THAT SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY IS REAL.

Out of the blue, Jim and I received an irresistible invitation from a stranger, would we like to come visit her place, and stay, and play and get acquainted with some local folks of Cajun heritage?
For real?  Southern Hospitality is very real and we promptly accepted.
Michele Boulet is camera shy, but we found befriending strangers and animal rescue is just a small niche of Michele Boulet's personality. She and her friend Russell fill their days caring for critters who have come upon hard times, five horses, two of them blind; multiple dogs, a mule, and a boer goat. Independent is another name for cat and Michele's wouldn't have anything to do with me but it was puppy love at first sight.

   

Besides a passel of puppies, her newest acquisition is Helper, a stately bulldog who fits right into the menage and imperially guards the porch or flowers, or whatever needs a lookout.

The horse on the left is totally blind, the other has shadow vision. I forgot to ask Michele if the animals will eventually be placed with others? She says she is learning as she goes. Horses are not a critter to be taken lightly. (The picture below is Michele's, by the way.)

Her Boer goat, resembled my daughter's herd of milk goats from a 4-H project. Michele handed me a reference identifying her meat goat which looks quite like the Nubians..

Michele invited strangers, but we soon found we had a lot in common, a love of cooking, art, books, film production, animals, learning about family heritage, and people. We never fail to learn something new and I'm looking forward to more time and the killer lunch she promised us.
Below is Dancing Pig #6 by Chris Landry. 

She threw us a list of names and I failed to remember this handsome fellow's.

LIVING POOR NOSTALGIA

My background is pretty rustic. My brother is in front of the two room log house we lived in. Behind it, is a clapboard building my father dragged on to the property with horses and a dray to house hunters in the winter. It contained four home-made bunks, a table, and a wood stove. We lived entirely off the land and hunters brought in extra money. We had no indoor plumbing and, at first, no electricity, either.
When I first moved to California, someone invited me to go camping. I wasn't interested. I LIVED that way. A wood fire holds no romance for one such as me because I disliked stacking wood, the dirt, the chips from my father's axe that I had to pick up by the wagon load for kindling. Typical kid complaints while we took for granted the whole outdoors and bountiful nature at our feet.
With my recent visit from my old neighbors, I'm reminded of the wonderful things about living poor. I'm grounded, hard working, practical, a conservationist. (That is the word we used before environmentalist became common.) And, it surprised me that the years could wash away and we could reconnect and feel that we had a lot in common even though Bernice and Marie, each became the wife of farmers, had no higher education, and remained in the same, small community of Hardwood, Mi.
Pat, on the other hand, moved to Indiana and worked in the "big city." None of us attended college and all of us consider ourselves "successful", whatever that means. Let us say, we are no longer poor.
I believe we reconnected so easily because we share the same values. Hard work, the importance of family, self sufficiency, and consistency, come to mind. We share attitudes of stick-to-it, never give up, help yourself and above all, be a good neighbor. There was an-I can do anything anyone else can d0-attitude at our house. I feel so fortunate that my folks drilled those values home. As a consequence, we were rich in friends and self satisfaction. I believe I've retained those values today and they have held me in good stead.
The biggest difference, as it turns out, is I have good health insurance and have retired. Pat, the city worker, the same. Farmers typically do not have health insurance, and that difference is enormous for Bernice, whose husband died of a long catastrophic illness. She now works, at age 71, in an Indian Casino to pay for her deceased husband's medical bills that were enormous. Marie, too, a widow, has a low social security income and no medical insurance. She is 78 and typical of the type of salt-of-the-earth, hard working person who needs affordable health insurance. Well, enough said.
I actually meant to blog today about the National Parks, another "camping" venue, but I got carried away with nostalgia. Maybe tomorrow.

COME FOR A HAIRCUT OR THE TREES

The weekend is full of attractive venues in the Mother Lode, but if nothing excites you, come and see the Big Trees. This group of young people made great sport of attempting to push the "Big Tree" stump an inch or two. Hah!
Art In The Park from noon to 4 p.m. in Jamestown Saturday with wine and violins may interest you.
The Valley Springs Jazz Festival from 10am to 9pm at the Terrace on Saturday, with great bands. Online info or call 209 772-3000.
Sierra Repertory opens "Around The World In 80 Days" Friday through May 24. 209 532-3120.
Murphys Creek Theatre has two comedies, "Laundry And Bourbon" and "Lone Star", Fridays and Saturdays at Black Bart Playhouse through May 17. 209-728-8422, (for mature audiences.)
Sonora Spring Festival 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat. features bands, a chili cook off, art, activities and demonstrations for all ages. 209 532-7725.
Competitors from all over the world come for the Bob Mernickle Fast Draw Challenge 10am Saturday and Sunday at the Mother Lode Gun Club in Jamestown. 847-0483.
And, "Barefoot In The Park" by Stage 3 through May 17. 209 537-1778. Sonora.
Gold Rush Day: A Miner's Picnic", Sat. at the Angels Camp Museum. There is frog jumping, Gold Rush Impersonators, gold panning, and haircuts. Haircuts? 209-736-4658.
A Double Horseshoes Tournament will begin at 10 am. $40 per team, price includes a barbeque lunch and prizes or just come and watch. 209 743-5119.
Cinco De Mayo Family Festival Sat. 5 to 9p.m. Mother Lode Fairgrounds Sonora. Mariachi music, games, dinner, 209 984-0888. But, hey, I'd try those haircuts.