lightning and dancing in the Owens valley

They came from two directions at our calling in a lightning strike. We sat eating our lunch on the tailgate of the truck directing first, the two Mono county sheriffs who were the first on the scene and seemed mildly amused, and then the Forest Service crews who, after January's fire south of here, seemed to be taking this seriously.

The morning started out with an incredible display of weather and sky on the upper Owens.. Mike radioed me from the river saying I should put on my gum boots and wade across the swampy meadow to come take a look. Since this was our last day, I threw everything in the back of the truck fearing rain and wandered out to the river with my camera.

He was right, it was worth the effort. The upper Owens meanders through Long Valley with views to the Sierra. Storm clouds add to the picture.

Mike was happily fishing and I was knitting when I noticed the sky getting blacker above us. Suddenly a mixture of snow and sleet started coming down on us.Lightning strike about two hundred yards away from us, a clap of thunder sounded over our heads. We both flattened ourselves to the ground, laying on our bellies as the precipitation got heavier. Another lightning strike, another clap of thunder, this time on the other side of the river. We lay there for awhile getting wetter and colder when we finally decided we needed to make a break for the truck. We joke about getting old going out in a thunder storm on a lake in our canoe and getting taken out by lightning. I'm thinking, I'm really not ready to go yet. Mike is thinking, we really do need to make a will. As we get closer to the truck we both smell smoke at the same time. And then we see some puffs rising from the sagebrush where the lightning hit the ground. It's stopped raining/snowing and the brush is really not that wet. So we decide perhaps we should let some know about this. We had to drive out a ways to get cell coverage, but we did, and they came, and thanked us.
So now onto the dancing....
We went down to Independence, CA, population 669, 41 miles south of Bishop on Highway 395, home of the Eastern California Museum.  April 18th was Norman Clyde day. Norman entered our lives in 1992 with a garage sale find. He was buried in there, it just took awhile for us to find him. He made another recent appearance.

This suitcase is a whole other story in itself. Maybe later. But we planned our Spring eastside trip to be able to go to Norman Clyde Day. And what we found was a welcoming community that seemed more than happy to take us in. The museum has it's own little park and the day was warm. Food and drinks were on the agenda.

A Bluegrass band from Bishop was setting up. There was a walk through town and talks to listen to.
Norman Clyde campaign hats were being given away. We met the Baptist minister and his wife, the owner of Ray's Den (the local motel), the retired registrar of voters. And we learned about the Fruitcake Festival. These folks know how to have a good time, they seem to be able to make their own fun.

So the band played and we ate birthday cake and the children danced.

I'm thinking of planning a trip to Independence the second Saturday in December for the fruitcake, we've heard there is some powerful eggnog to go along with it, and they will take all entrants. If I can bake a pie, I guess I could make a fruitcake.

letting kids be kids

This past Friday we led an excursion off the island with the southern California Retties to the Lawerence Hall of Science. I began to wonder who was having the most fun, the kids, or me taking pictures and watching the kids.

signs of spring

The Western Roof Raker was spotted last month just in time for the first day of spring. And, according to Carl Nolte, we know the first day of spring is March 1. Hopefully spring will bring more storms like the last day of winter.

down the february rabbit hole

Where did the month go? It is a short one, but somehow it seems to have disappeared. February always brings the promise of Spring, and that certainly seemed true this year. Although a little guilt too, should I really be enjoying this weather? Will it ever rain? But I can put aside some of my guilt, we just received a quarter of an inch of rain. Okay, that's not a huge amount in the great drought deficit, but I will take what I'm given.
The month did have events, Arthur's 70th birthday last weekend. A complete surprise, his wife, Gwen, managed to fill fill Cafe 817 with friends and she doesn't even have a cell phone or use email.

And I've discovered how easy it is to order things on Etsy. This could be dangerous, but I chipped the turquoise in a ring I have been wearing forever, and I needed a replacement. And then some.

In fact the ring on my middle finger is one I discovered when dusting Mike's desk, something he's had so long it's history is vague. I applied some silver polish and have adopted it.
And I've taken to naming the space upstairs I sit and knit in "my studio". Since "studio" seems to be a popular term these days.

Some details of "my studio":

january musings

More than halfway through January and I think there is hope. I don't like winter. Or rather I don't like November, December and January. By February there are usually signs of Spring and longer days. But the daffodils I potted up last year are pleasing me by re-blooming. Something I was not sure would happen. And last year's crop of buckeyes are showing signs of leafing out. Ah.

Building 14 has been busy. Adrian has been hard at work on a new sculpture:

The final photo gives a clue are to what it represents. Okay, I'll tell you. She took wind measurements (200) every half hour and arrows represent wind speed, and their placement, direction. Made out of marine ply it will be permanently installed at the location of the measurements after is gets a a few coats of varnish.

And the piano shop is loaded with B's. Steinway B's.

 

And we discovered this message in a work in progress. Not in a B, but another one of the many pianos we are currently trying to corral into restoration.

devil's gulch the last day of 2014

It was cold and damp but the earthy smell is a reminder of my childhood and always a good sendoff of the year. We did not spot any salmon, but they have been there. And the bouquet of bay leaves I brought home will scent the evening's activities. I gathered the buckeye crop for 2014. They are potted up, waiting for the spring.

the best gift of the season

 

We finished up our usual produce shopping, loading the bags into the back of the car when our favorite produce man ran up to us and gave us these. We will eat them for dinner.