Research for this book has sent me down some interesting topics. After a mention that a swarm of earthquakes that plagued San Francisco in the 1890s may have been triggered by the billions of metric tons of earth washed into the bay from hydraulic mining in the Sierras in the 1880s putting intense pressure on the existing fissures and faults, I began reading about human induced seismic incidents (human caused earthquakes) all over the globe. It turns out the building of dams and subsequent weight of the reservoirs/lakes they create are a common trigger resulting in some particularly devastating earthquakes in China, and the 1975 Earthquake in the Oroville, CA area. Oklahoma and other US states have experienced swarms of human caused earthquakes more recently because of practices related to the oil and gas industries. Who knew researching a book about my great-grandma in the late 1800s would result in my spending hours on science and government geological sites looking at human induced seismic incidents. May our species learn to tread a bit lighter on this earth.
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Josie Romero at 18 in 1882
photo courtesy of the Montecito Association History Committee
AuthorAfter over a year of research, both historical and deeply spiritual, I'm starting to write my next book based on the life of my great-grandma Josephine Juarez Romero Lindsey Smith (Josie) and her family. They lived "South of the Slot" in San Francisco in the late 19th century and through the 1906 earthquake and fire. She had 11 children, seven of whom lived to be adults. Her life had been forgotten but now she lives and speaks through my heart and imagination and DNA. Please wish me well as I start the writing part of what has already been a remarkable relationship with Grandma Josie and her life and spirit. Archives
June 2020
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