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First of all, Rob and I (DeerhornValley.net website "keepers") want to thank you for all the positive feedback on the weather and road updates we e-mailed during the January rainstorms.  It was very gratifying to know that together we could help one another avoid the worst of road flooding, mud flows, and closures.  I know we all breathed a sigh of relief when loved ones arrived home safely.  A special thanks to those of you who were able to pass information along for us to distribute, or passed it along to neighbors. 

Thanks to all of your extra eyes and ears out there during the storms. It is very comforting to belong to a community that reaches out to one another. - Kim & Rob

Proudly posting your comments here...

Notes from your Neighbors and Friends...

... January Storms, Potato Skins, and Trash Throwers...

(2/16) Hey Neighbors,

Be on the lookout for some guy driving an old style, paint faded Suzuki.  We saw him throwing large bags of trash out his vehicle window along Skyline on Sunday morning.  Not only was he littering but I almost had a head on collision with him as he was driving on the wrong side of the road to throw his trash.  We were not able to get his license.  Let’s work together to keep our community clean.

-Debbie Hopkins on Bratton Valley

Thanks for the heads-up, Debbie. No excuses for that kind of behavior anywhere, but especially in our backcountry.

(2/14)

Rob & Kim: I just wanted to say that the Potato Skins Recipe from Susie Norton's recipe are the best in town. Sarah, Alyssa and I all agree. As vegetarians we have ordered plenty of potato skins when we go out to eat. And Susie's recipe is the best. Yahoo Deerhorn recipes! Thank you to Susie and thanks to you for making the recipe available.

- Anne Evosevich

If you haven't checked out our Kitchens, you're missing out on Susie's Potato Skins, Emily Bennett's Bread & Butter Zucchini Pickles (check Archives), Marinated Mexican Carrots, and.... Anne's Banana Bread (reclaimed from the DV Cookbook Recipe by Hazel McKinley). Good cooks all around!

(2/10) Hi Rob & Kim,

Loved looking at your website for the Deerhorn Valley! Excellent! ... I encourage you to keep this up and hope that the community supports you with news, pictures and stories! I will try to support you in any way I can! Thanks for doing this for our community that we all love. I know that we may face similar situations like the fires that we have seen and having a "place" to go to for information will be invaluable! Thank You! Thank You! 

-Pat Terry (Honey Springs)

Thanks, Pat. I think when the January storms came, it was a heads-up to us all that we have to work on ways to stay connected. There is a lot more that connects us than divides us, for sure!

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(2/10) Kim and Rob,

Thank you so much for the wonderful articles, especially the information on the OJFSC [Outer Jamul Fire-Safe Council].  We have really needed publicity and explanation of exactly what we are trying to accomplish.

I know what you are doing is a huge amount of work, but it is SO needed and SO appreciated.  You are inspiring us to put out more effort to improve our community and make it safer for us all.

-Suzy Bullock (Sierra Cielo)

The Fire-Safe Council is SO important too. You guys have managed to locate funds to help Deerhorn and Lyons create more defensible space and reduce the fuel loads along our roads. We're all going to need to get involved with this effort and stay informed. Sadly, I guess it's not IF, but WHEN the next wildfire comes.

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(2/8) Rob & Kim,

I don't know how to word this but I hope you can help me out.  During all the rains and flooding I feel there were some people overlooked.  One is our own Rural Carrier ARCHIE.  He along with the others at Jamul PO did an outstanding job making sure we got our mail each day.  When the roads were closed off, flooded, etc. didn't we got out to our mailboxes and expect to open them and find mail?  And when we did like magic it was there! And when I tried to Thank Archie all I got was 'That's my job'.  I think they all deserve a tip of the hat!

- Sandra Ignosci (The Elenas)

We took your suggestion and gave Archie a front-page Tip-O-the-Hat. Thanks for the reminder to stop and appreciate those who "go the extra distance."

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(2/8) Thank you for all your hard work.  I love your website so much I sent it to all my coworkers that are all city folk.  They now all want to move to Deerhorn Valley and they thought your website was done quite nicely as well.

Thanks especially with the road info during the rain. Good job neighbors.

-Debbie Hopkins on Bratton Valley

Thanks Debbie --- DV is a really wonderful place to live. And have you noticed how few people have ever heard of it? Has anyone come up with a nice, concise e description of where Deerhorn Valley is?

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(2/8) WHAT A GREAT JOB YOU BOTH DO...

-Emily Bennett

Thanks, Emily. You are the inspiration for getting involved in Deerhorn Valley. If everyone could spend five minutes with you, they'd understand why this valley has come to be such a special place. Also-- we're waiting for a picture to go with your good news about Brooke and Patrick! (See Neighbor News)

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(1/25) Kim,

Thank you so much for the updates.  We really appreciate them.

-Kirk and Linda Raeber (Mother Grundy)

You are welcome! It's fun to know you're out there.

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(1/23) You helped me avoid a big traffic mess last night [Friday].  I was going to take 94 to get to my singing engagement  in Eastlake in order to avoid possible flooding at the dips. I read your email right  before I left my house.  I went down through Otay Lakes instead. The road was passable. I am sure I would have been late had it not been for your email.  Thanks again!

-Coral Thuett (Sunrise Estates)

I drove Otay Lakes Road for 20-plus years. There were times I would drive all the way to the Arizona Dip (by the gliderport), be forced to turn around and head back to 94 to take the "long way in" to Chula Vista. 25 miles of extra driving. I used to wish there was a sign at 94 and OTL Road that people could post the warning on.

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(1/22) A friend of mine has been receiving alerts from you guys, but she can't remember how she signed up, and I can't find anything on the web site.  Could you add me to the list? Thanks!

-Leslie

If you filled out a Deerhorn Directory?Emergency List Form, be sure you requested (checkbox) Updates and The Antler. Or just send an email to us (rob-kim@deerhornvalley.net) and we'll happily add you to the list.

Storm Clouds --- Bratton & Lyons Peaks

(1/22) Yesterday , I was supposed to work 1:00 pm - 10 pm and planned to leave for work a little after 11 am. I anticipated taking the 125 toll road (my bag of quarters was ready), instead of Otay Lakes Road. But based on the zero visibility out my front windows and in conference with our Deerhorn Valley weather watch people....Much thanx to Kim and Rob.....and reports of flooding and trees down on "upper" Deerhorn and Honey Springs, and boulders looking iffy on Skyline Truck Trail, all from neighbors trying to return to area, I elected to call and say I wasn't going to make it to work.

I was pleased to make that decision as quickly the situation changed, bringing in extremely strong winds and rain, as well as isolated pockets of heavy, big sized hail.  Found out later that Deerhorn Valley Road, Honey Springs Road, Otay Lakes Road and parts of Skyline Truck Trail (my other way out) were closed.  Became very jittery with all the strong winds and almost impenetrable sheets of rain.......but continued to hope we would be okay.......that's when the sheet lightening and thunder began about 9:00PM.  I gave up, took 2 Advil PM and covered my head with my comforter.

-Cindy Schneider (The Spices)

Cindy Schneider provides much-appreciated eyes and ears on conditions along Otay Lakes Road, 94, and Honey Springs. --Many thanks, Cindy!

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(1/22) Thank you so much for the info.  It's great to have you watching out for us!

- Steve Dillon (Deerhorn Valley)

Steve-- You gave so much of your energy to DV for so long. I'm glad you left some footsteps to follow!

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(1/21) Thank you so much for the information you have been sending today.  I have an email list for Sierra Cielo Residents (some) so have been forwarding on to them.  It was helpful for my husband coming home tonight. Wild weather!

- Suzy Bullock

Doesn't it feel good when everyone gets home safely during storms like these?

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(1/21) Thanks you guys! I’ve forwarded all your emails today, [and] I’ll keep forwarding as soon as I receive.  I also posted the 3:00 report down at the Trading Post when I picked up Anthony at the bus stop.

- Diana Pastora-Carson (Lyons Valley)

Thank you, Diana, for getting the word out to Lyons. The Trading Post is a good center for passing the word or posting information.

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(1/21) I appreciate the heads up.

- Cris Furtado

And we're glad to get the word out when we have it! Thanks.

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(1/21) Thank you for the updates! I really appreciate them.

-Kathie Walker Collins

Kathie (and Susie Norton too!) are descended from the Walkers... one of the earliest families to settle in Deerhorn, and helped give Deerhorn its name: "John [Bratton] and Albert [Walker] were riding through there one day and came upon two bucks which had died with their horns locked together. They threw the horns into the crotch of a sycamore tree and after that would refer to it as the Deerhorn Spring. It was easy to say "meet me at Deerhorn Spring" or Deerhorn Flat." (Dorothy Schmidt, Pioneering in Dulzura)

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(1/21) Thank you for the email alerts for road closures. Very much appreciated by those who work and usually don't find out about road closures until we hit them and then we're "up a creek".

-Kitty Wicklund

...And sometimes washing away "down the creek!"

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(1/21) Thank you soooo much!!!   We--  Brian and I-- actually SAW the ""White water rapids"" flowing over the boulders by the Deerhorn valley sign,..unfortunately we didn't have our camera.

-Denise & Brian Bixel (Mother Grundy)

Welcome to Deerhorn-In-The-Rain! It's been so long since we've had run-off, a lot of us had forgotten... and many didn't know. Consider yourself a a real DV'r now!

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 (1/20) We had a 2500 gal tank, which was almost empty blow over yesterday up on our hill.  Unfortunately when it blew over it broke one of the lines and drained the main tank almost completely. On the bright side, when the tank tipped over it lodged between two large rocks to prevent it from rolling of into the sunset.

Take care and thanks for the info.  It is good to know what is going on especially when I am at work.

-Lorna Odegaard

So glad it wasn't any worse, Lorna. Those were major gusts that blew through here! 

Honey Springs Road .. Upper S-curves.

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