Hi Lowell,

What a marvelous daily report!

I just wanted to add that in a report from the Salinas Index Newspaper, date February 4, 1881 it mentions the death of William Laurence. He was a a sheep hearder working in Indian Valley at the Montgomery ranch when he suffered a heart attack following the earthquake. He was 50.

The newspaper report notes that on 2/1/1881 there were 7 shocks of which the first two were the most severe.

One thing Don and I forgot to mention was there was a change in the water at the Parkfield Inn this time around. It tasted salty. We asked one of the waitresses at the Parkfield Cafe about this and she said in the wells for that area they had three types, salty, sulfur like and crystal clear. Obviously, the one they have been using for years to supply the Parkfield Inn has changed.

Everytime Don and I go down there we pass San Ardo and we make note of the oil wells in the area and most of them are pumping. We have both thought more than once that at some point removing the oil in that area may have some effect on seismic activity. After all San Ardo frequently has earthquakes.

Again, thanks for coverage on Don's and my favorite home away from home. Now if Don could only forecast a quake which occurs when we are there, life would be nearly perfect.

I did note that last night Bennett Valley only four miles from me had another little shaker, 1.5. In checking a topo map for the area it is exactly where the 4.2 occurred in 1999. I'm quite a bit closer to the epicenter now than then so one never quite knows what to expect if we get past the popcorn quake size. Ummm

Petra