The Carmel River ran its new course as the San Clemente dam finally came down

"The engineering involved rerouting and reconstructing the Carmel River and creating dozens of pools for Steelhead to spawn and mature. Natural barriers have also been constructed to stem the flow of water during flooding and native vegetation has been planted to restore the area to its natural setting."

From KSBW

Ponciano's Cabin

"This is Ponciano Manjares' Cabin during the 1960's on the ridge that bears his name."
From: San Clemente Rancho

Fermín de Francisco Lasuén de Arasqueta

Fermín de Francisco Lasuén de Arasqueta continued the work begun by Saint Junipero Serra, establishing 9 more missions, bringing the total to 18. He died at Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo on July 26, 1803.

“Here are aborigines whom we are teaching to be men, people of vicious and ferocious habits who know no law but force, no superior but their own free will, and no reason but their own caprice. A people without education, without government, religion or respect for authority, and they shamelessly pursue without restraint whatever their brutal appetites suggest to them. Their inclination to lewdness and theft is on par with their love for the mountains. Such is the character of the men we are to correct and whose crimes we must punish" 

From: Converting California

Picture From: Pandisoo

The Carmel and the San Clemente Converge Sooner

The Carmel River and San Clemente Creek confluence used to be at the dam, but a new channel has been carved, so the Carmel and the San Clemente converge sooner.
"Without the natural habitat being restored, and all of the step pools being restored, we're not going to be able to have a natural functioning river."
From KSBW

Mission Santa Cruz was founded by Serra's successor, Father Fermín Francisco de Lasuén

Vandals splashed red paint across the front door of the Mission Santa Cruz, one of 21 Spanish Franciscan missions stretching from Sonoma to San Diego. The mission wasn’t founded by Serra but by his successor, Father Fermín Francisco de Lasuén.The attack is the fourth incident of vandalism on Serra-related buildings and statues along the Central Coast.

From LA Times 
Picture from: breibart

Rain Along the Carmel River on Monday

Fueling this storm system is "polar air" coming from the Gulf of Alaska and a narrow atmospheric river, resulting in snow and "heavy showers."
Picture by: David Royal

Mission Grapes