Seems It Never Rains in Southern California

... except when I have a trip to LA planned. I'm really hoping that weather.com is correct and this weekend will bring sun and a comfortable 67 degrees - I think I deserve it what with suffering through the cold and snow we've had these past weeks in Seattle. I'm going down to have a nice visit with Jer... I think it will be one of the longest times that we've had to just hang together in many a year. Yay for old friends!

And although she won't be able to read it for probably a couple more days, here's a shout out to Ms A who is currently stranded in Carpinteria, CA. She's 20 minutes from home, but all roads leading there are closed due to the rain and mudslides in Ventura county. Thankfully she's safe and in good spirits (though understandably annoyed), and has her sweetie minding the homestead waiting for her return.

Nature has not been particularly kind to us humans of late, has she? Not that we should expect her to be... we certainly don't take very good care of her either. I have to admit that in addition to the horror I feel in the face of the the sadness and death caused by the tsunami and the mudslides, I also feel great awe and fascination at the strength and brutality of the elements. I look at images and watch the videos again and again, trying to wrap my brain around how big those forces are... and how small and insignificant we human creatures are in comparison.

It is a harsh reminder that as much as we think we have a handle on nature, as much as we think we can control it, we are fooling ourselves. We try to measure it, to predict it, to quantify it. We build our homes as close to its edges as we can, thinking that we're entitled to the view.

And all it takes is a moment - a shifting of the plates, a deluge from the heavens, a swirling of the winds. A wall of water or of earth bearing down so quickly that there's nowhere to run. One moment, and despite our knowledge, our sense of superiority, our technology - we are as vulnerable as we were thousands of years ago.