Buster and his family in Prather, in the foothills not far from Mariposa County. Last year, Prather’s rainfall totaled 3”.
The second impression was how much I missed a dry climate. Where Missouri in late summer has temperatures in the 90’s and 85%+ humidity, central California has temps in the 90’s and low 100’s, but only 10% or so humidity. To be sure, there are definite seasons. Winters can be quite cold, with most of the snowfall above 3,000 ft., but the air is on the dry side still. Fall gradually cools, staying dry by and large. The only “wet” season is spring, and even that has been dry the past three years.
When I started my drive from San Jose, I determined to make stops along the way, just to dig up old memories. Gilroy was first, the self-proclaimed Garlic Capitol of the World. Like previously mentioned produce, the garlic you eat probably is from Gilroy. That is where I first saw unplanted fields and saw the effects of the drought for the first time