4 Days Till Mom Visits, Kern River

The clock hands are literally flying around in circles and days of the calendar changing from one to the next while my back is turned. Plans of painting the rest of the inside of the house turned to a run to the dump and texturing the walls in
certain rooms today, then paint tomorrow.

Had to shock the pool with all kinds of chemicals last night because when the temps cooled down over the past few days after a warm spell light green sand-looking algea made it's home along the walls and bottom of the pool.
It is sad, really that had to do this because we like to swim in it. The dogs think it's their own private lake to swim in and drink out of too.
The action of the chemical treatment is supposed to be calmed down in a matter of 2 to 3 days, just in time for my Mom to arrive at the BFL (Bakersfield Airport).

Mom is missing the cool days all this week only to arrive as the thermometer begins to soar back upward to around the 90+ degree level once again. Locals tell me that once we get on a roll heat-wise here it won't stop, actually will soar up above 105 and stay there for months. 85 seems cool to me now 90 is comfort. For my Mom it is going to be dangerous. Dug around in our stuff and found a referigerated water mister for her, made sure the AC in my Jeep kicks a** and bought a few pairs of cool comfy all cotton drawstring shorts for her to wear around here.
Also made arrangments for an Escort for her during her travel. No she's not crippled, but at 73 she actually feared the changing plane connection...almost enough to cancel. Once she heard I had an escort set up to help her every step of the way she was elated and admitted that was nearly enough to override her wishes to come here for my daughter's graduation June 2nd.

More News on Kern River and Safety. Here's a story I found in the Bakersfield Californian. Gee, how many people are going to have to drown before they take the warnings seriously? Anyway, first a link to a video Clip kernrivervid.wmv. Check it out. Then the actual article from The Bakersfield Californian.

Rivergoers unfazed by flooding on Kern
BY JASON KOTOWSKI, Californian staff writer
e-mail: jkotowski@bakersfield.com | Thursday, May 25 2006 9:40 PM

Last Updated: Thursday, May 25 2006 9:44 PM

Increased water levels and a rapid current aren't enough to deter bicyclists and swimmers from their usual recreation spots near the Kern River.
Photo:

Photo by Casey Christie

A cyclist rides down the bike path near The Park at River Walk along the Kern River. Cyclists are slowing for flooded paths, but it's recreation as usual for most Kern River users.
Video:

* Staying safe on the Kern River (1:59)

Nicole Sampson swam out to the middle of the river Tuesday evening from the bank in Yokuts Park. It was the first time she'd been in the river this year, she said.

"It's cold, but it's cleaner than usual," Sampson, 24, said after wrapping a towel around her waist. "The current is insane."

Despite the rapidity of the current, Sampson said the portion of the river that travels along Yokuts Park is calm compared to other areas.

Ruben Martinez also wasn't concerned. He sat on the riverbank while his 10-year-old son, Cesar, splashed around in waist-high water.

"I think we're fine," Ruben Martinez said. "This is a quiet place."

But J.C. Plank, a sergeant and backup search and rescue coordinator in the Kern County Sheriff's Department, said residents must use good judgment and be cautious when they're on the river. Guided rafting tours are one thing, but drinking a few beers and wading into the river without a life vest is a recipe for disaster, he said.

Last year, 11 people drowned in the river, and 16-year-old Chris Isola nearly became the Kern's first 2006 victim after entering the river on an inner tube in early May. Isola was rescued, but Plank said it was a close call.

Isola, who said he also nearly drowned in the river last summer, said his days of swimming in the Kern are over.

"If you're foolhardy enough to go into the river, at least wear a life vest," Plank said. "At least that way we'll have a chance of saving you."

Part of the reason for the river's increased levels is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' lowering of water levels in Isabella Lake to reduce pressure on the auxiliary dam. Their goal is to get the reservoir's volume down to 63 percent of capacity.

To reduce the lake depth, the outflow of Kern River has been tripled, causing increased levels of water and leaving some paths underwater.

The bike path underneath Calloway Bridge, located at Stockdale Highway and Calloway Drive, was under a couple of inches of water Tuesday. Instead of turning back, bicyclists just slowed down and coasted along the path, sending small plumes of water rippling along each side of their bikes.

Merlin Frasch, biking to his grandson's baseball game, said the last time he saw the river this high was in 1949 before the dam was built.

"I just drive through the path real slow," said the 71-year-old Frasch. "It's enjoyable to me."

Larry Drennan said he has been biking for the past 10 years and has never seen water reach these levels along the path. Although his bike gets a little wet, he's also finding some pleasure in riding along the path.

"It's kind of fun," Drennan said. "It's like being a kid."

Aaron Jacobson, 33, said he usually doesn't take the route under the bridge, and he was a little surprised to see water covering the path. But he just slowed down like the other bicyclists and made his way across with a minimum of trouble.

On Thursday, bicyclists were reporting that the water on the path had mostly receded. Fluctuations in the Kern River's water levels are likely to occur for at least the next month and a half, said Florn Core, the city's water resources manager.

The levels will vary depending on how much water is diverted for irrigation and how much is flowing into the river from the Friant-Kern Canal, Core said.

Water levels should drop dramatically when Isabella Lake reaches 360,000 acre feet. At that time, which Core guessed would occur in mid-July, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will turn over control of the dam to Kern River interests.

Core said that even if water levels weren't regularly changing, swimming in the Kern isn't the best idea.

"I'd suggest most people stay out of the river anyway," Core said.

Bakersfield Thunder Run

BAKERSFIELD THUNDER RUN
I'm always looking for new things to do in my new town. The first unique event we attended at the Kern Co fairgrounds was the Tattoo Expo. Had a fantastic time!
We'd been to the one in Sacramento, and both were awesome! Even picked up a web domain to the effect-> TattooArtExpo just for fun
Even though June 16th is a way in the future this looks like it could be an awesome Bakersfield event to attend.
Has anyone been a regular at Thunder Run? Write me about it, please. I would like to hear your comments (see small envelope you can click to leave a comment below at the end of this post) if you've been to this event. What levels of sanity would you say typify this event? How much of it is L.A. influence, and how much is actually Bakersfield etc.?
Thanks for your comments ahead of time! Sooz

Free Better Health eBook, Written by Yours Truly

Just a quick note here to announce my Free eBook called Better Health Simplified. Just click the Better Health eBook <--link. It will take you to your email server where you send an email to get a reply with your eBook download instructions.

Please don't worry if the file looks suspicious. It is only the eBook reader, and also required to read my eBooks.
Better Health to You!! Sooz

Two Days After Hearing in Kern County Court

May 23rd Court date Platt VS Allen in Kern County

This was the day we anticipated which I had hoped would finally settle and create a legal agreement between my ex & I about his visitation and custody of her.
The fears of Child Abandonment charges still exist, but the realities of Linds being in danger while visiting with her Dad have been replaced by fears of his retaliation, against me.
In no way did the judgment bring to a close this custody case which began October 23rd, 2005. This was the day when, after hours of round-table discussions between Jer, Lindsey & I about the life we built together, marriage, the future, our business and the fact that I had moved, previously in the year to Washington State to seek what I thought to be a better life.

In our discussion the reality was Lindsey was allowed to make an adult stand as to where she wanted to reside. She summed up her thoughts up with one sentence towards the end saying, "Mom, just go. You know I'll be fine. I want to stay here." They even took bets on how long it would be before I returned, 2 weeks or 2 months.
Jer finished with, "Sooz, this is going to be one of the worst decisions you ever made."...His statement which was true, became a reality.

The evening of the day I left, less than 24 hours after I drove out of the driveway Lindsey's Dad arrived with the Bakersfield police to collect her. He lied about having a permanent residence, he never has paid any child support (this never entered any reports or court discussions) and lives in his camper or on his small boat or at his girlfriends studio apartment.
However, his determination to get revenge upon me for supposedly 'ruining his life' (by leaving our ranch and our life in Carpinteria CA November 18th, 1999 and subsequently divorcing him in 2000) and jealousy mixed with hate and contempt began months of legal requirements, legal fees and court dates.

Skip's actions showed no concern for his daughter especially when he disregarded her pleas to remain at the Bakersfield house. When the Bakersfield police asked what his home address was he gave a fellow fisherwoman and her husbands guest house address. Well, they stayed there the first night then, for months Lindsey was shipped between Skips small boat, moored part time at the guest dock in Santa Barbara, the camper in the parking lot of the harbor in Santa Barbara and Skips girlfriends studio apartment in Los Olivos CA....45 minutes to 1 hour from her Jr High School.

I wrote or called every day. Only got Lindsey on the phone 3 times in 2 months. The letters I sent which she got were countable on one hand, Skip kept the rest using them later, or trying to at least, against me in court.
Pretty sad to know she never even got most of my letters to her.

Telephone calls from this point on were ceased when Skip took away no,...supposedly threw her cell phone in the drink, and she had to use his Verizon pay-as-you-go cell phone. The one amazing telephone call was right after Thanksgiving when she said he was "too drunk to cut the turkey". They were going to visit the girlfriends parents but they were too drunk, so they cooked at the girlfriends studio apartment.
Lindsey got "in trouble" also and Skip lost his temper somewhere along the line over Thanksgiving and she was crying when she called me back after Skip hung up on me. She snuck outside the apartment with his cell phone and called.
Her voice was frail and shaky and she was crying, had been for hours. She whispered "Mom, come get me, I am slowly unravelling".

A very sad day for me knowing I had not done what every Mother should do...act like an adult and consider the kid(s) first before moving on. Even though we had talked it over the days previous to my departure she was still only 13 and I was responsible for her well-being.
I had no idea Skip would do this, move her again after she pleaded in front of the police to stay with Jer.

Skip tried extortion methods by calling and threatening to file criminal charges of child abandonment, and other financial claims if I did not sign over custody of Lindsey 100% on numerous occasions. He also, after I moved back to Bakersfield on December 17th continued to dissallow my telephone conversations and said I would not be able to see her.

Jer & I decided, since in the Parenting Plan of the divorce papers stated me as the Main Parent that we would go retrieve Lindsey from her school in Santa Barbara with the escort of a police officer. It didn't turn out as we had hoped but gladly we followed the officers instructions to leave Lindsey with her Dad until midway through Christmas/Winter break. On the day of Christmas Skip was to deliver Lindsey to our house in Bakersfield before noon.

I contacted a few attorneys finally finding the one we use presently, Richard Middlebrook. Long story shortened, child abandonment was not in the picture. Custody and visitation and which parent was more suitable to be the custodial parent became the issue.
What we ended up with in court was an offer for Skip to have regular visitation, but agree to random drug testing with no further court date set. That would have been far better than the final judgment.

What? The judge changed it? Yes, it's true. If Edwin had not began interrupting the attorney and the judge repeatedly trying to show letters from the year 2003, and other things he would still have had the visitation.
But he persisted and nearly ended up in handcuffs.
He also threatened us on the way out of the courtroom, not a very smooth operator sort of a thing a good Dad would do.

Our attorney exclaimed "he just did a better defense than I could ever do!" which was very true. Skip showed the courts, and the judge the Skip I have been trying to protect our daughter from the entire time. The times she spent with him he was "drinking continually", her words, and a danger to himself and those around him.
Instead of getting a permanent residence, quitting the smoke and becoming a stable person he chose to defy the requirements of the court and the law.

Final judgment was awful for all of us; 8 hours supervised visitation every other weekend with random drug testing and until he arrives with a clean drug test these orders will remain the same.

So, looking back it has been an eye opening experience. The tension caused by our not knowing what may become of Lindsey's now stabilized life and attorney fees has been mildly relieved. Yet it has been replaced with the threats of physical attacks by Skip.
He called the day of court exclaiming "There will be retrobution! There will be revenge! You will both be crippled for life!"
This phone call, of course violated the restraining order and any visit in person by Skip will violate the restraining order which will subsequently land him in the Bakersfield County CrossBar Hotel.
Personally I sincerely hope and even pray this does not escalate to that.
Locking the doors today, Sooz

Earthquakes and Bakersfield, Historic Earthquake Map

Several people have asked me since moving here if there is a high danger of earthquake damage here. It's not really a question of "if" it's more like "when" the next big earthquake is going to rock Southern California.
In terms of Bakersfield California ittself we don't have many buildings over 8 stories in the downtown area. It is the California Aquaduct and Lake Isabella dams, and the cement waterways which would be effected the worst.
Lake Isabella is being drained presently by over 1/3rd it's volume due to a crack where water has been seeping through. The California Aquaduct which runs from Lake Shasta all the way to Los Angeles, if disrupted by an earthquake could flood many parts of the San Juaquin Valley.
For information on Historic Earthquakes in Southern California



Above is a clickable map of southern California, with epicenters of historic earthquakes (as far back as 1812) of particular note plotted over the background topography. Shown, too, are major highways (in tan) and the surface traces of major faults (in greenish-blue).

Men on the Roof and Mom's Coming For a Visit

There Are Men On the Roof!
Only ten days left until my Mom comes from Port Townsend Washington to visit. This will be a first since we've been in Bakersfield. Oh, she's got a reason, of course. The 8th grade class is throwing a full scale graduation at the church/Community Center across the street (from our house).
I don't remember having a fancy graduation with cap and gown leaving Middle School...do you? Regardless, she is coming and we want to be ready.
We took care of the necesseties, plumbing, heat AC, even did rug/carpet cleaning, room painting and used the homeowners insurance for heating, AC, plumbing and even a dishwasher repairman.
Since we've been in this house I have done more home Improvement than any house I have owned or lived in.
Even though we purchased this house as a Fixer-Upper, we had no clue how much fixing up it really needed.
There was a family living here for not sure how long, but it couldn't be that bad if they were living here, right? I barely noticed that they were bundled up, wearing hooded sweatshirts and it seemed a little dark inside the house. It hadn't come to my attention that the lawn was dead, or close to it, or that the roof looked like a jumbled pile of shingles.
After we moved in the reason for that unfolded. The heater wasn't working and the repairman said it hadn't worked for two seasons. But there's more-
Other things were wrong, things like a clogged main drain, this is good! When you'd use the kitchen sink, the garage/shop sink or the back bathrooms the drain would fill and overflow out the side of the house below the kitchen sink and run down the driveway to the curb...then along the streetside. We found that out after rinsing out a green paintbrish.
Over half the electrical system was shut down and blowing breakers, so the lighting and electrical was working at only half capacity. The polarity of the plugs in the bar-turned-office was reversed, plugs and lights did not work.
I can tell you this first hand and if you want go deeper into detail having worked as a commercial electrician in Seattle Washington and in California for over 23 years.
Things were warming up, temperatures creeping up to one-hundred degrees in April, so we checked for AC. Oh, it wasn't really for ourselves, the fans and flow-through air works wonders to keep cool...it is for my Mom when she comes to visit.
Her life in Port Townsend is one where the weather is typical of the NorthWest; it rains 6 months out of the year and temperatures stay below 70 degrees there, generally speaking.
Found out from the repairman the AC unit had not worked for over 2 years. The AC repairman disconnected the power, and sprayed down the unit (which is on the ground) with a garden hose. That's right, a garden hose! He instructed me to "clean up around the unit and it may last the life of your house".
So Mom, we have A/C now, just for you!
Then came the roof leaks. No, more like small rivers coming in to three parts of the house where water would rush in when it rained. We had pans buckets and mysterious wet spots in the carpets along the walls.
There was another mysterious wet spot in the hall carpet. We thought it was the roof leaking but it turned out to be a plumbing leak behind the small referigerator in the bar area. The ice-maker water hose had sprung a leak and it leaked under the floor in the bar and under the carpet in the hallway. No matter how much I vacuumed the hall, the water kept coming! This was easily repaired but not before ripping out the hardwood floor in the bar area which was ruined.
I've got to hand it to the folks living here on keeping their cool when we walked through the house the first time. How the kids didn't spout out, "oh that light doesnt work", or mention the heater not working is beyond me!
Anyway, The things we did lately far surpass any of the efforts so far to make this place a home. Take a look and see for yourself.
I made 2 slideshows of what we've done in the past ten days.
First Changing the Color from Blue to Bright.
The blue to us was well, no more than ghastly.
Then, due to the fact that there were holes you could put your arm through in it, we had the roof re-done.
Take a look at the slideshow, you will even see Us, On The Roof.

Internet Marketing~ It IS For You!

So, you get home from work and are exhausted, both mentally and physically. No? I think you are. I know! I was a commercial electrician for over 2 decades! Sure, I made sure I gave a good 40 hours work for my 40 hours pay but what did it get me? Not much! I made sure whatever I did earned the money for the Company...but what about me?? OK, I will have a retirement, but that is only due to the fact I worked not the ten years but 20 in the field...but what about the natural breakdown of the body? How could I compete with 20--30 year olds who were going full guns? You might think well, smarts overrides but when you think about physically, forget-it! They can run run run, I don't want to. I can oversee what they are doing and don't want to run an electrical contracting business. Why? The reason is I have the Internet.
I can do far more here, to help myself, my Family and of course You...to make your money online. With your skills, hobbies, know-how and Your personality (which everyone loves--yes they do!)you too can retire and make money here, on the web doing what you like.
If you think it's a pipe dream keep reading. You will see there are folks who are not college grads, people who, with the simple plans have made a go of making money on the internet- folks just like You & I.
Heed my advice, I am staying home making money for a reason, you can too~!
Before you Boo-Hoo the idea take a look at the following eBiz Opportunities and tell me, Sooz...why any one of These Campaigns can not be Yours.
There is SO much out here on the web it can be overwhelming, listen...Do NOT allow it to overwhelm...Just find your niche and go GO GO!
No one wants to work for someone else. You don't I don't and if we are doing something we Love and can have something to pass down to our kids we will all be the better off for it.
Check out the link (above) and tell me what you think. Is there something you might want to use?
Having a good day today.
Wish you were here.
Sooz

BlueToBright

Busy as all get-out the past 3 - 4 days transforming our house from dismal Blue to Bright Sunny Yellow.
Talk about a lot of work and the hottest days yet here in Bakersfield this year!
But it is All worth it.
See the transformation in a slideshow I made.
BlueToBright
Happy Mothers Day!
Sooz

Saturday Drive to Lk Isabella SlideShow

As the weather heats up here in Bakersfield we think of more things to do, places to go out and about. Decided to do the loop to Lake Isabella through the Mojave and back to Bakersfield Saturday.
Here's a slideshow I made. Click Here
Went through a place called RedRocks which is the pic of the odd looking rock formations then went into a recreational area, mainly for thrillseeking dirt bike riders called JawBone. Entire families rode on 4 wheelers there in the desert leaving their campers and motorhomes behinbd for refuge later on.

Todays the beginning of the trim project on the house. From the first time we saw the home we agreed, the blue has to go! Luckily the entire house ins't blue. The light yellow, a yellow custard color is what we picked so using heavy duty primer to the tune of 3 coats maybe before painitng it.
The New Roof goes on starting May 17th...just in time to miss the visit of my Mom. Yay!
Hope everything is well in your world and you leave a comment.
Sooz

Kayakers of the Rising Kern River

Seepage in the dam at Lake Isabella is the reason to release double the amounts of flow into the Kern River. Businesses on the lake are not pleased, but recreational kayakers, as seen in video link next look forward to the challenge.
kernriverfinal.source.wmv

Local News History of Bakersfield California

Kern River, before the more-than-doubling total flow.



Here's a good one! A week ago the burms in South Bakersfield broke sending water into swimming pools, yards and residences. Now the County is releasing over double the volume of water from Lake Isabella into the river over the next few days.

Picture and Quote from the Bakersfield Californian~ "The Kern River flows over large
rocks in the Kern River Canyon around sunset. The county is preparing to release stored water and increase flow from 1,500 cubic feet per second to 4,000 cfs."

This is the first I have even heard of this plan so have my doubts the impact has been researched to the satisfaction of property owners along the river.

I have been doing sort of an ongoing survey to find out if Bakersfield is Central, South Northern or Southern California.
To me it looks as if it is South Central but the survey says, Southern Cal.

After finding ourselves surrounded by mountains, along the mighty Kern River in a matter of minutes from town last Sunday it dawns on me how close we actually are to outdoor recreation in Bakersfield.
No, not just talking about dirt biking and dune buggies, there are entire mountain ranges to explore, and close!

Bakersfield is located at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley. It is partially surrounded by three mountain ranges, the Temblor Range to the west, the Tehachapi (pronounced, ta hatch' a pee) range to the south and the Sierra Nevada range to the east.

If you are not big on hiking and physical stuff there are Historical adventures you can go on. For 8,000 years this place was inhabited by an Indian Tribe called the Yokut Indians.
They were basket makers, gatherers, hunters and I believe they really tried to make
peace with the farmer, Colonal Baker who came here to grow alfalfa as feed for travellers on their way from Visalia California to Los Angeles.
Sadly when the Gold, then Oil was discovered settlers
greed turned the peacful Yokut tribes into one bloodbath after another until their numbers dwindled as they fled increasing numbers of violent foes.

I Love Mondays!

View a short slideshow of the Jeep at Krazy Kustomz in Bakersfield CA where we had the 4" lift installed. Click HERE!
After my 14 year old daughter told me how Monday is her favorite day I started thinking~ she's right! Monday IS the best day of the week! You've had all the fun you could pack in to the weekend, gotten all your can't-do-during-the-week projects done and everyone is Back In The Saddle, as it were.
We got super motivated around here beginning last Friday. The Bakersfield Fairgrounds became home to an Old Car Show which populated the hotel and motel parking lots with hours of auto viewing pleasure. We took off the Jeep Wrangler's top, (see pic to the right with top on) filled up with fuel, loaded up cold sodas, Linds & Friend and went cruising into the Bakersfield night.
The skies were clear and air warm...we were having fun! Tried getting a sneak peek into the fairgrounds by blatently and shamelessly entering the Venders Parking lot at the Fairgrounds where they had motorhomes and camps set up. A massive gentleman stood up and asked if we were in the show. Darn! Knew it couldn't be that easy! We tried anyway.
Cruised along the motels after that and truthfully, it was more fun than entering (and paying for) the Show. Proud auto collecters stood vigil by their "babies" and the girls shouted from the back seat "Love your car!" The owners shouted from their hotel balconies with pride, "thanks!" Some waving but most smiling large beaming with pride in reciprocation for the girls appreciation.