THE THREE M'S MINUS ONE.

Life is so condensed and exciting. My friend Michal Houston still has a house in Murphys but lives in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. She loves it there. She came to visit old friends for a whirlwind week. Michal, Madelaine Krska,  and I, Mary, Maddie and Michal once called ourselves the Three M's. Maddie is retired and living in Arizona. For lunch, we went to our favorite old haunt, Camps in Angels Camp, and toasted our missing friend. I expect someday, the three of us will find ourselves together once again.
Michal and I had a great time looking over pictures of a trip we took to China. It was such a refresher course to read over my old journal and remember fun things we did, and stuff we saw.


Michal and I with a Chinese woman in a roadside village. What would happen if a bus load of tourists pulled up to your house in Murphys and asked if the people could come in and talk to you and see inside your house, and ask you personal questions about your life and how you live?
She lives in the country and is allowed two children, instead of one. Her boys both graduated college. She lives in her family home where she and her husband grow cotton. They have a hog to butcher, and a pond filled with edible plants shared with neighbors. The tiny house had two rooms a large gas wok in the kitchen with a table;  one bedroom where the bed was in a corner with little room to walk around it.


Michal with the ladies of a small Naxi (Nah-shee) village, all dressed for town to meet with a government official. Everyone friendly and accommodating.


I looked for a picture I had of Michal watching a talented cryptographer showing how to paint Chinese script on a papyrus, but I couldn't find it. Here, in the lobby of one hotel, we are both fastened by an ancient, intricate, carving in jade.
We talked about the places on our bucket list, favorite or memorable experiences on the road. I love what famous travel host Rick Steves said about travel:  "You cannot be a bigot when you understand other cultures." He is so right.

THE NOTION OF A CLUB

Calaveras County is unique in that it has but one city, Angels Camp. Even the County Seat at San Andreas is not a chartered city. Local communities here, Mountain Ranch, West Point, Murphys and so on, are run by "clubs." The Murphys Community Club held their Christmas Party and Dance along with the installation of new officers last night. President Houston handed over the reins to incoming President Creagher and it was he who pointed out the notion of a club.
People think of club's as a social, fun group rather than the hardworking institution formed 69 years ago to replace the governmental functions that an organized city would perform, he explained.
This group of fantastic volunteers fundraises to pay for lighting Main St. maintaining our park, providing recreation, building and maintaining restrooms, garbage removal, and most of the other functions of government.
So, it was that Supervisor Tom Tryon installed new officers and joined the festivities.
Outgoing President Houston handed out an award for service to Bob Reagan.
Friends met, mingled and celebrated before dinner.
There was a grinch or two about the place. But, despite all the work, the Community Club is still about FUN.

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!!

MICHAL HOUSTON, HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTESS

Michal Houston graciously invited Jim and I for dinner at her lovely home in Murphys. I've known Michal to invite people she'd just met a couple hours previously for dinner. Everyone is welcome at her table and what an elegant table it is. Making people welcome is part of her Southern heritage. Jim lit the candles and played engineer with her recalcitrant icemaker. I focused on her latest piece of art work, the decorated chair painted and festooned by artist Lori Kelly. It was auctioned off by the Calaveras Arts Council to support the council and a local charity. Its a beauty and I'm ravenously jealous that I couldn't attend that auction.
Jeff, owner of Twisted Oak Winery, welcomed Jim to Murphys on Jim's blog. Michal let us know that Twisted Oak has be our next stop, and when the weather clears, it will be. Murphys is such a nice place to live. Thank you Michal and Jeff.