January 2010. From all accounts we are in an El Nino pattern – one we have not seen for the past 3 years or so here in California. It is a welcoming sight complete with window rattl’n thunder and lightning.

Winter Solstice is upon us. The first day of the Season of Winter is also the shortest day of the year, when the Sun is the farthest south and the length of time between Sunrise and Sunset is the shortest of the year.

The rainy season is here recharging the aquifers, widening rivers and filling reservoirs. The hillsides, with their cool season grasses are coming to life, fallen leafs are this years mulch providing nutrients for trees and plants, and habitat for beneficial insects.