I missed this! Sorry. The winds were awful. Right about the time the worst hit, we'd already been home, but our upstairs neighbor drove up with her 3 year old and they got out of the car. I was a bit miffed, because that's when things went flying, like lawn chairs. UGH! Nothing else really happened.

I, like many others, have signed many petitions to ask Gov. Brown to ban fracking anywhere in California, but so far, he hasn't done it. Individual counties have the right to ban fracking, and my county has done so, but it's not a statewide ruling. Fracking also uses large amounts of water -

Sorry for going OT, but CA's rep for higher education is no longer worthy of automatic praise. Things have changed a lot and not for the better when it comes to all levels of education in the state. The University of CA system is NOT cheap any longer. In fact, as an example, UC Berkeley is slightly more expensive than the prestigious private StanfordUniversity across the Bay: Google question: How much does it cost to go to Berkeley? TUITION AND EXPENSES Cost of Attendance In-state: $34,972 Out-of-state: $61,654 Tuition and Fees In-state: $13,485 Out-of-state: $40,167 Room and Board $15,115 Books and Supplies $1,240 Other Expenses $5,132 (I'm assuming those above costs for room/board are dorm prices. Quadruple them if you are looking to live off-campus, then factor in transportation costs and time.) The state college system is less expensive but financially stressed. Both systems have woefully underfunded employee pension funds, btw. HOWEVER, one (actually two) very big advantages are the two polytechnic campuses, both in Southern/Central CA: Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The latter is one of the best schools in the country, ranking high on many factors. Cars are pretty much a necessity in CA, but definitely if you're going East/West, or living in Southern/Central CA (you can almost get away without owning a car in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sort of,). All through the West Coast, the roads North/South are the major arteries for commercial traffic so they're the eight/ten-lane roads. The East/South driveability isn't anywhere near as good, and as traffic increases the commuter frustration increases exponentially with it. I agree the wisest thing to do is wait, see how your daughter likes it and try visiting a few times first. CA is a great place to live if you like it, but a lot of people come here and only stay a few years. The reasons for leaving are varied but real: can't afford a home, can't stand the traffic/commute, most activities are expensive (price those Disneyland tickets, wowie!), can't deal with the ever-shifting cultural scene - and very often these days: "if I want a job I have to move". I sincerely hope your daughter enjoys her new city and gets happily settled! But it's not a given, not any longer (I came in 1969 for good and yes, have seen some amazing changes; some welcome, some not so much).

It also might be skunks or raccoons if you have those. They would be digging dusk to dawn. If there is a restaurant supply place nearby, shaking red pepper flakes around might help. Or a chicken wire fence set up for a week or two until the soil no longer looks freshly turned and the plants have started to settle in.