I-5 north to San Juan Bautista 10-09-07

I drove up here to San Juan Bautista today, about a 5-1/2 hour drive. A gorgeous day with light traffic and only two stops! Usually I have to make three pit stops. I-5 goes over the mountains north of the Los Angeles basin and this time of year they are always very dry, but this year with almost no rain for fifteen months everything is extremely parched.

These hills face the south so they have very little vegetation except for the grass. I love they way they look like huge lions laying in the sun. The chaparral in the foreground is between the highway and pasture land. The sky was really this blue. Not much autumn color along the way which surprised me as I drive up about this same week every year to go to PIQF and there is always some change, but not this year.

Just south of Gorman, a tiny community at the top of the mountains (about 4200') the trees are all black from a brush fire that occurred several years ago. They are very striking against the tawny hillsides. In 1991 Christo's "Umbrellas" were spread over these hills - huge yellow umbrellas that glowed with the sun shining through the fabric. I still miss them!! I can't find a good website, but here is one that has a few pictures. http://www.tedsimages.com/text/umbrella.htm

Down on the floor of the Central Valley most of the crops are harvested and they are working on picking and baling cotton. The orchards are still green and most of the grapevines, but all the natural growth is grey or brown. The tumbleweeds will soon be dried enough for the wind to wrench them out of the dry soil and start them tumbling. This picture is of an oasis of sorts: Harris Ranch is located near Coalinga. In the 35+ years I have been driving this route it has grown from just a restaurant, to include a hotel, conference center, bar and gift shop (which sells Harris Ranch beef "to travel"). A nice place to stay and the food is good, but not cheap! Today I stopped to use their charming ladies room with colorful tiles, but I had to leave my hat in the van because the wind was really howling. Quite a cross wind going north from here, but eventually it died down. Mary says there is supposed to be rain tonight and tomorrow. Maybe I will hear the patter of rain on the roof - after all these months!