El Nino brings snowpack to the Sierras but it's too early to declare the drought over, and some really good form around town

* ... EL NINO: We spent the early part of the year waiting for El Nino to arrive, hoping a strong storm season would help alleviate our long drought. Well it is here, and there is encouraging news

even if no one is ready to declare the drought over. A series of storm in the Sierras has pushed the snowpack to 111 percent of the average for this time of year, bringing joy to the ski resorts and the mountains. But we have a long way to go and the key date seems to be in April, when the snowpack traditionally peaks. Stay tuned and enjoy the weather.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The two best times to keep your mouth shut are when you’re swimming and when you’re angry."

 * ... SPOTTED: John Strand spotted this message written on a sweatshirt in a Lake Isabella market: "Life is like a roll of toilet paper; the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes."

 * ... LOCAL BUSINESS: Shopping at a locally owned business is always a good idea, and Kay Bardin just gave me another reason to do so. Said Bardin: "Stopped by Knight's Jewelers for a watch battery recently. When I got ready to pay, they said 'Just put the money in the Salvation Army kettle' which was located between their door and Trader Joe's! Wow, that's the Christmas spirit in action."

 * ... GOOD FORM: LaVonne Templeton shared this bit of good form after she locked her keys in her trunk at the Walmart parking lot near East Hills Mall: "Standing there trying to think what I could do, a young couple with two small children came by and asked if they could help me. He got on his cell, found AAA, told them 'There is a lady here that needs help'" and handed me the phone. Their little boy, about four, said to me 'You can come to our house.' How sweet! I apologized to the couple that I was taking up their valuable time but they said they were in no hurry AAA was then on their way.  We exchanged names and hugs and I am sorry to say that I don't remember. I am soooo grateful to them to help a 79-year-old lady in a stressful situation. I hope they read this."

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: When Gene Bonas wrote recalling the days when folks would fuel your car and clean your windshield, it triggered some memories from Stephen A. Montgomery. Said Montgomery: "Back then I may have been that guy wearing a white shirt, bow tie and dark blue slacks fueling Gene’s car and cleaning his windshield and checking his tires. Back in the day I used to routinely fuel State Senator Walter Stiern’s car and clean his windshield. However he never let me open the hood. Then I worked for Art Folsom who operated Union 76 stations at the corner of 21st Street and Union Avenue. (a tacky check cashing shack is on the site now), F Street and Golden State, (Mobile station now) SR 99 frontage road just north of 7th Standard. (Volvo equipment rental now) There one of my jobs was to drive the water truck to a fire hydrant on Snow Road to supply the station with water since it had no well or other water supply connection."