What a Gas Tax Freeze Would Actually Mean for Drivers Right Now

Gas prices have nearly doubled since the Iran conflict started in February, and for the average family, that means spending an extra $200 a month on fill-ups. To try to ease that burden, some politicians are pushing to lower state gas taxes and least freeze tax increases. It’s a move that feels logical, but unfortunately doesn’t automatically lead to lower prices.

“A common misconception about gas taxes is that they are the reason for rising gas prices,” says cost-of-living and home financial expert Cody Schuiteboer. “However, crude oil prices, refinery capacity, regional requirements and fuel blends have a much higher impact on pump prices.”

Here’s what to know about gas taxes, including their pros and cons, and how much a tax reduction might save you at the pump.

What Is the Gas Tax?

A gas tax is a fee added to the price of gasoline by federal and state governments. The federal tax has been 18.4 cents per gallon (24.4 cents per gallon for diesel) since October 1993. State gas taxes vary and are used to support transportation infrastructure projects, such as maintaining roadways.

Which States Have a Gas Tax?

All 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, impose some form of gas tax. “There are many different formulas,” says Schuiteboer. “Some taxes are strictly per-gallon, some incorporate sales tax components, and some are adjusted automatically in line with inflation or wholesale fuel prices.”

Why Are Governors Trying to Freeze It Now?

Most of it is due to the sudden rise in crude oil prices. According to AAA, as of the first week of May, gas prices had risen to an average of $4.46 per gallon, nearly double what the price was before the U.S.-Iran conflict began on February 28.

But some of the gas tax freezes and reductions also have to do with political posturing in an election year. “This year presents the political season in which gas prices remain the single most prominent consumer expense on the national radar,” says Schuiteboer.

Which Governors Are Trying?

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed an emergency regulation on May 5, which froze an upcoming state gas tax increase. He also signed an executive order to temporarily reduce the gas tax by ten cents per gallon, a move that could collectively save state residents almost $27 million per month.

Some other politicians taking steps toward lowering gas taxes include:

• Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed a 60-day order suspending the state gas tax.
• Connecticut governor Ned Lamont is discussing the idea.
• Maryland legislators, who are also in the discussion stages.
• U.S. Representative Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, who proposed legislation to suspend the federal gas tax through October 2026.
• Several California presidential candidates are also suggesting pausing the state gas tax.

Even President Donald Trump has expressed he aims to suspend the federal gas tax to CBS News.

Benefits of a Gas Tax Freeze

It depends on how much you drive and your vehicle’s fuel efficiency, but for a family with two cars, Schuiteboer estimates that a 10-cent reduction in the gas tax would save a household $150 to $200 per year.

“These are substantial figures for a personal budget,” he says. But “it is important to stress that gas-tax suspension is just a part of an overall solution, and it cannot provide complete relief from the rising gas prices.”

Disadvantages of a Gas Tax Freeze

Because gas-tax revenue pays for the construction and repair of roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure, the loss or reduction of a gas tax means less money and delays for those projects.

FAQ

Does a gas tax freeze lower prices at the pump immediately?

Nope. Taxes are applied at the wholesale level, so it’s up to retailers and wholesalers to choose to pass along those savings to customers, says Schuiteboer. In Kentucky, to prevent this, Beshear also activated the state statute on price gouging.

Have gas tax freezes worked in the past?

Sometimes. In 2022, Connecticut suspended its gas tax from April to December. “That amounted to real consumer savings,” says Schuiteboer. But in cases where price-gouging regulations aren’t in place, consumers tend not to see any savings.

Which states have the highest gas taxes?

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the states with the highest gas taxes are:

• California, 70.9 cents
• Illinois, 66.4 cents
• Washington, 59.0 cents
• Pennsylvania, 53.7 cents
• Hawaii, 52.5-55.0 cents
• Conversely, Alaska has the lowest state gas tax, at about 9 cents per gallon.

About the Experts

• Cody Schuiteboer is president and CEO of Best Interest Financial, where he leads teams that assist individuals in navigating the bigger-picture cost-of-living impacts of fuel prices, home payment plans, transportation costs and household budgets.

Sources

CBS News: “Trump says he aims to suspend gas tax “for a period of time”

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The Hidden Reason Salt Shakers Have Grooves on the Bottom

Odds are you’re like most people in that you don’t think twice about the design or functionality of a salt shaker unless it’s clogged or stops working properly. But if you look closely, you’ll notice an interesting design choice on that small glass bottle: a series of tiny ridges molded along the bottom.

While they’re indeed decorative as well, their primary reason is for everyday function. Learn why salt shakers have ridges on the bottom, how the design helps in modern kitchens, dining rooms, and pantries, and why manufacturers include them today.

Why Salt Shakers Have Ridges on the Bottom

Ridges for salt shakers serve multiple functions.

Ridges or raised rings create traction between the shaker and the surface underneath it. Kitchen and dining tables collect moisture, condensation, crumbs, grease, debris, and fine dust. A completely smooth-bottomed bottle would slide around. This is especially true on polished countertops, glass tables, or other smooth surfaces.

While annoying, the bigger issue is that sliding can lead to the bottle easily breaking.

The small ridges lift the shaker off the surface for small points of contact instead of a flat base. This reduces slipping when someone picks it up or sets it down. The gap allows for airflow, preventing moisture from being trapped directly beneath the shaker, especially in humid kitchens or outdoor dining setups.

Some manufacturers attach molded plastic or rubber ridges to the bottom of the container, while others shape the material directly into the glass, ceramic, or metal. Glued ridges made from the shaker’s same material might also be used. Regardless, the design creates less friction against the table itself.

The Design Helps Protect Countertops, Too

The ridges don’t just protect the bottle from breaking. The design also reduces scratching and wear on certain countertops, particularly glass tabletops, polished stone counters, and finished wood. Shakers made out of materials like ceramic, glass, and stainless steel can leave marks if they slide repeatedly across stone or wood countertops.

Cooks who use salt shakers near stovetops may notice another benefit, as oils and steam can create a thin film on nearby counters, making smooth containers harder to grip.

However, not every salt shaker uses the same pattern. The number of ridges per bottle and the spacing between ridges vary on the material used and the manufacturer’s design style. Typically, vintage glass shakers feature thicker circular rings while newer designs use smaller textured patterns or rubberized grips.

Some high-end sets are designed for non-visible ridges, instead using soft pads or recessed bases. Restaurant shakers prioritize durability and easy handling.

The Design Could Assist in Dislodging Blockages

Seasoning lovers have discovered some surprising use-cases for the ridges on the bottom of salt shakers. Most people eventually run into the issue of seasonings clumping up in shakers due to humidity. By scraping a utensil like a knife or fork across the ridges on the shaker, the vibrations could help dislodge those blockages and make the seasoning flow from the shaker faster. Alternatively, you can rub the ridges on the bottom of one shaker against the bottom of another shaker to get the same effect.

Ridge Patterns on Other Glass Items

The ridge design is not exclusive to salt shakers. The most common household item that probably comes to mind is glass bottles, particularly beer bottles.

A study in the July/August 2022 issue of Glass Worldwide examined the value of the ridges, or knurling, and whether any design change was needed to the current standards.

“It is important to realise that the purpose of knurling is to separate damage created during normal handling of containers from the highly stressed region of the bearing surface,” the study says. “For normal knurl height, little if any damage will be produced in the valley between the knurls. However, as the knurl height diminishes, it is increasingly likely that damage could be created between the knurls during normal handling.”

Other glass items that feature a ridged bottom include mason jars, condiment bottles, soda bottles, and some candle containers designed for repeated handling and stacking.

So whether it’s a salt shaker, beer bottle, or mason jar sitting in the back of the pantry, take an extra look next time you’re handling one and appreciate modern designs and engineering.

Sources

Morton Salt: Heritage Era

Smithsonian: Would You Like Some Salt and Pepper? How About 80,000 Shakers’ Worth?

The Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum: FAQs

American Glass Research: Glass container knurling study

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How to Paint Stripes on a Wall Like a Pro

Determine stripe spacing and size

Measure each wall you want to put stripes on from corner to corner. Use a calculator to work out the best size before putting anything on the wall. Divide the total wall length (all adjacent walls getting stripes) by your desired stripe width, then lay it out starting in the middle of the wall.

If you’re wrapping stripes around a corner, make sure the center of a stripe lands in each corner. If slight size adjustments are needed to your pattern, adjust the corner stripes. It will be less noticeable because half the corner stripe lands on each wall.

Measure and mark

Once you’ve determined the exact size of your stripes, transfer the measurements to the wall. Ours worked out to 10-in. stripes, so we started by measuring from the middle of the wall and making small, light pencil marks every 10 in. Using these marks as a guide, use a 6-ft. level to mark a plumb line from the top to the bottom of the wall. To further define the lines, use a chalk line.

Tip: Add baby powder to your chalk line to reduce the chalk’s color intensity. This makes it easier to wipe away and prevents a pronounced colored line from bleeding into the paint.

Tape the lines and burnish

Follow the chalk lines and apply painter’s tape to the wall. Be consistent in the placement of the tape — taping to the outside of the chalk line of the stripe being painted. This will allow you to paint over pencil marks and chalk. If you place the tape on the inside of the marked line, you will have to retouch to remove pencil marks. You will also have to wipe down the wall to remove chalk lines when you are done. Once you are satisfied with the placement, burnish the tape edge against the wall with a credit card, a spoon, or a plastic putty knife. This will create a good seal, prevent paint bleed, and reduce touch-ups.

Tip: To avoid confusion about which stripes to paint and which not to, place tape on the stripes you won’t be painting as a visual reminder.

Seal the edges with the base color

Use a 1-1/2-in. angled paint brush and paint along the inside edge of your taped-out stripe with the base coat color already on the wall. This will seal the edge of your paint line. If paint bleeds through, it will be the same color, making it impossible to notice. Consider this step insurance for crisp lines without wasting time on touchups.

Paint the Stripes

After the base coat sealing the inside edges of the tape lines has dried, use a roller to paint two coats of your stripe color between the sealed tape lines. Be sure to give ample drying time between each coat.

Tip: We used the same color paint to paint our stripes, but with a shinier semi-gloss sheen. Semi-gloss paint reflects the direction of the applied paint. To avoid showing texture or marks in your dried paint, pull the roller off the wall while you are still in motion. Keep a wet edge as you apply each new load of paint, and avoid heavy lap marks by lightly evening out the paint.

Pull the Tape

You have two windows to successfully remove the tape — when the paint is freshly applied and still tacky, or when it has fully cured and is dry (12 to 24 hours). Both will snap the paint edge cleanly. Pull the tape back at a 45-degree angle for the best results. Avoid removing tape when the paint is in between — partially dry but not cured — as this may produce pulls and tears in the finish.

Touch up as needed

Every striped wall will require a little bit of touchup. The goal is to minimize the amount. Use a small artist angled brush to clean up any bleed lines or imperfections along the stripe edges. Work with a steady hand and keep a damp rag nearby to catch any mistakes while the paint is still wet.

FAQ

What is a good size for painted stripes on a wall?

There is no steadfast rule about the size of painted stripes on a wall. It is more about the balance you want and how it divides out on the length of the wall being painted with stripes. For wider stripes, working with both an even number and an odd number in inches will help divide out the wall to a pleasing layout.  8, 9, 10, and 12-in. are a good place to start. The same theory applies for smaller stripes just do the math.

Should I paint vertical or horizontal stripes?

That depends on the effect you wish to create. Horizontal stripes will make a room feel wider, and vertical stripes give the illusion of tall ceilings. Vertical stripes are more traditional. Horizontal stripes give a modern feel and could lend themselves to a nautical theme. The paint color of your stripes will also have a huge impact on the effect they create.

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How to Build a Bluebird House From a Single Cedar Board

Layout the components

Layout your components on the 1×6 board. If you are using cedar, you may have a smooth and rough side. Face the rough side out on the exterior of the bluebird house.

• Use a tape measure and speed square to lay out each piece as in the drawing below. To account for the saw blade kerf, leave a 1/8-in. gap between each piece.
• For the sides (B), mark both edges of the board at 10-3/4-in. and connect them with a straight line. From one corner, measure 9-3/4-in. and connect it to the opposite 10-3/4-in. mark to create the roof slope. Mirror this for the second side.
• Label every piece to ensure accuracy during assembly.

Cut out the pieces

At the miter saw:

• Cutout each piece on the straight lines before any angled cuts.
• Set the miter saw angle to 10 degrees for the sloped tops of the side pieces (B).
• On the floor (E), cut off 1/2-in. x 1/2-in. triangles from each corner for drainage and ventilation. Use a long scrap board as a sub fence for better support. Set the saw to 45 degrees for these corner cuts.

Drill the entrance hole

Grab your front piece and head over to the drill press.

• On the front piece, find center along the top 5-1/2-in. edge. Measure 2 in. down from that center point on the front face. This marks the center of the entrance hole.
• Using a 1-1/2-in. Forstner bit, line up the point to your mark and drill completely through the front (A) into a sacrificial scrap under it to ensure the hole doesn’t blow out.

Make the angled cuts

Use your table saw or miter saw to cut 10-degree bevels at the top edges of the front (A) and back (C) pieces so they align with the roof pitch. And, at the back edge of the roof (D), so it aligns with the back (C) when assembled. To ensure consistency with a rough exterior and smooth interior, be aware of the position of the rough side of the cedar relative to these bevels.

Assemble the birdhouse

Remember to assemble the birdhouse with the cedar rough side out and the smooth side in. Dry-fit all pieces with clamps first to ensure they are flush.

• Stand the back (C) with the beveled edge up. Place the left side piece (B) on the inside of the back piece. Flush the edges and clamp. The slope of the right side (B) and the bevel of the back (C) piece should be aligned.
• Use a nail gun with exterior-rated 1-1/4-in. 18-gauge Brad nails and nail the back (C) to the side (B).
• Place the front (A) so the left side is sandwiched between the front and back. Ensure the bevel on top of the front piece is sloped the same direction as the back and side piece. Clamp and nail together.
• Insert the floor (E), recessing it 1/4-in. off the bottom edge of the front (A), back (C), and left side (B) to keep it dry. Clamp and nail through the front, back, and left side.

Make the hinged door

• Insert the right-side piece (B). Make a mark 1-1/2-in. down from the top edge of the front (A), and 3/8-in. in over towards the entry hole for placement of the pivot screw.
• Use a speed square to transfer the mark from the front (A) to the back (C), ensuring the pivot screws are aligned. Mark this location 3/8-inch in from the back (C) edge to match the mark on the front(A).
• Predrill and insert two 2-in. deck screws. Don’t over-tighten, as they act as the pivot point.
• Finish the assembly by aligning the roof (D) with the beveled back edge flush with the back piece. The roof (D) will lay in the direction of the slope. Nail it to the front (A) and back (C). The 1/4-in. gap between the roof and the sides helps with ventilation.
• Attach a panel clip to the lower back edge of the back (C) on the right side of the birdhouse to keep the door closed. Pre-drill the hole before securing it with a 1/2-inch screw to avoid splitting the wood.

 Attach a mounting bracket

• Turn your bird house upside down on its head.
• Center the mounting bracket on the bottom of the floor (E). Mark and pre-drill four shallow holes, then secure the bracket with 3/4-in. screws
• When all is done, install it on a T-stake outside and watch the birds fly in.

For added protection, you can add a baffle to the T-stake to prevent predators from getting close to the birdhouse. If you don’t like the look of a T-post, you can mount it on a pole or a wooden post as well.

FAQ

Where do you put bluebird houses?

You want to place bluebird houses in sunny, open areas with large expanses of grass. Set them on a birdhouse post four to six feet high to make it harder for predators from entering. Avoid placing them in shaded areas and too close to feeders.

What direction should a bluebird house face?

Ideally, you would want to face the birdhouse east, southeast facing away from the prevailing winds and rain from entering through the entrance hole. Facing it east, southeast helps warm up the nest as the sun rises and shades it from the afternoon heat.

How to keep sparrows out of a bluebird house?

To keep sparrows out, regularly monitor the birdhouse. If you notice sparrows entering and leaving, they may be making a nest inside. If that is the case, remove the nesting materials to push them away. You can also remove the birdhouse or plug it up until sparrows lose interest.

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Why Some Stop Signs Have Small Holes — And What Drivers Should Know

A road sign with holes can be alarming at first glance. You’re not alone: it’s a natural reaction to an unusual look for a common item you’ve likely seen intact thousands of times. But before you assume the worst, there may be a good reason why that stop sign looks the way it does: sometimes those holes are intentional.

Engineers design some traffic signs with perforations to hold up in rough conditions to prevent wear or irreparable damage. Learn about what those holes actually do, how to tell the difference between damage and design, why they matter for safety, and where you’re most likely to see them.

Why Some Stop Signs Have Intentional Holes

Small, evenly spaced holes on road signs reduce wind resistance by allowing air to pass through rather than pushing directly against the sign. It might not sound like a big deal, but that small tweak goes a long way toward reducing wear.

Solid signs block wind, stressing the post and hardware holding the sign together. Perforated signs ease that pressure, helping them hold up better in strong winds or open areas where gusts hit harder. That means fewer repairs and replacements. In fact, research backs that up.

“The optimized perforated traffic sign can not only improve the wind load resistance of the sign board but also reduce the strength requirements of the supporting parts to some extent, making it easier to design and install the structure,” according to a National Center for Biotechnology Information study on the wind load of the perforated traffic sign board.

Even slight warping makes a sign harder to read, especially in inclement weather. Perforated signs also help with visibility over time, as wind can bend the sign enough to affect how headlights reflect.

“While many bent signs can be read in the daylight, some bent signs, even signs with minor bending, are difficult to see at night because they no longer reflect the light from the vehicle’s headlights back to the driver’s eyes,” according to the US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. “Minor bending like this may be repaired by removing the sign from the post and straightening the sign face.”

Where Are You Most Likely to See Road Signs With Holes?

Perforated road signs are more likely to be seen in high-wind areas. Those could be areas that often have high winds or have frequent strong storm potential, like hurricane or tornado areas.

That includes rural highways, coastal regions, plains, etc., that tend to experience stronger, more consistent winds.

Urban areas don’t need perforated signs as they don’t have the same wind risk. Tall buildings block high wind flow, so the signs face the same stress.

Engineers adjust sign design based on local conditions, which doesn’t just include adding perforations. Other alterations can include using different mounting systems or more intense hardware.

Are Road Sign Holes Ever From Damage?

Of course, road signs with holes aren’t always intentional. They could be a result of damage from natural elements, accidents, vandalism, or other crimes. The difference should be obvious to untrained eyes.

Intentional perforation will be in a more uniform or symmetrical pattern with even spacing and identical hole size. Conversely, holes from damage will be sporadic, and the areas around the holes might have peeling paint or rust as the area was not prepped.

The Federal Highway Administration notes that local municipality, state or federal crews repair or replace signs once visibility drops due to damage or natural wear. However, notifying local authorities of damaged signs can get signs replaced quicker, possibly preventing future accidents.

So next time you see a stop sign with holes in it, check to see if they’re clean, consistent holes or scattered holes, which would indicate wear or damage.

SOURCES

National Center for Biotechnology Information, “CFD Simulation Study on Wind Load of Perforated Traffic Sign Board”
Federal Highway Administration, “Repair and Replacement of Sign Panels”

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New Study Reveals Link Between Drivers Who Speed and Use Their Phone While Driving

Whether you’re the parent of a new driver or just someone who is cautious when they’re on the road, you hope that the other drivers around you are utilizing safe driving practices. But when the rise of new technology meets impatient drivers, you can’t always guarantee that. Insurance companies found a link between speed practices and phone usage.

How Was the Study Conducted?

Nowadays, many insurance companies offer different apps. These apps “promise cost savings to drivers who opt in and exhibit what the insurer deems safe driving.” According to The Drive, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) was able to look at the data that these apps provide.

To run their study, they focused on trips that were “18 minutes (with at least two minutes on an Interstate highway).” The apps utilize phone sensors and GPS to log most of their data. In order to determine if a driver was speeding, the GPS data was matched to a speed-limit database. Meanwhile, “phone use was determined based on ‘significant rotation’ registered by the phone’s gyroscope while the screen was unlocked.”

What Were the Findings?

The numbers were slightly different for highways versus regular roads. However, in both cases, speeding and phone usage showed a positive correlation. The Drive reports that on limited-access highways, IIHS “researchers found that phone use rose by 12% for every 5 mph drivers went over the speed limit.”  When it came to other roads, the researchers reported that “phone use rose by a smaller amount—3%—for every 5 mph over the limit.”

Faster roads also saw an increase in phone usage. For limited-access highways where the speed limit is 70 mph, researchers found “a 9% larger increase in phone use per 5 mph over the limit than on similar roads with a 55-mph limit.” For other roads, researchers noted that the “increase in phone use was 3% larger (again, per 5 mph over the posted limit) on roads with a 45-50-mph limit than on roads with a posted limit between 25 and 30 mph, and 7% larger on roads with a 55-mph limit.”

While the idea of using a phone while speeding feels dangerous, the overall findings make sense. People who speed are taking a risk while driving, as are people who use their phones while behind the wheel. It makes sense that risk-taking behaviors would fit together. That’s not to say that all drivers who speed also have high phone usage while driving. Rather, it means that the odds show that risky behaviors tend to go together.

Source

Drivers Use Their Phones More When Speeding, IIHS Says, The Drive, 2026.

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I’ve Lived in the Redwoods for 20 Years — Here’s What the Forest Taught Me

For a kid from slushy Southern Ontario, sunny California seemed like the promised land, and when I finally arrived there in 1985, it didn’t disappoint. Palm trees lined the highways, the blue Pacific stretched out forever, and the majestic, mysterious and ancient redwoods covered the mountains in Santa Cruz County, where I eventually made my home. In my wildest childhood dreams, I never saw myself living in a forest dominated by these iconic behemoths, but somehow, that’s what happened, and now I’ve been living in a redwood forest for a little over 20 years.

Redwood trees have to be big and strong to survive the unpredictable conditions of their mountainous coastal habitat, which is prone to natural disasters. Since arriving in coastal California, I’ve seen significant property damage from gale-force winds, wildfires, excessive rainfall, lightning strikes — even a major earthquake — and the trees simply shrug off these disasters.

In more serene times, redwood trees — which often grow in clumps surrounding a mother tree (known locally as fairy circles) — form natural cathedrals. Redwoods are huge and awesome, but they can also be dangerous. Here’s what I’ve learned by living among them.

Watch Out Below!

Redwoods form massive trunks as they grow to heights of several hundred feet, and the branches that spring from these trunks are also massive. And, yes, they do break off and fall. If one hits a person falling from a height over 100 feet, it can easily be fatal, which is why locals call these branches widowmakers.

The tops of redwood trees can also break off and fall during high-wind events. We lost power and were stranded for days when a treetop fell onto a power line during a storm, snapping the power pole in two and sending it across the driveway. Consider the damage an entire tree can do to a house if it falls.

The trees are so tall that one growing 100 feet away is a potential hazard. During a series of storms a few years back, a redwood fell through the roof of a neighbor’s house and into the living room while he, fortunately, was in the bedroom.

Understanding the potential for damage from falling trees and branches has necessitated certain precautions on our property. Cars need to be parked out in the open, and people stay inside during high-wind events. We had to build a roof over our well pump because if a branch fell on it, we’d be out of water.

Redwoods Are Protected

That’s a good thing, right? Regulations that prohibit the removal of old-growth trees and require permits for removing younger ones save the forests for future generations. That’s true, but they also prevent property owners from managing their own forests. When a forest official inspected our property to sign off on a zone change, he recommended thinning the redwood clumps to promote healthier growth. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done.

In Santa Cruz County, Coastal Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) are considered heritage trees, and to remove one, you need to initiate a process that involves assessments by arborists and strict permit conditions, and you need to give public notice. This can all get expensive and time-consuming, and considering what a major job it is to take one down even if you successfully obtain a permit, it’s a daunting proposal. So the redwoods on our property continue to crowd each other out and drop branches that have to be collected and burned every year during burn season.

The Redwood Environment

Redwoods form a towering canopy that shades everything underneath it, and that can be both a plus and a minus. On the plus side, it makes for a cooler environment in the summer, and on the flip side, it makes things downright cold in winter. Winters tend to be rainy, and the moisture lingers in the shade and creates mold problems.

A haven for wildlife

Wildlife doesn’t care about mold and thrives in the redwood forest’s sheltered environment. Our property hosts birds like owls, jays and woodpeckers; deer, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, squirrels and what seems to be a million mice, which we catch in live traps and release in the state park three miles away. We also get occasional visits from mountain lions (cougars). They prey on house cats, which have to be careful. Of the nine that have lived here over the years, only one has been canny enough to survive.

I once came face to face with a large cougar. It snarled at me from about 20 feet away, but luckily, I was by the door, so I just went inside. It hung around, though, and later had to be chased away. My intrepid landmate soaked it with a garden hose, which turned out to be pretty effective.

Resistance to wildfires

The wildfire that devastated our mountain community in 2020 spread mostly among the tan oaks and smaller trees, brush and bushes that grow in the clearings. Redwoods also burned, of course, but they didn’t necessarily die; many of the ones that were blackened when the fire was extinguished have sprouted new growth six years later.

The fire may have actually helped the trees reproduce, because their cones open more readily after fire exposure, but research shows that most new growth came from the bases of existing trees. When sprouts get established, they grow surprisingly quickly and with impressive vitality.

A few years ago, I had to cut a young tree that was blocking our view (it was too small to be protected as a heritage tree). The stump quickly turned into a large bush, and in three short years, a new tree had grown to about 10 feet tall. That had to go, too, and now a new one has sprouted.

What I’ve Learned

To anyone who is attracted by the romance of living in the quiet chaos of a redwood forest, I say go for it. It’s a unique and rare environment. Just be sure to keep your head covered and to stay out of the way when the wind blows.

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