The End of Summer

The end of summer is upon us here in California...

Remnants of a typhoon from Japan are being pulled across the Pacific Ocean and are forecast to hit California early to mid-next week. Right now the ground is extremely dry, as this state hasn't seen significant rain in five months.

That's about to change.

The National Weather Service is saying that this potentially record-breaking storm is going to dump up to 8-10 inches of rain in places. El Nino was predicted for this year, and it looks like that's what we're gonna get!

Any exciting weather in your part of the world?

Mission Hibiscus

Mission Hibiscus, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Autumn may officially be here, but the hibiscus plants in central California don't know that. These hibiscus flowers were outside of the old mission in San Luis Obispo. Over by the veterans hall there are hibiscus bushes about 10 feet wide and at least five feet tall...giant.

San Luis Obispo at Night

San Luis Obispo at Night, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Here's a view of the Cal Poly campus and San Luis Obispo at night (well, during the last minutes of twilight). The view was stunning from the top of Caballo Peak, which borders Cal Poly-owned land.

If you've never visited San Luis Obispo, I highly recommend you do so. SLO is great, with an excellent downtown and cool shops and restaurants. Also, the town is surrounded by statuesque mountains and the ocean is only 15 minutes away.

Clouds Over Canyon

Clouds Over Canyon, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

About 45 minutes after sunset the clouds parted a bit, allowing crepuscular sun rays to penetrate. It was a beautiful morning in San Luis Obispo, but a cold and windy one!

Poly Mountain Sunrise

Poly Mountain Sunrise, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

I woke up at 5:50 this morning to go on a sunrise hike. It was definitely a great sunrise - clouds rolled in which captured the light of Sun. With the clouds came wind, and with the wind came cold. It's starting to feel like fall here in San Luis Obispo - what about in your area?

Feather River Snake

Feather River Snake, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Here's a small snake we found on a hike along the Feather River near Lake Oroville. The lake was very low - the area where we were hiking would normally have been submerged. Anyone know what type of snake this is?

Absorption-Method Pasta

Absorption-Method Pasta, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Cooking pasta by the absorption method means cooking it directly in a sauce instead of boiling it in water. The end result is a silky, flavorful, rich pasta that doesn't have the rubbery bounce of normal pasta.

This is a great meal to make if you're in need of something cheap and truly delicious...it's only a jar of pasta sauce and a box of penne. Awesome.

Sunset Over SLO

Sunset Over SLO, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Yesterday's sunset from the top of Poly Mountain in San Luis Obispo, California. There were actually a few clouds, which made things a bit more interesting than usual.

The plant in the foreground is "out lord's candle", Yucca whipplei. The yuccas grow in abundance on the mountain, and the sharp leaves can be a pain for hikers' legs.

College Cooking - Thomas Keller Oreos

TKO's - Thomas Keller Oreos, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

College has started, and I was lucky enough to get a dorm with a kitchen. My friend and I decided that the inaugural dish would be something sweet - homemade Oreos (TKO's) it was!

TKO's are incredibly good, with rich white chocolate ganache sandwiched between two chocolaty, sweet and slightly salty cookies. The flavors are divine. The recipe can be found under the February 28, 2009 post on this blog.

Finally, Some Clouds

Finally, Some Clouds, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Clouds are a rarity for most of California during the summer. The climate just doesn't allow them to form...

...which is why I was excited to see a few cirrus cloud catching the light of the sunset the other day. The sky was beautiful, with much more color than usual. To all you Midwesterners and East Coasters, us Californians envy your clouds!