Almond Season

It is the middle of almond season in Bakersfield and, because of consistent hot days, the season is long (August to December).  Pistachios (98% of them are grown here in California) are ready too.  What does really mean?  If you were to be in southern California and found some fresh (rather than roasted) nuts, they would be “in season.” But that really is not a definition, and I don’t remember if I have had a fresh, in season nut ever.

Interesting food choices in Bako.

Maybe the idea of season has fallen by the wayside. We all spend a lot of time indoors these days and the only thing to indicate fall sometimes is a new T.V. lineup.  It is the season for that too.  Thank goodness for farmer’s markets that keep us all in the know.  However, we of course can get almonds, strawberries, cabbage, or anything really no matter what time of year it is and time begins to blend into one continuous season.  Which reminds me of Bakersfield because it is summer all the time here and not the kind of summer that makes you want to kick back and lie in the hammock.  Actually summer isn’t the right word for things here in the no man’s land of the south central valley.  I think Heat would be a better name for the season. It is October 1 and today’s high is going to be 100 degrees.  Everyone says it is hotter than normal, but I don't know if I believe them.  

Black Widow Keith caught

Another sunny day.

It hasn’t rained at all since April. Nothing. Just blue sky day in and day out.  According to Wikipedia, we have an average of 191 days per year of clear skies. I now understand what it means to have too much of a good thing.  My tomatoes look like choked weeds because I can’t seem to get the watering right and the worms have settled in to feast on the dying remnants.  Despite the record crop of almonds and pistachios that the area is experiencing this year, Bakersfield hardly feels like a fertile landscape.  Looks are deceiving.  While Kern County is experiencing record crops (thank you diverted Kern River), my backyard is experiencing a record crop of black widow spiders, which makes sitting in the backyard a risky venture, but I don’t want to anyhow, it is too hot.   

Keith spends most of the 110 degree days here out in the oil field.  I spend most of the 110  degree days hiding, hoping I will adjust to hotter than hot.  Last week we had one day that was only 94 degrees, which seemed cool and fall like. Lucy the dog arrived in May and has spent time hiding with me although sometimes she goes to lie down on the hot pavement to prove a point, or maybe she is just better at accentuating the positive than I am. 

We have now been in Bakersfield six months, only 3 ½ years to go (as per our contract, but maybe not reality or maybe so).  Keith has been completing training sessions in Houston with titles like Work Overs, Well Control, and Cementing.  He said before he left recently that he was excited about the cementing training.  I stared at him blankly because what can you say when someone is excited for five days of cementing training?  How fascinating seemed too obvious of a lie.  He also did something with a simulator the week before, and has taken many tests.  I have no real idea of what he is doing and when he tries to explain my mind usually gets stuck on the introductory comments that contain acronyms like IDK and WAYTA, which I made up for “I don’t know” and “What are you talking about?”.

We traveled to northern California in August (Mendocino and San Francisco) and enjoyed 60 degree weather like it was a big glass of cold water.  We left our windows and doors open whenever we could and at night in the Bay Area we listened to the fog horns blow sonorously throughout the night. It was lovely. All the while a breeze blew across our faces.  Heaven in northern Cal.  So as I said before the greatest thing about Bakersfield is there are some nice places about 2 hours away and even better places 5 hours from us (San Francisco).  That’s drive-able.

Here are a few other adventures we had this summer including a visit to Sequoia National Park with Keith's sister and her family.  (Sequoia is three hours away.)