Beat LA! Beat LA!

Half way home from Yreka to LA.  In the hills of the East Bay which we California natives call the Oakland/Berkeley side of the Bay Area.  You know, where the City By the Bay is located.  San Francisco folks, San Francisco. One of the greatest cities on the planet. "City By The Bay" is a phrase the amiable, beloved and sorely missed columnist Herb Caen coined. He'd also tagged SF as Bagdad by the Bay, when Bagdad was seen as a mysterious, exotic city, not the hell hole battle zone we know today. Times do change but somethings stay the same. A Giants fan hatred of the LA Dodgers.  My friends and I spent Friday night with our eyes glued on their the 44" Sharp flat screen TV watching our Giants beat the evil Dodgers in an exciting battle of bats. We carried a 4 run lead into the 9th and nearly lost the game. One of those games when you're elated, then worried, then panicky and relieved when the last out is made. 6-5 Giants! BEAT LA! BEAT LA! BEAT LA!

Smiley Face

Took a new route on the morning hike and lo and behold....

Lumberjacks

In search of Paul Bunyunesque men and some great people watching, the hound and I headed out to the McCloud Lumberjack Festival Sunday morning. Having no time contstraints and eager to hear more of the great audibook I was listening to, I decided to follow back roads to McCloud. Oops. As my bovine friends can attest I made a wrong turn outside Tennant. Wound up on a forest road that went from pavement to gravel and through open range. 

In moments like these I rarely turn back. Figure the road ends up somewhere so I always keep going. Sure enough the road reconnected with Hwy 97 so we headed back toward the mountain.  

 

Ramona and I arrive in McCloud and made our way over to Hoo Hoo Park where the festival was in full swing. There was softball, food booths, vendors, axe throwing and horse shoe competitions taking place.

After watching an inning of softball we found a bench in the shade. With her  nose to the ground she immediately discovered a mother load of "treats" in the lawn. Spilled Cherrios. After scarfing up every last morsel like she'd never been fed in her life she began surveying the people nearby in search of crumbs dropped from their food plates. She's merciless. Did I have a deep fried Oreo? No, only a so-so Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. 

The axe throwing competition was open to men and woman. Had a feeling the woman on the cell phone had competed this before.  I'm thinking the kid in the green shirt didn't know that but quickly found out she was darn good.

 

The clanking of the horse shoes and fear of a wayward axe drew us away.

Be still my foolish heart.

Actually this fella could toss a horse shoe with dead aim.

Folks were serious and focused while I kept thinking what a lovely setting.

The heat was taking it's toll so we drove two blocks to "downtown" McCloud.

Stopped at the Brown Dog gallery. 

 

Then a quick peek in the candy store located in the McCloud hotel

before leaving this quaint undisturbed lumber town.

Radar Ear

Ramona has one. Always alert. Listening. Ever hopeful the sound she hears involves a treat.

Does she look like she's starving?!?

Backroads

After a nice hike along the Humbug Trail yesterday morning the hound and I decided to ride.  We hit the interstate. Ramona rode shot gun.

We soon noticed a number of great looking older cars passing us. Figured a car show was happening some where. This coupe was my favorite.

Hwy 97 out of Weed (yes, Weed) to Klamath Falls isn't really a back road but it's not the 101 or 405 either. When the folks first moved back up here and had a house built in the Lake Shastina area this was the supermarket they shopped at. I was always amused by the totem pole.  It's still there. 

Quirkiness even pertains to the adopt a highway format.

Have never been to Klamath Falls. Thus never visited the Living Memorial Sculpture Garden which is along the 97 enroute to Oregon. The sign caught my eye and I turned around to go back to see it. Glad I did. VERY interesting tribute to veterans literally in the middle of no where. Yet with Mt. Shasta in the background an impressive memorial.

There was a wall of tribute to the fallen but it was the sculptures that opened 

my eyes. Especially "The Nurses" and "Wounded Warrior."

Eerie and fascinating. One of those intriguing back road gems.  

And How Was Your Weekend?

Got the car washed. Fund raiser for Breast Cancer.

$5.00

The geese simply walked into the lake and away from Ramona's gaze.

Really is a lovely park.

And they say yanks don't like soccer. Oh wait.

Are those Canadian geese?

Saturday Morning

A lovely 57 degrees outside at the moment. Have the back screen open with a large fan sucking in the cool morning air. 98 degrees predicted as the high. Curtains already drawn. Doubt the pooch and I will leave our cool cocoon at all today. Starting Stieg Larsson's The Girl Who Played With Fire. The followup to his intriguing The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo. Time for breakfast. And so it begins.

Marion Michael Morrison and Yreka

The man has been dead for 31 years and folks still use him to convey their patriotism. I love John Wayne but solely for the characters he portrayed in his films. Specifically in the westerns. From "Stagecoach" to "The Shootist" the Duke was my man. I loved him as Sean Thorton in "The Quiet Man" which, when you think about it, is a bit of a western and Taming of the Shrew intertwined and set in Ireland. Politics are not involved in my appreciation of him. He was an actor. Not an activist. Wish people would remember him for his craft not what they believe he personally stood for.

The drive north was uneventful. Moseyed along I-5 and Hwy 99. Stopped in my favorite thrift store in Fresno, the heat engulfing me as I left the comfort of the air conditioned 4 Runner.  How I ever survived summers in that heat while attending college in the Central Valley I'll never know. Arrived in Sacramento around 6pm. Nice to visit with Peggy. Ramona got a not too pleasant greeting from 14 year Mr. Toad when she passed him to closely. Much hissing and clawing. Poor Mona. "Where's the love" in her pleading eyes as she hid behind me. Hit the road the next morning. Arrived in Yreka just before 2pm. As I pulled off the interstate and made my way into the neighborhood I noticed that workers were repaving streets. Lo and behold I turned the corner and what awaited:

So much for peace and quiet for awhile. At least you get a door hanger

apologizing for the inconvenience. In LA that never happens. Barricades are just thrown up without warning and you're left to fend for yourself. So far the noise hasn't been bad since they're working at the end of the block. That will change soon enough as they pull in front of the property but I'll deal with it. Maybe I'll be painting a room or reading or just listening to music.

Damn! Dog farts can clear a room. Geez Ramona!!!!

Speaking of the pooch as I escort her into the living room telling her to stay there, this is the reservoir we walked around this morning. Lovely. No complaints.

NoCal

Nearly half of 2010 gone.  Seriously where does the time go?  Heading north soon. Have to see that the Yreka abode gets a new coat of paint. Hoping to hire some folks to do it but will paint it myself if need be. Always a pleasure to leave the sights and sounds of the megalopolis for a small town. Yes, Walmart is the biggest attraction in Yreka but who cares. There are wonderful thrift stores to rummage, a well run library to peruse, and countless trails to wander. Best of all, knowing I won't hear sirens and police helicopters nightly is a good thing. A very good thing. Ramona will have a backyard to sun in and we'll both enjoy watching the deer when they visit. Simplicity and solitude here we come. 

Land of The Free