Palomar Mountain News

Maybe this idea is the best with what ever company you have for propane if you are looking for the best pricing?  I have always suggested the ‘keep full’ plan so you never run out.  But, it looks like paying up front may save frustration and price per gallon.

Thanks Wayne for replying with this comment to the last propane posting:

We have had excellent service and prices from Ferrellgas 800-366-3691. I got a postcard from them every fall for the last 3 years with a “special offer” around $1.90/gallon delivered. I always pre-pay for propane by calling them and ordering a set number of gallons at the stated price. They charge my CC and deliver the propane within a few days, NO surprises.

If you can read your propane gauge regularly and order when your tank gets low (no lower than 20%), you’ll save money, rather than being on the “keep full” plan. My neighbor had that, and was being charged $4.50/gal. until she called and complained.

If you don’t own your tank, you are typically charged a higher per gallon price, in addition to the annual tank rental fee. Work it out for yourself, but usually it’s worth buying a tank ($1,500) if you use a fair amount of propane (full time resident?), and plan to keep your cabin more than 3-5 years. There are used tanks available for less if you search. Keep in mind installation costs too.

Shop around if changing companies, usually one will match anothers prices if you mention them by name on the phone.

From: Gray, Tim

We are burning unit 7 up by High Point Look Out today.  Today’s burn is black lining.  What is black lining?  This is a technique of burning the edges of a burn unit and letting it burn out & or securing it, for when the entire unit is burned.  The reason we are doing this, for this particular piece of ground is that we have some scientist coming out to do some research on fire shelters next week.  By black lining it allows an added degree of security and greater flexibility in how we put fire on the ground.  It is extra work upfront, but added security and flexibility for future burning.

We were originally planning on doing this yesterday but, I called the burn off due to the high wind advisory.  Here is the Map of the area we are presently working in.  Today’s Type 2 Burn Boss (RXB2) is Captain Ronald (Dink) Gregor (Captain-36), who as you might know as the Captain at the USFS Palomar Fire Station.  You can view the work we do today on the HPwren site on the south and east facing camera’s on the High Point location.

http://hpwren.ucsd.edu/cameras/

One additional note: next week CALFIRE will be helping us be successful by providing a crew each day (Tues., Wed., and Thur.) from the Puerta La Cruz Camp in Warner Springs.  CALFIRE also helps us with contingency resources and we reciprocate the same when they do prescribed burning.

As usual any residents or others that have any questions or need a burn permit on Palomar Mountain may call or text me anytime @ 619-209-1414

Tim Gray BC-33, 619-209-1414

Ready to see stars and planets close up?  By the time it is dark, the parking lot is just about full of folks who set up their big telescopes to share with all of us!

April 29th  (This Saturday) at 7 PM

Palomar Mountain Outreach Center (old school house)  35899 Canfield Rd.  Take Canfield almost to the end.  Last driveway on left.  If you come to the observatory entrance, you’ve gone too far.

The evening will start off with the History of the building of the Observatory and will end with a view of the planet Jupiter.  The viewing will be outside so be sure to have warm jackets.

Bring your favorite appetizer or dessert to share.

Coffee and drinks will be available

Sponsored by the Community Center

Terri Sproul, Chairman

Do you have an interesting hobby or occupation to share with our Home School Kids Club? How about some cool science experiments or magic tricks to show them? What would you have for ‘show and tell’? Could teach a musical instrument?

We are looking for mountain neighbors to help enrich the home school experience on Palomar.

Maybe you could tell about rocks or rockets? One of our neighbors will be teaching square dancing, we have a weekender coming who has CDs. He will share folk songs, encouraging children to sing and record their own songs. Some of the students are learning how to quilt from a neighbor. Opera tickets will be available this fall. About half the kids have theatre experience and love being in shows. Wouldn’t it be great to have plays on Palomar again? Do you have a back ground in directing, dance, voice or ???

What experience do you have that could be of interest to our mountain kids, mostly age 4 to 12? They are as polite as can be and the newest generation to live here and love all that makes Palomar so special. Put on your thinking caps and let us know what ideas you have!

Thank you!

Bonnie

Complaints have come in from folks about very high propane bills (that usually get reduced if you call the office) and being charged for ‘non-usage’ (not something I have ever seen on a contract).  Here is one property owner’s solution: Read More…

With all the rain we have had this year, we are enjoying a beautiful spring but it could be a challenging fire season.  There are two things you can Read More…

Helping a property owner move a trailer sure opened my eyes.  My husband Don, and son Nathan, spent a couple hours, trimming along the road.  They had permission from the property owners to cut trees, trim branches, and brush.  (They didn’t count on the poison oak – that showed up later!)  Then Don made 8 trips with his tractor delivering and compacting eight tons of decomposed granite.  That DG filled in some huge ruts that would have made it impossible to get this trailer out. The trimming made a difference, but as you can see, it was very close quarters.

The trailer was 12 feet wide by 24 feet long and 13 feet high.  Sharing the video below with Mountain News Subscribers was not my intent when I grabbed my phone to take it.  Coming up the road was pretty scary and once Don started out, it was total commitment.  They had to take the trailer out through a pole gate. When the gate was measured, they had four inches of clearance on each side of the trailer.  Don did have Sam Taylor out there with his welder just in case one side of the gate needed to go away.  They made it through the gate but it was pretty tight!

When I was filming the video below, the thought came to me, “Wow, this trailer is about the same size as the fire trucks up here!!!”  A fire truck on a call could not have possibly stopped to do all the trimming on the way in.   There is no way they could have even made it through the initial entrance of this road without cutting branches and filling the ruts.  There are four cabins at the end of this road that some fire trucks couldn’t possibly get to.

Fire trucks aren’t the only trucks that can not get down quite a few of our roads these days.  New requirements for propane and septic trucks have companies needing much bigger vehicles.  There are many cabins those new trucks can not get to now to service properties until road grooming is done.

With the frequent rain we’ve had, our trees have really shot up.  “Trees are just like children, they grow up so fast!”  I’m suggesting neighbors work together, evaluate the road access and do some spring grooming!

Our Fire Safe Council has some grant funds available that may help, too.

We’re in this together!    Bonnie Phelps

The talent on this mountain is amazing!  Read More…

Labor Day Weekend has historically been such a fun time on Palomar.  We have had a barbecue, craft booths, fun games, live music.  Smith Mountain Band is pictured and is always a favorite.

What ideas do you have for this September? 

Come on out Saturday morning, 10am at the trailer behind the fire station.

Thank you! 

Terri Sproul

Community Center Chair