Tales from Sunken Grade

Later today I'm launching a new blog called "Tales from Sunken Grade". the name comes from the traffic sign. At some point I added "To write a book of Tales from Sunken Grade" to my bucket list. I always like the name and my head is full of stories about people I have known over the past 60+ years.

When I wrote my goal the plan was to write a story a week. Then I changed it to a story a month about life in and around Sunken Grade, a sawmill town in the coast range of Western Oregon. I got off to a good start but soon got bogged down in life. It has been a couple of years since I last added a story to the notebook, now in a box in the garage from my last move.

The stories are still running through my mind. So I have decided to create another blog as a place to deposit the tales from Sunken Grade. I will post an update on my Facebook page when I have posted a new entry.

Thank you to those who have encouraged me to keep writing. I hope you will enjoy the stories about life in Sunken Grade. Who knows, you might even recognize someone you know.

Weather forecast is rain all next week. Sunken Grade sees lots of rain throughout the year. A wet Spring is nothing new.

Good Bye Davy, Daniel and Fess

I have spoken to several dozen groups as a life coach. One of my favorite topics is eliminating "missed opportunities" For me that was passing up a chance to met Ansel Adams or not visiting Spirit Lake at the base of Mt Saint Helens. Ansel Adams died before I had another opportunity to visit him in Carmel, California. Spirit Lake disappeared under 300 feet of rock and dirt when the mountain erupted on May 18, 1980.

This morning I woke realizing that I had missed the chance to met a childhood idol. For nearly 10 years I lived within a hour of the Fess Parker Winery in Santa Ynez, California. I drove past the winery countless times, always thinking that I would stop sometime in the future.

Yesterday, March 18, 2010, Fess Parker passed away at the age of 85. The King of the Wild Frontier is gone but he will continue to live in our hearts.

I was one of millions of youngsters who embraced the 6-foot, 6 inch Parker. He was the man in the coonskin cap who stood for the spirit of the American Frontier. Like other Boomers gripped by the Crockett craze, I had my cap. I have often wondered how many rabbits died to met the demand. I found an article this morning that reported that at one point 5,000 coonskin caps were sold a day. The price of furs when from 25 cents a point to $8.00 a pound.

Thank you Fess Parker for bringing Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone and the wild frontier to life for us.

A Gem: Healdsburg Ridge Open Space Preserve

The Healdsburg Ridge Open Space Preserve is a true gem. I discovered it soon after moving to Healdsburg in mid 2009.

On my first visit to the preserve I caught this picture. We watched each other for about 3 minutes. Then I made the mistake to shift slightly and he was gone in a flash of his white tail.

The preseve is located at the end of Arabian Way and contains several trails. I soon learned that most involve either going up or own hill. My usual route is to head east on the Fox Pond Trail. This trail is only .3 miles long and gradually climbs. At the end you and go left to the Fox Pond viewpoint or turn right and take the Ridge Trail. the name is a little deceiving. Most of this trail is very steep. From the Fox Pond Trail it is a steady climb through the Oak trees that cover the perserve.

This is one of homes I could see through the branches of the bare Oak trees as I climbed the Ridge Trail. I walk daily and thought I was in pretty good shape. I was wrong and had to take frequent stops on the climb.

The Russian River takes a perpentine path as it flows out of the Alexander Valley to the North and goes around Fitch Mounain. After floating the river once in a canoe, making a couple of trips to the preserve and viewing the area on Goggle Maps I finally understood the lay of the land.

The buildings in the center of the picture is the Rio Lindo Adventist Academy. At this point the river is flowing North toward you. It then turns left and flows past the academy again. At the end of the bit of water you can see is where the canoes are taken out of the water. The trek starts 8 miles up river, where the Alexender Valley Road crosses the river.

This last picture was taken from the Ridge Trail. This is Mount Saint Helena. The mountain has flanks in Napa, Sonoma and Lake Counties. It is one of the few local mountains that receives any snowfall during the winter.

After visiting the Russian River Overlook I took the Ridge Trail down to the All-The-Oaks Trail and headed back to the preserve entrance. What is interesting is that from the Overlook down, the trail is paved. I have a feeling this area was set for development at one point.

I have just begun to explore the Healdsburg Ridge Open Space Preseve. There are two other trails, the Serpentine Trail and the Blue Oak Trail. I'm sure I will be posting more pictures in the future. According to the sign at the entrence there are eight different oak trees in the preserve. Maybe I can find an example of each. When I visited the preserve last June the wildflower season was ending. Maybe I can catch it earlier and add to my wild flower collection.

This preseve is a true gem and I have encountered very few people and no trash. Thank you Healdsburg.

Signs of Spring

Rumor has it that Spring will start in a couple weeks. I thought about that during my recent walk through nearly Badger Park. The fruit and ortimental trees have all bloomed and the daffidols have been showing their colors for the past couple of weeks. I noticed the tulips are beginning to come up.

Soon the vineyards that surround Healdsburg will come to live and soon will be covered with the grape blooms. Spring is a beautiful time of year here. It is a reminder of the cycle of the seasons.

This trail runs along the Russian River. It is narrow and was very muddy because of the rain the day before my walk. The river was running high and muddy, but the sky was blue with beautiful white clouds and the grass was very green. All in all it was a very enjoyable walk.

When was the last time you took a walk? It is amazing what you can see when walk. Take a camera along and share your photographs with the friends.

Have a great weekend.