I hope there are sufficient places that will capture the water and keep it from running out to sea!

that double as parks in the summer. Plus we've got the irrigation canals. We're good.

I'm in the foothills about 25 miles southwest of Yosemite Valley and I can see the sun setting over the coast range.

I checked out the Dopler and it was just this little, intense cell that packed a whopping wind, lightening, thunder and really good rain -- for about 10 minutes. It's moving through now. The funny thing is I checked the Doppler earlier today when it was moving over Southern California, and the cell was very similar -- just a small one but intense.

Lots of little tiny bright red spots on there.

Looks like a big ass storm down around the Grapevine though.

We've had our share of thunderstorms this spring/summer. What we need is a nice steady soaking rain that lasts a day or so.

That thunder is LOUD!

I don't have to water tonight though. That's a plus. Before this year, I don't remember a storm in July.

when we got home, we were soaked to the bone. Thankfully it is July...

C'mon tropical storms! woot!

...than we do, I think.

Ventura has a flash flood alert, but all we've had in Santa Barbara/Goleta is thunder and a spit.

It only started raining in Los Angeles this morning.

Had another downpour about 5P...and have heard some thunder in the last few minutes.

I did see the thunder clouds pass by to the east earlier.

in a scary instant. LOL

The rain interrupted our dinner party last night in Paso on the patio which was so unexpected that we continued sitting in the rain because the sensation was so foreign.

Then on my drive back down to AG, I was entertained with flashes of lightning--beautiful. It has rained a real rain most of the day in AG. We need more days like this on the Central Coast and in California in general.

The garden is LOVING it. I went out this morning to garden graze and everything was pretty wet. This means my zucchini plant will start producing. When it gets too hot the plant stops making squash and just goes into survival mode but now that it's cool, I should be getting more zuchs.

Especially South County

I ended up at El Rancho Market in Pismo Beach, but half the lights were out and it was like playing freeway chicken getting somewhere. Don't you just love PG&E? You'd think they would have invested in some new infrastructure to address these storms, like buried lines or something. I mean this has been going on for fifteen years since I've lived here that everytime we have a storm the electricity goes out. But I guess you can't not skim off the profits instead of putting them into improvements.

If you went Oak Park to James, would that be OK.?

But boy is it humid. I feel like we are in Miami.

The breeze is nice

gardeners.

We finally got soaker hoses in the raised garden beds this year, though we're still having to water the stuff in pots by hand but we have a nozzle so stuff doesn't get over watered accidentally. Our water bill hasn't gone up at all and our average water usage is WAY below average for what it is for other households.

soaker hoses. I was watching Chris Hayes when he was reporting on the drought and some of the farmers were also using them and so other kind that goes directly to the roots of the plants. While these things are being developed for drought areas I think they would also be good for those of us elsewhere. And think of what this idea could do for agriculture in other arid areas.

The drought is bad but maybe will get some good ideas out of it.

Glad you are getting some rain at least.

I've been using them for years because they work best on slopes, except in the last three years, I can't keep the critters from chewing on them. I finally gave up because it was getting too expensive to replace them. I'm going to try to experiment in a small area with pvc pipe with holes drilled into it.

critters do you have? Ours would be anything from mice to squirrels.

water like streams or even ditches you won't have a problem. I only have had that problem since those sources have dried up in the drought the last three years and they are desperate to get at water. I tried to put out pans of water for them but it doesn't seem to be enough.

Just go out and let it sprinkle on you. We got close to a half an inch! Hurrah!

Hope you get even more.

Sat out in the garden for awhile getting soaked but then I heard that lightening was striking palm trees and catching them on fire and since the neighbors behind us have a HUGE one we decided it would probably be safer inside. The garden LOVES the rainwater -- and next week my babies should begin declaring gender so the timing is perfect!

Rec

That happens out here every time we get a frog strangler after a long period of no rain.

For what I had to shell out for it, it better!

last delay for angels was 2011, for only 5 minutes.

last rainout was 1995

I remember how I felt when Texas FINALLY got some much needed rain! I hope you got some good inches!!!