Soldiers say that at times war can be beautiful. Global warming can be beautiful, too.

I moved to the California coast two years ago this month. This past Spring the area endured record rainfall--so much rain fell that it acted as a lubricant for the eroding mountain that slides into the sea just north of my little town--Devil's Slide--causing the road that skirts its edges to sink and break up.

That one little thing put enormous stress upon the coastal communities because the only road to and away from the coast, the one to the south out of Half Moon Bay, was now jammed packed with all of the displaced commuters.

Commutes to work went from 30 minutes to two hours. People with kids in private schools "over the hill" rented hotel rooms on a long term basis to finish the school year. Angry citizens packed community meetings accusing Caltrans, the California transit authority, of wrongdoing, delay, and evil intent.

All of this because of a few weeks of rain. Our small-scale suffering all because of a little rain and a road that failed. But global warming brings beauty, too. This is a little of that beauty. This is what it looks like.