My friend Steve talks a lot about the book, Ecology of Fear by Mike Davis. The book explains, in an arguably leftist voice, how Southern California is portrayed as a idyllic wonderland, but the truth of all Mediterranean climates is of violent nature: hurricane-like rainstorms, earthquakes, mudslides and wildfires plague SoCal repeatedly.

When we were moving to Arizona, we were in Los Angeles for a few days. Swinging through the east edge of the sprawling metropolis, my friend John and I were stuck during an incredible rainstorm, the strongest I’d ever seen, where you couldn’t even see the cars parked next to you on the freeway. I’ve been in monsoons in Southern Arizona where lightning is hitting all around and a wall of water turns dry creek beds to floods, but it wasn’t as strong as that storm in L.A. Davis mentions the fondly-named “Pineapple Express” in his first pages.

I was telling my mother-in-law, who lives in Temecula, about the book, and she didn’t believe me.

“What about the wildfires last year?” I asked.

“They weren’t that bad,” she told me.

“Bill (my father-in-law) said he could see the flames from your front yard!”

“Oh, he was exaggerating. No one we knew was affected,” she responded. Mindy chimed in.

“My friend Skye and his family had to evacuate their home, Mom.”

Of course, Southern California isn’t all denial. The fear is played up, as well, and Ecology of Fear explores that aspect.

Take what I say for what it’s worth…Oregonians are bred to hate on our massive neighbor to the south, so I’m incapable of seeing Southern California objectively. Plus, for all my disdain for the sprawl that is Los Angeles, I also like visiting. A lot.