My buddy emailed me this video (3MB), and this video (2MB) of the hailstorm. At Stonehill News we have now heard reports of similarly large hail ranging from Old Town Pasadena, to JPL, and to Hastings Ranch. If anyone has a report farther flung than that, please let us know.
Most old-timers seem to agree that these were the largest hailstones seen in this area for as much as 60 to 90 years. One ornery, senile old-timer says no way man, he's seen hail almost the size of golf balls, big enough to dent a car. But he lives out of state now, so I guess we can give him his fish story for old times' sake.
I just casually dropped in today, 11/20/05. Nice to have some local observations. Very Altadena. The hail/rainstorm on 10/17 was indeed quite an event. We've lived here [Crescent Dr., near upper Eaton Canyon entrance] since 1973 and it had the largest hailstones I've ever seen, but not the biggest accumulation. I was out driving and noted with some amusement a line of upright garbage pails proceeding in an orderly dignified file down Altadena Dr. I wonder if they waited quietly for retrieval at the bottom.
ReplyDeleteHave you been bothered by the bear? Those living along Pinecrest, both above and below the canyon gate have had their garbage sampled. One resident right near the gate was putting out his trash one night and intercepted a bear with his flashlight beam. Said there was more bear than beam, so he went back in to wait for morning.
We haven't had a bear visit, but we have had two reports of first-hand bear sightings in the last couple years. Both were in early-morning daylight. Our friend, Chris, was on his way to work at about 6am, and saw a bear crossing Altadena drive right near the little real-estate cottage just east of Holliston. This must have been at least two years ago. Also, our neighbor Jill, while on a morning walk a year or two ago, saw one just off Loma Alta over by that big wooden debris fence (off Sky View or Glen Allen, I forget which). If anyone hears of somebody snapping a picture, please let me know, as I would love to post it here.
ReplyDeleteIn February of this year, a bear was sighted twice behind the house on the corner of Porter and Loma Alta. A few months before then, a bear was sighted way up on Fair Oaks. I'm sure we are all talking about the same bear.
ReplyDeleteAlso, just recently (about two months ago) a neighbor went jogging on the trail head at the foot of Zane Grey. On his way up the trail he felt like 'something was watching him.' He ignored it and went up the trail. About 45 mins later, when he came back down, a deer was dead in the trail....its neck snapped.
Mountain lion tracks all over the place. Neighbors have lost a few cats over the past few weeks....another sign of a mountain lion in our neighborhood.
Dropping by for another visit, critter talk. We startled a bear in a driveway in Kinneloa a while back, just off Brambling Lane.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone made any good pics of our coyote pack? They moved onto our property for nearly a week while we were gone. Our house sitter phtographed one just outside the window eating pyracantha berries, but hasn't figured out how to send it to me. Neighbors saw them in the street during the day and independently described them as beautiful and healthy. One was especially big, and two different people compared him to a German Shepard. Coy-dog maybe? I'd like to learn more. I've only seen one coy-dog in my considerable years here--it had something of the collie about him/her in the coloring and look, but when I got a closer look, the coyote part was really strong in coat quality, gait, face and general behavior.
This lot left two groups of four bedding spots, lots of scats and some tattered remains of what may have been a fox. Dang.