Fandango week

things coming together

2008-08-05T21:29:00.000-07:00

the fires have clouded the valley temporarily in smog. pro stands looking for the pack out in the sage. our team captain is barney the barn cat. he calls the plays and runs the show. every town has a team, every team has an icon. cedarville is the hornets. i've seen a few on the sliding door. but Wednesday we saw a bobcat. up it popped like a teddy bear in the sage - fuzzy round ears popping up like a mechanical teddy bear in the saks fifth avenue windows last december in new york. wait a minute what was that a mutant jack rabbit? whoa! what whiskers and paws. paws? better distract the dog. here nip. look at me. and off went the bobcat like a lone ranger in a cloud of dust. who was that masked man. later i sat in distinguished company - a retired anthropologist, a musicologist, a publisher and bookseller, a balloonist, a presbyterian - and suddenly - what's that by the door? through the glass paneled front door sitting up straight like alice's white rabbit with a message for the queen was master jack the rabbit. opposite him less than five feet away in exquisite repose was sphinxlike nip. and who are you? she seemed to inquire. i'm out of a cloud. i'm part of the pack. i'm a cartoon, a cameo, a mirage. i'm gone. and as if it never occurred, he was went.

Lawrence!

2008-08-05T21:16:00.000-07:00

susan heard peter oToole on the radio last week recounting his famous camel ride before then thousand extras on the plains of spain pretending to be arabia. in a similar vein i continue to fashion myself the equestrian westerner. i started off in the morning sun feeling like yul brynner in the magnificent seven but after our trip to the upper lake, that receded ever away before us as if trying to escape out of surprise valley, we finally leaped into a parched faux arabia and scatterred ourselves like ground squirrels, shouting in my head lawrence! after the long mid day ride back i felt more like a lopsided lee marvin in cat ballou and then finally i dropped to the ground and just barely found my legs and made beeline to the hot tub.

Centripedal Daze

2008-08-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

I'm walking across a dry lake looking for where it turns into water. How does it transition, where is the border. But it recedes before me like a reverse flood. Nip continuously drops back to chew on something nasty and rushes forward again in puffs of fire dust under a broiler sky. We finally turn back our pursuit and march under just enough of a solar angle that our shadows slightly precede us. I am in a jet high above the western states, our large jet body blacking a distorted likeness on the patched landscape. Except my hat is the jumbo jet and my head more or less the pilot's cabin aloft what seems stretched from a few to some forty thousand feet as the fractal self similarity of the desert floor under my shoes strobes between memories of my last flight from new york. Everything is fractal, everything infinitely folding into itself at every scale. Maybe the string physicists aren't off their nut after all. Maybe these fractal glimpses of infinite self similarlty are a hint, a crack in the door to infinite parallel universes. Where did you get these great stones in the driveway I asked Bob. Up there in the gravel pit, he said. Except it isn't a gravel pit really. It is a gash in an ancient shoreline beach. This dry lake was some 500 feet deep.The pit is a museum of ancient transitions to water. My water is a mirage. I give up and retreat to the hot tub.
*bill

the ballad of round-up sue

2008-08-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

Round-up sue, round-up sue,
The horses ain't nowhere's,
And i dun't know wadda do.

Don't worry soft and tender feets,
I got's a clue,
I jist rounds up em ponies,
to makes em buggaloo,
that's what I do,
Cuz that's why they calls me,
Lil round-up sue.
Skiddoo.

Round-up sue, round-up sue,
The horses ain't nowhere's,
And i dun't know wadda do.

I jist rounds up them blame ponies,
And marches em home,
With a hop steps and sharp salutes,
Like a whadda you call it,
Ship-shape-aroo.

Gosh is she's purty,
And smarts she's gots too,
My horse is nowhere's,
But she's got the clue,
And I sits here and thinks to me,
Like a big bronze, frenchy, fist on the chin statoo,
All's left as she needs,
Is a mushy kiss or two,
From, well you know who,
This soft and tender feets,
That's how she calls me,
I think she likes me two,
That round-up sue.

*bill

2008-07-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

*bill

2008-07-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

*bill

twist and shout

2008-07-27T13:02:00.000-07:00

there's an old beatles song, twist and shout, that seemed to be rising in the mind of things animate and inanimate. or is anything really inanimate? if even a fence strangled in barbs of wire, desiccating in the morning sun can also seem to rise up singing twist and shout and choose me to be its improbable partner in dance - can anything really be thought inanimate?

but let's back up. the first twist and shout of the day was jackson the horse. or was it me really? don't let him win, someone said. and by the way that rein looks a little loose. i had recently mentioned i was trained such as i am in english reining and didn't quite get this loose rein thing. probably overdoing it. then i hear - those reins look a little tight don't you think. you looking to flip over backwards or something. is that what you are trying to communicate to the animal? this western rein thing can't be so different i was thinking as i felt the horse lurch back. he kept backing up and as i turned him he twisted and one might say he shouted as well. and finally creat fallen i dismounted and withdrew from the dance floor.

couple days later we tried it again and we seemed to get one another a bit better. in fact we really had a nice and rather lengthy ride together. the sky was as open as it was blue. the scene was out of my cowboy movie shaped deep imagination of fabulous. we saw wild horses on their own turf. we heard reports of snakes but mercifully saw none. we lunched by an old cabin in a place clint eastwood could make into a great story. and i'd pay to watch it. but in this case i was actually there.
*bill

i got excessively chirpy, fun, enthusiastic

2008-07-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

our first day out. the ride northwards leaped with optimistic bounds - vacaville, winters, williams, artois, orland, corning, red bluff, redding. nothing could slow us down save a few pit stops. we'd not stop for coffee only its results. and they were brief. gone we were, like the morning mist. and then we turned up country toward, burney, big valley, adin, canby, alturas.

somewhere in the excitement of this dauntless progress i reflected back on a trip i dragged susan on some years ago. it was to joshua tree nat'l park. as the december darkness closed in over a yawning, blank basin i watched her bent over the steering wheel hands seeming to be about her ears, eyes somewhere far away as she snapped - "i'm not tired, i am fine - if these people could just learn how to drive. how much further is this place?" i didn't actually know. but i knew i wouldn't press her to drive over seven hours again. then time had passed and i forgot. the drive from redding to alturas, pulling a horse trailer, proved much more challenging than i expected. we approached eight hours on the road. i got excessively chirpy, fun and enthusiastic. and the bright day darkened.

some might say why drive eight hours when you can fly to london in nine. but i don't like flying. at least not in this century. and london or paris or even rome is crowded and sticky and packaged up into a consumer thing. but cedarville is worth the trip. it's a trip and a half. it's real.
*bill

2008-07-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

*susan

2008-07-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

*bill

adios to the high desert

2008-07-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

All good things must come to an end and so did our vacation. It was time to repack the bags, set the house in some sort of order and move the horse trailer so when they loaded Pro in the wee hours of the morning it would be away from the barn. This is one of the last looks at a beautiful sunrise from the dining room windows. Last night was the last chance for the hot tub and sitting on the porch, last time to pet Barney, our time at the ranch has passed.

Five am rolled around with the sound of alarm clocks...made coffee, ate cereal, packed the car, stripped the beds and said good bye to Bob who had gotten up to see us off.

Our trip back was entirely different. The early mountain air was refreshing and not hot, and we beat the heat in the valley. Only the smoke covering the general area was about the same. I had hay fever on the way up to the ranch, thanks to all the hay fields, but a pill help me on the way back. Did not see any forest fires, but saw the results of fires along the road (which we did not see on the way to the ranch). And there were many firemen on stand-by duty as they were expecting more dry lightening on Monday.

We made good time the entire trip back and they dropped me off at my home about 2:30 in the afternoon (after about an 8 hour drive.) Susan and Bill were heading for the barn at Mantara to return Pro to his normal way of living.

After a week as part of the immediate family, I hated to say goodbye to them. Susan and Bill made the vacation very special for me. Another one of my dreams came true. I enjoyed the entire week, each day we had lots of laughs, we all read Main Street and aired our opinions of some of the characters in the book. Susan and I were ahead in reading the book, so Bill usually heard a preview of things to come in his reading. Each day the "kids" recounted their adventures on their horses or walks. Truthfully, this area was a little more rural than I would like for every day living, for a week it was fine. I enjoyed the local people and their thoughtful ways. There was beauty all around us. We saw deer in the forest areas, jack rabbits, ground squirrels in our immediate ranch area. Saw an eagle, lots of Meadow Larks singing their sweet songs, Red Wing Black Birds, and even a flock of vultures. Loads of little crawling creatures and other winged friends. (The vultures not included in winged friends). The pictures is of a Dust Devil on the dry Middle Lake the day before we left, we only heard one clap of thunder, but skies looked like a storm would move in any minute.

Only scary moments in the entire week was on Wednesday night as I kissed Susan good night, Nip came up to say good night to me. After patting her, I thought she had moved away and when I stepped back I fell over her. It was in the house on carpet. I kept reaching for the arm of a chair to catch myself, but I hadn't bent low enough . But I managed to keep my leg straight and twisted my body to the right as I fell, enough to land on the old hip - it worked. No problems. Bill helped me up and life went on as usual. Was a little stiff for a couple of days, but that has passed. I have been walking and see no changes in the hip.

Now I am back from the Northeastern corner of California, where Oregon and Nevada meet at a corner. Rested, relaxed and back to my ordinary daily routine.

I will have great memories of the week I spent with Susan and Bill and the joy they brought into my life. I hope you read their part of this blog telling of their adventures while seeing the country from the back of horses. This picture is of the dry lightening storm moving in the evening before we left. I shall miss the beautiful skies as clouds passed over us.
*ruth

in town

2008-07-03T17:31:00.002-07:00

As we sat waiting for our breakfast in town on Saturday morning,Susan and Bill told me a number of interesting happenings while riding. I hope they will add their stories, which are far more interesting than mine to the blog.

Saturday was our last full day and we started by going to town and had pancakes, eggs, bacon and wonderful bread baked in the little cafe. There was to be a Rodeo in early evening, but the ranchers were up early and in town before we arrived at about 9 am. The bakery/cafe where we could sit outside and eat, was full of town people and rancher. The owner of the cafe was probably happy to hear the clink of silver and see the folding money, but the two very busy waitresses were over whelmed. We spent our waiting time drinking coffee and watch the ranchers driving into town in their trucks of all colors and descriptions. The truck may be beat up and dirty, but the men (mostly) were dressed in their finest....clean or new western shirt and Levi's, their best straw hat and boots.....real he-man glamour, males in high fashion. We watched the young bucks, as they left their parents after breakfast. The minute they closed the cafe door, they straightened their shoulders, tucked in their shirt, adjusted their straw hat and strutted across the street where young gals were looking at the street fair of about 4 booths stocked with home made jams and jellies, books, CD's and a few home grown vegetables. And everyone was friendly if you purchased an item or not. And free samples.

One of the highlights of the trip for me was finding some yarn in a Weaving Shop on Main Street in Cedarville. There was a lovely garden in front of the building. At one time the Weaving Shop was a school house, built in 1843. Now it is filled with beautiful yarns, all kinds, all colors. One of the ladies sitting and knitting had just brought in some yarn to be sold. It had been sheared from her sheep, cleaned and spun into hanks of a grayish white..... it was beautiful and soft. I wanted to buy it just because if it's history, but I used better judgement (darn it).

Of course I purchased some other wool yarn.....in this cooler climate of Northern California, when winter returns, a wool sweater will feel good. One of these days I will have a lovely soft rose sweater and will think of the time spent in Cedarville.

The picture is one of the main (only) large buildings in Cedarville besides the grocery store. Bob our ranch owner, owns this building also and plans to remodel the interior into hotel rooms on second floor and keep the bottom floor as it is now with the book store and some kind of an eating area. One day we had a nice lunch there and browsed while we waited for our order. Very charming. A collection of coffee pots dating back to the beginning of the town, also some local kilned pottery.
*ruth

visiting neighbors

2008-07-03T17:31:00.001-07:00

One of our fun social events, thanks to the owner of the ranch, Bob, was to visit his "neighbor" about a mile or so away. Helen was one ofhise closer neighbors. She is a woman who had this house built to her wishes, a small living room, one bedroom, bath, kitchen and then a very large studio. Helen is an artist. All windows in her studio views the acres and acres of desert surrounded by beautiful mountains (with a little snow here and there on the peaks). Helen invited Michael, a friend, who has the one and only book store (in Bob's building). He was a very interesting person to talk to about the area. All of us are readers so we fit together well. It was a delightful time, the "happy hour" extended to a couple of extra hours because we were having a very enjoyable time. On the way home we saw about 25 vultures sitting on the wires and as we passed. We watched them fly away. We drove into Cedarville for breakfast, lunch and dinners, not all the same day, but when it was convenient. And we drove to Alturas for dinner one night. Mostly to get gas for the car - 25 miles from the ranch, the one and only place to get gas in the area. Bill had visited this area before and suggested this Thai food/Steak House to eat. Food was good, not excellent, The waitress was withhelpful and made some substitutions. We laughed at the snow shovels leaning against the side of the building, waiting for the passing of the warm season....be prepared must be their motto.
*ruth

mountains

2008-07-03T17:30:00.001-07:00

This picture below was taken as soon as we arrived at the ranch house and one of the few clear days to see the far mountains to the south. Most of the time the lower ridge was obscured by smoke from the forest fires to the south of us. A breeze usually came up in late afternoon or evening to clear the smoke away until mid-morning. Occasionally you could smell the smoke, but not real strong. Fortunatly the fires were miles from us.

While Susan was riding one morning Bill and I had a side trip to find Fort Bidwell. Found the General store was boarded up, the gas pumps closed down and other than a school, a few houses, lots of hay fields and the entrance to an Indian Reservation, there was nothing - just another widening in the road. We couldn't find the remains of the Fort, but had a beautiful ride to see the general area. Passed about 6 cars/trucks the entire trip a real traffic jam. On the way back to the ranch we stopped at a rock pit. Very interesting. From the stones you could tell we were standing on a river bed formed many years ago.

On a lovely cool evening after an early dinner on the porch, we headed in the opposite direction from Fort Bidwell to find another small town shown on the map. We saw some old but nice large farm houses, always surrounded by trees and a graveled lane to their homes. And more alfalfa fields, but no town. Just a mail route - another widening in the 2 lane road.
*ruth

ranch life

2008-07-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

Retracing my steps a bit, while driving through the mountains from Alturas to the ranch, at one of the View points, we saw the beginning of a forest fire. It was only one or two trees and was only smoke, no flames. On our return trip we saw no damage to that area so it was caught before it became a problem.

Back to the ranch life - unpacking, storing food Susan and Bill brought with them, hitting the back porch to catch a breeze, to enjoy the view and to use of the hot tub, we started our week of living in an entirely different life style....area flat for miles, ringed with mountains with a few patches of snow on the higher reaches of the mountains to the West. Very beautiful. Lots of flowers blooming both in the forest area and the desert. In the lower forest areas there was a few Dogwood trees in bloom and lots of bushes of white and lavender Lilacs.The desert had beautiful sage with it's grayish olive green foliage. On one of Susan's rides, she brought me some lavender sage blossoms, so delicate. The blossoms were edged with light purple and the centers a beautiful yellow and in between the outer border and the center of each bloom the petals was pale white. There were wild roses, and lots of blossoms on plants I did not know. Most of the flowers are almost hidden from view, seeking a place out of the heat and are in the interior area of the plants.

This is a familiar scene from the eating area and back porch areas. It wasn't higher than the 80's but we used the back porch/deck each day whenever we wished to sit/stand and take in the beauty of God's world or visit Bill in the hot tub.
*ruth

way out in the middle of nowhere

2008-07-03T17:28:00.000-07:00

As I stated we were w---a---y out in the middle of 160 acres of desert land owned by Bob, plus other acreages in between houses. We could see about 3 homes from the windows, no houses closer than a mile....the rest beyond our fenced lawn area in the front and sides was desert as seen in the picture to the left....lots of sage Large sections if the desert area had been cleared of brush and was fields of alfalfa. Most of the alfalfa had it's first cutting and was baled and waiting for pick up in the fields. The high desert area makes a beautiful picture, especially when it is surrounded by beautiful mountains.
*ruth

We reached the Ranch

2008-07-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

spe
We reached the Ranch between 3 and 3:30 pm. While we were traveling on one of the county roads, I saw this speck in the middle of sage way out in the middle of "nowhere" and I said jokingly- there's our place....thinking it was too far out and couldn't possibly be where we would be living. The County Road #18 is part of the original Applegate Wagon Trail). The house in the middle of no where was the right place.

Bob, the owner was there to meet us....a pleasant man, easy going, jack of all trades, helpful in all ways and fun to have with us on social occasions. First concern was getting Pro out of the trailer and supplied with water and food, and to get accustom to his new surroundings. He was a great traveler. It was a little over 8 hours he had been cooped up in his trailer.

The ranch house was originally built by 2 police people (man and woman), but they decided it was too far from their grand children. Bob bought it from them some time ago. Bob's wife and son and he live in Healdsburg, CA. part of the time. Bob's family came up the day before we left. While the ranch house was being built the couple had made an apartment in the barn - very liveable and that is where Bob (and family) stayed until we left for home.

I looked the house over while Susan took care of Pro, Bill talked to Bob about (what else???) the hot tub, Nip got acquainted with Barney, the delightful, loving cat, who I threaten to kidnap. We all settled in quickly.

Picture is Susan and Bill heading out for a ride, on the first morning we were there. Bob let Bill the use of one of his horses and he was watching as they rode away.
*ruth

Coming by for me at 5 am

2008-07-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

Our first day began when Susan and Bill coming by for me at 5 am. and down to the barn at Mantara to load the horse, Pro and be on our way. Started out in the cool of the day, but as we ventured up Highway #5 became warmer and warmer. Cooled when we entered the mountains to the east of Redding and we traveled through the little hamlet of Burney Falls, and many little widening in the road with names that I have forgotten. When we reached Alturas, thought we were within a stones throw of the Fandango Ranch, but found we still had about 27 miles to go. We were all pretty tired of the car, winding roads, heat, smoke and concern for Pro and how he was standing the heat and long ride. We had stopped a couple of times at rest areas to offer water to both of our four footed friends.
*ruth

OUR VACATION DESTINATION - The general area.

2008-06-08T13:44:00.002-07:00

We will be spending 7 great days in the area around Cedarville, CA. That is the closest town to where our "ranch guest house" is located. We are west of Cedarville about 25 miles. The general area east of Cedarville is known as "Surprise Valley. We are just at the edge of the Valley. Surprise Valley is a high meadow west of Warner Mountain Range. The Valley is 50 mile long north to south and from 8 to 15 miles from east to west, with 3 lakes. Sounds like a day or two of adventure is ahead of us.

The trail that passes through this area has had a number of names - Southern Oregon Emigrant Route, the Old South Road and Lassen Applegate Trail. This trail was used by many gold seekers from 1848 to 1860's. The people who were delighted to see a place for stock to feed called it "The Smiles of God." The local Chamber of Commerce says it is "Where the pavement ends and the West begins". The little town has grown from a few people from a few wagon trains, to 219 residents in 1880 to a delightful, charming western town of 849 people. To me it seems they are still pioneering only in a more modern way.

The town of Cedarville was established and laid out so an18 horse freight wagons could turn around without leaving town after a delivery. Today Highway 299 runs from Alturas to Cedarville. Remember in 1869 Cedar Pass became a "main" route leading to the Sacramento Valley.

Thanks to those hearty, brave people who traveled the ruts and established the early towns, the three of us, plus the horse, Pro and the dog Nip will bask in it's beauty and peace and enjoy the time together relaxing, exploring, eating and enjoying each others company. What a life....
*ruth

WONDERING BEFORE WE GO WANDERING

2008-06-08T13:44:00.001-07:00

Whenever I have planned a trip for myself or for a group I try to learn as much as I can about the area to be visited. So today, Sunday, June 8, 2008) I traveled via Google to our vacation general location to see in advance what we would be enjoying for a week. Trips like this one takes my thoughts back to the 1800's - the Pioneer Days....days of very hardy souls, people who struggled for existence day after long weary day...and because of these fearless individuals, men, women and children of all ages, we can leisurely drive down a paved road, enjoy the surroundings and never think of how it came to be. We grumble if we hit a rut on the highway, or need to detour out of way as we rush to our desired destination. What did these people endure for so many days and nights? I can't begin to imagine what it was like to leave their families, knowing they probably would never see them again, but hopes that in the future they could have them safely travel to their new homes. To give up almost everything to seek a better life. What an adventure.

I just moved after 20+ years of gathering things I held dear, and I knew I would need to part with many of these items - to live in smaller quarters.. It was hard. I moved to a lovely apartment, clean and perfect for my needs. They were taking just what they could store in a Conestoga....very small accommodations, not much storage area, little or very little room for women and children to sleep inside protected from the dangers of the trip and the men sleeping with one eye open for any danger that may come during the night. History books tell us that the trail was strewed with their precious articles they needed to discard because of space and/or weight as they found the traveling more difficult than they expected, many mountains higher than they had ever seen before and huge flat lands that seemed to go on forever, possible the wagons bogged down in deep sand. And then there were the streams and rivers that needed to be crossed. They endured harsh weather, slow traveling on ruts or made their own trail, hostile natives, disease, hunger, thirst and some times death of fellow travelers, their support team or a member of their own family. A harsh world they lived in. I admire them and wonder if I would have had the desire and/or the fortitude to venture into the unknown. Can you imagine living in a wagon for months and months and walking for miles and miles along side the wagons. I don't think it was the exciting adventure, with laughter and gaiety during the meal time.....they must have been exhausted by the end of the day of traveling and then setting up their wagons for the night of the unknown.
*ruth

The Participants

2008-06-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of two of the merry band. They look like they're planning something to do with pancakes. I'm sure glad I'm not a pancake!
*susan

How it all started

2008-06-05T18:19:00.001-07:00

Fandango Ranch is named for the emigrant trail that came through these here parts way back yonder in the 1840's even before the gold rush. In fact these emigrant weren't planning to go to California, can you imagine that! They were headed for Oregon. Where's that?
*bill

Where we will stay

2008-06-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

We (Susan, Bill, Nip, Pro and I) will be staying at Fandango Ranch from where we expect to embark on many adventures especially eating pancakes in town.
*ruth (and bill)

Fandango Week

2008-06-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

The week of June 22nd to 29th of the year of the Lord 2008 has hereby been named and celebrated as the eponymous Fandango Week. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
*bill