29. Summer and Fall Highlights 2006

SUMMER'S CULTURE SHOCK LEVEL: Too Busy to Notice
FALL'S CULTURE SHOCK LEVEL: Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back...



Que and I frequently remind each other of the Bay Area West bound morning traffic in the Berkeley Tunnel to help us keep our move to podunk in perspective...


Images of bumper to bumper Bmw's and bloated Cadillac Suv's are soon replaced by images such as this. (Someone's private Covered Wagon collection in the remote town of Jimmy Day, Oregon)
















And this—


















And this...



Irrestistably bizarre decorative "Native" style bathroom tiles in the women's bathroom on a reservation!


A dry resevoir bed! The atv tracks appear to be made by one vehicle.


Very good-sized pinecones!




















Very small but sincere, peace rally in the town square! (triangle)

















Highlights from our brief summer break at the great volcano, Lassen St. Park in CA... The inn in the 2-building town surprises us with outdoor wi-fii. (This is CA, isn't it?) I am able to send email to Karinalin. Note babbling brook in background. I'm in paradise...



Snow in the mountains in June. We are wearing summer shorts and tshirts and enjoy a stunning afternoon hike up to the snow covered peaks.













The Burger King's alienated son? A "family" owned business, no doubt!










An alarming set of table cards in a diner across the valley. Click image to read strange text...












Another dinky church in a spooky, remote mountain town south of El Big. Some of Que's more socially conservative students hail from this town.

















A blown glass moosehead at the Jupiter Art Hotel, Portland, Oregon.

Bar

Bathroom

Chandelier made of deer antlers

Fall rolls in quickly. Once more, Que's work sends him and his students out on a field trip for an urban experience.



It's a 5 hour drive to the medium sized city of Portland, but I never turn down a chance to get out there to enjoy some Thai food, new art, strong coffee and very large bookstores.


We stay two nights at the trendy Jupiter Art Hotel. It's hit or miss. I like the ironic wildlife art and playful architecture, but I am turned off by the techno "muzak" pumping 24 hours in the halls and parking lot...












"I think it's raining bacon again, honey."

We meet old friend Towad for dinner in the Jupiter's restaurant. They serve stylish comfort food. (Side Note:I don't know if it's a trend or what, but North Westerners put bacon and/or cheese in EVERYthing. They'd probably put bacon on a Pastrami sandwich, if you let them! What gives? ) Later, I draw a NW stereotype on the hotel room chalkboard door. NW hipsters are invariably white, 30-ish women, chainsmoking, and wear flipflops no matter the weather. (And finally, here's a draw for Jamie-Gomer B, who has harranged me for not posting more drawings on this site. Tell me I still have my mojo?!? )


Photo taken at the Salmon Nation Eco festival in Portland. Que and I find eco friendly all natural rugs to take back to our new home in El Big...


The house, being from 1925, has non standard sized doorways. Que finds he has to remove the front window sash in order to bring our couch inside. (Stay tuned for special post on The N house remodel)

The audience at the Salmon Nation eco festival. It's been so long, why, I've almost forgotten what a hippie looks like...


"Three steps forward-"
Girl's volleyball games. For fun, El Bigians watch local sports teams. If you don't, WHO WILL? Que's colleague's daughter plays volleyball in the itty bitty town of Onion, so we attend our first game. The whole town shows up. It's great fun hollering and stomping for the team. If we don't, who will? (Click image to basically see the whole town of Onion.)


"Two steps back." Que has to point out this sign to me, so we stop and take a picture. I wonder to myself if not noticing these things right away is a sign of my adjusting to El Big...



The view of El Big valley from Mt. E, the highest mountain in the valley. The sun is shining, but the air is crisp.

On our descent, Que pulls over and takes note of this site-- somebody's idea of heaven!


Wild turkeys running for their lives. Happy Thanksgiving, all.




Saturday, November 25, 7:30 am: I wake to the first snow!



And alas, this morning Que finds solid PROOF that it is indeed, deer chowing down on the front yard


NEXT WEEK: The N House Remodel! How to Remodel an Old House in a Really Remote Area.

28. Daddy, I want a pygmy owl!

And now..
The Creatures of the El Big Valley
Some of them, anyway. I still haven't seen a moose. And no, stuffed animals or an elk slung over a 4 wheeler certainly do not count.

Culture Shock Level is presently: fuzzy and hoofed

It's nice to live somewhere with so many wild animals other than just the SF regulars such as seagulls, steller jays, sewer rats and 20-something hipsters. It all adds to the charm of this surreal, little big town.

Here are a few recent bird photos from my visit to the Blue Plateau Wildlife Sanctuary. It's about 1 hr north of El Big. If there wasn't a large mountain pass between us, I'd volunteer for them.
This is the amazing pygmy owl. It's body and head are about the size of a baseball.







I couldn't get enough of the birds. I must've taken a hundred photos of this one. It's all head, really.( Click on this pic to get a life size image)












Besides it's diminutive size, it has a calm, lacsidazical nature and hilarious slow blinking eyes...











This eagle is blind in one eye. Unfortunately it will never be released back into the wild.








We saw many hawks, but this one is my favorite— the photogenic Kressel hawk. Note the blue racing stripes around the crown.















Show off!















I haven't seen so many butterflies until my move to El Big.... and spiders, and ants, and cougar tracks...











and the gregarious marmut...

















and lots of sheep!


















And we have a few donkeys, like these two that are huddling together for warmth under the protective evergreens. (Three cheers for Nancy! Pass the wine, please!) Anyway...







Lots of horses, of course. We have wild horses in the surrounding mountains. I haven't seen them yet. The town graphic artist has offered to take us out sometime. He has connections.






El Big creatures can't be mentioned without noting the approximate 50 odd deer that reside in town. Occasionally I see them hanging out in people's yards along the crest of the hills. We haven't seen them in our yard yet, but we know they pass through in the middle of the night due to the magical disapearance of some tender chrysanthemum blossoms.



The El Big area is famous for it's progressive organic farming. It's not all wheat. The area proudly provides Angus beef, lamb, chicken, cherries, pears, and gorgeous blankets of verdent spearmint fields.
This picture was taken last winter on a drive out to the colder, southern desert side of the valley. The black Angus cattle against the white snow covered hills are a stunning sight.
(Click on image to enlarge)




















Poser cows...




























"Gourmet Pets"?! This local pet store logo catches my eye. Oh, why yes, we do have domesticated animals too... and they're delicious sauteed with fresh shiitakes, paired with a delicate Syrah. Bon appetit!

NEXT WEEK: SUMMER AND FALL HILIGHTS IN THE VALLEY and BEYOND!