Musafir's Musings: The Seasons: January Rains

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

The Seasons: January Rains

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The Green Hills of Stanford, California

Last Monday (January 18th) the rain came down in buckets and the wind howled through the night. Tuesday,too, we got a soaking, and it is raining today. According to the weather man the rains will continue through the middle of next week with perhaps a break on Tuesday, the 26th.

Driving back from the Silicon Valley yesterday afternoon I stopped at Arastradero Preserve to take some pictures. Walked up the hill east of the parking lot and watched the flow of traffic on both north and southbound lanes of Highway 280. Beyond the highway were the rolling hills where the Stanford Dish is located.

The radio telescope commonly known as the Dish is the most prominent landmark in Stanford's 8,180 acres of open space. The Dish, 150 feet in diameter, scans the sky, gathering data on distant galaxies. -- Gaill Todd, SFGate.com

Very popular with hikers and runners during all seasons despite the fact that they are confined to paved trails, ranging from 3.7 miles to 5 miles depending on the entrance. I enjoyed it more before restrictions were imposed and enforcement began. Previously one could hike and run on other trails, some of them longer and more arduous. But no doubt the authorities had good reasons for introducing the restrictions.

The Stanford Dish