Natural Perspectives:

It finally happened. Last week, a new channel broke through from Bolsa Bay into the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve’s East Cell by Warner Bridge. What did it was a 7.3-foot-high tide, followed by a 7.2-foot-high tide the next day.

This wetland cell was created by the California Department of Fish and Game in 1978. Each time that water went over the top of the berm, which it did at really high tides, a little more erosion occurred. The unusually high tides of last week, combined with an incredible swell from storms in Tahiti, finished the job. The water cut a new channel about 8 inches deep and 3 feet wide.

Vic and I are not crying our hearts out over this. The additional tidal exchange will improve plant growth, which in turn will make the cell better for small fish, invertebrates and birds. But the presence of the channel may make it more difficult for people to get to Warner Bridge to access the path along the mesa. Fortunately, construction is supposed to start in September on a new pedestrian walk bridge that will eliminate the need to cross either the newly cut channel or Warner Bridge.

That Tahitian storm surge also brought phenomenal waves to Huntington Beach for the U.S. Open of Surfing. Judging by the traffic, almost everyone in Orange County was at the beach last weekend.

Vic and I went to the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa instead. I wanted to see how my giant sunflower head did in competition. Just for entering it, I got a free fair ticket. I got another one by entering the photo contest. All we had to pay was the parking fee, which is $5 for regular and $10 for preferred.

The first thing we did was check the produce competition. I don’t remember ever seeing so many entries. Home gardening must be on the rise in Orange County. We were especially pleased to see so many entries from Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley. Some of the entrants from our area — a number of them prize-winners — were Josh Atwood, Rocco Cassea, Dave Chennault, Alexis Clark, Barbara DeLouis, Cynthia DiRuscio, Toni and Suzanne Messina, David and John Mullins, Sara Oudin, Kim Peterson, Janet Schulz, Vanoy Scott, Douglas and Janice Shea, Ron Wade, and Karen Weber.

A new contest starts every Tuesday during the fair. If you want to enter, bring your homegrown tomatoes, zucchini, apples, lemons or what-have-you to the fair between 7 and 10 a.m. Aug. 4. Parking is free, entering is free, and you get a free fair ticket. Visit www.ocfair.com, go to “Competitions and Contests” and choose “Farm and Garden” for more information. There are separate categories for best, largest and most unusually shaped, with separate categories for young gardeners ages 6 to 12, 13 to 18, and adults.

This year, I grew the biggest mammoth gray-striped sunflowers that I’ve ever grown. One is 9 feet tall, with a head that is a foot across. But the height of the stalk doesn’t matter; it’s the diameter of the head. The one I entered was about 14 inches across in one dimension, but only about 11 inches across in the other dimension. I thought it might place second or third, but it got beat out by three sunflower heads that were even larger.

The next thing on our agenda was trying out some unusual fair food. Vic started with a carnitas-stuffed, deep-fat-fried avocado, while I had sushi. We shared a basket of freshly fried potato chips and corn on the cob. We also split some chocolate-covered bacon and a breaded and deep-fat-fried Snickers bar. The latter is popularly known as a heart attack on a stick.

The fair is full of fun things to see, with plenty of free entertainment. We attended the judging of breeding sheep, admired a variety of goats in the livestock barn and listened to the Moxy Bullets, a very entertaining alternative rock band.

We also had a fascinating conversation with Philip Henderson, an oxen teamster at Centennial Farm, which operates as an educational program year-round on the fairgrounds. Started in 1989 by retired high school agriculture teacher Jim Bailey, the farm hosts tours for thousands of school children throughout the year. About 60 volunteers grow all sorts of fruits and vegetables at the farm, and care for a wide variety of farm animals, including chickens, turkeys, sheep, goats, pigs, cattle and even llamas.

Vic had a question about the difference between steers and oxen. Henderson had the answer. Male calves destined for the dinner table are neutered at the age of two months to become steers, which are slaughtered at about 18 to 24 months. Calves destined to become working oxen are neutered at seven months. They grow more slowly than steers, reaching their full size in five years. Henderson pointed out there are tens of millions of working oxen in the world today.

The three oxen who live at Centennial Farm are Bob, a member of the breed called milking Devon, plus Patches and Freckles, a pair of Randall Lineback breed oxen. Linebacks were developed during colonial times in New England. These striking animals can be black and white, blue roan or occasionally red, and always have a white stripe down the back.

At county fairs in New England, farmers compete to see whose team can pull the most weight on a sled. But since Bob, Patches and Freckles are the only oxen in Orange County, we’re not likely to see any contests here. Still, there are plenty of reasons to visit the Orange County fair, including those fried Snickers bars. The fair runs until Aug. 9, but is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Don’t miss it.

VIC LEIPZIG and LOU MURRAY are Huntington Beach residents and environmentalists. They can be reached at vicleipzig@aol.com .