California Drought Analysis

This is not an article about a hike covering huge chunks of miles, deep in the wilderness, but rather, this is an article about the contrasts of living in an urban environment, finding solitude in that environment and of the relief that comes from receiving long awaited rain in a drought stricken state
The state of California, as many readers will know, has been shriveling under the effects of years long drought. This past summer, it was so bad, that rather than hiking in and generally enjoying the famous golden hills of California, those hills took on a grayish tint, an ever-present reminder of the parched conditions and, what looked like, the suffering that most living things were going through just trying to survive the long stints without water.
When rain finally came this fall and more was promised via el nino, my spirits rose and visions of green, verdant hills and cloudy days danced in my mind. On a cold, cold for this area, day in December, my wife and I drove our daughter to meet a friend in Walnut Creek. I had not been to the area in years, as I am not much for shopping. Pulling into the upscale mall area, I was taken aback by the amount of traffic. Lines of cars and people were everywhere. Pulling out of the
I continue on the Briones to Diablo Trail and soon intersect with the Indian Creek Trail. As I near the junction, an owl hoots in the distance. The sound is coming from the oak woodland below, along Indian Creek, the namesake for the trail. I descend the trail in the twilight and head into the embrace of the woods. The owl continues its haunting call as I wander further down the trail. I stop and listen, and soon enough, I spot a dark silhouette on a branch not far away. I watch for a while, taking in the mystery and magic of the moment as the dark begins to close in. Soon it will be too dark to see in this sheltered area of the