OCCUPYING WALL STREET

Occupying Wall Street for me is tomorrow, on Earth Revolution day, October 15th, at Sonora, a small community in Tuolumne County.
This movement is really the first major grassroots revolution going on in America since the Viet Nam protests.  Its been a peaceful revolution and I expect it has put our legislators on notice, maybe…  Maybe not. Did they pass a jobs bill?  No.

Keeping Millions Out of Work to put One Man Out of a Job.
Republicans have turned into a fringe element as in you have to refuse any compromise with Democrats, especially any budget compromise. You have to question Science, because all those environmentalists are a bunch of crazies. You have to think  you can  run a country without any taxes, or regulation, nor listen to any sensible tax plans; you can’t support any muslim citizens of the United States, nor allow women to have control over their bodies.  And, if you are a candidate, you have to PLEDGE to hew to the party line, don’t even think of having an independent thought.  And, while Republicans sympathize with alternative lifestyles, maybe, well, some do, they start to shake when it comes to the word marriage as in same-sex marriage.  The word scares hell out of them. And, you have to deny  environmental holocaust and climate change exists because those pesky environmentalists want to phase out coal and dependence on oil where the $$$$$$ comes from.   And, you can’t be friendly to anyone who ever worked with or compromised with a Democrat.  And gun control, cannot be touched, even for a child safety lock, or for assault guns that can kill an elephant.  And you can’t associate with the “wrong” people,  as in Democrats or anyone who thinks a Union has any merit. Lock our borders, don’t let anyone in, but let cheap goods flow freely across the borders. Why make anything in the U.S?
So, I’m going to put my legislators on notice,  that this movement is about holding Wall Street, the banks, the money grabbers pushing for legislation that benefit only a certain segment of corporations, accountable.  This is about taking back Democracy By The People For The People. This is about basic freedoms and it is just part of a global revolution.
Occupy Wall Street has websites and demonstrations in every state,  ten provinces in Canada, and Puerto Rico. This occupation has been going on for 28 days.
There are protests for PEACE, and REBIRTH of  DEMOCRACY  in Egypt, France, England, Italy, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Syria, and Tunisia. Oh, and don’t be surprised if it doesn’t surface in your local newspaper.
In Ohio, the state is bulldozing houses to keep neighborhoods from turning into slums, and our Congress can’t pass a jobs bill?  They send people to prison for stealing a loaf of bread, but banks and corporations that steal billions get away without even a reprimand?
This isn’t the Democracy that I grew up with.  It may take Americans a long time to wake up, but change is in the air.  Revolution is a painful way to make change, but it works. And, it could get bloody.

BOONEVILLE, CALIFORNIA

We left Mendocino late in the day with plans to have a beer at the Anderson Valley Brewing Company. I had never visited the small town of Booneville, but I had tasted their awesome beers. As in most craft breweries, they have offerings you cannot buy bottled at your local store.  The place was ten deep at the bar and Jim impatient to move on. (He isn’t a fan of craft brews.)
I believe this is the only North American town that has its own folk language called Boontling. Since he had never heard of Boontling, I thought maybe some of you may not have. The beer labels have this to say in Boontling:  “It’s bahl hornin’”   Which means, it’s good drinking.
An explanation of Boontling  from the Boonville Historical Society:

Boontling

A Little Boont

Boontling has received worldwide interest as a linguistic phenomenon. A few of the words you might see or hear while in Anderson Valley include: bahl gorms (good food), buckey walter (pay phone), pike (to walk or travel), rookie-to (quail), harp (to talk or speak), horn of zeese (cup of coffee) and Boont (Boonville).
Around the turn of the century, Anderson Valley was a very isolated farming and logging community. To pass the time (and have a little fun at it), the locals began to use self-developed terms. The language originated with the women and children workers in the hop fields and eventually spread to become the spoken word for most valley residents. Today, with most fluent “boonters” in their elder years, the Boonting Club, Historical Society and many local businesses work to keep the language alive. Listed below are some common Boontling Terms:

• Aplenty Bahl Steinber Horn: Really great beer.
• Apple Head: A girl friend.
• Bahlest: excellent or great
• Bahl Hornin’: good drinking
• Barney Flats: Hendy Woods National Forest. A spectacular forest of virgin redwoods, located in Anderson Valley.
• Belk Region: Bell Valley. A scenic valley located just beyond the baldies, northeast of Boonville. It was here in the hop fields, during the turn of the century, that the language of Boontling originated.
• Boont: Boonville. The largest community and focal center of Anderson Valley. The town where the language of Boontling originated. Now famous for its local brewery.
• Bucky: A nickel (A politically incorrect reference to the Indian head).
• Bucky Walter: A telephone
• Charlie Ball: To embarrass (A local indian of this name was easily embarrassed).
• Deep Enders: Residents of the town of Navarro, located due west of Anderson Valley and bordering the Pacific Coast.
• Heelch: A large quantity.
• High Rollers: Residents of the town of Yorkville, the smallest town in Anderson Valley. Located 10 miles east of Boonville.
• Horn: A drink; to drink. (Dialectal.)
• Jeffer: A large fire. (A Boonter named Jeff built large fires in his fireplace.)
• Shoveltooth: A doctor; an M.D. (A local doctor was so nicknamed because he had protruding teeth.)
• It’s not just shy sluggin’ gorms neemer: It’s not just for breakfast anymore.
• It’s a slow lope’n a beeson tree: Literally a comfortable pace on a horse, while sitting on a very comfortable saddle. Commonly referred to mean “a mellow ride.”
• Pike: A hike or stroll
• Poleeko: Philo. The second largest town in Anderson Valley, located 6 miles west of Boonville.
• Rudy nebs: pristine, mineral rich, well water.
• Tidrik: A party; a social gathering. (Probably from “tea drink,” a dialectal expression meaning the same thing.)
• Zeese: Coffee. (A local hunter-camp cook nicknamed Zeese, from his initials Z.C., made bitterly strong coffee.

At one time, people would stop at a Booneville Cafe, or the gas station, and hear this strange language  and wonder if the town’s people were  a bit daft. While they are quite comfortable among themselves with their lingo,  some folks admitted  to “putting  it on”  a bit for the tourists.  It must have helped. The lingo put Boonville forever in the history books as a unique place.
I’ve read of instances of children forming their own personal language. And folk languages are fairly common in other countries, Australia, and Germany,  to name two.  When Jim and I traveled last year through southern Louisiana, the Cajun French is  clearly an adapted form of French, English and German, a living language particular to that region. Living language changes within our lifetimes and it makes me wonder about the proclivities of texting, and computer short-speak.  How will it affect our language?  Pity the French. They have a language minister whose job it is to protect the language from being bastardized. A losing battle in my opinion.

MENDOCINO

Yesterday, I was dealing with my art fix in Mendocino and I didn’t  show you the town.  Brightly painted, well-kept buildings, small gardens here and there.  A mystery is the water towers. Does that mean a scarcity of fresh water here? I don’t know the answer to that, but they rise majestically above everything.

They are interesting and strong.

Built like railroad trestles.

An edifice that combines a water tower with a viewing platform faces the headlands. It also gives access to the appropriately named Bayview Cafe on the second story of the building next to it.

We wandered into this charming garden with lavender, alyssum, and an angels trumpet up next to a small gift shop-closed at that point.

–

Angels trumpet grows white or yellow, both beautiful.

A friendly bench beckoned.  If it fit in the motor home, I would have taken it home with me.

Beautiful stained glass at Mendocino Jewelry Studio.

If you like kaleidoscopes, Reflections specializes in them. Beautiful home crafted woods and quality glass. Nice, nice, and pricey. The store has an intriguing  kaleidoscopic image quilted wall hanging. Unusual.

-

I chuckled at this whimsical place setting.

Fused glass by Theresa Kowalski, at Panache Gallery.

The bulletin fence teaches you a lot about the character of the town, which is where I learned about the Marijuana Patients Rights Union. This is a fun place. Contemporary, friendly. You could detect a buzz of happiness in the people you met.

A last swing by the headlands, and we were on our way to Cloverdale.

BACKTRACK TO MENDOCINO-AND SHORT SHEETED

I’ve become accustomed to people referring to our travels as a trip. Since we live on the road for long periods of time to us, it  seems more a journey than a trip. Probably a meaningless distinction to other than road warriors such as we. Getting ready to leave on any “trip” is a major undertaking and I’ve found that returning home is the same thing. Stuff to unload, and re-orient myself to my “other” kitchen, dresser, and where is my…?  Oh, THAT is in the motorhome…and so on.  But, one thing is certain, there is always a surprise waiting for us when we return to Murphys.
On my table was a singing birthday card, tomatoes from sister Karen’s garden, a funny pumpkin,  a bottle of homemade salsa and canned pie apples made by neighbor Jan from my apple trees.  I smiled, knowing, if Jan is afoot, with even a hint of Halloween, something is bound to happen. We went to climb  wearily into bed and.. aha!!   The bed was short-sheeted. I had always heard of short sheeting someone, but didn’t really know what it was.  After fixing the bed,  I went to sleep with a hearty chuckle, and woke minutes later to a ringing phone. How did she know we’d hit the sack so early?  Jan and I shared a good laugh over the phone. She is such a treat to have as a neighbor. Now, I’ve gotta get her back. (This little tit for tat has been going on for years.)

But, I’ve neglected the course of events as we left Fort Bragg and skipped a few short miles south to Mendocino. Even though I dove in these waters, Fort Ross, Pt. Arena in the late 1950′s, I had never hobnobbed about  the town itself.  We started at the Mendocino headlands, Jim particularly looking for telltale signs of the places where The Russians Are Coming was filmed. I was much more interested in a scuba diver just getting outfitted for a dive on the narrow beach below us.
The town’s people are friendly, laid back. I knew it was so. In fact, most of the shops here, including the visitor’s center, don’t open until 11:00 a.m.

One of two medical marijuana shops in town and a medical marijuana users patients rights union. And, they need a union. I did a rant awhile back about the Dr. Rosado, in Calaveras County,  who refused people treatment who had used marijuana legally.  The first article I read in my hometown paper on Monday past was the resignation of  Dr. Rafael Rosado, the medical director of five family medical centers associated with Mark Twain Hospital.  I’m glad he is practicing elsewhere.

Since the stores weren’t open, it was a lively scene around Moody’s Coffee shop and internet cafe. Soccer moms, with strollers and kids, meeting for a cuppa at the sidewalk tables outside. I had a delicious almond pastry with cappuccino. Loved their sign:

What I didn’t know about Mendocino was how artsy it is. And, I needed an art fix. Jim kind of groans a bit when I get in the arts mood, ’cause I gotta have my fix. At Prentice Gallery, luscious flower paintings, and the exciting work of Hillary Eddy who is especially talented in her portrayal  glass.
-

They are stunning.

-

This Edward Gordon piece looks like a sunny corner of the gallery instead of a painting.

ACM,  Artists Cooperative  Mendocino,  I discovered quality ceramics by Lynne Butler.

Their  theme of Celebrating Botany,  a number of artists featured botanicals, along with jewelry makers and water colorists. Nice show above the Oceans of Quilts store. I was disappointed in the quilts, though beautiful, they are mechanical with the new techniques. They could have been made in a factory.

The shop The Great Put On featuring wearable art I had planned to skip because it was advertised as a place to buy your travel clothes. Huh! This was fantastic, high quality wearable art and I found wonderful stuff in this shop. It may be kitschy for some people, but if you like this sort of stuff, it is thee place to go outside of San Francisco.
There was much to see and do here and I may get to more of it tomorrow, but we  settled into a back street deli and enjoyed a beer and a spinach puff and samosa for me and a sandwich for Jim. I caught my reflection in his sunglasses. Yes, it was a sunny, fun-filled day.

A PERFECT HOUSE AND HARBOR-FORT BRAGG

Maybe it was the weather. Sunny and fair, walking around Fort Bragg on Friday, what a happy circumstance.  Then a most perfect house caught my eye. There was just something…perfect about it.  Perhaps the manicured bushes and lawn.
Or the perfect stained glass windows. I snapped a picture and the sign revealed it as The Guest House Museum.

 I couldn’t put my finger on it, but inside it was as comfortable as an old shoe. The 1892 Victorian was built for C.R.Johnson of the Union Lumber Company. A well crafted beauty built of 67,000 board feet of old growth redwood and Douglas fir. One room is devoted to a history of the family and the lumbering business. From old timers like these:
To a modern Paul Bunyan.

Kind-to-the-feet hardwood floors, carved moldings, high ceilings, some antique furnishings and rugs. No matter your rank and wealth, nothing  wasted. Rag rugs made from saved fabric pieces; old clothes torn in lengths. Rugs on the floor hand braided or made on a solid redwood, 100 year-old loom.  Rag rugs are made the same way today on a factory scale.

This house was comfortable, I think, because of great windows,  rooms flooded with light and rich, warm wood. Well worth a visit if you go, for a small donation. Staffed by volunteers.

Most of the morning we spent at Noyo Harbor, a fetching place to take pictures on a gorgeous day.

A gull kind of posed for me.

Most of the fishing boats were out for the day leaving us an uncrowded view of those left.

Boat owners like clever, catchy names.

It is a working dock with more pleasure boating and fishing excursions than in former days.

A row of unused big ship tie-downs bring to mind the port did a big  freight business in the past.

A derelict; somebody’s dream just waiting.

We walked to the jetty and the inlet where part of the movie, The Russians Are Coming was filmed. Jim likes to follow movie locations and then re-watch the movie. I’m not much of a  fan.

I  came to this area in the late 1950′s as a competitive skin diver. I remember swimming through a forest of this  type of kelp. It  grows on long “tree trunks”  rooted 25 to 30 feet down to the bottom and blooming at the top.  Big, thick,  red colored abalone were plentiful in these waters;  a wolf eel  in every hole in the rocks.  Abalone shells that come up now are practically flat.  The red abs have been over fished and signs at the beach give warning about their endangered status.

Piles of kelp lay rotting on the sand. Happily, scientists are finding use for it as a biofuel. Chances are they’ll decimate the kelp and then find out what purpose it really served as a form of beach garbage.

We poked around town; nice shops and services; restaurants; an independent book store. I happened on this beautiful sculpture  in a charming square. Whale watching during migration is a popular activity out of Noyo Harbor.

The old water tender stands among the weeds, but the popular Skunk Train makes use of practically abandoned train tracks. A huge nearby mural engaged my interest because the people in it were obviously painted from real people.

You can click on these photos to enlarge them. Before the day ended, we walked out on the famous Glass Beach. I say famous because I think every 5th grade science class from California schools visits Glass beach. Someday, I expect all the glass will be gone. The glass is from years of throwing garbage in the ocean. The glass bottles wash up and break against the rocks and become beautifully smoothed and polished by the waves and rocks.

The river meets the ocean at this spot;  glass chips small, but plentiful glimmered in the sun. A fun day. I took 70 photos if you’d like to see more of them:
https://picasaweb.google.com/106530979158681190260/2011107FortBragg

TATTOO MUSEUM-ANCIENT CULTURE.

The pain, the pain, the pain, Is worth the ornament we gain.  
Tattoo chanting,  while suffering  through the  procedure may not be necessary today since  tattooing isn’t nearly as painful as it once was. In ancient cultures, and in patriotic America, during wars,  suffering through a tattoo was a right of passage.  Madame Chinchilla,  queen of the Triangle Tattoo Museum, has done thousands of tattoos over a period of 25 years.  Madame and her partner Mr. G. are dedicated to preserving the rich heritage and ancient art of  tattoo,  and it is located right  here in Fort Bragg, California. How cool is that?

Madame goes through a spiritual ritual with most of her customers because committing to body art is a life changing step.  You know instantly that Madame is an artist.  Triangle Museum documents the  tantalizing results covering the walls of three rooms from floor to ceiling.  The designs are there, the people, the ancient culture, books, (three that Madame has written), and devices that deliver the ink. The devices fascinated me;  with ornately designed handles.

Pictures are not allowed in the museum except for the stairwell on the way in. Madame got started because she was close friends with Captain Don Leslie,  one of the last living circus side-showmen billed as the Tattooed Man. One wing of the museum features his personal memorabilia from 50 years of performing with the circus. Leslie was a fire-eater, sword-swallower as well. The word tattoo and from that, taboo,  are the only Polynesian words to be incorporated into the English language. A heavily decorated Maori Chief by the name of  Ta ‘taw was brought to the English courts during Queen Victoria’s reign. Ta’taw was soon shortened to tattoo. It became popular for men and women to get tatooed and flash them in the privacy of their parlors to entertain their guests. Queen Victoria, Winston Churchill, his parents and wife had tattoos. You could have knocked me over with a feather.

Jim and I got our tattoos the easy way. Should you visit?  Yes, yes, yes!  Fascinating. You can easily spend a couple of hours looking.
Tattoos are not exactly conventional, and we wandered around town, went to the Guest House Museum, poked around the shops, and Noyo Harbor, had lunch at the world-famous North Coast Brewery and enjoyed Imperial Rasputin Stout and Scrimshaw Ale with our chowder. A wonderful day with beautiful weather. But I ran into another unconventional character at the museum. His name was William Bennett, an engineer with the Union Lumber Company during the 1880′s.  He sent glowing reports to his fiance back east, with progress reports on the beautiful home he was building for her. When she arrived, she took one look around the muddy streets and overwhelmingly male town, and fled. So, William, 45 years old, and probably embarrassed after telling everyone his fiance was arriving;  with time and a lot of wood at hand, he carved his own life-sized wooden family. He claimed, a wooden family was less trouble than a real family anyway.  He built parents, five adult daughters, and eventually his own doll wife. He had dress makers outfit them. They could sit at the table when he had guests over. He did it tongue-in-cheek but others figured he took so much fun from his doll family, even putting his doll wife on wheels and dancing with her, that he was perhaps around the bend. Today, wouldn’t we love to have his wonderful artwork? But, he figured no one would take care of his doll family and before he died, he burned them. Dang.
The rest of my visit to Fort Bragg will have to wait for another blog.