By Mary O’KEEFE

I don’t know about you but June Gloom seems different from May Gray. May Gray seemed to be just a wet, heavy blanket that covered us all. This June Gloom is more like a heavy fog or mist.

Technically, according to NOAA, the gray and gloom are actually marine layers that are a result from the interaction between air masses of different temperatures and densities.

“However, unlike the East Coast sea breeze, which reforms almost every day due to the rise and fall of heated and cooled air in the summer atmosphere, the West Coast marine layer can persist for days or weeks,” according to AccuWeather – western.

So, yes, it is a California thing.

“While the eastern Gulf Stream brings warmer tropical water north, water along the West Coast of North America moves south from the Gulf of Alaska bringing much cooler surface temperatures. The water off the California coast can be as much as 30°F lower than water at the same latitude on the East Coast. This colder water then cools the air in contact with it, increasing the air’s density. When the lower layers of air are cooled from the bottom up, the air higher up remains relatively warmer and less dense, a reverse of what is typically seen. As a result, there is no temperature or pressure imbalance to drive the convection found in a sea breeze. Instead, the air masses remain layered in what is called a temperature inversion. The air below the inversion is the marine layer, which can cool to the point at which clouds or fog form low to the surface,” according to NOAA.

This gloom has affected my mood. I don’t know if I am officially affected by SAD (seasonal affective disorder) but something is going on. I usually like the dark; I love melancholy and when I was growing up winter was my favorite season. But being in California for most of my life I have gotten used to the sun and this gray/gloom is getting old.

After speaking with meteorologists from NOAA and realizing this gloom is here to stay, at least for a while, I have decided to embrace the fog/mist/gray/gloom. However, as I do sometimes, I forget exactly how my brain works. So when I decided to take my dog on a walk through the Mountain Oaks path on Monday super early in the morning it became a trip through science fiction/horror stories that I did not expect.

The Mountain Oaks path on the edge of Crescenta Valley Park is an amazing walk. Every turn is like a postcard and now the trees and plants that line this dirt path are in exceptional bloom. Normally this is a walk where my dog and I stop to smell the flowers and just take in nature; however, on Monday the fog, or gloom, was thick. As we walked down the path I would see something coming toward us; most of the time it was another walker but then there were times when there were images in the fog that would disappear as we approached … and that’s where John Carpenter’s “The Fog” comes in.

This 1980s movie is about a thick fog that takes over a small northern California town. Within the fog are “vengeful” ghosts from a century-old shipwreck. Now I know there was not a shipwreck at Mountain Oaks; however, there is a lot of history in this small area.

According to historian Mike Lawler, in 1929 Emmet and Helen Kadletz and another partner purchased the 45-acre parcel of land. It was formerly the site of a supposed speakeasy. The idea was to build a resort just inside the Mountain Oaks meadow parcel. A “grand stone archway was built” at the entrance. Throughout its history there were many “amusements” built including a baseball diamond and golf course. In addition there was a large swimming pool and a free-standing fireplace for nighttime gatherings.

Just imagine those who came to this area and all the drama that followed. In addition, a few years ago there were people who spent their time hiking as ghost hunters through the open Mountain Oaks area.

Now the Mountain Oaks trail actually runs south of the Mountain Oaks homes, but spirits don’t stop at fences. As I walked through the fog and saw images all logic abandoned me. Though I kept asking my dog if he was okay, in actuality I really just wanted to make sure he wasn’t seeing what I was seeing. I was using my dog to keep me grounded and it was working … until we turned one corner. The other few walkers had passed by and in this one area the fog seemed to just stay in place. There was a noise, not like an animal and not like footsteps, and the leaves seemed to be floating down the hillside … and my dog stopped. I tried pulling him but he wouldn’t move. I then used my “mom’s voice” but he still stayed looking into the fog. Suddenly he perked up and took off, pulling me down the trail, which was fine with me – my curiosity did not have to be satisfied.

We walked toward the car and the fog became thinner – more like a mist … and then of course my mind went to Stephen King’s “The Mist” … and my pup and I picked up the pace.

The June Gloom is going to continue.

“It is the typical pattern for May and June. It may have been a little more cloudy than usual,” said Todd Hall, NOAA meteorologist.

The low pressure will continue through the rest of the week so gloom in the mornings will still be around though “struggling” to clear in the afternoon.

We will see our highest temperatures on Saturday with highs expected in the high 80s/low 90s. Next week will be about the same.

“I do see a difference in the [gloom] trend and see a [fewer] low clouds … after this weekend and into next week,” he said.