LOGGING TRUCKS ARE ROLLIN'

At one time, gigantic logging trucks like this one rumbled right through downtown Murphys. Officially rerouted in the 1990′s,  they can no longer do that. They roll down the mountain and keep to Highway 4 on their way to the mill. Loggers can still plow right through  downtown  Angels Camp on Highway 49.  I must admit to a bit of joy at seeing them. In the 80′s I rode with a logger to the woods and photographed  the complete operation from cutting, skidding,  loading, chaining up and delivering them to the mill. In fact, the driver pulled over to tighten his chains once we left  the rugged logging road and I got out  to take the big behemoth’s picture.  A guy backing out of his driveway, without looking, backed into me with his pick-up. I was unhurt, thankfully.  I wish I had those pictures in digital format.

Today’s logs, compared to logging in the seventies and eighties look like toothpicks. I’ve seen two or three or four logs fill one of these trucks. A tree trunk riding high half above the cab made you fear a slipping chain would allow a log to  smash through the cab and kill anybody inside.  The weight of the load was especially noticeable on Murphys Grade from Forest Meadows to Murphys with the driver managing the winding road, his jake brake scudding.  The memories, the sights and smells are great and I’m glad for the truck owners and loggers who have work again. Standard recently opened their mill in Sonora and I followed three trucks down to the river, and across the other side over Parrots Ferry Bridge on my way to the dentist. I returned by way of Stevenot Bridge on 49 through Angels Camp. I counted, coming toward me, four logging trucks which means a full truck was moving through town every five minutes on both highways.  As I did some errands,  I saw two more pass. Sure enough, I waited and caught this one moving through town.  While the jobs are great, they are most likely clear cutting for Sierra Pacific. SP refuses to compromise and do select cuts. They clear huge swaths of land and destroy the beauty and ecology of our area in the Sierra Nevadas. SP owns over a million acres above us, and young trees are falling to the axe.  A local group, Forest Watch, has photographed and protested their business practices, but the best way to make them accountable to the local community is to refuse to buy Sierra Pacific Lumber. I recommend you  buy certified lumber that is sustainably cut. It is stamped on the end of each board. It is possible to log without desecrating the land and habitat, but the bottom line for corporations  is people, nature, and animals last and money first. When I saw that logging had resumed, I speculated on the recent appearance of bear and feral pigs at our elevation and wonder if clear cutting could be upsetting the balance?

BILL FOSTER OF ANGELS CAMP.

Cleverly set up, this photo of Bill Foster, commanding a table with drink in hand, was so life-like I called to him from the street thinking he was set to greet his guests for his seventy-fifth birthday.  Bill is from  Angels Camp and is a medical miracle. He has spent more time in hospitals trying to kick the bucket than anyone I know. It’s no fun being a medical miracle, but what I admire about him most is his irrepressible sense of humor through it all.

He was actually greeting his guests inside the front door and I caught him with two of his grandsons.

I believe this neon sign with the State Farm logo is going to be on his tombstone   Once you are a State Farm agent, always a State Farm agent. Out of college, he served as a pilot in the air force, but  State Farm snagged him for life.  He always referred to the people he worked with as part of the State Farm  family, and they came to celebrate him in numbers.

There were a number of his good neighbors there as well, and I have no clue who was who by their names, but they and he  knew, and that is what was important. I heard some joking about his days with State Farm and more about his medical adventures.  Bill is a generous, helpful friend and neighbor and I treasure our friendship because he is intelligent, knowledgeable and mentored me many times through my insurance decisions.

This fellow told me if you take a picture, do it right. I took it twice so I hope it meets his approval.

His son Steve with Linda Strangio a close friend of Bill’s who helped bring the party together. We who were not with State Farm, were in the minority.

Another very special person in his life is “Mama Sue”, a local woman who has lived in Angels Camp for 51 years. She cooked for him, and kept his house during most of his medical problems.  He calls her his angel.

Bill’s daughter Pam avoided the camera, but I did manage to catch her before she  completely turned away. I’ve never understood why people do that, because then they guarantee that you will get a poor picture of them. A terrific woman, she was the major mover behind this party and shed a tear as she verbally applauded her dad.

Bill’s good friends, Tom and Gail Crawford are from the Bay Area where Tom was insured by State Farm. Bill referred to Tom as a Nascar Racer. He always drove fast cars and was noted for speeding…and I guess he got a few tickets in his life.

When the cake arrived, Bill gave a very short speech, thanking his approximately 70 guests for coming and told them he was glad to have finally gotten “leied.”  But the best quip came from a woman who piped up and said “I think Mae West said it best when she returned from Hawaii . ‘I’m glad to be back home where you can get laid and they don’t get it mixed up with a  bunch of flowers around your neck.’
So, Bill-
You’re seventy-five
And still alive?
At seventy-three
You could not pee.
You have no enemies to meet,
Unless you stumble over your own big feet.
My best advice?
(It isn’t nice.)
Drink lots of gin.
It may be a sin.
But sin is forgiven.
So, sin is in.
Yes, drink lots of gin
So the doctor can’t win.
Happy Birthday.
To view more pictures go to:https://picasaweb.google.com/106530979158681190260/201179FosterBirthday

MARK TWAIN REMEMBERED IN ANGELS CAMP

"All you need is ignorance and confidence and then success is sure," quipped Mark Twain, AKA Samuel Langhorne Clemons. In truth, success didn't come easily for Twain. He had ups and many downs; he suffered hunger, poverty, despondency and had at one time decided to take his own life over his failures. Lucky for us, news of his story's success, "Jim Smiley And His Jumping Frog,"  reached him in time and brought him back from his depression so he failed at suicide, as well.
 
He was in Calaveras County at the time, where the jumping frog story was generated by a conversation in an Angels Camp bar. Gold mining was one of his failures and he tried journalism as a more profitable job. But it was a hungry, cold time for him. He wrote in his diary: "January 23, 1865. Rainy, stormy. Beans and dishwater for breakfast...dishwater & beans for dinner, & both articles warmed over for supper. January 24th. Rained all day-meals as before. Jan 25th. Same as above."
 
 Before moving West, he loved being a Mississippi river pilot, it was lucrative too. He once bragged he made more money than the Vice President of the United States.  But Missouri was a Confederate State, and he and his brother headed west when war was imminent.
  Before he got his Mississippi River pilot's license, he found work at a Newspaper and worked in printing as an assistant. He'd occasionally insert humorous things in the paper anonymously when the editor was absent.  He inherited his red hair from his mother and probably her sense of humor as well. He was pulled at least nine times out of the river in a "substantially drowned condition" at which she scoffed, "People who are born to be hanged are safe in the water." She never expected the runt to live. He was always in trouble.

This bust of Twain is borrowed from the Bancroft Library along with many other artifacts in a very well done exhibit at the 3 acre Angels Camp Museum. While Mark Twain lived in Angels Camp, he met Bret Harte and other famous writers from San Francisco, where he eventually moved. He was a humorist to be sure, and he is famous for his wry quips, such as: "A classic is something that everyone wants to have read and nobody wants to read."   And "The very ink with which all history is written is merely fluid prejudice." But, of course, for this community, he is of paramount importance which is why they are celebrating his many accomplishments over this weekend. Its certainly worth the drive. Especially since the Museum Committee has published all five of his various Jumping Frog story variations in one volume for sale at this event.  

 This community had no paved roads in 1928. Someone suggested they have a frog jumping contest, as in the famous Mark Twain story, to raise enough money to pave Main St. Angels Camp.  And, so it was done and has evolved into the largest such frog jumping festival in the world. In fact, the Little Flower, New York's Mayor La Guardia came to see the frogs jump along with other famous people over the years. 

The contest held the 3rd weekend in May attracts an average of 10,000 people to come see "the jumps." Its old home week. kids who once jumped frogs, return in May with their children and grandchildren to try their hand at the $1,000 prize, but mostly for the camaraderie. 

 Gold may have been a big industry all those years ago, and established Angels Camp, but Mark Twain put Angels Camp on the map.

THERE ARE STORIES IN STONES

Both the boys and Grandma are delighted every time we have occasion to visit Stories In Stones, a local business in Angels Camp owned by Pam and Russ Shoemaker.
Its Owen and Theo's favorite store.

From the giant grizzly bear skeleton to giant trilobites, the fossils here of all kinds fascinate them. What's nice is that Pam and Russ are so willing to inform and educate the kids about everything in the store as well.

A giant geode taller than a ten and eight year old is like an old friend. Worth a small fortune, they are always glad it hasn't sold and they get to see it one more time.

Their favorite room is the wholesale room even though they have to pay more for their purchases than the listed "wholesale" price. They understand wholesale and retail pricing. Theo came away with a geode pocket in a polished wood base and Owen bought an emerald sphere on a small tripod stand. Such treasures.
We bummed around town a bit before going to Moaning Cave. They've been to Mercer a couple times but never Moaning. Theo shuddered a bit at the hand winder that at one time lowered people into the unknown depths in a half barrel "bucket" holding a candle. And, at the skull of a 12 year old girl who fell into the cave during a  distant, unknown past. We enjoyed watching the rappelling while waiting for our walking tour.

The winder-

The skull and other human bones and artifacts. It is now against the law to remove remains from caves. After taking the cave tour, we proceeded to the little gold mining town of Columbia, which is also a California State Park.

A cool way to spend the hot afternoon, playing around in the gold panning trough. No sign of any gold, but they found little pieces of gem stones that are almost as pretty as gold, while the boys were as good as gold. Nope, better than gold.
Before breakfast this morning, Theo picked plums from the tree on the deck with Aunt Dawn. He hopes his mom will make cake with them.

Its a wild plum that just grew. Tasty but small. Just right for little boys.

THE THREE M'S

We take care of our health, we make sure our roof is tight, we save some money, and live right. We do for others; improve our community and make sure talent and worth are nurtured.
Michal Houston serves on the Hospital Board and is a past President of the Murphys Community Club. Not her only volunteer work. Madalaine Krska works full time and volunteers for the Arts Council, just one of a number of projects she has taken on. I still maintain two volunteer positions, one with Calaveras Community TV and The Sheriff's Archive, even from the road, now that I'm rambling. Women are phenomenal contributors.

But, at the end of the day, we know to nurture our friendships. Camps restaurant, in Angels Camp, offers good service, food, and live music on Friday and Saturday nights. The Three M's Night Out.

MIGHTY FROG HUNTERS IN FROGTOWN

Its one of those things I don't tell anyone from Calaveras County, especially anyone I know from Angels Camp, the frog jumping capitol of the world. If the Chamber of Commerce finds out about my past, I'll be run out of town on a rail.
As kids, we all caught frogs in the creek that ran by our place, and butchered them for their tasty legs. Pat's mother wouldn't cook them, but my mother would. Was it serendipity that I found frog legs for sale in Angels Camp? I couldn't resist. We had a farewell dinner of frog legs, and they were just as delicious as we remembered them.
We toasted this gathering of childhood friends, after 60 years of no contact, and marveled at our good fortune to have found each other. We shared treasured memories, made joyful new memories and will never again let the years pile up before we see each other again.
Our visit ended, but some friendships, we discovered, are forever.

DIRTY LAUNDRY? NYET!

Today is laundry day, one of those little things one must do between having fun. I'm soooo enjoying Washington State, but one has to do the laundry. Blogging is a volunteer job and one ends up blogging almost everything you do, but, no one wants to see my dirty laundry. So, I cruised through my photos and decided to choose five favorites. Above is a dancer from Lima, Peru. It was a dinner show and I didn't get her name. (2008)
This is Betty Coleman, 89 years young. She stands in front of one of her husband's paintings. Robert (Bobadoc) Coleman is one of my favorite artists and Betty is one of my favorite people. She is holding a bouquet of bottle brush she just picked. She is from Angels Camp, CA. (2008)
I'm charmed by the pose of this lovely lady with her creamy white shoulders and lace capped sleeves with her back to the artist. I want to know who she is? Who painted her portrait and why from that pose? I delight in enlarging this photo each time I come across her while perusing my albums and I sense a woman of mystery. This portrait hangs in the Astoria Heritage Museum in Astoria, OR. (2009)
This woman made me chuckle as she laid right down on the cement to get the right angle on that flower. She didn't object to my taking her picture taking a picture, but I didn't get her name. This photo was taken at Kautz Winery in Murphys, CA. (2008)
Tiffany, my hairdresser from Angels Camp always wears a smock. I would never have known she had a tattoo until we talked about tattoos and she readily removed her smock and showed them to me. Isn't she a beautiful woman? (2009)
I hope you enjoyed meeting some of my friends and chance encounters.

MINGLING WITH THE BIKER DUDES AND DOLLS

One of my high school boyfriends rode a BSA and I got introduced to the biker culture. Of course, my dad didn't approve and it was a short lived relationship. Transition forward to the massive biker movement, Hells Angels, murder, drugs, crime... It was ugly and biker's reputations were ugly with it in the 1950's and 60's. The Angels took over Angels Camp during one Frog Jump and terrorized the town.
In the 1980's, during the jumps, Main St. Murphys would sometimes have millions of dollars worth of Harleys and other bikes sitting on the street. Bike after bike angle parked with no room for a car in site. The leathers around town created a tourist attraction for the locals. Being a local, I still enjoy the biker dudes and dolls who roll in. They are older and more mature. Not many hard edges anymore. Ordinary guys and gals, working during the week and having fun on the weekends.
My friend, Michal Houston, and I enjoyed the people watching and mingled with the dudes and babes and thoroughly enjoyed the gathering that only happens once a year with the jumps. Fair ends tomorrow. Come on up for the food, the beer and the roar of choppers blasting down the highway en group.
Yeah!!

MINING RELICS

Some years ago, an old dilapidated mining shack visible from Highway 49 between Angels Camp and San Andreas was threatening to fall over. It became habit to check it out at each passing to make sure it was still there. Eventually, the local newspaper got into the act and speculated, on behalf of its readers. how long might the old relic last? It diminished month by month, board by board and finally fell. I miss the old wooden shacks and barns that populated this rural county. It is sad to see them lose the battle with time. I've photographed a number of beautiful old barns that have since disappeared. Various artists have painted the old relics and saved them for posterity. And, I will periodically, photograph those I see and share them with you. Old mining equipment lasts longer, but, it too will lose the battle to rust some day.

FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS

Suzy Hopkins is the editor and publisher of a new magazine called "friends and neighbors" its emphasis is on celebrating seniors, but, as one of her fans wrote, "You might think this magazine is only for seniors. No, not at all..." Shirley Singley. Shirley is right. Its about our friends and neighbors and topics of interest to everybody.
Suzy has generously given me permission to revisit some of her pieces in "Friends and Neighbors" on my blog while I'm recuperating from shoulder surgery. To the right is a link to the magazine so you can peek for yourself at www.tcfan.net
Bay Area people have been retiring to the Mother Lode after visiting here for years. We welcome their expertise and knowledge and many contributions to our communities and Susy is right to celebrate them. Their numbers are expected to grow in the coming years and Tuolumne County is preparing for that influx with emphasis on safe driving, transportation, housing, etc.
The magazine has a very professional staff and great graphics, photos and color. It can be found all over Tuolumne County-free. Just ask a local business person. It is also available to folks in Calaveras County in nearby Angels Camp and Murphys. When you are headed up this way, be sure and pick up a copy.
Now, when you visit the Motherlode, you will meet some of the fascinating people who call it home.