Sean & I took a road trip to N Calif. I drove the hour and a half to Sean's ranchette at oh dark thirty and he drove from there on down.
The lack of snow on Mt Shasta was troubling. When you have lived where water is such a precious commodity, you know how important snow pack is to replenishing the aquifer.
Lake Shasta was very low as well. It's looking to be another tough year for farmers and ranchers.
As we were pulling into the compound at Marymine's there were a million snow geese busy destroying an alfalfa field.
I told Sean that I felt sorry for that farmer, and was thankful it wasn't one of Clarke's alfalfa fields. Come to find out it was a new field of his. Dang.
Finally, I got to meet and hold great grand baby, Zoey.
She's such a good baby. Goes everywhere with Ali and never fuses. I picked her up, and she took one look at me, cocked her head, pooped her diaper, and smiled. We bonded! Marymine and I only locked horns once on who's turn it was to hold her. Guess who won that one. Ali is in her element as a mom.
We went out to dinner that night, only people wearing masks were the servers. The place was busy and no one was worrying about social distancing. The push back to unconstitutional mandates is happening. Yay!
Sean took off the next morning to a friend's further south, with the promise that he would stop & pick me up on his way back North.
Ali, Zoey, and I ran farmer errands most of the day. That evening after Marymine got home from work we caught up, and she showed Ali & I how to make chocolate bombs...
Anyone who thinks the country is quiet, hasn't lived there long. All those geese (see above) make a lot of noise, add in the coyotes at night, and you have sound effects galore.
Thought I would walk the fields just at day break, til I realized it would be better to stay close to the compound. There are a couple of blinds not that far from the houses, and buckshot stings.
That evening Colt said we all needed to go have a beer at Farmer's Brewing in Princeton,
and that we would take "the party bus". What party bus, I asked. Oh, they laughed, the boys bought a bus at an auction in Oregon, and it's "the perfect party bus". Got a little remodeling to finish inside, but other than that... What a hoot!
Loved getting to spend time with my wild, crazy, hard work'n crew.
Sean and I are now back in the rainy, cold North country.
Friends in NW Colorado posted two pictures of a retired buck rake. Last winter the snow was to the seat. This winter to the wheel hubs. Their ranch is on the Colorado River drainage.
ReplyDeleteSnow gauge there are fences. Average winter is three wires. Hard winter, four. Some winters the posts get covered. This winter it is one wire so far. Last summer was poor for hay and they decided to severely thin their herd. Looks like the right decision.
WSF, Yep, we used fences as gauges for snow, and the creeks for rain. It does appear that they made the right decision to thin their herd.
DeleteNot much grass down there, due to lack of moisture and the howling North wind. Sean teased me about looking at the feed situation before anything else... old habits die hard...
I NEED that bus;)
ReplyDeleteTil they get the inside finished, it's bring you're own lawn chair!
DeleteGlad you made it down to NorCal. Your Great Grand Baby is a doll. It is suppose to snow here next Wednesday (-:
ReplyDeleteI was in dire need of a family & Great Grand baby fix. Heard you might be getting a dusting of snow soon. Prayers Up!
DeleteThat bus is the BOMB. I could get into a lot of trouble on that bus, Brig.
ReplyDeleteWe're expecting to see two feet of snow this weekend, but Northern AZ (arid anyway) is in the same shape as everywhere else with a very dry year.
The baby is adorable. I'm happy to see you having fun on your road trip!
It's bring you're own lawn chair to the bus, til they get the inside fixed up. LOL
DeleteHoping the weather improves for all concerned.
Thank you, Zoey is pretty darn adorable!
That sounded like a wonderful trip. The winter is young yet and the snow may still show up to do its thing later in the year unless the powers that define California screw it up somehow.
ReplyDeleteIt was a much needed break for both Sean and I.
DeleteSeems to be the nature of the beast that farmers and ranchers are weather observers.
There's something about holding a baby that gives one hope for the future.
ReplyDeleteChocolate bombs? And no recipe!
The party bus would prevent those who may have consumed a bit too much farmers's beer from getting, wait, wait a second longer, busted.
Holding a baby and rocking one to sleep is soothing to the soul.
DeleteMarymine didn't use a recipe, but I think if you googled it there would be recipes. Darn yummy!
It's hilarious. Imagine rolling up to a winery, or brewery in that thing, a crew tumbling out with their lawn chairs...
Oh how wonderful to spend time with family and the new baby and isn't she a cutie. So glad you bonded lol.
ReplyDeleteChanges, it was the best. A baby always seems to give one hope.
DeleteZoey is showing signs of being a type A, like her mom, her grandma, and her great grandma. Watch out world.
Beautiful baby, Brig. Glad you had some fun. I'm jealous.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I did indeed have a good time.
DeleteWhen I think of lake Shasta as being low I think of how it looked that summer in 1977, it was a river...
ReplyDeleteI've seen it that low more than once. NorCal really needs more reservoirs, but the enviros have put paid to that. Smelt ya know...
DeleteLOL, and a good time was had by all! And yes, Shasta is 'low'...
ReplyDeleteJim, It was a good time, I have missed that crazy bunch sooo much.
DeleteI enjoyed this post, Brig, full of natural old-fashioned joy. Thank you for chronicling your trip.
ReplyDeleteCheri, Thank you for the kind words. I often wonder what the heck I'm doing writing this blog, but then I figure why not just go with it and see where it goes...
DeleteThe baby is beautiful, the bus is a hoot!
ReplyDeleteEd, Yep, She is, and the bus sure as shoot'n is!
DeleteCute baby and nice you got to visit. We are really dry here in Southern Arizona too. Worrisome for the native plants. We can give ours some water but what about the rest. The rain falls sporadically and some places got 2" with the recent storm. We got a few drops :(
ReplyDeleteIt was good to get to see them all, it had been too long since the last time I saw them.
DeleteWould be nice if we could send some of the PNW rain down there, but I'm thinking Mother nature would not approve.
Glad to hear Zoey got to poop on you. This whole week it's supposed to snow around here. Hopefully that will make up for what you saw, or didn't see, at Shasta.
ReplyDeleteOdie, LOL, it was a near miss. Looks like we all might get some snow if the forecast holds true.
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