FIRE!

FIRE!

The Cambria Crises Intervention Team (TIC) was called out early one morning last week to respond to a fire at the Castle Inn on Moonstone Beach in Cambria.  TIC’s roll in a fire incident is to support emergency personnel and motel guests with food and drink.  We also assist the guests with any other problems that may arise (like finding other accommodations, rescheduling of appointments, contacting family members, etc.) as a result of a fire.

A team of six was assembled about 5:30 AM and we headed to various Cambria restaurants, stores, etc. to gather supplies.  We picked up plenty of coffee, water, Gatorade, breakfast burritos and an assortment of baked goods.  Local Cambria establishments went above and beyond to assist us with outstanding quality food, to the detriment of their own businesses (opening prep was delayed).  All of it was donated.

As team members arrive at the scene, we coordinated with the fire chief where to establish our “CIT Dining Hall.”  This was soon done  and the food and drink distributed to all those in need.  The firefighters know how good the food is and came over in waves.  A few Inn guests wandered over and couldn’t believe all this stuff was free!  And good!

The fire started in a storage building (cause unknown as yet).  Fortunately, Cambria, Cayucos and CA State Fire personnel were able to contain the fire before it had spread into the living unit area.  No guests were hurt and just one firefighter was injured and transported to the hospital; his injuries were fairly minor.

I feel really fortunate to be a part of a community that cares about its residents and visitors, and will step-up to the plate when there’s a need rather than just talking about it.

 Below are some photographs I took at the seen (remember, to elarge any photo simply click your cursor on it):

Dateline: Cambria, California

The Earth's Climate is Rapidly Changing.         The Animals Tell Us So!

I am a guide at the Piedras Blancas Light Station on the Central California coast. The largest section of our tour is not the lighthouse and supporting buildings, but is the wide variety and abundance of wildlife that habitat at Piedras Blancas. The marine mammals
and sea birds are, by far and away, the most enjoyed section of the tours.

Wildlife is abundant at Piedras Blancas because of the relatively unscathed environment along the Central California coast. As a guide and volunteer over several years there, I've had the great fortune to observe the numerous and varied marine mammals which populate the area; either as full time residents or as visitors passing through this stretch of the coast at the same times every year.

One thing that we've noticed are new animals that show up unexpectedly. This is particularly true of blue whales and sperm whales--it's hard to miss those guys! Both these magnificent animals rarely came this far north--their range usually ended several hundred miles south of Piedras Blancas. Over the past several years, however, we have observed more and more of these whales in the area.

Both these species of whale have diets of organisms and squid that are in abundance only at certain water temperatures. It is undeniable that the warming of the waters of the Pacific Ocean is pushing the Blue and Sperm whales further and further north along the California coast in search of a food supply that is directly effected by the Ocean's temperature.

Listen to the whales, they'll tell you that our climate is rapidly changing!

The Beauty of Piedras Blancas.....