Suzy Says

There was an earthquake about half an hour ago. It lasted about half a minute, which seems like a really long time when you’re listening to the characteristic rumble and watching your house shake around you. I have to admit that I have more safety concerns in my hippie hovel than I did in my gracious Pacific Heights apartment, but the house and I are fine.

The cats were completely unperturbed, and both Lucky and Luna wandered by a few minutes afterwards, so no ill effects were felt and nothing seems to have broken or fallen down.

Rob stopped by a few minutes ago and said that they were fine, too. We agreed that it was the strongest we’d felt in a long time. Preliminary reports say that it measured 6.5 on the Richter scale, which is considered “strong”. In comparison, the 1906 quake that destroyed so much of San Francisco was 7.2, but keep in mind that a quake measuring 7.0 is ten times stronger than one measuring 6.0.

Just a little reminder that we’re living on a fault line.
Update: We were lucky here. 18,000 people in Eureka, near the epicenter, lost power and there was damage. Residents also commented on the sharpness as I did.

Schatzi takes the air

Yesterday morning started out with the sudden death of my adorable little coffee cup and skittered rapidly downhill in a landslide of work and financial problems. Note to New Year: if you don’t start getting it together pretty soon, you’re going to be in the same class as 2009, and that’s not somewhere you want to be. Aren’t you better than that?

So I was in a more bitter mood than usual (my mood tending to range from bittersweet to unsweetened) when my sister called and asked if I wanted to walk Schatzi with her. My initial reaction was not to go, since I didn’t want to inflict my bad mood on my sister (my mood having little or no effect on the dog), but in the end, I decided to accompany them.

I’m glad I did, because it turned out to be a mysteriously beautiful day, the clouds clearing to reveal rain-washed skies and the temperature hovering in the 60s. We took Schatzi to a little-known area called Pomo Bluffs. It’s not far from the main street of Fort Bragg, but is somehow off the beaten path, despite its spectacular ocean views:

The bluffs can be crumbly on the edges, hence this sign:

Also known as the international sign for Suzy. You will be glad to hear that I managed not to fall in the ocean, and am resolutely keeping my resolution to be injury free this year. Eight days and counting!

We let Schatzi off the leash in the meadow part of bluffs, where she pranced around and generally enjoyed herself while I admired the scenery:

A turkey vulture sailed overhead, sunlight glinting on his feathers. He hung in the air for a moment, so close I could almost touch him, and then, with a flap of his majestic wings, flew out to sea.