
And, best of all the weather. Dry easily weathered heat with cool nights that allowed you to sleep. I missed the green, green grass of Michigan, but eventually came to like the golden summers of California.

We have multiple climate zones. A Mediterranean climate just like Tuscany and Greece in a North Eastern section beyond Oroville, in Modoc County. I've never been there.
Then the coastal range of gorgeous, unique redwood trees, the sempervirons that at one time stretched from Crescent City to Monterey on the west side of the Sierra Nevadas. The East side of the Sierra Nevadas is known for its granite, its pines, unique ones like the bristlecones and stunted trees growing out of rock faces. In the north, the redwood giganteas on the west slopes and then flowing down into one of two huge deserts , Death Valley and Mojave with the amazing joshua trees. California's middle fertile valley's supply half the worlds fruits and vegetables and nuts.
The highest point in the continental U.S. is Mt. Whitney. We have 63 different fresh water fish;, 190 different mammals, and 30,000 insects, 8,000 plants, 96 reptiles and amphibians, 100 different species of birds. California has 5 bird species that only live in California. There is more, unique climate variations like the Bishop area, mining minerals like borax, Anzo Barrego, the Salton Sea, an interior but smaller salt lake. San Diego, considered the best place in the world to live. Only three places in the U.S. have such diversity, California, Florida and Hawaii.
And, then of course, we practically ruined some of the most beautiful places in California. San Diego was filled and her wetlands given way to housing. Then she began to sink and now pilings hold up the houses.
Pollution was once so bad, raw sewage flowed into the ocean and San Diego stunk as did other places with dead lakes and nasty rivers filled with sewage and greasy soap. All have been cured as lessons were learned. Even the big 2000 year old blue oaks were cut by ranchers until they discovered that the rich green grass under the oaks is what the cattle liked. When the trees were cut, the sun bleached the grass to straw.
California is a leader in environmental progress. How far we've come. We've got bragging rights to be sure. And, I'm thankful I live here which brings me to the kitchen sink.



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