The great central valley

We spent most of yesterday driving through this landscape.  Fields and orchards extending as far as the eye can see in every direction.  The blue stripe in the photo is the crucial water that makes it all happen. Across California are hundreds of miles of big canals and pumping equipment to bring the water from the dams to the places that need it.

It seems there is a dispute about the amount of water allocated to this area.  I don't know much about it but I do know that water is a precious commodity in California.  I expect that the water usage of the thirsty cities of the Los Angeles basin and the Bay area are competing with the needs of agribusiness in the central valley.

We passed thousands and thousands of blossoming trees, mainly almond trees.  Here you can see the white boxes of bees that are brought in specially to pollinate them.  There were hundreds of boxes of bees and you could see them flying everywhere.  A couple even flew into the Mohita's cab through the vent


Today we traversed an entirely different landscape, through the redwood forests and into the rain of the west coast.  We're holed up in Crescent City tonight in a big storm with howling wind and rain.  And we're crossing our fingers that we'll be able to continue heading north tomorrow.