“May you have warm words on a cold evening,

   a full moon on a dark night

   and a smooth road all the way to your door.”

~ An Irish Blessing, attributed to St. Patrick – 433AD

A weak cold front spread showers across the foothills on Sunday. Only
0.2 inches fell. The season’s one after another storm pattern appears to be waning. Like money in the bank, a little more would be nice.

The timing of the above quotation may be fitting for St. Patrick’s Day, but it is only a clever coincidence. Contained within this Irish Blessing are two subjects relevant to life in the Crescenta Valley. In plural form they are “dark night(s)” and “smooth road(s).”

Last week the La Crescenta Library was once again “the happening place.” Friends of Rockhaven held a retro Tupperware party. Besides being fun, it was a fundraiser to preserve the historic sanitarium. The other event was a meeting of CVTC, its Land Use Committee and local citizens. The ongoing question of streetlights was its purpose. It seemed, although I may be biased, most of us want to “stay in the dark.” Looking from our hillside vantage point to the south you can see the twinkling city lights, or look to the skies above La Crescenta and see the twinkling stars. Dark skies = stars.

The controversy over “dark skies” is ongoing. While nerve-racking construction on the 210 Freeway continues, completion is promised for the near future. What a mess! While taking the detours, I noticed the streets are looking a little worse for wear. Recent rains and heavy traffic have caused potholes to form. Interestingly, folklore tells of 15th Century English pottery makers digging clay from ruts left by the wagon and coach wheels. Knowing the source of these annoying holes, they were called potholes.

Pothole damage is made obvious when bodily injury and costly repairs result. In a passive-aggressive manner, to get the often neglected potholes repaired, people have taken to “pothole gardening.” Across the U.S. and Europe the holes are being filled with soil and flowers. Great idea!

A full moon, an extra hour of daylight to enjoy and spring-like weather are included in the upcoming week’s forecast. Daytime highs will hover around and likely exceed 80 degrees. The nights have warmed up, as well; temperatures in the 50s are predicted. Without a drop of rain on the horizon, here’s looking to April showers.

Sue Kilpatrick is a

Crescenta Valley resident and

Official Skywarn Spotter for the

National Weather Service. Reach her at  suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.

  Sue Kilpatrick