology) in Santa Rosa @ 10 years ago. We got done early so a couple of us decided to take a drive through wine country. Sonoma valley, etc. - incredible. Pointed the car at the coast. When we came out of the redwoods and hit the rolling hills just before the coast, we could smell the ocean before we saw it. Can't recall the name of the beach where joined up with the coastal highway. Breathtaking. Calif highway patrol had traffic stopped while a camera crew in a helicopter filmed some luxury car commercial which was kinda cool. Spent an hour cruising the coast, then headed back to the city. Been back to San Francisco a couple times since - same street guy entertaining the tourists at the end of the Cable car run down by the wharf. Steak and eggs and Irish coffee for breakfast, lunch at Schoma's on the wharf, what a cool place. Sorry for rambling, thread just sparked some memories....
Love to visit hawaii but that place gives me the creeps. As a civil engineer I always look for infrastructure like sewage treatment plants, water supply, and power grid. In maui I drove right by their diesel (
!) powered power generator. Excellent climate so long as the barges keep showing up with supplies. You need to be "connected" to have a job there.
Ignorance is bliss I guess. I don't worry about power as much there at all. It would be fairly easy to live off the grid. Hawaii is one of the more forward thinking and progressive states in the nation wrt power. IIRC 20% of Maui's power is now wind generated and that will double in the next decades. They are also aggressively adding solar, biomass and geothermal power. We visited a large 42 acre goat dairy on Maui that was entirely self powered by solar.
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