Santa Catalina Island Fire Uncontained

(Photo-LA Times)
I read recently in Sunset magazine that Catalina "is, in fact, a mountain, and would be the highest in California if three-fourths of it weren't beneath the sea." Through subduction, volcanic activity, and millions of years of metamorphism, this great island was formed. Nature works slowly, and we only see a mere glimpse of its record.

Los Angeles Times: Breaking News: "'Looks like a volcano'

Dozens of people watched the fire from the top of Signal Hill, 26 miles away. Even from that vantage point, the wall of flames on the islands were clearly seen.

'It looks like a volcano erupting,' said Kevin Lembke of Long Beach."

Fresh Fruit!

If you have ever found yourself living in the Midwest or Northeast, pacing the aisles of a grocery store to stock up for another winter blizzard, invariably your thoughts will turn to California in the produce aisle. All tomatoes are flavorless, the avocado offering is dismal, the lettuce is wilting, and the oranges are bruised, battered, and expensive. Oh, you were spoiled with that stubby lemon tree, delicious bell pepper bush, and the juicy oranges on the straining boughs in your own BACKYARD!

There is sweet relief. I salivated over the April 2007 issue of Sunset magazine, "savoring" their travels through the bountiful Ojai region. Among the many places mentioned in the article, I was most intrigued by Friend's Ranch, a family-owned citrus grower that has been in operation for over a hundred years. These folks will ship to your home a box of citrus delights (and avocados), which varies by seasonal availability. They're famous for something they call the pixie tangerine. Oh, how I want one now.

Better yet, go and visit them. (Google map) Let me know how that pixie tastes.