(remember, Californian's begin all their statements with "So..."?
So.. this is a photo of the scenery when you head north of Eureka toward Portland. It is an unusual photo because it is a clear day.
This is me 'n Cassie having a brewsky from the local microbrewery and a picnic in a nearby logging park under ancient redwoods.
I am concerned about the way Cassie is eyeing my beer...
So... the park had 5 more evictions since I last blogged; only one of whom left quietly. The final three are pains in the asses; one refuses to believe he is evicted, one is a dual diagnosis head case and the other a lifetime addict of various substances. Another one, who looked good on paper, was probably the nuttiest of all as he was seen inside the dumpster one day. Sis kicked him out after only 10 days.
The police are frequent visitors to the Park and are on everyone's Speed Dial. Tonight we had 3 CA Park Police vehicles arrest an a man who had been living in the woods next to the Park with a tweaker female and two filthy, lice-covered children. Residents reported many Sasquatch-style glimpses of this family. The two kids looked straight out of Les Miserables.
Local Joke:
Q: What do you have in a room full of tweakers?
A: A complete set of teeth!
But, every once in a while the young ones make ya smile! The one in back with the flute is very pregnant and the one in the foreground is handling the hula hoop like a pro!
One morning, after an all night binge, she became near comatose and a friend summoned help. Police and ambulance responders arrived and she continued chugging straight vodka while they were taking her blood pressure. They took her on a "mental".
And the beat goes on...
They're Here!!
They come by private bus...
and everything in between!
They are here for ONE purpose:
To Trim.
Some come every year with "creds" and are sought after. They get cushy jobs with pharmacies that feed them pizza. Some are newbies out to rob and steal from the farmer. But, they are all here to do well-paid and hand-wrenching work--trimming the harvest for the next stop in the chain that fuels this economy.
Everyone is hoping for a bountiful crop but anxious about the water shortage. Rio Dell (nicknamed now "Rio Dry") was just hit with a "Level 3 emergency drought curtailment order" limiting use to 50 gal/pp/day (ave is 70). That is not much--quickie shower, don't flush every time etc. Rio Dell CA Water Curtailment
Sis's water bill last month was nearly $5000--that's for 49 RV sites! (It was $800/mo in 2003). Now, all outside watering is forbidden; all potted plants have been removed, all hoses stored away. Heavy fines are in place and the inspectors are out watching for violators. Bigger picture is that, without water, there is no crop--no cash--no economy.
But all is not Doom 'n Gloom! Lotsa fun to be grabbed on the Rim! We attended a big Fam Birthday Extravaganza in Newport OR a couple weeks ago in celebration of my grand-nieces 7th birthday. Here are two pics--which one is 7 yrs old?
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| Biker Chick |
The Newport Beach and Dunes--SWEET!
The mature ladies and Cassie stayed in a tony beachfront inn with balcony, comfy beds, wifi, fireplace, a full breakfast room and a wonderful beachfront bar and grill, while the younger set camped on deflating air mattresses and swatted bugs on the ground in the nearby state park.
Claire, the birthday girl's super sweet extravaganza was accompanied very ably by Grill Man aka "Dad", James. He started us off with homemade Butternut Squash soup. The food was incredible!
Thank you for hosting the event, James & Jessica! Hope it becomes an annual event!
I am loving this weather! It's always "Sunny and Seventy" in Rio Dell. You actually can see the thick fog/cloud curtain part into bright sunshine as you travel south from Eureka. It's one of those strange microclimates that makes living here nearly perfect.
