Words on the Wind ~ February 2, 2014

Much to our surprise we're able to get the crew together for a farewell breakfast before we all take off for home: Linda, Bob and Jyl back to Idaho and Rod, Carol and me to Northern California. We've spent several days immersed in and celebrating ranch and cowboy culture: from rough beginnings in the Old West to the rough stock realities of modern times. Food for thought, food for the soul. Words have been stampeding around my brain for days, but the herd has finally settled down and quietly grazes at my fingertips. 

Tres Amigos

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Words on paper to song 

We're invited to come along

Words on paper to spoken

We're part of a chain unbroken

Words on paper to art

We're taken into the heart 

We've been brought to tears

And learned to face our fears

We've laughed until we couldn't catch our breath

And had our souls warmed to their very depth

Spanish ponies and feral cattle

The art of a handmade saddle

North and South united by a horse's reins

Cowboy songs from Irish refrains 

Charlie Russell was born to wander

And left a legacy of the visual yonder
Called to serve his creative purpose

He'd draw or paint on any surface

His paint brush was his swagger

Perhaps the early American tagger 

Generations have a story to tell

Old and new unite to cast a spell

The journey becomes the guiding muse

Payable in points of view and worn out shoes

Writing new chapters from the old

Spurring new generations into the fold

© 2014, Shelley Macdonald
This poem may be reprinted or reposted with written permission

Western Saddle and Hat

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The Road to Elko ~ February 01, 2014

Here we go again. We start the day with a feather fall of snow, a real treat for us West Coast Kids. Time to round the posse up for breakfast and see what's on the agenda.

Playtime

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Our first show is "Free Range Poetry and Prose" in one of the smaller venues. As we're getting seated a woman walked up to Rod and told him he was a spiting image of Alberta poet Ken Blacklock. We started chatting and found out she was Saskatchewan poet Linda Nadon. We gained another new connection to Elko and bought a copy of her poetry collection to bring home. 

Ken Blacklock

The Rodster

I found a great definition of "free range" from Arielle Greenberg: poet, author, editor and a regular columnist for the American Poetry Review.

"One could theorize that some of the most exciting poetry from any part of history or the world manages to walk the line between chaos and control, concision and surprise. A little purposeful sloppiness can be a great way to enliven, embolden and deepen the heart of the well crafted poem." Sounds a bit like life doesn't it?

We finally get a chance to see Amy Hale Auker and were once again delighted by the stories of Vess Quinlan. Best of all we got to see the winner of the first YouTube competition, Expressing the Rural West: Poetry of the Next Generation, sponsored by the Western Folklife Center. Forrest Mackey is a young cowboy from New Mexico. He recited poems about an 1889 blizzard in the high country near where he grew up and the drawback of a speed dial phone. He's lanky, shy, and has a lot of promise. Hope to see him at the next Gathering.

Off to the G3 Theater for two more shows before lunch. The first is "Windows on the West" with Yvonne Hollenbeck, Dianna McCall and Trinity Seely. 

Bannack State Park Historical Site

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CovetedTemptations
 

A friend had seen Trinity earlier in the week and told us not to miss the chance to see her. She's a ranch wife, cowboy, mother, and remarkable singer and songwriter. We were treated to a glimpse into her life through her music. Here's "Rides for the Brand" on YouTube. 



 

Next is "Steering with my Knees" where Paul Zarzyski enlightens and entertains with works from his new book of the same title. He's a feral wordsmith with a huge stage presence and a one of a kind delivery. If ever you get a chance to see him live take the opportunity and run with it. He'll rock your world.

Phew, time for a breather. We're a little "crowded" out and decide to pass on the afternoon performances to check out some of the trade shows around town and get a walk in. Rod is a knife collector and is drawn to one of the tables at the Stockman's show. There is a young cowpoke of about 6, in full cowboy gear, standing at the display case. He tells Rod the pros and cons of some of the knives and which ones he likes. Rod told him he already had a good knife but asked if he could give him a tip for his great sales pitch. The kid was delighted as Rod handed him a buck. I looked over to the owner of the booth and told him his son was a great salesman. His wife walked up behind us and said "He isn't even ours, his mom runs the booth next to us". What a delightful encounter. 

This has been such a whirlwind we wanted to get the six of us together before we head home tomorrow and decided on Machi's Saloon and Grill. We had a very long wait, but it was well worth it. It also afforded us a chance to catch up on the last couple of days. 

Our final show is "Anthems Past and Future" with Brenn Hill, Waddie Mitchell and Dave Stamey doing a round robin. The show opened with Waddie reciting Dame Nevada, a poem he wrote to celebrate Nevada's sesquicentennial (150th) birthday this year. When the show started it was clear they each had a set list in mind, but that quickly disintegrated as they started to respond to each other, a little unplanned chaos that delighted the audience and gave us one of the best shows of the Gathering.  Here is the link to YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCBGTQBox_Q



The Road to Elko ~ January 31, 2014

Home base for our adventure in Elko has been the Gold Country Inn. It's comfortable, convenient and has a great little restaurant called JR's. Linda, one of our friends from Boise, is staying upstairs. Our travelling partner Carol and Linda's friends Bob and Jyl are staying at a different hotel downtown. Somehow we manage to coordinate rides and the occasional meal. The only thing missing this trip are Boise friends Ken and Betty Rodgers. They had to put Elko aside this year to prepare for the next round of travel related to the screening of their documentary: Bravo! Common Men, Uncommon Valor

You may see the same friendly faces at a number of venues and only cross paths with your friends a couple of times. The beauty is that some of those very strangers become acquaintances and friends. It's just the nature of the Gathering. Someone I sat next to in one of the venues has a sister in Sebastopol. Go figure!

The day kicks off with "Cut 'em Loose" with Joel Nelson, Jerry "Brooksie" Brooks and Paul Zarzyski. As you may have surmised Zarzyski is one of our favorite performers, we never tire of his special kind of poetry and humor. We were first introduced to the inimitable Brooksie in 2012 during one of the shows honoring Charlie Goodnight. We marveled at her ability to recite an epic length poem. She defines the strong, courageous, and artistic woman of the West and is an exceptional reciter of classical and modern cowboy poetry.  

Second event is "30 Years of Wrangling Words" with six poets and reciters. The four gentlemen: Dick, Waddie, Joel and Paul were great but it was the ladies who stole the show.   

Georgie Sicking

Photo credit Lori Faith Merritt

Georgie Sicking was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1989. She calls herself a cowboy who just happens to be a woman. Her poetry struck a note for all of us. Be Yourself and Housewife will brighten the dreariest of days. Her biography and more poetry can be found at http://www.cowboypoetry.com/sicking.htm

Yvonne Hollenbeck is the top award winning cowgirl poet in America. Home is old family ranch in rural South Dakota, the nearest town is 30 miles away. Her poems The Truth About Cowboy Laundry and What Would Martha Do? will have you in stitches - which reminds me, she's also an award winning quilter.  Her biography and a few of her poems can be found at http://www.cowboypoetry.com/yh.htm 

It's just now noon, so we grab a bite to eat in the cafeteria and head off to the Members Show #2. Standouts from this show are Vess Quinlan and the Gary Haleamau Family Band from Hawaii. The day just keeps getting better. 

When we purchased tickets last fall the "This is my Prairie" show with Ian Tyson was sold out. On a whim we decide to see if there are any tickets available. Jackpot! We get two tickets in Row E, five rows back from the stage. He's a singer, songwriter, cowboy, and storyteller extraordinaire. In 2011 he received the Charles M. Russell Heritage Award. You may remember one of his earlier incarnations as half the duo of Ian and Sylvia.

There are live podcasts of both the Members Show and Ian Tyson's show on the Western Folklife Center website at http://www.westernfolklife.org/2014-National-Cowboy-Poetry-Gathering-Live-Broadcast.html

The entertainment and inspiration is not limited to the shows. We hear young hopefuls harmonizing in the halls, see impromptu musical collaborations in lobbies and on the street. We're drawn back in time as budding poets paint word pictures that bring the Old West back to life and also tell the stories of today's real working West as well. That's what good modern cowboy poetry is all about. By the time the day is over we're giddy as kids who've been let in on a big secret. Time for a light dinner and off to rest up for tomorrow. Chance of some snow on the horizon. 

On Valentine's Day ~ February 14, 2014

A shout out to my darling husband Rod

who walks beside me

holds my hand 

and makes me laugh

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, 

while loving someone deeply gives you courage. 

Lao Tzu

The Road to Elko ~ Jan 30, 2013

I knew if I didn't take some notes at the events I was going to regret it. Much to my bemusement I'm now sorting through eighteen pages of scratchpad scribbles written in near darkness during the shows. Gonna have to rethink this next time. What would Margo do?

One of the fun parts of the Gathering is bringing all our western gear, the stuff we don't wear in our everyday lives: boots, vests, hats, scarves, special shirts, fringed jackets and jewelry. It's a chance to step into our favorite culture. 

Old West Cowgirl
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This year seemed to favor a change: perhaps due to below freezing temperatures and the copious number of layers we all wore or carried around, perhaps out of respect for the real cowboys and their families. It wasn't anything conscious, we just noticed a subtle shift from dressing the part to comfortable layers. I kept the hat and jewelry but traded the fancy gear for a favorite turtleneck and fleece jacket.

The wondrous part of the Gathering is that there are free shows and workshops every day. They're in small venues and often more entertaining than the large ticketed shows. The hard part is making a choice, as there are usually 4-6 events going on at any one time at several venues. 

The morning starts off with "A Couple of Rebels" featuring Vess Quinlan and Paul Zarzyski; both accomplished poets, reciters and storytellers. Whether free verse or rhyme their work will get you to thinking and haul out your emotions, running the gamut from tears to hysterical laughter. 

Our second show was "Verses for Nature's Adversities" with Doris Daley, Carolyn Dufurrena and Gail Steiger. A couple of lines in Doris Daley's poem "100 Years From Now" really stuck with me. 

We lived beneath the arch with a mix of grit and grace,

Just ordinary folk in an extraordinary place. 

These words still hold true. We may live in different places and times, but challenges remain for every one of us. The grit and gumption of our ranchers and cowboys make us realize we can dare to be brave and face whatever is thrown in our path. 

The first Members' Show at the Convention Center Auditorium was a round robin featuring Don Edwards, Joel Nelson and Randy Rieman ~ one and all credentialed and steeped in living the American West. Rather than try to put words to the experience, I'll send you to the link for the Western Folklife Center Members' Show #1 on Thursday, January 30th.

http://www.westernfolklife.org/2014-National-Cowboy-Poetry-Gathering-Live-Broadcast.html 

The theme of the Gathering was "Expressing the Rural West ~ into the Future". Planners worked hard to attract younger generations by taking advantage of social media and creating youth programs like the Teen Poetry Slam and Young Buckaroo Open Mic. We took notice, there were more young people attending, participating and performing at the Gathering that we'd seen in previous events. A new generation, old souls at heart, has stepped up to carry on the traditions of the West. 

Performance from Teen Poetry Slam

Photo credit Jessica Brandi Lifland

Glenn Ohrlin and Bridget Reedy 

Photo credit Jessica Brandi Lifland at

http://jessicalifland.com

We need to remember across generations 

That there is as much to learn as there is to teach. 

 Gloria Steinem

Look up any of the performers cited above on YouTube and you'll find some great examples of their work. If you go to Cowboy Poetry.com you'll find an incredible resource for research, poetry and all things cowboy. The link is http://www.cowboypoetry.com

We checked out a few of the trade shows in the afternoon, had an early dinner and called it a day. Time for a little dose of Louis L'Amour and dreamland.

The Road to Elko ~ Jan 28-29, 2014

Off to Elko, Nevada for the 30th Annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. We missed 2013 due to severe weather (Wimpy Coastal California Kids) and this time next year I should be recovering from a liver transplant (Not Allowed in Crowds). Our friend Carol came with us and nothing was going to keep the posse away from this celebration of living history, horses and cowboys. It is also Nevada's sesquicentennial (150th) birthday. Although I'm a California girl, I have family ties to Nevada and proud to have some history there. 

We took off about 10:30 and got to Reno in the late afternoon. After tossing the luggage into our rooms the three of us took off for a walkabout (a daily ritual). Coincidentally, the distance from the Silver Legacy to Labels, our favorite consignment store, is a two mile round trip. Walking Justifies Shopping! We had a delightful dinner with our friends Steve and Barbara and then called it a night. The Biggest Little City in the World is a good halfway point in the journey.

Some find the high desert a featureless bore, but I am always stunned by it's vast beauty, subtle colors, vitality and adaptive genius. The drive to Elko was cloudy and cool with a promise of rain and snow as we climbed each pass to the next great wide open. Nevada is also experiencing drought conditions so if moisture gets this far east there is hope we're getting rain at home. 

We arrived in the late afternoon, unpacked and headed out to our first show at the Elko Convention Center: the premier of the Trails End Ranch Radio Show from the mind of Stephanie Davis. We were lucky enough to see the first, post workshop, performance at a San Francisco gallery last year. 

Rehearsal
Fred Newman, D.W. Groethe, Stephanie Davis, 
Jerry Brooks, Henry Real Bird

Photo Gib Myers ~ Elko Daily Free Press

We became a live in studio audience for the show (My dad took me to the Red Blanchard Show in San Francisco in the 50's so this was a delightful step back in time for me). The ensemble is made up of six actors and five poets who write all their skits and advertisements (my favorite was for Western Brew ~ Lose Your Need to be Right) and a seven musician band. The show has grown and evolved since our first viewing so we were thoroughly entertained. 

After the performance Rod, Carol and I met up with our friend Tam for dinner at the Star Hotel and then headed back to the Gold Country Inn to catch a few winks before our first full day of entertainment kicked into gear. Note to self: no more large dinners at 9pm.

Note to my readers: Many of the event performances are well worth checking out and are available as live podcasts from the Western Folklife Center at the following link:
http://www.westernfolklife.org/2014-National-Cowboy-Poetry-Gathering-Live-Broadcast.html 

Holy Crapitola ~ A Five Day Project Turns into Five Weeks ~ Dec 9, 2013 to Jan 17, 2014

Our bathroom's been on the to do list for the 27 years we've owned the house. What started out as a pretty straight forward project to replace the old tub with a walk in shower and update a few things turned into the Remodel from Hell. 

Surprise #1 - Two of the walls in the bathroom are inch thick, exterior stucco, painted the same color as the exterior of the house when we bought it in 1988. We always thought the place might have been a cabin at one time, wish the walls could talk! Removing these sections created quite the grit cloud, which, no matter the precautions, escaped the confines of the project. A deep cleaning of the house was a no brainer once the project was completed. 

Surprise #2 ~ Though recycle and re-purpose were not yet words in the common man's dictionary when the house was built in 1953, it appears the concept was alive and well judging from the construction of the shower. Can you spell jigsaw puzzle?

Surprise #3 ~ The plumbing inspector showed up Wednesday the 11th and had our crew remove a 4' x 4' section of floor to expose the tangle of plumbing he suspected was there. We discovered that when the new sewer line was put in (before we purchased the house) they simply put wood flooring over the old, open sewer pipe which was still connected to septic. Yikes!

Plumbers had to be called (installers aren't plumbers which seems ironic since ReBath specializes in bathroom remodels) and they would be there Tuesday (12/17) to get plumbing up to code. Next Week?  We've been without a shower since the 9th and a toilet since the 11th. Fortunately we have our little trailer (the outhouse on wheels) parked out front and we've been able to stay at a cottage owned by the parents of one of our neighbors.

The plumbers pondered a solution and came up with a winner. The inspector signed off on the 18th and the washer, dishwasher, sink, shower and vanity were connected to the new sewer line. Our Medusa has been tamed and the crew finished the project on Saturday the 21st, our 27th Anniversary. Whoopee we can sleep at home. 

Surprise #4 ~ The entire plumbing system backs up Sunday morning after two showers and two flushes. WTF! Monday morning we call the a honey wagon and get the septic pumped (it was time anyway) but that doesn't solve the problem. Razzafratz! Rod spent over an hour on his belly in the ice plant with a hose and hand cranked snake before a large chunk of something indescribable dropped into the septic tank with a splash. Houston we're up and running again. The painters came on January 13th. 

Though the project went over budget and was total pain the ass, now that it's over, it was worth it. No matter how much homework and planning you do you're going to find something else that needs to be dealt with. 

"Before you do any remodeling, you should check out the existing market for another home. If you don't do it before you remodel, there's going to be at least one moment during the remodel when you do...and you're going to find that you can't afford to move anyway. So part of the process becomes coming clear about liking where you live." Paul Winans

Tombstone Series ~ Are You There Moriarty? Part II

Wanting to know what lead to the infamous showdown with Judge Barnes, I dug a little deeper and found the rest of the story. Stanley was a merchant in many guises and for a few years he ran auction and commission houses at 506 and 508 Allen Street. 

Allen Street ~ Left to Right

Tombstone Prospector, Auction Houses, 

Nobles Hotel, 

Schieffelin Hall (stand alone building)

Courtesy Tombstone Archives

Always active in community affairs he was elected a city councilman for the Fourth Ward in 1886. On November 19, 1886 he was appointed to the committees on finance, printing, gas, fire, water, and public buildings.

City Council Minutes 1886

Courtesy Tombstone Archives

"Bagg, in cahoots with Judge James Reilly, Martin Costello, Andy Ritter, and Joseph Pascholy were upset with the Tombstone newspaper, the Tombstone Epitaph. On a dare he decided to rival the Epitaph, thus the origin of the Tombstone Prospector, in 1887." (1)

~

"The Prospector was conceived to offset what some powerful Tombstonans suspected were sinister forces at work behind the editorial masthead of the Tombstone Epitaph. The Prospector was established March 7, 1887 as an independent daily paper. Feeling the need for a more combative approach, Bagg, who viewed the Epitaph as little more than a mouthpiece of a Cochise County ring centered around the courthouse, took over as editor and sole owner of the Prospector in 1889." (2)

~

"The Prospector's mission was to combat the powerful group which ruled the roost at the courthouse.  Combat duty was turned over to editor Jimmy Nash, who did what Bagg called a "poor job." So Bagg stepped in to give the county ring a real fight. A showdown ensued when both papers submitted bids for what Bagg later called "the velvet of the business at the time" ~ the printing contract for the Cochise County government.  

Both papers bid on the contract: it was awarded to The Epitaph even though Bagg's bid was much lower. Denied the velvet, Bagg sued the county, only to lose the case before District Judge W.H. Barnes. Unwilling to let the matter rest, Bagg's Prospector attacked the decision in print ~ the move that landed him back before Judge Barnes on a contempt charge. 

In 1891, Bagg solved the rivalry problem by purchasing The Epitaph. He returned it to weekly status and a Sunday review publication.  Having been the butt of Epitaph commentary, none of it too complimentary, bagging The Epitaph must have been sweet for the five-foot tall furniture store owner and son of the founder of the Detroit Tribune." (3)

He ran the Prospector until 1895. During that period of time he was involved in all things social, political and economic in Cochise County and the Territory. He became widely known, well liked, and was respected by friends and foes. In the early 1880's he was appointed to the Territorial Prison Commission and by 1893 he was chairman. 

(1) Cochise County Stalwarts Lynn R. Bailey, (2) Those Old Yellow Dog Days, Frontier Journalism in Arizona 1859-1912 William H. Lyon (3) Fred Schoemehl editor, National Edition of the Tombstone Epitaph

Tombstone Series ~ Are You There Moriarty? July 1, 1961

Though I'm a California girl, some of the roots of my family tree are firmly planted in Tombstone history starting in the 1880's. In January, 1984 my Mom sent me a newspaper clipping about my great grandfather, Stanley Chipman Bagg. The column, called The Lighter Side, was written by Kearney Egerton, a former cartoonist and writer for The Arizona Republic. His tales of Tombstone and the state's history made him an Arizona institution.

SC Bagg, editor of the Tombstone Prospector, let fly with both barrels at Judge W.H. Barnes of the federal district court for one of his decisions. Barnes slapped a $500 fine, for contempt, on him. "I have enough money to pay the fine" Bagg said, "but I refuse to pay the fine as a matter of principle!" Barnes had him thrown into the Cochise County Jail. Bagg was there several weeks, editing the Prospector from behind bars and receiving a steady stream of visitors. He became an embarrassment to the authorities and they told him he could go. He refused. The sheriff had to throw him out of the cold and stony and lock the door behind him. Years passed. Judge Barnes, then in retirement from the bench, was ordered to jail for contempt by Judge R.E. Sloan. As he approached the jail doors he fainted, and was carried to his cells by friends. He collapsed on the narrow bed, but arose when a jail attaché appeared with a telegram. "Aha" he exclaimed, "People far away have heard of this outrageous miscarriage of justice!" He opened the telegram "Are you there, Moriarty? S.C. Bagg"

Mom's letter said the story had been taken out of context from Walter Noble Burns' book Tombstone. In our copy my great grandmother, Charlotte Winchester Bagg, penciled a note in the chapter Red Lights and Altar Candles that S.C was only in jail for one day. Further research turned up several other versions of the story from including one in our archives from James M. Barney published in The Sheriff Magazine in 1952. 

In the Fall of 2012, we headed up to Butte County for a couple of days to visit my Aunt Betty. She sent me home with a treasure trove of historic papers and remembrances from my grandfather, John Sherman Bagg, Stanley's son. Here is his version of the story. 

S.C. Bagg may well be one of these gentlemen 

but we haven't been able to confirm to date.

July 01, 1961

We didn't have County Judges in the 1880's but District Judges and District Attorneys. These came from Tucson to hold Court in Tombstone at regular intervals.

Judge Barnes was a District Judge and he delivered a ruling that had the community boiling over. Dad took issue with it in his newspaper, the Tombstone Prospector, criticizing the ruling editorially and in a humorous vein. Judge Barnes hauled him into court and fined him $300 or 300 days in jail for contempt. Dad said he'd take the jail sentence, thereby putting pressure on Judge Barnes.

Scott White was the sheriff. Dad edited the paper from the front office of the jail, receiving proofs and sending out copy. Then when the jail closed and dad was supposed to be locked up for the night, he and Scott White would slip out the back way to a nice meal with Mrs. White in their home next door and Dad would bed down in the spare room. After three days, the town dignitaries still indignant and siding with dad, collected $300, got a team and surrey and took him out for home.

Judge R.E. Sloan (later to be Governor Sloan) succeeded Judge Barnes and when he made his first visit to Tombstone Dad met him at Benson and rode the "Burro Train" to Fairbanks, where they boarded the old six horse Modoc stage for Tombstone (8 miles). On this trip Dad sold himself to Judge Sloan as his Clerk of Court. This was the beginning of a very fine friendship and I remember the Judge at our dinner table on several occasions.

Years later former Judge Barnes was handling a case before Judge Sloan in Tucson. He didn't like Judge Sloan's attitude and got sassy. The judge admonished him, but he kept at it until finally Judge Barnes overstepped himself and Judge Sloan gave him "$300 or 300 days". He told the sheriff to take him into custody and motioned for District Attorney Francis J. Heney (more on him in another post) to come to the bench and whispered to him to "Go out and wire Bagg". Dad got the wire and immediately wired Judge Barnes in care of the Sheriff at County Jail "Are you there Moriarty?" Walter Noble Burns, in his Tombstone makes quite a story of this but misses some of the more pungent details.

Years later I was in the bar of the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles at a table where I was called to met some of the men in the party. I met a Barnes, "Any relation to Judge Barnes of Tucson?" Barnes "I am his son" "Are you by any chance related to Stanley C. Bagg of Tombstone?" Dad "I am his son"

We glared at one another, about to explode into a knock down and drag out, when the humor of it struck us and amid laughter and a couple of big scotch highballs, we buried the Barnes-Bagg feud. "Are you there Moriarty" however still persists in the record books. My most active part in this episode was visits to the jail to feast on the cakes and candy and other donations that were brought in by the "Loyal Legion"

Good Hunting, John Sherman Bagg, Mining Engineer

My research mentors, Nancy Sosa from the Tombstone Archives and Margo Metegrano from CowboyPoetry.com, taught me to not believe everything I read and keep digging for the truth. There is something to be said for the thrill of the chase.

A New Year's Rewind ~ Jan 01, 2014

Rod and I once owned a part interest in 40 acres on the old Navarro Ranch in Cazadero. The property was burned over in the Creighton Ridge fire in August 1978 and when one of the original partners decided to sell out Rod bought his share. He was living on the land in a teepee when I met him at the Fort Ross Volunteer Fire Department Picnic May 1981 (Actually the teepee had just blown of the ridge in a major storm so he was camped out in the main house of the old Ranch). The cabin was built in 1982. 

 Cabin ~ Circa 1982

We used to go up quite a bit when no one lived there full time, but things changed over the decades. In 2007 two of us sold our shares and moved on. Partner George headed for Campo to be near his grandkids and we focused time on our place in Sebastopol and travelling.

Fast forward to 2014. We hadn't been up to the land in almost 7 years. George has been up from Campo so we decided to head up there to visit with our old partner Todd and his family today: daughter Megan, husband Joe and their three kids. A lot has changed and nothing has changed. It was a step back in time and a chance to catch up. An informal pot luck in 70 degree sunshine set the stage.

Cabin ~ Circa 2014

 

There have been many improvements made over the years: additional windows and interior walls in the cabin and solar power. The garden below the cabin flourishes with raised beds for vegetables, fruit trees, and flowers.

 

There is a new outhouse.

 

The "bath room" now includes a tub

Garfield is resident rodent wrangler 



 No words necessary

 

The little cabin that George built is now a guest house with indoor plumbing and a view down the canyon. We've been invited to come stay anytime. It is so supremely quiet up there: miles of trails to hike and a glorious place to do some stargazing. Looking forward to spending time up there again.

A Thursday Discovery ~ Jan 02, 2014

"Who are we hiding? What part of us is lost in the truth of who we hope to be rather than stand in the truth of who we truly are?"

 

Wise words indeed from SoulfulStuff

 

Fractured Truth Rock

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SoulfulStuff

The Trunk Series ~ Feb 08, 1964

In the Fall of 1963 I left bucolic Mill Valley to attend UC Santa Barbara. I was 18 and it was time to go away to school. I had no game plan but I was off on a new adventure and that's what counted.

At the time UCSB was the new kid on the block of the UC system. The student population was maybe 3,500 students, mostly living on campus or a short walk away in Isla Vista. The weather was great, the beach was always calling, you didn't need a car, and dogs were allowed in class. Somewhat insulated from the real world it had a well earned reputation as a party school in those days.

Freshman and sophomore year students lived in dorms. The original ones on campus were refurbished military barracks. The four of us met our freshman year while living in Pine Hall. Sophomore year we were moved uptown into Santa Rosa Hall one of the new dorms. The ultimate goal was to move to Isla Vista, but that would have to wait for junior year.

Pam, Maggie, Me and Priscilla

Pine Hall 1963

We decided on some peace keeping measures early on and wrote up this agreement regarding the borrowing of each other's clothes. The signatories: Margaret R. White, Priscilla H. Mullen, Shelley K. Macdonald, and Pamela B. Detloff

Maggie and I have remained close friends over the years, but we've lost touch with Priscilla and Pam. I've started doing some research on line to see if I can find the two of them. It would be a hoot if we could reconnect. There are stories to tell from those years ~ if we can still remember them.

Christmas Eve ~ Dec 24, 2013

For a majority of the 32 years Rod and I have been together we've spent Christmas on the road: visiting my parents in Arizona or his family in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. We are orphans now, having lost the last of our parents when Rod's sweet pop passed away earlier this year.

We decided to stay home this year and all it did was get us in trouble.  Well, not really trouble, let's say we have a new understanding of an alternate description of adventure.

• Dec 9 ~ through Dec 21 the bathroom remodel runs amok.
• Dec 21 ~ remodel is completed on our wedding anniversary: oh boy we can shower and flush, the best gift ever before we head out for a great dinner at Underwood Bistro in Graton.
• Dec 22 ~ the new plumbing backs up.
• Dec 23 ~ septic tank pumped in case that was the problem (should do it every 5 years and it had been 7) ~ not the problem
• Dec 23 ~ Rod on his belly in the ice plant with a hose and plumber's snake trying to shake loose whatever is keeping the main line to the septic tank from draining.
• Dec 23 ~ an hour later success ~ splat something unmentionable drops into the empty tank ~ Houston we've fixed the problem, all systems go.
• Dec 23 ~ well as long as we're in here we might as well dump the black water tank on our Outhouse on Wheels. This puppy saved us during this little adventure in plumbing.

• Dec 23 ~ get the hall and living room carpets, couch and easy chairs cleaned by Coit due to dust bomb grit aftermath of removing a portion of two of the interior bathroom walls which turn out to be inch thick exterior stucco.

• Dec 23 ~ go to movies to escape the chaos on the kitchen counter and having most of the furniture parked in the kitchen or out on porch while the carpets dry.
• Dec 23 ~ get home from the movies in time to see the last heart pounding 5 minutes of the Forty-Niner game. A fitting end to the season and Candlestick Park.
• Dec 24 ~ I started deep cleaning of one of the bedrooms: as in everything from baseboards to ceiling. Why you ask? Three days ago the afternoon sun was shining in Rod's window when he took a shirt out of his closet and shook it. A cloud of dust rose up and danced about him like campfire smoke. Yikes, cosmic hint, Thor's hammer, Gibb's slap to the back of the head ~ got it.
• Dec 24 ~ Rod finishes installing wainscoting and trim.

After 8 hours of hard labor we took a break at 2:30 and headed out for a walk around the vineyard next door. Sunny and 66 degrees, hard to believe it's winter. Tomorrow we'll tackle Rod's bedroom, the kitchen floor and do windows before heading next door for dinner.  Pizza sounds good tonight!

Hope you're enjoying the holidays with friends and family. The kindness, humor, love and generosity of our neighbors got us through this little adventure, and I use the term adventure loosely.

Think we'll hit the road next Christmas ~ The cosmos and, by then, my new liver willing!

Omni Trium Perfectum Part VI December 20, 2013

Yes, once again it's time to play What's my Triumvirate? They seem to get a little stranger each time, but the irony and humor are always worth the excursion. 

Bathroom remodel ~ turns into the Remodel from Hell: a four day project turns into a twelve day "medusa of plumbing" marathon. It's worthy of it's own post, complete with pictures, so more on that later.

Medusa

https://www.etsy.com/shop/galendara

 

Credit card fraud - I get a call from the fraud division of my bank saying my debit card had been counterfeited. They were alerted when someone tried to purchase $300 worth of goods at a Target in New York City. The charge was denied because it was outside my area. Thank you Exchange Bank.

The Press Democrat reports today that Target just suffered the 2nd largest credit card breach in US history with 40,000,000 accounts compromised. Customers who made purchases by swiping their cards at its U.S. stores between Nov 27 and Dec 15 may have had their accounts exposed. Guess who went to Target for the first time in a year on December 3rd?

Rogue Ransom

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Ghostfire68

 

Going Nowhere ~ So we're in Santa Rosa round dusk and the Honda won't come out of park. It starts and the wheel turns but we're going nowhere. We get out the "Guide Book" and find there is a work around that allows us to get it out of park and drive home. However that was only after we set off the car alarm three times. What's amusing is no one gave us a second look.

Going Nowhere

https://www.etsy.com/shop/heleneruma

 

Rod took it into the dealership and discovered that the remote sensor, that was installed for braking when we towed the Honda (Omni Trium Perfectum IV), had shorted out. The car thought we had no brakes so we become momentary hostages. I guess that's a good thing, though frustrating in the moment. Fortunately it was an inexpensive fix.

If you want to check Omne Trium Perfectum posts I to VI just click on the phrase in the Labels, lower right of blog. Have a safe and happy holiday season.

Holy Cold Snap Batgirl ~ Dec 6, 2013

So much for the gentle waltz into winter with our warm sunny days and slightly chilly nights. The temperature has been 24 and 22 degrees the last two nights, the high may reach 50 today if we're lucky. The little red fox of my last post probably wishes he had socks like these.

 

Fox in Socks

https://www.etsy.com/shop

 

The ice on the windshields this morning is akin to what we see in Elko when we go to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in early February. Expect it there, not here.

Winter Window

https://www.etsy.com/shop/sandandpetals

 

The well has shut down two mornings in a row. Yesterday it was one slightly exposed elbow, now "well" insulated (pun intended). This morning it's the pressure switch. Rod, out standing in his field with a cup of coffee and the little space heater aimed at the pressure switch, got us back on line. Ah the simple pleasures of flushing a toilet, doing dishes or a load of laundry. Le Petite Switch now has on a warm coat too.

December on the Lane ~ Dec 1, 2013

December tiptoes in as softly as fox paws

On redwood duff beneath the trees

Each morning brings with it

Subtle changes to the universe

 

The rains of late November

Resurrect the seeds of summer

Pastures turn green on a moment's notice

Morning cold still gives way to warm 

 

 

A noble cat stretched out

Toasting in the afternoon sun

Content to watch his normal prey

Instead of giving chase

 

 

Robins making rainbows

On their way to winter homes

Bathing rituals
Emptying bowls twice daily

Birdsong in the tree tops

 

 

Squeeze the most from your every day

Savor the light, the texture and the sound

Embrace the kiss of late autumn

For once the sun sets

This day becomes a memory