buzzardnotes

Dalan and I joined a UNR (Univ. of Nevada – Reno) and Nevada Bureau of Mines & Geology sponsored tour in honor of Earth Science Week.  We always want to learn more about our area and this was free, so why not? The purpose of the tour was to explore the interactions between Earth’s geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere as we explored several sites around Carson City. This is what we did …visited several sites where we examined and collected a variety of interesting rocks that help earth scientists explain the geologic history of the area.

Dalan looking for the greenish epidote.

Some epidote with tiny garnets mixed into it.

About 50 people joined this tour, many with a lot of geologic knowledge. Dalan probably knew more than I. But I listened and learned a lot. Our first stop was Lone Mountain where we collected epidote, quartz and garnets. I learned that Nevada is one of the most seismically active states in the U.S. — second only to California in the lower 48 states. Historically, we have experienced a magnitude 7 or greater earthquake about once every 30 years. The last ones were in 1954 near Fallon. So I guess we’re due for a good one.

A front was quickly moving through the area and the cloud formations were changing constantly. I thought this picture was pretty neat. There is even a tiny rainbow in the center left portion.

An interesting cloud formation

We went up into the mountains on the north side of Carson City where we espied 14 wild horses as well as many more rock samples. Some of the big boulders (called volcanic bombs because they were ejected quite a distance from the actual cone) pinged different sounds due to their composition. We thought that was pretty cool.

We visited a volcanic vent that is only 1.1 million years old (young geologically speaking) that is being worked by a company called Cinderlite. They use scoria, basalt and other cinder cone contents for landscaping jobs. Cinderlite realized that eagles were nesting in a couple of holes in the cinder cone and decided not to destroy that area. So now there is a large 100’ by perhaps 40’ by 100’ tall area where the birds are free to nest. I think that’s a nice gesture by the company.

The cinder cone with the aeries on the center top

It’s evident these aeries have been used for many years

Dalan got a little bored with all the explanations and did some of his own exploring. He made me a little nervous climbing over many huge rocks, but he was sure footed and got to see more views than I did.

Dalan with his rock hammer

One of our stops took us to a divide between watersheds. If you stepped to the right, the water drained into Washoe Valley. If you stepped to the left, the water drained into the Carson Valley toward the Carson River. I thought that was cool. Also in this area was what geologists call an “unconformity.” Basically, it is the contact between two rock types with a large gap in age. The granodiorite (GD) is about 100 million years old and the overlying basalt is about a million years old.  I first heard of this in the Grand Canyon but never quite got the concept of it until now. I mentioned granodiorite. We know it as decomposed granite and it’s used a lot around here on playgrounds, in landscaping, trails and whatnot.

As we looked west, we could see, obviously, the Sierras and some of the active fault system along the base of the mountains. We were told that as faulting progresses,, the mountain front steepens, the slopes become unstable and landslides occur. We can see that on Slide Mountain, the white spot in the center of the picture. A massive landslide happened there in 1983.

Slide Mountain and Mt. Rose in the background with Washoe Lake in the foreground.

Carson City view from the watershed area.

Again, I have probably made this too detailed and historical. I hope you haven’t been bored by these details.

The field trip was very educational and fun to see things up close and personal.  I hope they have another one next year during Earth Sciences Week.

Our Prime Time Group at The Farm (Dont’ forget to click on the photo if you want a larger picture)

The photo above is the Prime Time Ensemble at The Farm. Note some differences…no beach in the background and spouses are there. As you can imagine, this was a fun, creative, amenable, and food/beverage-loving group.   It was sort of like many different flower petals coalescing into a beautiful blossom. We all arrived and departed a various times on different days, but a good time was had by all.  Diana and Jack, and son Jim are the most gracious hosts at an amazing home. Those who were not able to attend were missed very much and we all hope they will be able to join us at the next get-together.

Several arrived on Monday, the 29^th and we all had dinner at JT’s, a local Basque restaurant. Wow! This was my first time at this renown establishment and it was an experience. If you didn’t get enough to eat, it was your own fault. There were several courses served family style and then your entree arrived, just as you thought you couldn’t eat another bite.  We topped that off with ice cream for dessert. Very tasty! A photo of the Monday night crew follows.

Awaiting the scrumptious food at JTs.

Dot, Bill, Lynda, Evert, Shoo and Alan arrived on Tuesday, making our group complete. Tours of the farm and Diana’s shop were given so that everyone would be on the same page when we were talking about things happening there. There was even a tour of my house because no one beyond Diana and Jack had seen it since the big move from Cerritos.

Honk if you love berries at the Jacobs Family Berry Farm

Evert, Jack and Steve in the berry patch (that’s not the technical name of it, but I don’t know if it should be a field or what. At least I know it’s not an orchard or grove.)

These are the BEST berries I have ever tasted, bar none. YUM!!!

As we do at Pajaro, we chatted, snacked, imbibed in some wine and other spirits, chatted some more, walked, ate great meals. Steve Brock even cooked pancakes for breakfast one morning! The men all pitched to help prepare food, clean up and pour wine. It was a very cohesive, amiable group that created a lot of fun.

Jack and Diana like to take group shots of visitors to the Farm and, of course, we all complied with that wish. I think that Jack felt it was like herding cats to get us all organized, but we eventually got some good pictures. The opening shot is of the entire group and then we have one of the OHS coeds. We felt like celebrities with all the cameras clicking. We tried to get a shot of just the guys, but they were busy taking pictures and messing around. I tried to get a shot of all the guys taking photos and took about 10 shots. But in every photo but one, Steve was trying to get his phone set just right.

The Gals

The Guys

Genoa tourists waving at cute guys!

We took a field trip to Genoa, Nevada’s oldest settlement, to take a nice walk and check out the shops, particularly the oldest thirst parlor in Nevada. Actually, we just looked in the parlor and took a hike to Walley’s Hot Springs and Resort. I had been told that it was only a mile from Genoa, but it turned out to be our total trek amounted to a bit more than 3 miles! Needless to say, some of our party became parched and we had to take a break at Walley’s for thirst quenching and nourishment. Then a few folks found the ice cream portion of the Genoa General Store. No one went hungry (as usual at our gatherings).

Lynda prepared pizza for us that was delightful and delicious. We all enjoyed her biscotti as well. Two more YUMS!

While Lynda’s  pizza crust was being prepared, most of us went to try our hand at bocce ball. There was spirited competition, but I don’t think a clear-cut champion was determined. We’ll have to reconvene again to determine that.

I like this picture of Alan throwing the ball…a la Michael Jordan with his tongue sticking out 🙂

Our party began to break up with the departure of Trish and Steve that night, then with Sherry, Howard, Shoo and Alan the next morning.

The remaining seven decided to go on a jaunt to Blue Lakes that is off of Hwy. 88 in California. Such a beautiful place! We enjoyed a great picnic until the camp host kicked us out for picnicking in an area that was not for day use. There were no other campers but rules are rules, I guess. It was nice, though, that he didn’t disturb us until we had finished eating. So we left and found another area right next to one of the Blue Lakes.

Man and dog… Lucy loves Jack!

And then there were five. Lynda and Evert had to leave us after we frolicked at the lakes and the rest of us headed on back to the Farm, but not before a little side trip to Markleeville,, CA, population 210 and Alpine county seat. Markleeville is very small but it sports a shop that serves tasty ice cream cones. We definitely checked them out.

All good things must come to an end and so our gathering did that Friday. Diana had to go to work at the shop; Jim was in the Bay Area; Jack had things to do; Bill and Dot had to fly home and I took them to the Reno airport and eventually got back to my little black cat, BC. (who told me quite vehemently that she was lonely!) What a great time! It was fun being with a larger group that meshed so well.

We had planned on taking our Boston trip in 2013 but we felt it was best to delay it for a year due to my move to Minden. It was worth the wait as we had a great time exploring the cradle of the American Revolution.

Burr’s Babes – Don’t forget to click on an image if you wish to enlarge it

Because Jet Blue doesn’t fly out of Reno, we had to drive “over the hill” to Sacramento to catch a plane to Long Beach and then take a “red eye” to Boston.   Our good buddy, Dick Schmidt took care of my car and also chauffeured us to

the airport. A great guy he is! An added plus was that Jerri got to finally taste fine dining at Burr’s Fountain.  Love their sandwiches and sundaes!  It took awhile to check in Jerri’s luggage for her hairdo stuff, but we finally made it through security. (Just kidding)

Jerri’s hairdo luggage

The flight was good and we got to our hotel safely. No room was available at 6:30 AM, so we ate breakfast there and figured out what we wanted to do that day. Our first impression of Boston was that of a cacophony of sirens and horns, along with crazy pedestrians and VERY aggressive drivers. That impression didn’t change in our three days there.  But that’s not to say we didn’t enjoy Boston.  It was great to be immersed in so much history and east coast culture!  AND a lot of people were very helpful to us in finding our way around.  We also enjoyed the food…fancy and plain.

We learned how to ride the T (Boston’s subway system) and then took a tour on one of the many tram/bus excursions. It was a great way to get acquainted with Boston and we enjoyed being able to get off and on at designated stops.  Our first stop was at the Charlestown Navy Yard where the USS Constitution is moored since 1897. We first visited the USS Constitution Museum and learned quite a bit of history about the Naval Yard and life aboard a naval vessel. The highlight was actually getting to go aboard “Old Ironsides,” our country’s oldest commissioned warship. Real U.S. Navy folks were stationed on board to answer questions and explain things like using a hammock to sleep in or how they drank their grog. (The sailors were issued a set amount of grog each day and had to drink it in front of the person who doled it out to make sure they didn’t get more than their allotment)  I asked about the heads (bathrooms in sailor talk) and was told there was actually an open-air place at the head (bow) of the boat with commodes to sit on. It must have been awfully cold and uncomfortable in poor weather.

The USS Constitution and the Bunker Hill Monument

The grog barrel

The heads —or a sailing porta potty

After our tour of the Constitution, we elected to walk to the Warren Tavern (1775) and enjoyed some delicious clam chowder.

Jerri and the Warren Tavern diagram

We walked to the Bunker Hill Monument, which commemorates the Battle of Bunker Hill that was actually fought on Breed’s Hill because it had a military advantage. This was the battle in which the immortal words, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes,” were uttered. We attempted to climb the almost 300 steps to the top, but we pooped out at 100. The fatigue from the flight and lack of sleep was caught up with us.

Bunker Hill Monument – very similar to the Washington Monument in D.C.

While on this little side trip, we noticed a lot of “Hobbit” doors at ground level of apartments/flats. I assume these are for storage, but I prefer to think that many hobbits live in Boston.

A Hobbit door. Jerri was not invited in.

Day Two saw us getting a day pass for the T and we buzzed along just like pros. We emerged from the T right at the State House, the seat of colonial and state governments as well as a merchants’ exchange. The Declaration of Independence was first read publicly from the State House balcony on July 18, 1776. Part of it was undergoing reconstruction, so we didn’t partake of the tour.

The State House in Boston

From the State House, we went to Faneuil Hall (AAA says it’s pronounced “fannel,” but I kept hearing something like “fanuel”, similar to “Samuel.”) At any rate, it’s an interesting place. It’s an old market built at the site of the old town dock (it’s amazing how Boston’s shoreline has crept out over 250+ years). Town meetings, held here between 1764 and 1774, heard Samuel Adams and others lead cries of protest against the imposition of taxes on the colonies.   Many market stalls are on the first floor just as they were in Paul Revere’s day. There are also many, many stalls and restaurants on the outside of the building…a very interesting place to visit and shop.

Faneuil Hall with Samuel Adams in front

From Faneuil Hall, we began to follow the Freedom Trail, a three-mile trail that begins at the Boston Common and ends at Bunker Hill. It allows one to discover a Revolutionary past that is embedded in modern Boston. The Trail is marked by a red line (generally red bricks) and is easy to follow.  Markers such as this one are by each historical site on the Trail. Actually, the Trail is a Godsend for people like us who don’t know their way around Boston’s little curvy streets that don’t seem to follow a general north-south grid like many of our streets out west.

You can see the bricks emanating out of the Freedom Trail marker.

We next visited Paul Revere’s house, which is now located in Little Italy. It was a big house for those times…out of necessity, I think. He had 8 children with his first wife and 8 more with his second wife! Actually, we were told that only 9 kids lived there at one time. But, still…

Paul’s house is the gray one. You can see the cobblestones still on this street.

What would a visit to Boston and the Old North Church be without a picture of Paul Revere on his house riding out to alert the colonists that “The Regulars are out!” I always thought he said “The British are coming,’ but at that time, the colonists still considered themselves British. We learn something every day.

Paul Revere’s statue

Revere’s statue is in a courtyard/alley behind the North Church and we walked around the church to get this view. Its spire is very imposing and I can see why it was chosen to give the alarm. One can still see it from many parts of Boston. Built in 1723, it is Boston’s oldest church building and remains an active Episcopal Church.  It still sports the individual family pews that a family could “decorate” with pillows, cushions and/or comforters in the winter.

Old North Church

Inside Old North Church

Just a block away from the Old North Church is Copp’s Hill Burying Ground founded in 1659. Thousands of merchants, artisans and free blacks are buried here. The Mathers, Prince Hall and Edmund Hartt are buried here as well. This is also the site used by the British to train their cannon on Charlestown during the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775.  Many of the early gravestones are engraved with a skull with wings. It is here that we learned this represents the soul winging its way to heaven. We thought it looked kind of creepy

Copp’s Hill grave tone with its soul going to heaven

It was lunchtime when we left Copp’s Hill and began to retrace our steps to follow the Freedom Trail. We had been noticing many people carrying huge slices of pizza, which all smelled very good. We finally discovered Ernesto’s Pizzeria and enjoyed the cheapest meal we had in Boston. Check out this serving for $4! It was very tasty and filling!

This was a great lunch…and very filling!

Throughout our trip, we noticed street and other signs that are very different from what we have here in Nevada. For example, we’d be driving along and notice a highway sign that said “Blind Child,” “Handicapped person” or “Elderly-Slow-Complex.” We know for what they are intended, but it’s just different. Here are a couple of others that we saw.  The “Nut Roasters” struck us funny as did the mutilated T sign telling where to go to catch the T to “A Wife.” Alewife is a Boston suburb and the name is for a herring fish that is in the ocean and some rivers.

The Nut Roasters kiosk

Great place to find a wife!

We took a harbor cruise that gave us some pretty skyline vistas of Boston as well as a stern view of the USS Constitution. It was tough to get pictures other than silhouettes because the sun always seemed to be in the wrong position. Oh well, at least we got to see these things and enjoy them.

The Boston skyline

Because of the cruise, we ended up joining rush hour on the T. Oh my goodness! We had experienced something like this in Washington, D.C., but this had it beat. Talk about being packed like sardines! We survived and tried not to repeat it again the next day.

We bought another T day pass to get out to the JFK Library and Museum and then do some other visiting to historical places. The library is located on the University of Massachusetts campus and we were joined by many students commuting to their classes. It was kind of fun to be with them. They didn’t pay us any mind, though, because they were all on their phones or tablets communicating in one way or another. None of them talked. It is an amazing thing to watch. But, then, I’m old fashioned and sometimes out of step.

This is the Orange Line arriving to take us to transfer to the Red Line. It’s not crowded here because it’s between rushes.

The Orange Line T arriving

We really enjoyed the JFK Library as it recreated JFK’s Presidency, his life, legacy and leadership. It was inspiring to hear his inaugural speech once again as well as many of the other speeches and/or comments he made during his Presidency.  Lots of people were there but it didn’t seem crowded (except at the cafeteria line and the gift shop)

Enjoying the JFK library!

We enjoyed the library so much that we decided to take the T to Brookline and visit JFK’s birthplace. The house is now owned and operated by the National Park Service. JFK’s parents moved there in 1914 shortly after their wedding. They called it a modest house, but it had more than 2000 square feet with room for servants on the third floor! It was one of few houses on the street and the Kennedy children could play outside to their hearts’ content.  The family lived there in this very ordinary neighborhood before moving in 1920 to a larger house to accommodate a growing family. The new house was just about a mile away from this house on Beals Street.

JFK’s “modest’ birthplace

Since it was nearing dinner time, we opted to go back to downtown Boston (since we had to change T Lines there anyway) and have dinner. We chose to eat at the Bell in Hand Tavern that we had seen before on the Freedom Trail. It looks like a skinny building, but it stretches back into the building, thus giving it quite a bit of dining/bar space. Jerri had a salad with steak tips that were huge. It was quite a tasty dinner.  Mine must not have been so good as I don’t remember what I had.

The Bell in Hand Tavern. There really was a large sculpted bell in a hand inside.

You can see that there is an alley to the right of the tavern. The Freedom Trail is in that alley and there are several taverns across the alley as well. We happened to espy Ben Franklin chatting up tourists, especially the young women. It amused us greatly that he remained in character until everyone had left, then he pulled out his cell phone to check for messages. Right after that, he reverted back to character and strolled into a tavern.

Ben Franklin – ever a modern man! Note his shoes and socks as well as his phone.

These fire alarms are all over Boston. The red globe lights up when it is dark. It seems to be a handy thing to look for rather looking for a pay phone if you don’t happen to have a cell phone.

A fire alarm in Brookline

Yea! It was Friday and we rented a car to leave Boston and follow Mass. Ave. (what the locals call it) about 14 miles to Lexington and Concord to see where the Revolutionary War’s first shots were fired. Our first stop was Lexington because that’s where the British first encountered the Minute Men on the Lexington Green. Shots were fired but it’s not clear if the Colonists returned fire. So there is a controversy about exactly where the Colonists fired first to begin the War.

Minute Man statue on the Lexington Green

The contrast between Boston and the outlying areas (even if it was only 16 miles) was dramatic. The pace of life is more leisurely and QUIET. There were no sirens, horns or other disturbing noises. We were quite happy to enter this area, as we seem to be country folks now and not used to the hubbub of a metropolitan area. We really enjoyed Boston’s history and many of its people, but it was too frenetic for us.

Mass. Ave. is the basic road the British marched to Concord to seize a cache of ammunition from the colonists. Part of the original trail is still visible and is now part of the Minute Man National Historical Park. There, we were intrigued by a short multimedia introduction to the events of April 19. 1775.

Jerri and I are standing on the road, which was bounded on either side by a short stone fence. I think it was about 30 feet wide most of the way. Today, it’s a bike/jogging trail of several miles. Quite a few people were using it while we were walking on it.

On the road that the British marched on to Concord

You might be wondering when the funny stuff will happen with Jerri and me. Believe it or not, we didn’t get trapped in any building, didn’t fall in a river, or basically didn’t do anything too stupid. I know this is a shock to all of you who have followed our adventures. The only thing that happened was that Massachusetts’ signage is the pits and it’s difficult to figure out exactly where one is.  We made quite a few u-turns and recalculations.

Our next stop was the North Bridge that the British needed to cross to get to the weapons they thought were stored in Colonel Barrett’s barn. It seems like an unlikely, small place at which to begin a war, but this was where “the shot heard ‘round the world” was fired. Another amazing thing is that the British marched out to Lexington, engaged in a battle and then went on to Concord, engaged in another battle and then returned to Boston while being harassed by the Colonials all the way. Those hardy troops marched more than 32 miles and fought, all in less than 24 hours.

The North Bridge

Concord was fun. We visited the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (no relation to the Headless Horseman) where authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, the Alcotts and Nathaniel Hawthorne are buried (plus many other people). I think we almost got locked in there as it was dusk, but we escaped in time to go to a tasty dinner at the Colonial Inn, built in 1716 and still going strong.

The next morning, we drove by Walden Pond. What a beautiful place! I can see why it inspired Thoreau. You can see how serene it was that day. Some people were canoeing and others were swimming. We were wondering what type of polar bear he was because it was early in the morning and quite brisk.   There is a nice trail around the pond and we checked it out.  Someone stacked some stones at the pond’s edge, just waiting for my photo. I thought it was pretty neat.

Walden Pond

A serene scene

From this tranquility, we drove south to Fall River, home of Lizzie Borden. Wow! We toured her home where she was accused of taking 40 whacks to her father and step-mother and then acquitted. It’s a violent story, one that seems difficult not to convict, but, then, I wasn’t on the jury.  Maybe the axe didn’t fit her hand or something.

Lizzie Borden…guilty or not?

The house is now a B & B and one can spend the night if one dares. Many folks, apparently, have given up and left in the middle of the night because the spirits were bothering them. Jerri originally wanted to spend the night, but changed her mind after we took the tour.

The next stop was New Bedford, a once great whaling port. The best part is that is it on Buzzards Bay (some of you may know that one of my nicknames is Buzzard). We were hoping to score a sweatshirt or something with Buzzard’s Bay imprinted on it. No such luck. We did discover the Buzzards Bay Coalition that is dedicated to keeping the bay clean from icky things. But, alas, they were closed until Monday and we were there on Saturday. There is also a Buzzard’s Bay Brewery in the area but they were also closed until Tuesday! A bummer all the way around. But we did have a great lunch at Freestone’s Tavern that is housed in an old bank built in the 1800s..

Jerri liked her lunch at Freestone’s

Then we zoomed on to what we thought would be the coup de gras of the Buzzards Bay quest…the little town of Buzzards Bay, population3859. Well, guess what, no shirts, no sweatshirts, not even a nice Buzzards Bay welcomes you sign. I guess it’s too small for such frivolity. This street sign is the best we could do…and it was just a little side street barely bigger than an alley.

The best we could do in Buzzards Bay town

At that point, we vowed to go back to New Bedford and visit the Coalition place on Monday. In the meantime, we would visit Cape Cod the next day.

Cape Cod is a beautiful place that must receive thousands of visitors all year long…picturesque sand dunes, villages and parks. We really enjoyed our drive. We happened to espy yet another graveyard and what should be pecking around on its perimeter? Yep, some turkeys. They are all over the place in Massachusetts. I wonder if these birds are as tasty as the farmed ones that we buy for Thanksgiving?

Turkeys in the cemetery

Here is Jerri on the sand dunes as we visited a beach. It was cloudy all day and threatening to rain, but we still thought it was pretty. I don’t know if it would be real humid in the summer time. That might be a deal breaker for me.

These dunes have a very fine sand, unlike sand on the west coast.

We visited the little town of Chatham that was delightful. It would have been nice to visit it on a sunny day. We also visited Hyannis to see what we could see. This is a house on the Hyannis shore. Just a small summer cottage? It was right beside a small memorial for John Kennedy, but was not where he stayed in Hyannis.

Just a little summer house?

We motored back to New Bedford the next morning in hopes of scoring some good Buzzards Bay stuff. It turns out that they didn’t have much because of the pending winter and things are beginning to shut down.  We bought some t shirts and found it very interesting to talk to the volunteers at the Coalition and learn about watersheds and so on and why they are trying to “Save Buzzards Bay.”  We also learned there aren’t many buzzards in the area, but the Pilgrims thought the numerous ospreys in the area were small buzzards. Hence, the name of Buzzards Bay.

The Buzzard saving the Bay!

We weren’t able to visit the brewery, but we did have dinner at a place that served the brew.  It was ok but not the best ale I’ve ever consumed.   The best part was when the bill was delivered. Finally, a real buzzard logo!

A buzzard logo!

Many of you know that Massachusetts is a primary producer of cranberries. It so happened that we drove through the primary cranberry bogs (except they weren’t bogs yet) on our way to Plymouth. When the berries are ready to be harvested, the fields are flooded thus making the berries float and easier to gather.

These cranberries don’t look real tasty yet.

Plymouth is a fun little town with much to see. There is the Plymouth Rock, encased in its portico for safekeeping, the Mayflower II, Plimouth Plantation, a Wampanoag village, cute shops, the Pilgrims’ Burial Hill and many more places to explore. We did it all!

Plymouth Rock

I think the Rock is protected because too many people would want a piece of the Rock (so to speak) and it is already a shadow of its original self. So, all you can do is take a picture even though the sun is NEVER right for it.

The Mayflower II is an exact replica of the original Mayflower. It’s amazing to me that any of the Pilgrims survived their voyage unscathed. All 102 Pilgrims and their livestock were kept below decks for the entire voyage. That would not be a pleasant experience to say nothing of being weak from seasickness and then having to go out to build homes in December at Plymouth. It’s no wonder that half of them died during the first winter.

Mayflower II at the dock in Plymouth

How about some wine?

After visiting the Mayflower II, we drove out to Plimouth Plantation, a living history museum that contains a Wampanoag homesite (local Native Americans) and a 1627 colonist village with homes, barns, gardens, and a fort. Visitors are free to ask questions and learn as the inhabitants go about their daily routines. We thought it was a great experience to talk to these folks and learn about their 17^th century cultures.

Jerri and her handsome Pilgrim

We were able to enter the Wampanoag dwellings and learn that while they were pretty efficient for their time and probably would have been warmer than the Pilgrims’ houses.   They used bench type affairs for beds that were made comfortable with animal pelts. The dwellings were used primarily for sleeping and storage while most activities were outside. The Wampanoags wore long pants way before the Pilgrims did. I suppose there were stubborn people on both sides who did not want to learn from the others.

Not the most comfortable house, but it was cozy

We are standing by one of the houses that was built in 1627 style

We were free to go into each of the houses and talk with the inhabitants and find out what they were doing.

These fellows were hewing logs for a fence.

During our last morning in Massachusetts, we drove around some local villages.  They are so pretty being nestled in nooks and crannies of big and little bays. We visited Scituate, which has a lighthouse dating from 1636 (at least that’s what the sign said). Congress voted money to refurbish it in 1810 and that was done. During the War of 1812, Abigail and Rebecca Bates, daughters of the lighthouse keeper, played a fife and beat on a drum to frighten away a British naval force who planned to sack the town. The girls have gone down in history as an army of two!

Scituate lighthouse

From there we successfully drove back into Boston the Logan Airport.   Jerri navigated and I drove. We were pretty excited that we made it to the rental car return without being honked at. Jerri yelled at me when I almost missed a turn, but we made a pretty good team in returning the car without any mishap.

Jerri took this next picture from the plane as we flew over Cape Cod. We knew it was big, but seeing it from the air made it seem even bigger. Follow the clouds and that’s where the Cape is.

Cape Cod under the clouds

It was so good being together on this trip and enjoying each other’s company as well as the many sights available to us. I know some of you are disappointed that we didn’t get into more trouble, but maybe next year. We’re already planning next year’s trip which will not be to the East Coast but rather to our own Southwest and we hope that proves to be as much fun as this one was.

This is the year that those of us born in 1944 turn 70, much to the chagrin of many of us. How can this milestone happen so soon? It’s sort of bothersome to be this old, but I guess it’s just a number and you’re only as old as you feel. I certainly don’t feel 70. I hope this feeling continues for a long time.

Jerri and Jolee decided this birthday was worthy of a bigger celebration than our usual tradition of a small family dinner. So, together, they concocted a small list of friends and relatives to get them to the celebration. They wanted to make it a surprise, but I’m glad they ended up telling me because it was really fun to anticipate the event.

Shirley and Connie from Colorado (Don’t forget to click on the image if you wish to enlarge it)

My Colorado buddies, Shirley and Connie, flew in Thursday and after touring Virginia City, we attended a Boogie Woogie concert that evening. That got our feet tapping! I think that concert is the only time we weren’t talking, discussing, making puns and/or laughing. Such great conversations about all kinds of topics!

We went on a hike around a portion of Fallen Leaf Lake near Lake Tahoe on Friday. All of us are in pretty good shape, so there wasn’t any panting when we tromped up a hill. Pretty good for 70 year-old folks! It was such a pretty day with a slight breeze that kept us from getting too hot. Of course we got to horsing around as evidenced by the following picture.

Do you think the pine cone helps to balance Connie?

We drove through Genoa on the way home and saw some of their trademark deer that over run the town. I love to see them but wouldn’t like them eating my flowers and tromping all over my yard.

There was a strange cloud formation that afternoon that made me think of pictures I’d seen of approaching sandstorms. This was just clouds that arced over the horizon. There was no storm (at least over us) and it went away by sunset. But I’ve never seen anything like that formation.

Do you think it’s an omen?

That night, we sat outside, sipping a glass of wine while the moon rose. It was the beginning of a super moon that got brighter for the next couple of days. It was the first night in a long time without bugs attacking me. It was lovely!

It’s sort of blurry, but you get the idea about the colors

Saturday morning, we toured the Nevada State Museum and now they know more than they ever wanted to know about Nevada.   They liked the museum a lot, but I think I added too many details as I often get carried away with my stories.

Connie spent the afternoon with Jolee buying flowers and making centerpieces and various floral decorations for the party. They did a great job and everything was beautiful. Connie even made a floral Snoopy that still looks like new 7 days later. Her imagination and creativity run amok sometimes and she creates many wonderful, original floral displays.

Also Saturday afternoon, our Uncle Bev flew in from Colorado. What an honor to have him at the party. He’s our dad’s youngest brother and looks, sounds, and acts quite a bit like him. He’s fun to be with and I love hearing his stories.

A happy Uncle Bev

Sunday, the actual birthday, Connie and Shirley spent quite a bit of time plotting and scheming to perfect their act (or was it a roast?) for that evening. Curiosity almost got the best of me, but I didn’t sneak up on them to overhear what they were dreaming up. I was saving my laughter for later on. And laugh I did.

Finally, it was time to go to Jolee’s, site of the festivities. The first thing I saw was a 1944 price list.   Who would guess that gas was only 15 cents per gallon and that a gallon of milk was 62 cents? Amazing! I don’t imagine that we’ll ever see that again. But then annual wages were only $2400.

Can you believe these prices?

I was so honored that folks would want to come to celebrate. What a fine day to savor every moment. I tried to soak up every second along with every comment and was sorry that I couldn’t listen in on every conversation. It was just a great day!

Jerri and Jolee worked many hours to make prepare appetizers, homemade rolls, potato salad, beans, fruit salad and birthday cakes. I appreciate all their effort and the TLC they used to make it a special fiesta.

Jerri resting after all her work.

Jolee taking a time out in her own way

A special thanks to Allan, my brother-in-law, (who is more like a brother than an in-law) for getting a day off work, making homemade ice cream and also cooking the tri-tip on his trusty barbie. He did a fantastic job and I scarfed up more than my share.

Cutting up!

I had mentioned that the presence of the attendees was present enough, but I found that there were many cards and gifts on the table. Of course, many of them were pretty good jokes and jabs at old age. I’ve probably dished out much more than I received, so turn about is fair play. We celebrated buzzards, quail, Donate Life, Mended hearts,  being 70, Snoopy, gardening, wine, pictures, flowers, Jacobs Berry Farm berries, and so many comments, gestures and puns that I couldn’t keep track. All I know is that my mouth muscles were tired from laughing so much.  I wanted to make this blog as funny as the event was, but many of the things mentioned above don’t translate into the printed word.  So I think that I’ll share some pictures of this part of the festivity rather than describe it all.

Vintage, is the word of the night, I think. A 1969 picture along with a new coffee cup and a good glass of wine.

A photo book from the wonderful people at the Donate Life Office where I used to volunteer. I miss them, too.

It’s true. It’s a Buzzard Thing

A touching moment for me was a large print containing many quotes from so many people who wrote a few words about me or how I’d influenced them.  Note the centerpiece flowers that survived to be moved to my house.

Jerri and the torch.

The plotters/ roasters/entertainers

The audience

I would also like to thank my good friends, Dick Schmidt and Jan Haag for documenting the evening.  Dick and Jan no ka oi.  Wrong verb, but I don’t know the Hawaiian word for “are.”

Jan showing Connie the ropes

Getting every possible angle

Dalan and I looking at a documentary of 70 years worth of photos. Oh my goodness!

The party sort of broke up after the roast/comments but there was still another event to happen. Several of us climbed the stairs to the attic where there just happens to be an exercise pole.   Some folks heard about this and wanted to try it. Jolee gave us a few pointers and then we tried our hand/foot or body. However you want to put it. I’m only going to share one photo from this escapade.

The three of us before the grand experiment.

This party was the best ever and I am blessed to have family and friends who love and support me and give me so much joy. You are all too cool!  Thanks to all who contributed to the celebration.  With that I am closing this episode with the following picture.

You might remember a few blogs ago when I was whining about the squirrel varmints eating my sunflowers. Well, they continue to eat what they can but after building Fort Knox (as Jerri put it) around more sunflowers and applying much TLC, the trials are turning to triumph.

You can see by this photo that they are growing tall and are beginning to blossom. These are supposed to be the type called “mammoth,” but the blossoms are not huge.

Happy flowers!

Perhaps they are still growing, I don’t know. Jerri has some just like these and hers are about 10’ tall. However, hers were blown over in our “Storm of the Century” (according to the newspaper). They have since been staked and do seem to be surviving. Mine were younger and shorter and didn’t receive the battering that hers did.

The next obstacle will be when the sparrows and other birds discover these blossoms and begin to devour the seeds. The birds are all over Jerri’s plants. But right now, the bees and wasps are enjoying the blossoms. Don’t you think the blossoms look happy in the sunlight, looking up at the blue sky?

July 19 was a pretty day with a few raindrops and thunder off in the distance. But no big deal. The sunset that night was gorgeous. I know that you must be getting tired of sunsets and clouds, but they are SOOOO pretty here.

A pretty sunset on July 19

The clouds above the mountains were sort of wispy with undefined edges. I didn’t see it, but Jerri told me there was quite a light show over the Sierras/Tahoe area that night, thus foreshadowing what was to come the next day.

About 1:30 PM on the 20^th, I could hear rumblings out to the east and soon saw rain over the area that Jerri and I had ridden our quad just a week ago.  There was a lot of lightning accompanying the rain and I hoped that no fires would start because of it. I counted about 30 seconds before I heard the boom and wasn’t particularly concerned. Then I realized the time between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunderclaps was getting shorter and that I ought to move inside. I had just read a while ago that one should not be outside if the interval is 30 seconds or less. Pretty soon, the rain intensified and it was pouring. More than an inch fell in less than an hour. Pretty good for a desert…and consequently, an excellent chance for flash flood(s). Yep, they happened not far from my house.

My sunken fire pit is getting flooding and also telling me that drainage is not good from my patio area

This picture is the beginning of the deluge and looks out on my sunken fire pit. The stick you see is for baby quail to climb out if they happen to fall into the pit as they did last year. Other wood was also in there for when we have our first marshmallow roast in the back yard.  You can see water beginning to flood the area and there are puddles in the Back 40 beyond the near bushes. The next picture is how the pit looked just about a half hour later.  You folks who get regular storms are not amazed at this but it is a great topic of conversation for us.

The wood is floating and it’s now at flood stage in the pit.  Today, there is about an inch of mud/silt in that pit along with the wood.

The lightning was quite a show and as the storm passed over me, the claps were very loud and close. I counted no duration between many of the strikes and the claps. A bit scary but there is not much one can do. Everyone has stories to tell since this was an epic storm. My good buddy, Diana, told me about a lady (who she knows) who was sitting in the bathroom when a bolt struck that very room creating a hole in the roof.   I’ll bet she didn’t stay in there very long.

Looking east from the mailboxes and the next picture is looking west toward the Sierras.

Looking west at some erosion and the same mud laden ditch

This is the type of storm that causes flash floods and quite a bit of damage. For example, a large 15’ wide and probably 10’ deep ditch runs under the main street into my tract (and under a large stand of mail boxes) and people have not seen any water in it for 20 years. Yesterday, it was full of raging water and overflowed by the mailboxes, making a mess of the street and leaving debris all over the area.  Today, that ditch is about half full of mud and junk.  There are many of these collector ditches stemming from the Pine Nuts in the east going west toward the Sierras. This ditch happens to peter out about a mile or so west of me. The flow was powerful enough and there was enough water that it might have had enough force to join the Carson River just a bit further west. Going back to the damage, there were pictures on the news tonight showing people with 6’ of sand and mud in their house. Jerri’s neighbor lost a few thousand dollars worth of stuff for his job when his garage flooded. Jerri’s house (across the street) is fine with zero damage. I guess it’s the luck of the draw.

This has been an interesting experience for me as this is probably the most severe thunderstorm that I’ve seen. I would say it was a spectacular show and I surely do wish I had been able to get pictures of some of the strikes. The best thing about the storm was how the air smelled afterward. It was so clean, pure and fresh! That smell remained until this morning when I was coming home from the gym. It was exhilarating! Actually, the air still smells good. I’m loving it!

Today has been a wonderful, splendid day and I just want to share a couple more pictures.  The first is some of those sunflowers I’ve been talking about.. They survived the storm in fine fettle and are looking great. There are no blossoms yet, but I’m looking forward to seeing some soon. You can see some clouds in the background. We were supposed to have a bit more precipitation today but I only felt a few drops.

Cheerful sunflowers with peppers, tomatoes and lettuce in the background

Wispy clouds following the storm

Well, the weather is supposed to turn hot once again but it has been nice to experience this change and see wild weather.  Jerri and I are very much like our dad.  We really enjoy WEATHER and what it brings us daily.

Almost as soon as I decided to move to Carson Valley, Jerri and I began talking about getting a quad to zoom around the Pine Nuts and other off road places to play. It seems like so much fun! Our friend, Dick Schmidt, even gave us pictures of what we’d look like after we described what we wanted to get.

It doesn’t get any better than this. Right?

Well, after doing some shopping and deciding that we couldn’t afford what we really wanted – a side by side quad (that means two can sit side by side while one drives. It’s a lot safer…roll bars, a roof for shade, a little trunk to carry our gear and a very spiffy red color). It seemed like a ton of money for something we weren’t sure we’d use a lot.

So we got very practical and bought a used khaki green quad from Jerri’s next-door neighbor. Doug used his quad only in the back yard to knock down weeds, etc. It was kind of like the “Little Old Lady from Pasadena” who only used her car on Colorado Blvd.   It took a while to get our NV off road permit and then our helmets and finally, we were ready for the inaugural ride! YEA!!!

Somehow our first picture doesn’t compare to Dick’s original photo. Heels in the desert don’t work very well and one sweats a lot, so one needs longer skirts to sit on the hot seat.  Then, it’s mandatory to have helmets (Allan wouldn’t let us out of the house without helmets…rightfully so). So, we don’t look quite as sexy as the above picture.

Not as sexy, but practical

I think Allan was filled with trepidation when he waved goodbye to us as we took off down the street to get to the off road area. There are possibilities of having an accident, running out of gas, falling off the darn thing and/or getting lost in the multitude of roads, paths, and tiny trails in the Pine Nuts Range. We, on the other hand, were filled with confidence as we took off. After all, we had a full tank of gas, a phone (that didn’t have reception in the outback), water and snacks, a borrowed GPS that had the capability of showing us how to get back using the same route we went in on and even some maps of the area. BUT, nothing bad happened. It was a good ride!

The off road area is just a couple of miles from where we live and we can use side roads to get to the jumping off spot. So theoretically, we wouldn’t have any hassle from the cops for using an OHV (off highway vehicle) on a public road.

Re-create responsibly? We would never do otherwise!

Luckily, this sign hadn’t been shot up yet

It was exciting to zoom along the road and then get onto the unpaved, rocky road. We took the Sunrise Pass road, primarily because it was marked… for the first couple of miles. At least we had an idea of what was to come with this signpost. Our first decision was at third big fork in the road with no marking. We chose the right one (literally and figuratively) and zoomed on.

Our first stop was at the Painted Rock where we did Scott’s Pose in honor of him and his firefighting efforts in California this week. This rock is like a giant piece of graffiti with all colors of the rainbow on it. I have no idea why this particular rock was chosen, but it has become a landmark in the area.

Jerri really doesn’t have her finger up her nose

The area is tinder dry, as we all know, from the drought and probably would be a lot prettier had it been a good winter. But we find our desert/mountains to have their own distinct brand of beauty. Subtle colors, faint and sharp smells, sparse to thick vegetation and often cloud formations that tickle one’s imagination.

When we used to play or swim in the ocean, the water temperature would vary and we would enjoy a warm streak now and then. The same type of sensation occurred yesterday as we zoomed through differing air currents. This time, we enjoyed the cool currents embracing our arms and faces.

We began our journey at 4660’ and rose to 6827’ according to the GPS. We are not sure if that was Sunrise Summit or not as we elected to turn around and go home shortly after what was our summit. (We did this so as to get home before Allan went to work so that he wouldn’t worry about us). We do know that the road goes on for many miles and that someday we would like to do that when we have more experience and time.

The elevation change causes a change in vegetation as you can see in the following pictures.

A hazy day looking toward the Sierras from the Pine Nuts

Pine Nut trees alongside the trail

The first picture is looking west to the Sierras across a high plain of sagebrush and other desert plants. No cactus though. The second picture is more than a 1000’ feet higher. This terrain sports many piñon pines as well as some sagebrush and other plants. I don’t know enough about these plants to give you names. Anyway, the local Indian tribes would travel to the mountains in the fall to harvest the nuts from these trees. The nuts (which we call pine nuts, amazing name, huh?) are very nutritious and have been used for centuries for sustenance.   The Paiute, Western Shoshone and the Washoe tribes all consumed the piñones in great quantity in various manners…raw, roasted, soup and probably a lot more. Interestingly, the tribes did not go to the same area of trees every year because, apparently, the trees don’t yield a good crop every single year. So the Indians let the trees “rest” for a couple of years before returning to a specific area. As far as I know, it would have been the Washoe who would have been in the area we were in. Except for the trails and some mines, the area is virtually the same as it was when the Washoe were living there. I find that kind of exciting to be on historical land and imagining what those folks might have done there.

This is the view when you are the back seat driver. Note the beginning of the wispy clouds. They got prettier as they day wore on.

Back seat view of the trail

Wispy clouds above pinon pines

We didn’t see any big animals but saw a lot of chipmunks, and ground squirrels and heard a lot of birds. Not much different from our backyards, but it was fun to see these little critters. We know there are deer up there, wild horses and perhaps some bears. Someday we hope to see at least the deer and horses.

Of course, we had to fool around a bit with some pictures. After we got home, I wished that we had taken a picture of us jumping for joy with our quad (Beside it, not on it! We’re not that silly…yet)

It’s ours!!!

I suppose that in the future, we will be saying that this adventure was so-so without many thrills and no close calls. It was a pretty straightforward ride and we were happy for that.  Everyone we talked to had warned us about  hazards that could befall us, especially getting lost.  I think I might have listened a bit too much and made us be a bit too extra cautious.  Yes, I know that “an ounce of prevention” and all that.  I don’t know what we would have done, but perhaps next time we’ll add a thrill or two.  Again, I don’t know what that would be.

We learned a few things on the road, too.  We learned to ride together and to ride fairly smoothly despite many rocks in the road. We also learned that the seat gets pretty hot and we sweat a lot on it. Next time we’ll be taking a towel to sit on. We need to be more thorough in using bug repellant. Jerri was bitten by a horsefly right through her pants! Those flies are real pests! We call them tsetse horseflies because the bites itch like crazy, sometimes raise a blister and take forever to go away. We don’t like them!  We also need to get our own GPS soon, too, as we want to be more adventurous and will need that tool.  I also learned that the quad doesn’t have power steering (I actually knew that, I’m being silly) and am quite sore today from steering it.  Jerri isn’t.  She’s in better shape than I am from working out with her Kaia group.

Jerri is expressing our feeling at having completed our first ride successfully while having a lot of fun doing it. I can see why folks get hooked on off-roading. It was fun and we’re glad we have our quad.

A happy camper

Lots of people hike around here, both in the Carson Valley and in the Sierras. Last week, Jerri and I decided we wanted to hike in the Emerald Bay area of Lake Tahoe to visit Viking’s Home described as follows (from the website)

      “Vikingsholm is located at the head of Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe, California. This magnificent “castle” is a unique blend of Nature’s spectacular beauty and man’s architectural ingenuity.  Vikingsholm, situated majestically among towering pines and cedars, was built as a summer home by Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight in 1929.”

Vikingsholm

We were excited about doing this hike as it would be our workout for the day and it looked so beautiful in pictures! Alas and alack! We couldn’t even find a parking space remotely close to the trailhead. True bummer! One should not try hikes in a popular area near the Fourth of July on a beautiful day!

We decided to check out Fallen Leaf Lake that is a bit east of Emerald Bay, back toward the Taylor Creek area (famous for the Kokanee Salmon run in the fall). Neither one of us had been there, so this was a novel adventure for both of us. One can see Fallen Leak far below the road as one drives back toward South Lake Tahoe, but if one hasn’t been paying attention to signs; one doesn’t know how to find the road to get to said lake. After some trial and error, driving on terribly skinny side roads and talking to locals, we finally found a road that got us close to Fallen Leaf. (However, it wasn’t THE road to get close to the lake).  That was ok. We hiked just a short distance and found the little dam that marks the beginning of Taylor Creek.

A family looking at the headwaters of Taylor Creek just below Fallen Leaf Dam (Don’t forget to click the pictures to enlarge them if you wish)

A view from the dam

Fallen Leaf Lake has quite a geologic history and, since I’m kinda lazy today, I thought I’d throw in a bit of a quote from Wikipedia.

            “Fallen Leaf Lake is located within the National Forest System lands managed by the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.  Fallen Leaf is approximately 415 feet deep at its deepest point. The average depth of the lake is around 240 feet. Due to the action of the glaciers that carved the lake, the northern end of the lake has a much more gradual depth change, and the bottom can be seen from the surface for a quarter-mile offshore…The water quality is good and visibility runs around 40–50 feet under most conditions. The surface elevation of the lake is 152 feet above Lake Tahoe.”

Jerri and I cannot attest to the clarity of the water, but it looked nice as we walked along the edge and it was as cool as Tahoe when we tested the water’s edge. We saw kayakers paddling and kids frolicking in the water even though a pretty stiff wind was blowing. It looked like fun!

We ate lunch beside the hiking path and were soon accosted by a saucy Steller’s jay, which soon got what he thought he was entitled to.

This is our Steller being stellar with his pretzel that Jerri gave him

I’ve mentioned that it was a beautiful day and here are a few pictures attesting to that.

Mount Tallac (9,735 ft) is familiar to anyone who was a fan of the television series Bonanza as it appeared with its characteristic cross of snow behind the Cartwright family as they rode towards the camera. Fallen Leaf Lake is in the foreground

Trees and clouds attesting to the beautiful day!

We saw several flowers in bloom such as columbine, lupine and Indian paintbrush. They were all beautiful in the sunlight and shade. We were pleasantly surprised at wild flowers still being in bloom as they are pooped out in our valley. I guess it’s just too hot for them right now at home (My columbines are kaput)

Columbines in the pines

Lupine in a tiny meadow

As we drove out of the skinny road where we’d turned in to soon, we finally found the correct road into Fallen Leaf campground…just a hop and a skip from Highway 89.  The funny thing is that, apparently, both of us are always either driving or looking to the right in hopes of seeing a bear trying to catch some salmon for lunch (the Kokanee) in Taylor Creek.  Next time, we’ll know where to turn and be able to park in the right spot so that we can get started much quicker.

It was a great day and we had a lot of fun laughing at each other as we tried to get to our adventure that was awaiting..

It all started with my friend, Mary from New York, sending me a package of sunflowers as a symbol of happiness, smiles and “keep on truckin.” Mary and I met as riders on the 2012 Donate Life Rose Parade float and have remained friends. She is the picture of perseverance and I admire her in so many ways. So I thought it would be cool to plant her happy sunflower seeds in my garden when the appropriate time in spring arrived. It did and I did.

I’m hoping my sunflowers will look like this soon…complete with the butterfly

The little seeds (along with mammoth sunflowers that my sister had given me) were nursed, watered and carefully watched as they broke through the soil to start their growing process above ground. They were doing beautifully until one day I noticed nibbles had been taken off the leaves. Oops. Those dang ground squirrels weren’t satisfied with the bird seed they steal from my birds, they had to have a variety in their diet. Oh no, they had to have green stuff too! Quickly, I put chicken wire over the raised garden, but was able to save only two of Mary’s sunflowers.  If things go right, they’ll grow to maturity and I can save many of their seeds for next year’s crop to plant in her honor.

THE CULPRIT

The Garden with Mary’s plants in the left front.
6/13/14 (Don’t forget to click on my home photos to enlarge them)

Mary’s plants are the ones with the little wire structure around them. That’s not to prevent squirrel damage, it’s just to help support them. I think they are getting tall enough now that they won’t be damaged any more. The only problem is that the squirrels moved down to the other end and ate three kinds of lettuce plus all the spinach. This weekend, I’m going to try again to replant the lettuce, etc. This time, I’ll have chicken wire over the plants.

Then Jerri suggested planting more sunflowers along my back fence. “They would be so pretty waving in the wind,” she said. That sounded like a great idea and I did that.  Again, I watered dutifully (there is no drip system along the back fence) and waited for the little plants to break through the surface.  Soon I saw results and soon most disappeared. I was able to put wire around some of the plants and they are growing.

Two growing sunflowers. Check how small the square fence is in back. Squirrels can zoom through that little area!

I replanted with some fencing on the front side, forgetting that the squirrels can zip right through the 2” squares of the back fence. Sometimes they bang their heads on the fence when they are running through, but it’s basically no problem for them to go through such a small area. I went out a couple of hours later to find that the varmints had dug up every single seed! I think they probably carried a little basket with them, sort of like the Easter Bunny, laughing all the way about their free lunch.

Ok, now it’s war!!!! I took what chicken wire I had left and stapled it to the back side of my fence and then bought some new plastic fence (Home Depot was out of chicken wire, plus the plastic stuff doesn’t scratch my skin as easily) to line the front side of the fence. This will do it, I thought. Again, I planted the seeds and had to buy some more because I ran out of Jerri’s leftovers from last year. I went out the next morning and there was Mr. Squirrel inside the fences happily digging up my seeds. I discovered that I hadn’t put enough stakes along the bottom edge to anchor it securely.  Rats!

The chicken wire on the east side of the fence

The plastic fencing on the west side of the fence

These sunflowers are probably going to be the most expensive sunflowers ever!

At this point, I was pretty frustrated with the varmints and thought about getting a BB gun to shoot them. But I’d have to shoot them while they are stealing from the bird feeder and that might not be safe for the birds. Also, if I just wounded one, then I’d have to whack it over the head to kill it. That would not be a pleasant option. I’ve already put out squirrel repellant, but they just laugh at that. I almost gave up but thought that I can’t give in to a ground squirrel and his family. So I went to Home Depot again to buy up more anchor stakes to try to make the little area more secure. So far, knock on wood, nobody has gotten into the sunflower area. But then, it’s only been about 16 hours since the last planting.

This picture is the lone survivor of the second planting. It is now encased in the sunflower cage. I hope it makes it to be a tall, beautiful plant that greets the sun each morning.

The picture below is representative of Chip, a tiny chipmunk who has also discovered the free eats at the Johnson bird feeder. Chip doesn’t eat much, unlike those ground squirrel varmints. I tried to download a picture of one all sprawled out on the sand, but it wouldn’t download. Chip did that the other day and was very cute. His cousin, Earl, a white tailed antelope squirrel, hasn’t been around much recently, I don’t know where he is except that a coyote might have had him for a snack.

Chip

The upshot of this saga is that,  in a very small way, I can understand what farmers, particularly organic farmers, go through to rid their crops of pests. It’s a very frustrating, expensive and time-consuming job…especially if one is trying to make money at it. Perhaps I need to do more research on how to accomplish this endeavor, not to make money, just get the job done.

P.S.  You might ask why I’ve named Earl and Chip but not the varmints.  Those varmints are pests.  If I don’t name them, I don’t become attached to those piggy, cootie carrying critters and I could dispatch them if I had to.  Another note:  Jerri’s dog, Max, caught a ground squirrel in their back yard yesterday.  Perhaps he could come over to mark my land and try to catch a couple of those varmints.  The only problem is that he won’t get into a car, an issue that is from his puppyhood.  Double rats!

Connie at the High Hand Nursery

It has been my experience that when most folks are celebrating a milestone event, that it lasts a day or maybe a week. But, my friend Connie is celebrating her 70^th birthday over a span of at least three months! Her actual birthday is in June but she is celebrating from May until mid-July! That must be a record! In her defense, though, this didn’t happen because of her “high-handedness.” Margie, her sister, wanted to have a surprise party but getting folks to Colorado Springs and keeping it all a surprise was just too much to integrate with all of Connie’s activities/events/church/flower creations. So Margie told Connie the plans and a date in May was decided upon when a very small group of people could get together in Sacramento.

High Hand Brand packing label

So it happened that this little group convened at the High Hand Nursery in Loomis, an old farm town a bit east of Sacramento. A nursery sounds like a funny place to have a milestone luncheon, but this is really a cool place…a perfect place for the founder of Connie’s Creations. It’s an old fruit-packing house that’s been converted to an excellent restaurant, several tasteful shops (including wine tasting J ), galleries, and a real nursery.  We had a delightful lunch, frivolity with the conversation, some memorabilia gifts (what else could there be when you’re turning 70?), and a tour of the garden/nursery. It was a memorable occasion! Our wine was even memorable…Hands of Time Chardonnay.

Connie and her “Toast to Connie” book

Hands across time – Good stuff!

Taking a tour of the nursery

Posing in the old packing house…Steve, Margie, Connie, Cora, Dick

After strolling around the nursery for a bit to settle our lunch and perhaps to find new treasures, we drove back to Sacramento to that old-fashioned ice cream parlour of Farrell’s!  They provided even more frivolity, drum beats, songs, celebration and treats for Connie.

Celebrating in Farrell’s

Truly, it was Connie’s day, even though it’s not really until June 15. There was so much entertainment and so many comments that poor Connie didn’t get to enjoy her birthday sundae until it was half melted. Always a good sport, she didn’t complain, perhaps because her special sundae was free?

It’s my day!

Only one candle???

Margaret and Steve left shortly after the party to return to Merced while Connie and I checked into our room at the Quality Inn in Sacramento.

Steve, Margie and Connie

We rested a bit and then had a quick snack with RDS (aka Matt Rivers).  We retired with Tu keeping guard over us.

Tu’s celebrating as well

Late the next morning, Dick Schmidt picked us up to go to Burr’s (my favorite ice cream parlor) for an early lunch and, of course, a hot fudge sundae in honor of Bob. I couldn’t decide what flavor of ice cream to have, so I had a two- scoop sundae. Needless to say, I didn’t eat dinner that night.

You might call this the pig trough. It was GOOD!

Here is the lucky dude clowning around with some of his babes in front of Burr’s.

Thus ended two days of birthday celebration in Sacramento. Later that afternoon, Connie went to Merced for a bit more celebration and then to LA to celebrate with Deanne and Peter. The marathon will continue soon in June and July. You go, girl! We all love you and wish you the best and happiest of all birthdays!!!