Chinese Year of the Water Rabbit Starts Today, January 22, 2023

Lunar year 2023, starting today, January 22nd, through February 9, 2024, is the Chinese Year of the Rabbit.

The Rabbit is the 4th animal on the Chinese zodiac, which also includes the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Twelve animals in all, on a 12 year rotation. The Rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace and prosperity in Chinese culture.

2023 is the year of the Water Rabbit. There are five elements associated with the Zodiac signs - Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Combined with the 12 zodiac animals, each combination of animal and element rotates in on a sixty year cycle. Those born in Water years are agile, easygoing, approachable, and adaptable.

Celebrity Water Rabbits include Michael Jordan, Johnny Depp, Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Beals, Phoebe Cates, Mike Myers, Helen Hunt and Lisa Kudrow.

Rabbits are, of course, the namesake of the Conejo Valley, and we are so close to the Pacific Ocean that the Year of the Water Rabbit is particularly special for residents of this beautiful area.

Arroyo Conejo Creek is the Longest Creek in the Conejo Valley

The Arroyo Conejo is the longest creek in the Conejo Valley, covering 57 square miles, including 43 in the Conejo Valley and 14 in the Santa Rosa Valley. It flows through Thousand Oaks and Camarillo, including the communities of Newbury Park, Casa Conejo and the Santa Rosa Valley.

Historically the Arroyo Conejo was a seasonal creek. Today it is a perennial creek fueled by urban runoff. The north folk carved Wildwood Canyon over thousands of years. Paradise Falls in Wildwood Park is a well known feature of the Arroyo Conejo. The south fork originates in the Conejo Hills above Newbury Park.

The south fork of the Arroyo Conejo can be seen from the Arroyo Conejo Trail in the 302 acre Arroyo Conejo Open Space, accessible from the Rancho Conejo Playfield in Newbury Park.

Arroyo Creek seen from the Arroyo Conejo Trail in Thousand Oaks.

The Arroyo Conejo is part of the Ventura County Watershed. Watersheds are defined by the natural boundaries of a surface runoff area. Ventura County has four watershed zones named for the major tributary in each zone - Ventura River (Zone 1), Santa Clara River (Zone 2), Calleguas (Zone 3), and Cuyama River (Zone 4 North) and Malibu Creek (Zone 4 South). The Arroyo Conejo is in the Calleguas Creek Zone.

The Calleguas Creek zone has a watershed area of about 341 square miles. All stream flows in Zone 3 eventually end up in Mugu Lagoon before entering the Pacific Ocean. Major tributaries to Calleguas Creek include Revolon Slough, Conejo Creek, Arroyo Santa Rosa, Arroyo Conejo, Arroyo Las Posas/Arroyo Simi, Happy Camp Canyon, Lang Creek, and Tapo Canyon.

The Calleguas Creek watershed contains the man-made Lake Bard (aka Bard Reservoir – main imported water supply for about 60% of Ventura County population), along with several Ventura County Watershed Protection District constructed debris basins of varying sizes and depths designed to capture runoff sediment before it can cause damage to the Calleguas Creek drainage system. Some of the largest District basins include Sycamore Canyon, Las Llajas, and Runkle Canyon basins.

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Bard Reservoir seen from the Sunset Hills Trail in Thousand Oaks.

More on Ventura County Watersheds at www.vcpublicworks.org/wpd/watersheds.

A Murder of Crows Above Thousand Oaks Boulevard

On a recent Sunday afternoon, we witnessed this large congregation of crows flying this way and that above Thousand Oaks Boulevard. Yes, this is next to the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall. We believe they were plotting an air bombardment over the new cars on display.

The Thousand Oaks Auto Mall consists of Rusnak BMW, Rusnak Westlake Audi, Rusnak Westlake Porche, Anderson Autos Acura of Thousand Oaks, DCH Ford of Thousand Oaks, DCH Suburu of Thousand Oaks, Anderson Autos Honda of Thousand Oaks, Infiniti of Thousand Oaks, Anderson Autos Jaguar of Thousand Oaks, Anderson Autos Land Rover of Thousand Oaks, Anderson Autos Lexus of Thousand Oaks, Neftin Westlake Mazda, Neftin Westlake Volkswagen, Alfa Romeo of Westlake, Bentley Westlake, Genesis of Westlake, Westlake Hyundai, Lamborghini Westlake, Maserati Westlake Village, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Westlake, Shaver Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram, Anderson Autos Mercedes-Benz Thousand Oaks, Anderson Autos Buick GMC Thousand Oaks, Anderson Autos Cadillac of Thousand Oaks and Anderson Autos Chevrolet of Thousand Oaks.

Dramatic Sunset Ends a Perfect Thanksgiving 2022 Weekend in Ventura County

Beautiful skies tonight, Sunday, November 27, 2022, at the end of the first weekend of holiday season shopping in Ventura County. Though it was such a beautiful weekend, many of us spent time outdoors, away from the hustle and bustle.

View from the camarillo Premium Outlets

View from near Thornhill Broome Beach in Point Mugu State Park (Photo Credit @bradli.mp3 Instagram)

Jared Goff Pranks Ventura College Football Team as a Walk-On Quarterback

This Red Bull produced video from 2018 shows Los Angeles Rams quarterback (at the time) Jared Goff, pranking the Ventura College Pirates team as a walk-on. Fun to watch the reactions when Goff removes his disguise. This little prank must have been motivational to the team. It finished its greatest season in school history that year, making it to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) championship game, where it narrowly lost to Laney College.

More on Ventura College football at www.vcweplayhard.com/sports/fball/2022-23/teams/ventura.

Goff of course played with the Rams through the 2020 season. He was traded to the Detroit Lions, along with several future draft picks, for Matthew Stafford.

While we’re at it, enjoy this more recent video of Eli Manning pranking the Penn State football team as a walk-on candidate. Quite amusing.

Ronald Reagan Ate Jelly Beans to Give Up Smoking While Running for Governor in 1966

According to Reagan Library archives, when Ronald Reagan ran for Governor of California in 1966, he began eating jelly beans made by the Oakland based Herman Goelitz Candy Company. Why? To give up pipe smoking. It worked. 

He continued receiving Goelitz Mini Jelly Beans from the company for the duration of his two terms. Then he continued receiving shipments from Goelitz, which in 1976 launched a new brand, Jelly Belly. 

Then in 1981, 3 1/2 tons of red (Very Cherry), white (Coconut) and blue (Blueberry) Jelly Belly jelly beans were shipped to Reagan's Presidential Inauguration ceremony.

And the Jelly Belly jelly bean brigade continued for the duration of Reagan's eight years in office. His favorite Jelly Belly flavor was licorice.

And as many of you know, there's an image of Reagan done completely in Jelly Belly jelly beans at the Reagan Library. It took about 10,000 of them to complete this work of art.

More information at www.reaganlibrary.gov/reagans/ronald-reagan/jelly-bellyr-jelly-beans-and-ronald-reagan.

More on the Reagan Library at THIS LINK.

Jelly Belly is a privately-owned company based in Fairfield, California. Open for tours at www.jellybelly.com.

"You can tell a lot about a fella's character by whether he picks out all of one color or just grabs a handful."  - President Reagan (in reference to jelly beans)

Casitas Springs in Ventura County was Home to Johnny Cash in the Early 1960s

Casitas Springs is an unincorporated community in Ventura County, located 1.2 miles east of Lake Casitas. Originally it was called Arroyo de Las Casitas (Creek of the Little Houses) in 1864. Its population is just over 1,000, located along State Route 33

All that aside, Casitas Springs is best known as the residence of Johnny Cash from 1961 to 1967. He bought a 5,000 sq ft home on Nye Road in 1961 where he lived with his wife Vivian Liberto and their four daughters. Liberto filed for divorce in 1966.

Driving Ventura Avenue north from Ventura towards Ojai, this sign near the juncture of Nye Road reminds us that the original Man in Black called Casitas Springs home.

Liberto continued to raise her daughters, Rosanne, Kathy, Tara and Cindy and moved from Casitas Springs to Ventura in 1968 after remarrying Ventura police officer Dick Distin in 1968. She passed away in 2005.

Johnny Cash passed away in 2003, four months after the passing of his second wife, June Carter Cash.