Tuesday, May 31, 2011

COLD !!!


Your Right!  I'll be the first one complaining when it hits 110,

but I'm tired of  40, 50, and 60 degrees and the "WIND"

My hair looks like I haven't brushed it in a month.

"All I want to do is put in my garden"

and be warm.

That's my whining for the day.


Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day 2011



Memorial Day Tribute, Amazing Grace Bagpipes
http://youtu.be/7FWIJYY6NeA

Friday, May 27, 2011

Wild Weather


Looking out across this landscape, you'd never know there
was an event Wednesday afternoon that set most of the county 
glued to the live shots on Channel 12.  "We had Tornadoes!"


This is what it looked like from our place, to the northeast, after 
the main event had died down.  Now, no way did this even compare
to those in the the rest of the country, but for Glen and Butte county's
" It was a big deal".

The first hit was at  Ordbend about 5:30pm then Durham,
lifted over hwy 99 to Butte Valley were it came down again.
It finished up it's destructive dance around the valley
 by hitting a small ranch at the foot of  Mt Mountain.


Thank God, no injuries or deaths.  Farm equipment moved around, 
garages and barns blown up, power poles down, but no homes hit.  
The biggest damage was to walnut and almond orchards, 
which doesn't seem like much, but remember
that's someones lively hood.

Besides our little wind storm, we were deluged by rain and even 
managed to have it snow again in the mountains.
Well! that was the only exciting thing going on around here this week.
Every one have a safe Memorial Day weekend 
Hope your doing something fun and
 remember why you have the day off.


Thursday, May 26, 2011

Thursday's Thoughts, "Technical Problems"







If it's not one thing it's another!!!  computer, camera, internet, blog, tractor.

I started noticing that things weren't just right on my blog, but
thought it would work it's self out...........NO!

When I would try to comment on others blogs, the scroll bar was missing
 on the side, making it hard to leave a comment.  

I got an e-mail today from Linda, that she had tried to leave a 
comment, but got an error.   I'm always afraid to do anything,
thinking I will loose all my stories and photos.

I would really appreciate if any of you have been by in the 
last two weeks, if you would e-mail me and let me know 
of any problems you had visiting this blog.

"Thanks You"

Oh...the tractor, thats what I was doing today,
running tractor parts.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Your In My Space

The big nest in the eucalyptus was there when we moved
and for the next 15 years the Red Tail Hawks successfully
raised their babies. Every spring the fussing and
screeching would begin, then things would settle down
till the baby hatched. Then the fussing and screeching
would go on all summer till baby finely left the nest.

Five years age, a Big! Horned Owl took over and raised
three babies one summer. Boy! did that cause a commotion.
Mother Hawk, screeched her best complaints about the
whole thing, but the Owl stayed put.

The following year the hawks reclaimed the nest, but
the baby hawk had fallen out. It was a very sad summer.
These last two years the nest stayed empty,
no hawk, no owl.

The fussing and screeching started up again, this spring
and it was music to my ears. This week mama hawk has
been sitting pretty tight in the nest. That Is !

Till I tried to get pictures of her. I took to much
time and got to closes. She was letting me know all
about it. This is her telling me,
"Your in my space.......
........Don't you make me come down there"



Thursday, May 19, 2011

Thursday's Thoughts, Giving Credit

If you've been visiting 5SF for a while, you know that
all of the photos here are mine and that,
"what you see is what I shot"

Others, who have contributed photos were given credit
and
only two pictures were played with on the computer,
which I also pointed our at the time. I plan on keeping
the photos on this blog true to the way they were taken.
With that said, let me explain the pictures your looking at.

I like the way the pictures on Muddy Boot Dreams and
It's a Southern Thing looked, but had no idea
how to go about it.

A few weeks back I found a web site "Vintage West Photos"
this site belongs to Stacie Lamson. Stacie is a ranch wife
in Southeaster Montana, who started getting serious about
her photography last December. I had seen Stacie's
photos before on her blog Smiling country, now privet.

She created these great textures and has make them
available as free downloads, to any one who would like
to use them. "Wow that's really nice" Let me just say

"THANK YOU STACIE"

What do you think.....the photos are mine, of course and
the textures are Stacie's. I used Tin Typish, Warm Muslin
and Branding Wood. Using the Picasa collage setting to
lay the texture over the photo, then changed the lighting
and the color with Windows Live Photo Gallery, that
came on my computer. It was furn and now I'm hooked.

Thinking about adding a page to the blog just for photo
play... still working on all the text being the same color.



Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Daughter Dawn

This, is my one and only girl !
"She's the most precious flower in my garden"
"Happy Birthday Dawn"
"Love You"



Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Abbey of New Clairvaux

Mothers day weekend we went on a outing with JS's family.
Grandma and grandpa Starr, his sister, sons Shane and Zach
and JS and me. Grandpa wanted to take the old cars, so
our little caravan headed north to Vina in Tehama county.

Our destination was the Abbey of New Clairvaux. The ranch
originally a Mexican land grant awarded to Peter Lassen.
Lassen come across the ground when he and General Bidwell
were tracking horse thieves from Sacramento north in 1843.
After his death the ranch changed threw many hands and
in 1881 Senator Leland Stanford acquired the property.

The ranch under Stanford saw race horses, beef cattle, sheep,
a herd of registered Holstein-Friesian dairy cows and almost
every commercial variety of the fruit and nut trees. The ranch
was 55,000 acres and irrigated by 100 miles of ditches.

The vineyards covered 4,000 acres making it the largest
winery in the world. Not suited to this part of California,
the vines provided poor wine and brandy became the
principal product. At Stanford's death the ranch was
signed to Stanford University, were the trustees sold it off
piece by piece. The Monks bought 200 acres of the
main homestead of the ranch in 1955.

The main attraction today is the Abbey of the Sacred Stones.
Father John one of the Cistercians of Strict Observance
monks, was our personal tour guide on an adventure that
covered almost 800 years. From the Cistercian monastery of
Santa Maria de Ovila, in Trillo, Guadalajare, Spain where
it's construction started in 1190 to Vina California 2011.


The stones were the chapter house of the monastery.
In 1931 William Randolph Hearst bought and had the
chapter house dismantled and shipped threw the Panama
canal to San Fransisco. He then traded them to the
city for taxes he owed. They stayed in San Fransisco
in crates till 1994 when they were given to the abbey.
By this time only 40% of the stones were left.

An outer shell in the Gothic style has been built to protect
the original structure. The Sacred Stones are now being
erected and should be finished this year. Look at the photos,
the dark stones are the original and light stones had to be
carved by hand on sight. We were all Awe Struck.
"It is Beautiful"

For the full story and more photos go to
www.sacredstones. org.

"They make good wine now"

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Sunday Stills, Looking High, Looking Low

After rereading the Sunday Stills challenge, I'm not quite
sure this is what Ed had in mine........Oh Well !
This is Oroville Dam, it was once the largest earth filled
dam in the world and is still the tallest dam in the US,
standing 770 feet. Constructed between 1961 and 1968,
and will hold 77,619,000 cubic yards.

It spans the Feather River that cuts threw the Sierras
to the Sacramento Valley. Mainly built for flood
control, it also provides Irrigation and power.

It was the center of many school field trip, the best view
for miles around and lovers lane... Then once 9-11 happened,
it was shut down to the public for a while. Once reopened,
new rules were enforced, like no parking on the dam and
no more field trips to the Hydro Plant in the core.



It's a bit of a novelty right now, you see the lake is full
and the spillway is flowing. California has been in a
drought for the last 5 years and water is the new
"Gold in California"
Who's got it, who want's is and how is it getting there.
It's a battle between the two California's
Southern and Northern.

PS. California is always in a drought.


Friday, May 13, 2011

Juni Fisher, Back Yard Concert

"JUNI FISHER"
WMA Album of the Year 2009
WMA Female Performer of the Year 2006, 2009
National Cowboy Museum Wrangler Award
Most Outstanding Album 2008

AND SHE WAS SINGING IN MY BACK YARD
WEDNESDAY NIGHT !!!!!

Cindy Quigley is friends with Juni on face book. When
Juni announced her open dates for her back yard concert
tour, Cindy ask what I thought and if we could have it
in my back yard. It sounded great.

A date was pick May 11 and plans were made. Juni along
with 32 family, friends and fans enjoyed a wonderful
evening of Cowboy Music. Everyone contributed to
the pot luck dinner, Ham, Tri tip, Lamb, Ribs and
every kind of salad you can think of.

At 7 Juni started her show, singing Little Red Horse,
Jersey Lilly and I Will Miss Ireland, Buckaroo songs
Yakima and The Ambler Saddle.

At intermission this beautiful cake by
"Van Gooey Cakes"
was enjoyed by all and inspired by Juni's boots

Juni's second set, she threw in a little Cohen and blues.
Her story telling along with her range of music,
and her energy, was incredible.
"What a Great Night"

"THANK YOU JUNI, EVERYONE HAD THE BEST TIME"

For more about Juni Fisher and her music, go to
www.junifisher.net

Juni is also featured on the documentary
"Oh You Cowgirl"
about the early 20Th century rodeo cowgirls

We already talked to Juni and may just have to do
this again next year.

Friday, May 6, 2011

It's a Dogs Life

Ranch Dog got to ride to town yesterday. She had an
appointment at Bark Ave. for her annual Puff and Fluff.
The grass is turning brown and the fox tails are heading
out (stickers!) so it was time for a hair cut.
"And She Smells Good Too"

Sidekick George is staying with us and he got to ride to
town on Tuesday to the Vet.

He got things cut off too! aka "Attitude Adjustment"

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Thursday's Thoughts, The Beaver Pond

This pond sets on the downhill side of a road I drove
all most ever day when the kids were in grade school.

It wasn't a pond then, only a drainage ditch, fed be the
water from a leaking irrigation channel.

Some years back a pair of beavers moved in and made it
home and a pair of ducks are nesting here now as well.

Most of the year, you wouldn't even know it's here,
but then a bust of yellow draws your eye and it's
beauty can match that of any grand garden.

I don't know how they came to be here,
I'm just glad they are.