Jim Hayes' Home Page - Only in California 2

Only In California 2

Don't Miss Any Of The "Only In Califormia" Pages
#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, 11, more coming
(Go to the end for the latest photos)

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Believe it or not!

These are real things

we've seen here in California.

See those drooping wires? Well it's a long and strange story...

One Saturday morning in February, 2005, the power went out. It was not the first time, as it happened a few months before when one of these hi-jacked trucks rolling around our roads ran off and hit a utility pole. Compared to what happened this time, that was pretty tame.

It seems that one of our neighbors had an overnight visitor. He gets up early and decides it's a nice windy day so he'll fly his kite. He did not seem to mind that the property was crossed by HIGH VOLTAGE power distribution lines.

We're not sure what happened. We think he got the kite caught in the wires, pulled them together, shorted them out and they burned through and fell in our barranca and across Willow Glen road.

Whooeeeeeee! Check this out. This is what happens when a high voltage line drops to the ground in we weather. It was raining off and on, so every time the rain came down harder, the fireworks got more spectacular.

Check out the sparks! This is where one end of a high voltage line was laying on the road surface. Remember - it was right in the middle of the road! This will be important later...

See what's happening on the road here? Look below.

Yep, that's a pickup driving right across the wire! That's probably the same guy who passed me on the 15 freeway recently doing 90 in the rain...

One of the wires was hung up in a tree on the side of our barranca. Check out the flames as it torched off a soaking wet tree! Check out the SUV passing it. Duh...

Unanswered question: Who's the bigger idiot? The guy flying a kit under high voltage lines or the truck drivers crossing an obviously hot wire down on the road...

Now consider this. It happened during a soaking rainstorm during one of the 5 wettest periods in California history. But what would have happened if this debacle was during one of our "normal" times with everything dry and ready to burn? I'd bet it would not have been pretty.

And how did the #$%^&*() that started this keep from getting fried?

Handicapped in California

Top: At Gold's Gym in Venice, CA. Bottom at a greek restaurant in Carlsbad.

Well the ENZO does have steering wheel-mounted paddleshifters ---

but many of us consider all HumVee owners to be mentally handicapped!

And exactly what part about "This Truck Makes Wide Right Turns" don't you understand?

Actually Californians are pretty impatient while driving - they just want to GET THERE! The essence of CA driving is doing 80 on a 70 mph freeway and being passed by a Toyota Prius...

And, where else but California, would you see a guy on the street walking his turtle on the sidewalk outside his pet store.

Or this news article from the Bay Area.

If an Expedition isn't macho enuff, how about one of these...

Besides cars and realestate, grocery stores have free magazines that mirror the California lifestyle.

Don't Miss Any Of The "Only In Califormia" Pages

#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, 11, more coming

(Go to the end for the latest photos)

Don't Miss the Car Stuff...

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See those drooping wires? Well it's a long and strange story... One Saturday morning in February, 2005, the power went out. It was not the first time, as it happened a few months before when one of these hi-jacked trucks rolling around our roads ran off and hit a utility pole. Compared to what happened this time, that was pretty tame. It seems that one of our neighbors had an overnight visitor. He gets up early and decides it's a nice windy day so he'll fly his kite. He did not seem to mind that the property was crossed by HIGH VOLTAGE power distribution lines. We're not sure what happened. We think he got the kite caught in the wires, pulled them together, shorted them out and they burned through and fell in our barranca and across Willow Glen road.
Whooeeeeeee! Check this out. This is what happens when a high voltage line drops to the ground in we weather. It was raining off and on, so every time the rain came down harder, the fireworks got more spectacular.
Check out the sparks! This is where one end of a high voltage line was laying on the road surface. Remember - it was right in the middle of the road! This will be important later...
See what's happening on the road here? Look below.
Yep, that's a pickup driving right across the wire! That's probably the same guy who passed me on the 15 freeway recently doing 90 in the rain...
One of the wires was hung up in a tree on the side of our barranca. Check out the flames as it torched off a soaking wet tree! Check out the SUV passing it. Duh... Unanswered question: Who's the bigger idiot? The guy flying a kit under high voltage lines or the truck drivers crossing an obviously hot wire down on the road...
Now consider this. It happened during a soaking rainstorm during one of the 5 wettest periods in California history. But what would have happened if this debacle was during one of our "normal" times with everything dry and ready to burn? I'd bet it would not have been pretty. And how did the #$%^&*() that started this keep from getting fried?
Handicapped in California Top: At Gold's Gym in Venice, CA. Bottom at a greek restaurant in Carlsbad. Well the ENZO does have steering wheel-mounted paddleshifters ---
but many of us consider all HumVee owners to be mentally handicapped!
And exactly what part about "This Truck Makes Wide Right Turns" don't you understand? Actually Californians are pretty impatient while driving - they just want to GET THERE! The essence of CA driving is doing 80 on a 70 mph freeway and being passed by a Toyota Prius...
And, where else but California, would you see a guy on the street walking his turtle on the sidewalk outside his pet store.
Or this news article from the Bay Area.
If an Expedition isn't macho enuff, how about one of these...
Besides cars and realestate, grocery stores have free magazines that mirror the California lifestyle.