A Sunday morning in Humbolt County

The sun in shining. The wind has been blowing most of the night. The fireplace needed a refreshing at 4AM. Everyone remains tighty snugged into their blankets. The air is so much thicker and fuller than at home. You can feel it in your skin, in your hair, in your clothes. In the newspaper and split wood for the fireplace. And in the time taken to get a decent batch of embers. The reliance on wood burning fireplaces in the area is noticeable. Everyone has a pile of freshly cut fire logs. And you see the business of selling firewood. Other noteables? The Tsunami level warning signs. Entering and leaving the "zone". You can well see the risk with the proximity of the ocean and the overall elevation and lay of the land. The Eel River is wide and large. I'm not accustomed to seeing river beds in California with water flowing in them. We always used to use the dry ones in southern Cali to ride the horses along. Even at this time of year though that might always be the case. But the south is certainly much drier. Which is exactly why we are here, to see what the north is like. The Redwoods. And to visit with relatives Eva and Bill. And Cleopatra, a bright black and white pit bull labrador cross. Wow, what a piece of work she is. Built, happy and full of play. Our runs on the beach are already memorable. The ocean was wild yesterday. Might stick to the forest today? the wind continues to blow, and sun continues to shine.