22 May …

 

Last week’s rain washed all the yellow pollen off the car windows.  It also allowed some of the road potholes to reappear as well as encouraging fern growth. 

The bracken is showing fiddleheads.  I remember being told the bracken was bad for cattle.  Then I began to wonder about their fiddleheads.  Could we eat them?  I did research and found out the answer is NO.  So be careful.  The visual clue between edible and poisonous is the stem. 

Round stem = NO. 

Stem with a groove = sauté in butter with garlic.

 

But back to Spring signs.  The catalpa is beginning to leaf out.

And Tyler’s crabapple tree is in bloom.

There was a report that a rain record had been set. One day last week, nearly 2.6” fell in one 24 hour period.

 

 

This was the view out the front windows.

 

And there is fresh snow on the Mountain.

~~~

Last week I neglected to update you on the local Landowners’ Association doings.

One outstanding item was approval for creating an evacuation road from a dead end area off Rocky Road and Fern (to the northeast on the other side of Old Stage).  That set a precedent in re spending Association funds and there are at least three other areas which need an alternative escape route.  We here on High Meadow are one of them.  For us, there is only one way out and that is toward and past the reservoir.  Fire east of us and we’re sunk.  We do have an open area which could be a last resort refuge, but …

Another item was the approval and support of my efforts to make the Watermaster back down on her refusal to allow the use of reservoir water for roads improvement which are also fire prevention and fire fighting access.  The newest oblique accusation from her is that I lied to the County Supervisor.  His response, when I told him, was “Don’t be intimidated.” 

As was said in “All About Eve” … “Fasten your seat belts.  It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”

One item I didn’t like was the site change for the July picnic.  It will be held just down the hill from us this year.  Extra use of our immediate road and need for parking will be a problem.  But since I don’t have an alternative suggestion, I’ll stay quiet. After all, it could have been worse.  They might have gotten permission to use the meadow above us.

Being back on the Association Board gives me something to do and makes me feel useful.  It also gives me something to grouse about.  Who could ask for more?

~~~

The Science Festival was last Saturday.  I wasn’t involved.  Seems there was enough interest by operators more technically knowledgeable than I am and since the aim was education, it was more logical that way.

The report was that things could have gone better.  Oh well …

Next up for the club is the Castle Crags bike event the 22^nd of June.  I’ve been asked to handle net control.  It will be a long day, but I will be in the park, I won’t be on my feet, and I will be fed.

~~~

Interesting phenomenon …

Last week I had been listening to the Beatles on Sirius and found myself rewriting some lyrics.

Do you remember “All My Lovin’”? 

Well …

You are gone and I miss you.

But in dreams I still kiss you.

Remember I’ll always love you.

And although you’re away,

You’re with me every day,

And the hole in my life tints me blue.

My beloved, each day I miss you.

My Beloved, but I’ll muddle through.

My Beloved …

My Beloved …

~~~

John’s partner Michael is involved in an art show the theme of which includes women of mature age.  He is doing photographs and asked me to model.  Can’t imagine why.

He is a good artist and I think he should do some paintings … maybe he will do paintings from the photos. He is especially good with watercolours.

Watch for photos later.

~~~

The Mt Shasta Farmers’ Market opened for the Summer last Monday.  It doesn’t start until 1530 which doesn’t work for me.  I understand the reasoning … by then the main heat of the day is past, and some of the farmers come all the way from down river (Happy Camp and Sawyer’s Bar) which is a long drive.  But I need to start dinner about 1600 so I’ll be looking at other farmers’ markets … maybe Dunsmuir.

~~~

Last week I cashed a check for $21.91.  When I checked the coins I was given I found out that pennies no longer look as I remember pennies looking.  Nor do nickels.

Guess I’ve been living with plastic so long I’ve lost touch.

Oh well …

~~~

The paintbrush is coming into bloom.  Light and colour …

There is light.

There IS light.

It is light where you once were.

It is light where you are now.

It will be light wherever you will go.

 

I will make an effort to remember.

So … ‘til next week …