Mountain Views News Saturday, January 10, 2026 


CHRISTOPHER Nyerges

[Nyerges is an educator and author. His many books canbe seen at www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com.] 

THE EVENT: At Dawn's Early Light 
A novel by Christopher Nyerges 

Nearly 20 years ago I had a series of memorable dreams that seemed so real that I 

wrote down all the details when I woke up. This was a time in my life when I was 
worrying about everything, and I would often go to sleep hoping for a vision, or an answer. 

Pictures came in my dreams, and little by little, I pieced the pictures together. I dutifully wrote 
down he details every morning, and eventually, I thought to myself, Hey, this might make a good 
story! I slowly wrote a fictitious novel based on these dreams which I now call The Event. 

Though most of the dreams had to do with my personal life, the larger picture that I began to write 
about took on a life of its own. 

THE EVENT 

In the novel, The Event, “something” happens one day. No one ever finds out what it was. Was 
it a comet that hit the earth? Was it plasma ejected from the sun? No one knows, but it killed off 
nearly everyone, unless they happened to be underground and stayed there for about three days. 

The story that emerges is of a dark world, through the eyes of the main character who I call Rick. 
Rick survived because he stayed with his co-worker Tim, in Tim’s family cellar. Finally, Rick 
emerges and explores the world that now exists. 

The story takes place in Southern California, from the Pasadena area, into Eagle Rock, and into 
Highland Park. Rick sees abandoned vehicles and dead bodies everywhere, and he cautiously 
seeks out the survivors. 

In the Pasadena/ Altadena area, he finds that his wife survived. They had not been living together 
and Rick finds her in a hidden shelter that she created deep in her backyard. She knows the few 
neighbors who survived, and tells Rick that trucks came through the area in the days after the 
event, telling survivors that they had to get into the trucks and evacuate the area. Dolores just hid, 
and made her shelter and cooked soup, which she served to any friendly visitors. 

Rick makes his way on foot through the Rose Bowl area, and through the Annandale Golf Course 
where he finds some drunken survivors who think Rick is coming to help them. Rick had been a 
famous physicist from Caltech, though now youthfully retired, and his picture was on the wall of 
the golf course office along with other famous physicists. The drunken survivors thus believed that 
Rick was there to provide some answers, though Rick was just passing through. 

On his way to his old home and urban farm in Highland Park, which is northeast Los Angeles, he 
encounters homeless camps still surviving, he gets shot at, and he meets Jane, who was a former 
member of the National Guard. Together, they make their way into Rick’s destination, the old 
Fuller Farm, which had been a place to garden and farm in the city and learn about permaculture 
and self-reliant living. 

Most of the folks at the Fuller Farm survived, though barely. 

The story tracks a few other groups of individuals as well, most of whom end up at the Fuller 
Farm, and who find ways to work together now that there is no functioning larger society. The 
Event meant that suddenly there were no banks, no electricity, no functioning grocery or hardware 
stores. Indeed, there was nothing to spend money on, even if you had any. Though water is not 
an immediate problem, everyone knows that most of the water to Los Angeles came from over 300 
miles away, and that they needed to plan for water. 

The surviving society is also full of opportunists who want to control areas, and who are ready to 
fight and kill to take what they need. The story describes the gun fights and assaults that were the 
inevitable result of the battles started by those who wanted to forcefully acquire something they 
wanted or needed.. It’s not a pretty picture, but the survivors of the developing communities learn 
to set up perimeter barriers, and alarms, though they continue to have random and unexpected 
gunfights. 

Of course, The Event is a work of fiction, and I do not possess a crystal ball as to what the future 
portends. This is the exploration of one scenario, and the mechanics for how a small group of 
people in L.A. County might survive under such adverse conditions. 

Six months after the event, it is apparent that whatever happened was very widespread and that 
things would not be going back to “normal” anytime soon. The two groups which this novel tracks, 
begin to assert their political identity and they take charge of their little emerging and growing 
communities. There are lots of twists and turns and setback, while there is still hope. Along the 
way, I was able to insert little hints about the things that people might need, such as a silcock keyfor accessing water, or the “vinegar of four thieves” for washing wounds. 

I enjoyed the process of creating this as a movie in my mind and then writing what I was “seeing.” 
I hope that you enjoy it too, and find it both entertaining and educational. 

The Event is available from Amazon.com as an e-book or hard copy book. It is 283 pages long. 


A Special Name:

“VISION” 

Named after a famous 
and kind Marvel 
Comics robot,
Vision is 
an affectionate, 
gentle tuxedo boy 
who lights up when 
people or other cats 

walk by. Vision is clearly ready to love and be 
loved. 
This charming boy has so much to offer. He’s 
meant to be someone’s beloved, fun companion. 
He will follow you around, yet he can be both playful chill, or will happily nap by your 
side. He’s a very young age 9, passed up repeatedly because 
he is on a special diet, which he may not need any more. This 
is no reason to deny him from having a loving home. He is 
otherwise healthy and doing very well. 
In the Marvel Comics Universe, Vision was loved by and 
loved the Marvel character named Wanda. However, their 
life together was denied.
Are you the one who will give Vision his real life happy ending? 
Apply to meet him at https://www.lifelineforpets.org/
vision.html, or use the qr code. 


Pet of the Week

 Cinco is a stunning 3-year-old husky at PasadenaHumane with both beauty and heart. This foster fieldtrip veteran loves getting out and about. She especiallyloves going for long walks, taking in the world aroundher, exploring, and showing off her calm confidencewith new people and environments. Cinco also rides wellin the car, settles quickly, and takes treats very gently.
While out and about several people couldn’t help butcomment on how beautiful she is - and we couldn’t agreemore!She is also very affectionate and enjoys leaning infor pets and attention whenever she can. Cinco wouldlove an adopter who can help her gain confidence, andin turn, she will be a wonderfully devoted companion.
If you’re looking for a sweet, active, and loving dog,
Cinco may be your perfect match.

 The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip,
and age-appropriate vaccines. 
Walk-in adoptions are available every day from 10:00 – 5:00. View photos of adoptablepets at pasadenahumane.org.

New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCAAnimal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for 
your pet.

 Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters byphone calls or email. 


THE FUTURE OF PET HEALTHCARE 

The benefits of pet ownership are well 
documented. Pets provide unconditional 
love and companionship, improve emotional 
well-being, and help reduce stress 
and anxiety. For dog owners, daily walks 
encourage physical activity and social interaction. 
So, it’s no surprise that nearly70% of all U.S, households own at least one 
pet. 

The Need 
Over the past decade, the cost of veterinary 
care has increased by 63% --nearly 
twice the rate of inflation. These costs are 
projected to outpace inflation over the 
next 5 years, placing essential veterinary 
care further out of reach for many families. 

Today, an estimated 27% of Los Angeles 
County pet owners are unable to afford a 
critical veterinary expense, costing $1,000 
or more. The impact is staggering: In 2026 
alone, as many as 800,000 local cats and 
dogs may not receive critical and often 
lifesaving medical care. Despite the scope 
of this crisis, few accessible resources exist 
to support pets whose owners lack the 
financial means to help them. 

Our Solution 
Free Animal Doctor is a non-profit animal 
welfare organization headquartered in Sierra 
Madre, California. Our mission –really 
our passion– is to ensure pets receive 
essential veterinary care when their owners 
cannot afford it. 

There are only two ways to help pets in 
these circumstances: fund their treatment 
or provide that treatment directly. 

a. FundraisingWe initially focused on fundraising 
through our crowdfunding platform to 
cover the cost of critical veterinary care. 
Over the past 10 years, this effort has 
raised more than $2.7 million, enabling 
treatment for 1,400 pets. While this model 
has been impactful, it carries a significant 
limitation: Fundraising takes time.
For pets requiring urgent or immediate 
care, delays in treatment can be devastating. 
Waiting for funds to be raised prolongs 
the pet’s pain and suffering, increases 
its risk of secondary complications or 
worst, funding comes too late or not at all. 
The most effective way to eliminate these 
delays is by opening a veterinary clinic. 
Providing care, when that care is needed, 
to yield the best possible medical outcome. 

b. Veterinary ClinicIn 2021, we opened a 400-square-foot veterinary 
clinic in Arcadia, California. Due 
to its size, the clinic was limited to basic 
spay & neuter services and operated only 
one day per week. Despite these constraints, 
we have spayed or neutered more 
than 4,700 cats and dogs, vaccinated 850 
pets, repaired 60 hernias and removed 55 
masses. 
As the clinic’s owner, we control operational 
costs, allowing us to provide excellent 
veterinary care for the lowest possible 
price. The clinic is self-sustaining. 

Yearning To Do MoreOur next step is to transition from our 
small spay-and-neuter clinic to a full-service 
veterinary clinic capable of providing 
a more diverse range of surgical services. 
This expansion will allow us to provide 
more pets with broader medical services 
in a more timely and cost-effective manner. 
We anticipate the full-service clinic 
will be self-sustaining in its second year of 
operation. 

In February 2025, we purchased a 
2,000-square-foot modular building intended 
to be remodeled into a full-service 
surgical clinic. We had secured an agreement 
to place the building on a propertyin Arcadia; however, the property owner’s 
position changed, and that option is no 
longer available. As a result, we have a 
building—but no location on which to 
place it. 

Your HelpWe are seeking a small unimproved lot, 
or portion of a larger property located 
in the San Gabriel Valley, where we can 
place our modular clinic for a nominal 
fee. Our building sits on a wheeled platform, 
requires no foundation, and can be 
easily installed or removed. With permission, 
a tasteful acknowledgment of the 
supporter(s) will be displayed on the clinic’s 
exterior 

We ask for the chance to meet and discuss 
this unique opportunity. Our integrated 
fundraising and healthcare delivery model 
is one-of-a-kind and will enable us to provide 
broader, timely, and affordable veterinary 
care to more pets in need. 

For more information 
contact Sam, Sam@freeanimaldoctor.org 
or call my cell, 626-487-7129. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com