More thoughts in the time of COVID-19 …
Another death in the family (not COVID). George’s younger sister died monday last. There are now only two of us left in that generation.
~~~
Weather has been doing the “No such thing as climate change? Hold my beer.”
Here it is, not even a full two weeks past the equinox, and last saturday it was in the high 80s (over 100 in Redding) … slept with only a sheet. Sunday was a high of 62 with a wind chill of 50 from the north northwest strong enough to sway evergreens with trunks 24”+ thick … comforter needed for sleep. Last night in the 40s … comforter.
~~~
Problems and blessings based on/at the reservoir have come around again. The visual blessings are there most of the time. The problems are also there most of the time and erupt every few years. They have gotten worse over the last few years and are now at the critical stage. Maybe this time a solution can be found and implemented.
A lot of the problem has to do with the owners of the land surrounding the reservoir, the Siskiyou Land Trust, and their stated purpose for the land. When they acquired the land the idea was it was to be a wildlife sanctuary. But they allowed it to be used as a recreational area and that has led to trespass on private roads which in turn led to parking, trash, trespass on and in the water (which does not belong with the land but to irrigation users down river), and obstruction of road passage for fire fighting equipment and others. I plan to attend the Board meeting of the Land Trust next tuesday. And in the meantime, we are trying to decide how we will handle the situation over this coming “holiday” weekend and I am doing a lot of research concerning rights of access, easements, and all that stuff.
One of the visual blessings was mine last week when on the two early mornings as I drove out (I leave the house a bit after 0600 on tuesday and thursday) the reservoir had a top dressing of mist. That always happens when there is water in the reservoir and the temperature difference between the water and the air is just right, I’ve written about it before. It is always beautiful.
Another blessing has been the continued presence of the Canada geese and their fledglings. There are a lot of them … so many that they form rather large gatherings and hold parades across meadows and roads. More than once I’ve had to stop and wait while one of their parades crosses the road. Sooooo … why does a goose cross the road?
~~~
Weekday mornings have been noisy lately, and not just the birds. Folks have been busy clearing the areas around their buildings (I told you we are in a high fire probability zone) and the crews are out early chipping the piles of slash left along the roads. Work starts about 0630 and is done by noon when the humidity drops. I’m usually awake by 0530 (which is why I don’t answer the phone after 2000 – 8 pm), so the early morning roar isn’t a problem for me.
~~~
As I was going north to Yreka one day last week, I noticed the first cutting has been made in the alfalfa fields ( the first hint was the perfume of the fresh cuttings) and the second bloom is already showing. Later I saw two 18-wheelers, loaded with bales, heading south. Due to irrigation capabilities, this looks to be a good year with possibly four, or even five, cuttings.
~~~
My most recent read was a book titled “The Old Religion”. It is a gothic horror story (I’ve got strange tastes in reading matter, and if you too like that genre look for “Harvest Home” or “The Other” … I think they were both by Tom Tryon).
But what I want to share is an edited excerpt from an interview the author (Martyn Waites) did recently.
“They voted. I think it’s just dawning … that they’ve been lied to, or at least I hope it is, and all the things they’ve been promised won’t be happening. In fact, their lives will be substantially worse than before. Normally I would say they deserve it for what they’ve done, but unfortunately they’re dragging the rest of us down too.
“ … The {lies} were believed, unfortunately. A dangerous fantasist has taken hold of a scared populace and is insisting they do something that would make them palpably worse off. I quote Chesterton in the novel: ‘When people stop believing in something they don’t believe in nothing, they’ll believe in anything.’ That’s our country at the moment.”
He was talking about the UK and Brexit, but it sounds pretty much like another country and situation I can think of right now which is very much in the news.
~~~
Last week I saw an article in the New York Times about the Coney Island hot dog. Seems it was “invented” by a man named Feltman shortly after the Civil War (1867) and he called them “Coney Island Red Hots.” The name “Nathan’s Coney Island Hot Dogs” came later (Nathan had worked for Feldman). Nothing was said about the original recipe (which was Mr. Feldman’s grandmother’s) being kosher but the name Feldman makes me think it must have been. I buy only Hebrew National or Nathan’s now because they are kosher which means they are required to be unadulterated by throwaway meat bits.
Oh well …
~~~
Time now to get on with the other chores and here’s a reminder to hold onto …
Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.
Heroes are the people who do what has to be done, when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
So … ‘til next week …