Happy Monday. More rain on the way. Just what we need. Keep doing the rain dance and maybe, just maybe, we can see our way out of the drought.

Now this doesn’t mean you can turn your sprinkler timers back on already. Looks like all of those lawns will get watered this week a few times.

Took a drive up to Mentryville yesterday. I tried on Friday, but there was a sign on the lower gate that said, “Closed due to Dangerous Conditions.” So I figured the road had washed out or a million other things could have happened, but no: All was well at my old home place.

Got a chance to tell some folks about the old town, too. For those of you who haven’t been there, all you’ve got to do is drive out of Newhall west on Lyons Avenue then go over the 5 where the road becomes Pico Canyon Road. Keep going until there is a fork in the road. You have to go left, because unless you have the magic numbers, you can’t go right. After that last left, follow the signs to the parking lot and there you are. Mentryville.

It was a pleasant drive, but Los Angeles County really needs to get some folks out to get the mud off of the road before the fork. My black Jeep, Miss Betty Boop, is now a light brown and has an interesting texture, too.

Mentryville entrance | Photo: Stan Walker

I’ve seen Pico Canyon Road closed from mudflows as recently as 2003, right after the fire of that year. I’ve got a pair of shoes that might still have some of that mud on them. But all is well now, since the mud was still navigable on yesterday’s trip. In 2003 I got stuck. I wasn’t in a Jeep then, but a little Toyota.

I still can’t figure out why they had to move the huge old oak tree, Old Glory. They could have moved the road slightly and put the creek in the concrete culvert a little more upstream. You know those developers. Today Old Glory seems to be doing very well in its new location. The rain should really help it this year.

Since I won’t be doing the work I expected, I’m still looking for a job. Doesn’t have to pay much. Just something I can do for the love of it. Going to be a pretty slim Christmas this year, since I can’t go see the kids and grandkids in Kentucky and Virginia. But thanks to Skype and FaceTime, we can share conversations and laughter. I can also show them my decorations this year. How cool is that?

Have all y’all been to Heritage Junction and William S. Hart Park lately? Decorations are up in Mr. Hart’s mansion (the castle) and even on the train engine at the junction. Both places have gift shops that might just provide you with great gift ideas. Yes, this is a shameless plug. I will not apologize. Both places need to make some sales. Plus they have some really cool stuff.

Now for something a lot more serious. It seems a senator from New Mexico is holding us hostage, or at least the bill to move Cemex out of the SCV. Sen. Martin Henrich, D-N.M., has placed a hold on the Soledad Canyon Settlement Act, aka the Cemex bill, or SB 2938.

The bill allows Cemex to cancel two mining contracts on land owned by the city not quite a mile east of Agua Dulce Canyon Road in exchange for the Bureau of Land Management to sell 10,000 acres in San Bernardino County with the proceeds going to Cemex in compensation for their contracts.

There are 99 senators ready to vote “yes” on the bill. One recalcitrant senator is playing pure politics for unknown reasons to stop the bill from going to the floor for a vote. One man willing to let our river and our valley be polluted because … well, we don’t really know his reasons. But he seems just to want to stop the bill.

This is where and when each and every one of you can help. I’m asking – no, make that pleading – for all y’all to email, Fax, call and Tweet Sen. Henrich and tell him he is damaging our environment. He can be contacted as follows:

Go to his website, www.henrich.senate.gov. Tweet him at MartinHenrich, and he is on Facebook, too. If you want to call and leave a message, dial 202-224-5521 of Fax him at 202-228-2841. TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO DO THIS. We are down to the wire. Call. Fax. Tweet. PM on Facebook, and email, too.

This is so very important. Contacting this senator will mean you are giving every person in the SCV a Christmas present. It will take so little time.

Time is the most expensive gift we can give. Thanks.

Darryl Manzer grew up in the Pico Canyon oil town of Mentryville in the 1960s and attended Hart High School. After a career in the U.S. Navy he returned to live in the Santa Clarita Valley. He can be reached at dmanzer@scvhistory.com. His older commentaries are archived at DManzer.com; his newer commentaries can be accessed [here]. Watch his walking tour of Mentryville [here].