1/4/08

The storm, yo

Here's the storm alert that's going around. The last one is my favorite.
All ferry and bus service on the Golden Gate Transit system is suspended
-- The Alameda Bay Harbor Ferry and the Alameda/Oakland Ferry are shut down.
-- BART is not running between 24th Street in San Francisco and Daly City .
-- Highway 101 in San Rafael is closed in both directions until at least 10 p.m.
-- The Richmond San Rafael Bridge remains closed.
-- Two lanes are closed on the Golden Gate Bridge .
-- Flights in and out of San Francisco International Airport are delayed and canceled.
-- Highway 1 is closed from Stinson Beach to the Bolinas turnoff because of flooding.
-- The MacArthur Tunnel approach to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is closed because of flooding.
-- The Great Highway in San Francisco is closed in both directions, from Sloat Boulevard to Lincoln Way , due to high winds.
-- Northbound State Route 17 in Santa Clara County is closed.
-- Route 84 in Alameda County is closed in both directions in Niles Canyon because of a slide.
-- More than 518,000 Pacific Gas & Electric customers are without power in the region.
-- San Francisco Municipal Railway is deluged by delays and has shutdown the F-line streetcar.
-- The San Francisco Zoo is closed because of downed trees that pose a potential escape risk with animals

Meanwhile, the rains have let up for a bit. The power is out in parts of my neighborhood, but we're on. A few trees are down, lots of downed branches. I'm afraid this will lead to some horrible tree pruning.

For the most part, the garden actually seems quite refreshed. Wind is good for a lot of plants--it helps them develop reactive tissue so they get stronger.

Some plants are damaged, especially the brugmansia. This might be what I need to make me get rid of it. Not been loving the brugmansia.

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But look at the fuchsia. Nary a torn leaf.

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The Bartlettina is semi-shredded.

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I guess I'll wait until this weather system has moved through before I take off the damaged leaves.

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The Hardenbergia seems untouched.

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8 comments:

Frances, said...

So glad you and yours survived. The newscasts made it sound like the end was near. Good thoughts were being sent your way.

Annie in Austin said...

The news reports this morning made me think of you, Chuck, so I came to your new blog hoping you were okay and would give us the local slant on the storm. Thank you very much for the update. I hope you guys come through everything okay.

The cold will probably cut my brugmansia down to one-foot tall before it resprouts in spring. I realize it's a big weed so this natural pruning is fine with me.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

Is this a form of gardening survival of the fittest?

Christopher C. NC said...

Sounds wicked. I hope you stocked up on rice and toilet paper.

lisa said...

I am SO glad you are okay...you are my bestest and most favorite blogger EVER...dammit!

Unknown said...

I was reading about the storms and thought that I'd best check in... only to find that you've moved! Glad it's still the same great content, and that you weathered the storms okay. (And I LOVE that picture of the hardenbergia, agave, deck rail, etc. Beautiful.)

Anonymous said...

It's amazing how variable the weather is here: just across the bay, the storm was... not negligible, but not particularly exciting either.

Has your Brugmansia stopped blooming? That is strange, again: mine has been going continuously since it dropped all its leaves during that frost that I think was exactly a year ago.

chuck b. said...

The brugmansia is now completely defoliated. It's a trunk with sticks. It looks ridiculous. But I can see buds swelling with future leaves. I don't know if I want this plant anymore. I might get rid of it (but take a few cuttings in case I change my mind).