March 24, 2015
The impact of three years of drought on the Blue Oaks shows up well as the trees that have survived begin to leaf out. (Click to enlarge) These Blue Oaks are across the creek from our house, on a north slope at the 1,200-foot elevation. No rain in sight, the grass has turned 30 days earlier than normal as we prepare to head into an early summer.
drycrikjournal 
Hooray for the survivors, but I fear there are to many destined for firewood.
I wish I could send you a picture. I found a monster in your photo above.
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How sad for those trees that couldn’t make it. That’s a long time with no rain.
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Terribly sad, but I tend to see this stand of dead Blue Oaks, and all the others on this ranch, as an indicator of the severity of this drought. Double-clicked to enlarge, I see many 200 year-old trees at the top of the stand, as well as more near the bottom the canyon. This isn’t a stand of weak trees, though I see a little mistletoe here and there, this is a north slope stand that died without moisture–drier than it’s been in 200 years.
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