Rain Date

Still summer and it RAINED last night, snowed in the Sierra. Dang. There goes our five day trip to Yosemite this weekend, a horse camping/trail riding trip, a year in the planning. Dang. It was planned by a group of us in the horse club I belong to. Our camp reservations were cancelled yesterday. Dang. Jerry responded, "What a bunch of wimps, lets go anyways." I was 'saved' by a forest ranger this morning. I spoke directly with a ranger 'up on top'. I asked if it was really that bad up there at the horse camp. His answer....'Depends on how you define 'that bad'. For me, the 2 inches of snow, freezing temps, and the 60 m/p/h winds he described, meet my definition of 'that bad'.

I found another great place we can go to instead, staying out of the mountains but still in the foot hills, decent temperatures, a few scattered sprinkles. I called a list of folks; I am dismayed to find that most of our riding buddies are 'fair weather riders', and not even embarrassed to be such, as they laughed at my determination to not let a little rain ruin the weekend. Sheesh, they need to spend a spring and summer in Michigan. For now only 4 of us will go.

I admit to being a little bit excited about the early snow. Could this be a sign of a snow filled early Sierra winter? Snow was not abundant last winter. I sneaked a peak at the Sierra at Tahoe ski resort web cam..... snow on the slopes, just a sprinkling, enough to get me excited.

I need to bump up my exercise program and dig my ski stuff out of the storage unit.

I need to head out and buy camp groceries for the horses and for us too.

For some reason I am having trouble posting comments on my own blog! I enjoy reading your comments.

I will keep trying to get in there and answer your qusetions and comments.

The crayfish remain a mystery; they have vanished. The next evening I walked the entire pasture and found not one crawdad! A few squished ones on the road and the hapless couple I stepped on are all that remain of the crawdad mass gathering. I googled crayfish, found no reference to land dwelling, large gatherings, or migrations. It shall remain an unsolved mystery for now. I did find a few southern cooking sites with some delicious sounding crawdad recipes. Now I wish I had frozen a dozen or so.


Happy Trails!

Migration?

It doesn't rain all summer in California. Things get dry, the rivers dry up, ponds disappear, fires burn out of control. Fields here on The Ranch are irrigated, kept green for cattle and horse grazing. The method here is to open big pipes on the ground and just flood the pastures as needed. Note, across the road, the 'golden' fields are a result of no watering.
Tonight I called Jerry as I headed home from work. He answered with ,'You'll never guess what I'm doing right now'. Well, I knew he was planning to be out messing with the irrigation, up to his ankles in mud and water. So my guess was right. But in addition to digging little ditches to direct water, he claimed to be gathering dinner also.... 'what????' He started carrying on about crawdads all over the field...., 'crawdads???' 'yeah, you know crayfish.' 'WHAT are you talking about?' He starts into this description of little things, you know, look like small lobsters..... 'OK OK, I know what they are, what are they doing in the field?' He explains, 'crawling all over, lots of 'em.' There are some things I know about; geese flying south, June bugs hitting the screens in June, 17 year cicadas, even caribou migration. The 'lots of crawdads in the field' just didn't make sense.



The front pasture tonight, lush and green from a good water soaking. As soon as I get home I grab my camera and ask to be shown the crawdads crawling all over the place. Looks pretty innocent from here.

We walk out and they are everywhere. Big Red Crawdads. Jerry wouldn't put his hand any closer, the little boogers are rather aggressive. How did they get there? Where did they come from? The river is dry and a quarter mile out back. The ditches are dry. The little pond in front dried out early spring. The water flowing from the pipes is well water. The fields have been irrigated all summer, we never saw field crawdads before! Never... until tonight.

This is my size 7 boot. Kind of a large crawfish, don't you think? I crunched a couple of them, accidentally. eewwww

True to his earlier comment on the phone, Jerry had been gathering dinner for tonight. Here is a close up of the living main course on our picnic table. I am dying with laughter this entire time, these little beast are mean and in attack mode. Jerry had been out gathering them with B-B-Q tongs. I cannot believe the field is over run with these, they are also on the driveway and in the yards. As it got later there seemed to be more and more and more..... why have I never heard of crawdad migrations? Does this happen yearly? Where do they come from? Are they resurrected from the mud?

This picture is rather disturbing I know. A large tub full of angry red crayfish. There were several gallons of them, at least 50, I am sure. By now I am excited, I love lobster but have never feasted on Crayfish or Crawdads, whatever they are.

We plan our dinner. Pull a steak out of the freezer, pop a couple of baked potatoes in the microwave, steam fresh broccoli, melt butter, and select a dozen or so of the largest critters. I hope they are edible and really crawfish. I start to worry, I have never heard of land dwelling crayfish!

Fire up the grill, throw on the steaks, boil a pot of water and dump in the unlucky chosen ones.

Boil for 5 minutes. We didn't make that up. We actually called an expert. We called Jerry's brother up in Washington State. He lives on the coast; fishes, and lobsters and digs clams. He said must boil 5 minutes. He and Jerry also decide that if they look like crayfish, must be crayfish, therefore must be OK to eat.

More red but no longer angry.

Our 'gor-maayyy' supper. Lets call it steak and 'baby lobsters'. Those two were just posing for the photo-shoot. We actually only ate the tail meat. OH. MY. GOODNESS.

SUPERB! Dipped in melted butter, most delicate and delicious. mmm mmmm mmmmm

This was a meal to remember.

After eating our fill, we took the tub back out to the pasture and released the captives. That is not a sewer or anything gross, it is the irrigation pipe that water bubbles up through and that is just some mud, nothing gross.

I sure hope we don't get sick or anything. This place just has one tiny bathroom.

Home Sweet Home

Today I cleaned house.

It didn't take very long.

Leather recliners, a TV, DVD player, a whole bunch of guns and a Cowboy Hat........








... microwave oven, MR Coffee, pretty wood cabinets, and a smattering of horse pictures......








....bar and bar stools, booze, more guns and holsters, cowboy and cowgirl hat, more horses......









.....fine dining for four, western-brand place mats.......

...a bed, cowboy pillows AND we sleep with a COW HIDE!

I live in a COWBOY bachelor pad!

On a ranch. With horses, mules, cattle, dogs and a most interesting sheep.

I'm living my dream.

Sorrow

The past week has gone by so quickly. It was just one week ago that Jenn called telling me Mark had died. A shock for everyone. I have spent the week worried about, thinking about and praying for my daughters and grandkids. It seems like a lifetime ago, a time belonging to someone else, that we were together as a family; a Dad, a Mom and two girls. I hope they remember the good times and minimize the difficult years. I love you both very much and miss you. I am so very sorry for the loss of your father. I pray for your peace.

The Road to Alameda

I have a couple of days off work and I agreed to leave The Ranch and head to The City with my cowboy. He accepted a new position with another company based in Alameda which is in 'the Bay area'; land of heavy traffic, tall buildings and one-way-streets. This trip he needed me along for moral support..... well not really, he needed me so I can drive one vehicle back home while he drives home his brand new Ford truck that the company is supplying. The company is providing a very nice hotel for our stay. The secretary gave me a city map and some ideas of things to do and see while Jerry is busy working for these 2 days. As we leave the hot,dry valley; the sky is overcast and the temperatures cooler. From the Central Valley, you cross the Coastal Mountains before reaching the ocean.

This tunnel goes under some mountains. There is another one that actually goes under the bay, which they call 'the Tube'.

Traffic wasn't too bad, the bridges and over-passes amaze me, I feel like a tourist with my window open so I can take pictures of cars and roads. Maybe I need to get out more.

The picture below is of special interest. Note the crane towering above the buildings. Jerry pointed it out to me on the way to the office. Almost a year ago he was up on top of that crane and slipped. He was holding on to a support and all of his weight loaded one arm, dislocating his shoulder. They lowered him in something called a man basket and took him to the hospital. We were dating at that time and he called me from the hospital, just to let me know. It was a strange conversation since he was loaded up on morphine and they hadn't reduced the dislocation yet. He did well; he had the Dr. teach him how to reduce a dislocated shoulder himself (one never knows when you might need this); and it saved him from snow skiing with me last winter. Our hotel is right on the bay and has a huge marina. This is my view from the room. Lots of pretty boats!

I love traveling and exploring new places. Every where I go I think of loved ones and wish I could share with them. You know who I thought of at this corner!

I found my way to the beach. It was a foggy cool day, normal for this area. That is San Francisco across the bay. I spent a couple of hours walking the beach, sitting on drift logs, listening to the waves and the gulls, and enjoying the peace.

This one is for Kayleigh! I was talking to her on the phone and let her listen to the wind and waves. I tried describing this guy with his kite and surf board, dressed in a black wet suit; it was cold out there, but sure looked like a blast.

Self-potrait in the wind.

Labor Day Weekend

Sunday.

Sunday afternoon we gathered maps, lists of homes for sale, and headed out to look at properties. We saw some 'interesting' places, most of 'em we wouldn't want to live in.

We did drive by this old barn and cattle in a 'golden' pasture. Lots of character. This one wasn't

for sale.

Monday.
Today we stayed home and relaxed. Jerry and I will be working out of town for a week or two and wanted to have some quiet peaceful time together. We decided to go ride for a while before it got too hot. We called our three horses in from pasture, saddled up and headed back to the river.

Remember the river? The Cosumnes River runs behind The Ranch. To refresh your memory I am posting a picture of the river as it appeared in May when we had our mini Extreme Cowboy competition. This one was taken as we charged across the river as a group. Do Not Try This Stunt At Home!

THE CHARGE of the COSUMNES RIVER!

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This is The Cosumnes River as it appears today. A dry river bed. This is not an unusual occurrence, by this time every year, it is dry until the rains come again in late autumn. It does make for a neat ride.






The river bed changes from gravel bed, to deep sand, to areas of odd looking red stone formations. It was hard work for the horses, I know this first hand. I got off 'Rock' and walked along beside her for a while, a very short while.

Jerry is on 'Remington', leading Cheyenne; I am on 'Rock' taking pictures. The horses spy a deer running up the river bank.

'Remington' decided he was hot, sweaty and tired of walking. He was down rolling in the sand before Jerry knew it.

After a long, hot ride, a roll in the sand is just what Remington needs. He waited until his tack is off and the ride is over.

Don't get so close to that fence fella!

Saddles and bridles off, a few good rolls in the sand; now time for scratches. 'Rock' demands her turn first and gets a satisfying neck scratching from Jerry and some love-bites from 'Remington'.

The End.............

Good Day

Today was a good day. Yes I had to work on a Saturday and it was a busy day. But I saw and worked on some interesting cases.
The temperatures were in the 100s again today, and again I was glad to spend the day in air conditioning.
There is a large 'fall gathering' here at the Ranch this weekend. One of the well known equine instructors in these parts put on a thank you day for his clients. There are lots of rigs, riders and horse&mules here, starting yesterday. Lots are 'camping' out in the field. Must be over 100 folks here! Jerry had a fun day on horse and mule-back playing with the cattle and riding obstacle courses. Did I mention I worked all day....
We are friends and live here on the ranch, so we were invited to join the 'doings'. I got home in time to chow down some catered b-b-q out by the river. A flat bed trailer was set up with a sound system and we were entertained by a blue grass/country band. Sitting on hay bales, a plate of tasty food on my lap, a country band playing, over looking the river, the sun setting, my honey by my side.... I am thinking, 'life is pretty good'.
Did I mention I worked all day? ;0) Funny; I look and feel much less tired than all of those folks who spent the day out in the sun 'playing' on horse back.
Sweet dreams......