Gold Panning

On the way out of town after the KarflukiFest we stopped to check out some gold panning and found this little nugget.
We also found the perfect babysitter.

Karfluki

Most people went to the KarflukiFest for the Tempest Celtic Rock birthday celebration. We went to see Tom Rigney & Flambeau. It was the best performance, proven in my humble opinion by the number of dancers in front of the stage. Interesting enough Tempest did the opening act for the Sundogs years ago and guess who was in the Sundogs. Yep, Mr. Rigney. A special bonus for this beautiful day, I happened to drag Lil Sister to the Karfluki Fest. Wouldn't you know, she purchased two raffle tickets and won the grand prize... a Fender steel string guitar signed by all the artists of the day. Way cool for her. Now she just has to learn to play it.

Who Says I Can't Grow Anything

I've spent most of my early spring pulling out blackberry bushes from the area above my house. They grow rampant and hadn't been trimmed in years. I finished the job barely 3 weeks ago and now see the remaining shoots have already sprouted up taller than the corn that Little J planted in their place. The deer ate the tomato plants that hubby put in. Even the pumpkins didn't sprout. I have a feeling the spindly little carrots will disappear too. OK, so I give up. I'm going to let the yard to it's natural thing. Even if 90% of the hillside is this...Yep, that is my fine crop of none other than Poison Oak. Itch itch itch.

Mating Calls

Such a commotion up on the rooftop today, on my day that I work at home. At first I thought it must be raccoon mating season. There was such a ruckus. Plus what I thought were the unmistakable raccoon mating calls. Three times I went out to check. Three times I did not catch any wildlife action. Was wondering if it was my imagination. But, the cats were acting kind of squirrelish, running back and forth from the front door to the back door, howling like cats in heat. They obviously were confused too. Finally, I caught this little critter out in the driveway with the basketball... 2 points for not dunking it down the chimney.

I've Been Google-ized

Big Brother let me know that someone can google your address and they might just come up with a picture of your house. Or not. I had to google my neighbors address to get my house. Hmmmmm... perhaps the neighbors would like to send their landscaper over our way so they don't have such a bad public image.

Then and Now Bidwell

The Old Sacramento Northern Railway happens to be less than a block from my house. For the last 30 some years the area in my neighborhood has been transformed into a bike trail. Here's a snapshot of what used to run on the track.Unfortunately this car is now buried in the middle of a carbarn at the Western Railway Museum, much in need of restoration...

Spring is here and wildflowers are in abundance. It's a great time to take a trip to the junction. For a bit of inspiration visit their website.

Hat Spots

While wandering around the streetcars at the Railway Museum in Rio Vista, I spotted these old signs on a Key System car. The middle one being especially important for my Red Hat Society friends states, "Corn starch rubbed into dirt or spots on your felt hats and brushed off gently will clean your hats like a charm."

Full of What?

I almost forgot a couple of things that happened at Big Hat Days. First I realized that I can't help it that I am.... ...then as I was walking down the street and saw those people out there who help you change your voter registration I realized that there are some things I can change. So I did. Ooooo Big Brother might never speak to me again.

Cruisin Red Car

Well well well... this is a bit of an upgrade from that red 1964 Ford Fairlane in my last post isn't it? Last weekend as I was driving down the freeway with my friend to Big Hat Days, I was thinking how cool is this? We had such a blast cruisin around town. Naw, it really isn't mine. Just wishful thinkin.

The First Car

I seem to be a bit reminiscent of old times lately and have been digging through some old photos. Here’s the first car photo. I bought the 1964 Ford Fairlane in 1968 for $800. Then I had to take out a loan to buy new tires. By the time I drove it from Michigan to our new home in California, the paint wore off the rusted parts. Not a problem in those flower child hippy days; I simply covered all the holes with colorful flowers until I could earn enough for a new paint job. If only all its other problems were so easy to resolve. The car was in the shop more than it was in my driveway. Eventually I traded it in for a Pinto. Dumb and dumber?