The First Day

And we’re off. . .  welcome to the Notes Upon The Wildwind, my blog to the world.  Right now out my third story office window looking east I’m witnessing a black and blue thunderous rain cloud headed right for me.

I’ve so wanted the rain to come and it came last night after nearly seven months without it.  Yes, during this past winter season California was into the full-fledged La Nina weather conditions, which means we had the cold currents coming across the Pacific and keeping the rain at bay.  NOAA says we’re currently experiencing neutral conditions, but they don’t really want to commit to what’s out there in the next few months.

If we get El Nino conditions, what’ll happen is the warm water will start slapping its way across the Pacific toward North and South America continents which brings the rains.  This generally comes in the winter months and thus the name, El Nino, after the Christ child (little boy).  Typically this current appears in December.  It’s effects are felt globally.

I am feeling relieved for the rain.  We need moisture on our Western Slope.  We survived this season without too many fires (though we had our share).

The Western Slope is the west face of the Sierra Nevada which runs nearly 400 miles from the Tehachipi Mountains in Southern California (right about the Grapevine) and abuts the Cascade Range which dips down into Northern California.  As a former newspaper editor, whenever I hear people say the Sierras my teeth automatically grit.  In Spanish, Sierra is already plural.  Sierra literally means mountains. So when added to the Spanish word Nevada which means snowfall, loosely translated you’ve got snowy mountains.  Sierra doesn’t need an extra “S”.  Even the newscasters and weather people in California say Sierras.

So we’re located about 3,000 feet along this western face on the way to Tahoe as the red tail hawk flies.  It takes about an hour in good conditions to reach Lake Tahoe, America’s largest alpine lake.

Beautiful Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is also the second deepest lake in America, measuring 514 meters, which is 1686 feet (and some change) deep.  Even though I’m a good swimmer, I couldn’t hold my breath that long.  Plus the water is cold.

Born and bred in San Diego, California, I’ve lived in California all my life with the major portion of it right here in the Sierra Nevada.  I love California-we’ve got it all, beaches, deserts, cities, mountains, river deltas, farmland, gold country, ski slopes, towns, and folks from all over the world.  Yes I know all the other folks say all the fruits and nuts come from California, but I’d rather be a fruit or a nut than a potato or an armadillo.

I love California so much it makes me want to break into a Woodie Guthrie song.  I’ve been to the other side, the East Coast and though it is indeed beautiful, they’ve never learned how to wear jeans to work.  Their dress-down days call for khakis and tucked in shirts.  Business dress codes in California are jeans and more jeans.  In the summer, shorts; unless you work in an insurance office or hospital.

In San Diego wintertime means wearing a long-sleeve t-shirt with your shorts and sandals.  It’s not really cold there unless you head up to Cuyamaca, Julian, or the Laguna Mountains. In the Sierra we get all four seasons, which you don’t really experience when you live on the other side of the Grapevine in SoCal.

To give you some clues about me, I’m Laurie J. Brenner, author, writer, rune-caster, webmaster, scullery maid, grandmother, mother, wife, artist, friend, ship’s mate, soul mate, land yacht owner, wind tiller and cloud walker.  I’ve authored two books, Little Book of Becoming, and Changing Planes, a metaphysical fiction.

The Little Book of Becoming is a primer to understanding and using the Law of Attraction to live your life inside out.  I originally wrote it in 1998 for the Internet but put it aside as my soul mate, my husband and I built our dream home on the Western Slope.  I picked it back up, updated it and published it for those looking to find a primer on the Law of Attraction.  It’s also available on Amazon.com.

My second book, my love is Changing Planes, a metaphysical fiction that will touch you deeply.  It is a story of redemption and forgiveness unlike anything you’ve ever read before.  If you’re one of those strictly to-the-right folks, I would not recommend this book to you because it will go against everything you believe to be true.  Those into reading new age or metaphysical fiction like the works of Richard Bach or Og Mandino you will most thoroughly enjoy it.

Keep an eye peeled here, I’ll let you know when it hits Amazon.  I’m currently awaiting the proof copy which should be here Monday, October 6th.

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Tags: Amazon, author, California, California girl, Changing Planes, El Nino, La Nina, Laurie J. Brenner, Law of Attraction, Little Book of Becoming, metaphysical, new age fiction, NOAA, Sierra Nevada, Western Slope, writer