Archive for the ‘California’ Category

photo from noehill.com

Beginning at Putah creek, I’m traveling south through a narrow valley in the Pacific foothills. Along the way I’m passing through groves of oak trees interspersed with the “digger” pine. The hills on the west are covered with “buckbrush” and chemise, along with more oaks and pines. Continuing along, a variety of wildlife is spotted. There are wild turkeys, valley quail, an occasional gray squirrel, and black-tailed deer.

I finally end up in a large valley and come upon a monument  commemorating  a couple of young men who had come up from New Mexico with their families and settled in the area.  With promises to improve the land, they were given a Mexican land grant of approximately 40,000 acres which was called the Rancho Los Putos, a name  taken from the previously mentioned creek.

Nearby there is a restored “adobe” built by one of the men by the name of  Jaun Filipe Pena.  Standing at that spot the imagination is stimulated,  and it brings up images of ” fandangos”, and wild roaming grizzly bears that were once native to the area.

Now, interstate 80 cuts across the northern edge of the valley, and I find an on ramp heading east back to civilization.

When I actually commit to doing some exercise, I usually try to jog for a couple of miles, early in the morning. I prefer to run in the street on the asphalt, since I once had an unpleasant collision with the concrete by tripping on an upraised crack in the sidewalk while running. And, after all, there’s no traffic at this time in the morning; it should be perfectly safe.

 But, Surprise! There is “another” who is out, and taking advantage of the traffic freedom. It’s the dreaded paper carrier, with his sudden appearances, and unpredictable moves. Who can comprehend the torturous mental aberrations that it took to plan his route. There he is; he turns left just ahead of me. Ah, I’m safe. But no! In no time at all he’s speeding down an alley towards me. I race ahead to get out of his way, hopelessly trying to predict his next appearance. Then, finally, I make it home safely, and pick up the paper which has been delivered in the interim.

As I have reported earlier from Sarge’s Cache creek ranch, a barn and some out-buildings have been lost to the creek during high water.
We’re rescuing, at least temporarily, some of the other buildings that are further away from the creek’s edge.
Right now I’m restoring this smaller structure that will be used as a woodshed.

Cache creek reclaiming the land

" six foot high and rising!"

There has been quite a dry spell,  but now we have finally gotten some pretty heavy rain, and the creek has risen rapidly.  That is good news;  but on the other hand this is a very large storm and there’s a chance of flooding.  We’ll just have to watch and wait in order to see what mother nature dishes out this time.