Pasadena Wind Storm December 2011
If you had trouble reaching us last week, apologies. A powerful windstorm blew Pasadena this way and that. Gusts were clocked at over 100 MPH, and thousands of huge, grand trees were flung down. Roots of three giant old trees ripped up the sidewalk on a short block of Green St, a popular stretch of Old Town Pasadena:
Pasadena Wind Storm Green St Downed Tree
Castle Green in the Background
The magnificent Castle Green is in the background, which helps give a sense of scale to how large the downed trees are!
Scott and I live in the hills between downtown LA and Pasadena, and we got quite a show. Transformers blew all over the city and the arching electricity illuminated the dancing trees. The winds were not sustained – like in a hurricane – more like whirling invisible devils. Quiet, then some mad spirit would explode through the trees. Quite a night.
Finally, more than a week later, power has been restored to most of the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles.
Tornados and freak storms roared through America this year – changing lives, families and entire cities, forever.
2011 is The Year of the Big Wind.
In 1903 William Butler Yeats – the great poet of romance and unseen spirits – used ‘in the year of the big wind“ to end In the Seven Woods, the first book printed by The Dun Emer Press (later the Cuala Press). The phrase has haunted me for years. Such a beautiful, sweet book. Printed by women on handmade paper made in Ireland, printed and published by Elizabeth Corbet Yeats, WB’s sister.
Colophon for In the Seven Woods, Dun Emer Press, 1903 WB Yeats
Thanks to UC Santa Barbara Center for Modern Literature, Materialism and Aesthetics for posting an image of my favorite colophon from my favorite poet. Oh, and my favorite fine press, The Cuala Press of Ireland.
A famous (among women letterpress printers!) photo of Elizabeth at work printing:
Elizabeth Corbet Yeats and her fellow letterpress printers, 1903
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