Another windless day yesterday, in the high 50s. Wife had to work, so I went to the range. Took the Winder. Had a good time. Locked the gate at 4:15 PM & headed home. Drove over the 2 big bridges that cross the bay. Wife was still at work, I had one of those bottled coffee drinks in the rig & stopped by the bay to drink it. No big hurry. A couple had their 2 kids in a canoe, flat calm on the bay. Water like glass, but the tide was going out. Tide runs at 3 knots & I figured the folks in the canoe were just about to get into trouble, maybe not be able to get back to the boat launch for a while.

At 4:27 my pickup started bouncing like there were 2 strong guys on each corner bouncing it up and down. There was no one else around. There were about a dozen other cars in the lot & all were bouncing. The trees were whipping back & forth, the shrubbery bouncing up & down. Power poles shook like fly rods. Real exciting! Earthquake! A big one! Spilled the coffee drink all down my shirt. Sitting by the bay is a real bad idea. Being on the bay in a canoe seemed worse. I yelled at the canoe folks to get off the water & they grabbed the dock. I started up the truck & headed home.

Only road home goes over a lot of near sea-level ground. On one bridge, the expansion joints have been pushed up. Looks as if both ends of the bridge have been shoved together. But traffic is still rolling both ways, so I crossed it. Got to get off the low land before the aftershocks come. I was headed up the only big hill when the first aftershock hit. I was driving about 60 and the road jumped. The rear end of the pickup moved around over half a lane and the trees by the roadside were whipping around. I got over the hill when 2nd aftershock hit.  Same thing, fishtailing over half a lane.  Wife owns a store in an 1870s hotel.  She's very afraid to be there alone.  Went by.  Store locked, no car in lot. Went home.  Everything OK.  Most exciting trip to the range I've ever had.

I was born in CA. Lived in the Bay Area for about sixteen years. I dont remember one earthquake. 

Since moving to the Pacific Northwest in 1988 I can remember half a dozen earthquakes. The worst one was when I was working in the ingot plant in Wenatchee WA.  I was looking out the big door at some apple trees in an orchard when I noticed the building swaying back and forth. No one in the building noticed it and wouldnt believe me when I told them.  Soon as we exited the building in the work van for lunch it was all over the radio. The epicenter was near Olympia WA.

I dont care if we have earthquakes as long as the earth doesnt open up and swollow me. 

                                 Joe.

Yep, we were installing a particle casting machine in one of the pits. 

You know, you're absolutely right. Lake Chelan was created by a large slide.  I love that area.  The gold mine in Wenatchee is interesting too. I worked with people who were employed at the mine before it shut down. 

The traffic IS terrible. 


                                   Joe. 

If these quakes keep up, poor KAF will be kept busy with the new addresses as your homes get moved into new zip codes!! 

Seriously, though, glad you made it through with just a wake up shake up and not more serious damage.

Froggie

Was in a third floor hotel room in Pasadena during the Northridge quake.  Shook me out of bed onto the floor. Wanted to watch the swimming pool out the window but the power went out.  Had meetings the next day which were interrupted about every fifteen minutes with aftershocks.  Glad to get back home.  First story doesn't have a chance.

Grew up in the SF Bay Area, moved to Iowa 22 years ago.  Don't like the cold, don't like the hot & humid in the summer, and tornadoes scare the snot out of me...but I consider myself a political refugee from the Peace Loving People's Socialist Democratic Republic of California.  I would consider moving to Oregon or Nevada, but not back to CA.  Of course, if Iowa had CA's climate and amenities, everyone would want to live here, too!      

David

A quarter inch? 

That dont seem like much of a earthquake to me.  I asked pa if he felt it in Hamburg CA.  He said he heard about it on TV. 

         Joe. 

jpickup
had a greek freind and his wife lived in those apartments he worked at kavlico! demetri something.
understand there are hills on vanowen st.
irish