|
Greenwood/Elk columns July 2 ~ August 27, 1992 July 2nd. A surprising number of folks have mentioned that they missed my column last week and hoped I had a good vacation. Well, truth be told it warn't no vacation, I just ran away for a while, threw the dog in the bus and sipped over to Dos Rios to sit in the hot sun and cooling water whilst I pondered my dilemma and let the deadline for my column slip away. Oh, I tried to write a column before I left, tried to think about this cute little town and put on "the smile", but my heart wasn't in it. It had been a bad week. Here I thought I was going to cruise through the summer and enjoy life, and bam, I get the manila envelope from Ogden, Utah. Seems the IRS found a problem back in 1989 and they only want 16 hundred and 17 dollars and it that wasn't enough to make rain on my parade, four days later, the coupe de gras. My "ex" sends me a little packet of Xeroxed notes reminding me that, contrary to what I thought, I do have four more years of child support left, since the youngest has elected to go on to higher education. And here I thought I had sent off my last child support payment, Silly me. So no, I wasn't on vacation. Actually I was trying to decide which was best, head-on collision or hand gun. I hate it when I'm depressed. But finally, sitting there at Dos Rios, I started to notice the ducks flying by and then the little fish in the water and then the frogs, those damn frogs that were croaking away and finally, I realized that, whereas those frogs get to croak all the time, I only get to croak once and since I'm basically chicken, I guess I'll put it off for a while. So, I went back to Elk. I called the IRS. Ms. Dimmick was surprisingly pleasant and understanding. Since the conversation went so well, I decided to call the "ex". She was less pleasant and understanding, but then, Ms. Dimmick and I were never lovers. One more thing. I quit smoking eight weeks ago and if I ever needed a butt, this past week has been the time, but no. My life may have taken some unexpected financial turns lately, but I'll be dammed if I will start paying money to the cigarette tycoons again, too. So there you have it. More than you need to know, but if I am going to write this column about life in Greenwood/Elk, I may as well let you know it ain't always roses. Now for folks with real problems. Consider Krystal Spitler who had to go in for back surgery, or Steve Sinclair who is finally getting his shoulder operated on. They have had some real ongoing pain in their lives and hopefully will soon be on the mend. Please keep them in mind and any financial aid or potluck during their rehabilitation period will be greatly appreciated. I stopped by the Community Center and found the crew hard at work digging the ditches and putting in the forms for the foundation of the new addition. Dennis Flemming, the teacher from ROP and crew, part of which consists of local teenagers, Kiva Bolton, Reo Russell, Jason Spitler, Jacob Perrill and Ehren Keopf. Rusty Gates is donating his time to assist as needed. The plan is to pour concrete June 30th, but as I write this, June 28th, it is raining. A note from Leah Almonrode; "The members of the Greenwood Methodist Church would like to announce the Centennial celebration of the church on July 27th. The little church has lived through many phases of our national history, plus playing an active roll in the local history of Elk. We would like to have you join us for church services at 11 AM. on that day, followed by an open house at the church. There will be a display at the church of photographs and memorabilia dating back one hundred years. Refreshments will be served. Invitations have been extended to all friends and members of the church. Please join us." And finally, a note from Erna Smith, mistress of the Post: "The Post Office will be closed Friday, July 3 for window service. Mail will be put in PO. boxes between 10 and 12. After 12 all out going mail for Friday should be in the outside box. There will be no delivery or collection on July 4th." July 9th. The new "Fast Attack" fire truck is finished and ready to roll. It is beautiful, even if I say so myself; of course I painted it so what can you expect me to say! Actually, the paint is of least importance. The overall planning by Bob Matson, the engineering and construction by Don Daniels and the arranging and installation of all the rescue equipment by Lee McKnight is the important stuff. Greenwood/Elk now has a great "first response" vehicle, whether fire, car accident or cliff rescue. The Community Center addition received a setback. The plan was to pour the concrete for the foundation and then take a few days off while it set up. Rusty Gates scheduled eye surgery during the cure period and ROP instructor, Dennis Flemming, planned a short vacation. Then it rained. And rained. Well, Rusty's surgery was successful and so was Dennis Flemming's vacation, I assume. Now the sun is out, the gang is back and the concrete will be poured. The good news item I have been hinting at for the past couple of months can now be revealed. Greenwood/Elk will soon have a new business in town. It will be called BRIDGET DOLAN'S and it will be an Irish style pub. There will be Guiness on tap, there will be darts, there will be a place to get a bite to eat on a weekday evening, and even Monday Night Football if all goes according to plan. And not a moment too soon, if you ask me. Our only social gathering spot, since the Oasis Bar closed four or five years ago, has been the steps of the Post Office. Three cheers for Leslie Lawson, owner of the Griffin Inn. Steve Sinclair, Krystal Spitler, Mary Pjerrou and Rusty Gates have all experienced surgery in the past couple of weeks. All are home now and hopefully the better for the ordeal. One more reminder about the Centennial of the Methodist Church, here in town, this Sunday, July 12th. Lap top computers. Is there anybody out there that has just "upgraded" to a "notebook" and wants to unload that dumb old lap top they are currently using for a door stop? Two reasons: 1. My six year old Epson, Model T, is starting to get cranky and, 2. I have had it in my mind for some time now about how neat it would be to sit on my rock, out there in the desert and hammer out my column, then "modem" it in from some gas station phone booth. I know some lap tops have FAX built into them but I don't know how I can walk into some one's place of business and say, "'scuse me while I unplug your phone here and hook up my little ol' computer". Anyway, I was all set to go for a gonzo lap top 386 machine with 100M hard drive and all the bells and whistle stuff until Ms. Dimmick and the "ex" got hold of my purse. Now I'm looking for a cheap 286 or 8088. I know, I know. A yellow lined note pad, a sharp pencil and a twenty nine cent stamp would do the same thing, but you know how it is when you get your heart set on something. Doug Blaine, Patty Bradey and Patty's daughter Anna have moved from Greenwood/Elk to Bridgeport. No. Not the Bridgeport you're thinking of. Bridgeport. The one over on 395, South of Tahoe. I understand an excellent commercial illustrator from the Bay Area has bought their house. Doesn't plan to live here full time. Talking about a gallery. Donald and Judy Howard bought the "duplex" on the "S" curve at the north end of town and have finished moving in. Quick, someone sign them up for the community center board. GREENWOOD Pop 110 July 16th. Dick Mitchell told me one time I should have named my dog Kookla. Then he would be reading about Kookla, Ron and Lolli. I know only a small percentage of you folks out there get that. If you owned a black and white TV, once upon a time, it helps. Anyway, Lolli, my dog Sarah and I loaded up in the ol' cow bus and went off for four days worth of rattling around in the Mendocino National Forest. Leesburg Stonyford A couple or years ago we happened to be returning from I-5 on Highway 20 and was an interesting looking road sign at the base of the foot hills. That time we did the loop to Leesburg and then west past the dry Indian Valley reservoir to the Bartlett Springs Road to eventually come back down onto Highway 20 between Nice and Lucerne. I use the word "down" because the elevation change on the Bartlett Springs Road is like the "down" on the Bell Springs Road. Relentless. This time we ducked off Highway 20 just west of Upper Lake and headed towards Lake Pillsbury, but then to make life more interesting, we turned off again onto Bear Creek Road and headed into the more remote parts. There is a hot spring we heard about and, sure enough, we eventually found it and stayed the night. Some folks at the spring told us we came in the hard way. They also told us the reason the roads are so hard to drive is because the county is out of money and will be unable to maintain the roads, so they used the last of their funding to put in massive water bars to tide things over until the economy gets better. I don't know if that is true or not, it sounds about right, but I do know the water bars are incredible, making for first gear driving in a lot of areas. We got back down to the Bartlett Springs Road and this time we went East, back past the, still dry, Indian Reservoir, to Leesburg, then up to Stonyford, West back into the hills via Potato Hill Road to Letts Valley. Then it got real interesting. You see, we have one of those Northern California Atlas and Gazetteer books published by DeLorme. I have found that if I hold the book up in the right light, take my glasses off and get my nose right up against the page, I can see faint, tiny, red dashes all over. These are roads. Maybe. Lolli and I decided we wanted to see if we could get from Letts Valley to Covelo using those tiny red dashes. It is sort of the same process a cruise missile uses. You store some terrain into the memory and then you drive along to see it matches. "In a quarter mile there should be a series of wiggle wiggles." Sure enough, we soon enter some tight switch backs. "We should cross a stream next." Yep, Soap Creek. "I think that is Sheet Iron Mountain ahead." Turns out it wasn't. That is one improvement a VW Bus has over a cruise missile. At least we can stop, scratch our heads and turn around. In two days we met two cars. I almost hit both of them. I tend to get a bit sloppy about staying on my side of the road when the road is only one car wide and I think I'm the only one on it. We had plenty of food and water, maybe another day's worth of ice, but finally had to pour the spare five gallons of gas into the empty tank. If we didn't come to some sort of an impasse, we should make it. Well, of course Mom, we made it, the gas tank back on empty again, but then, it is all downhill to Covelo from the East. We spent the night at Dos Rios and was home by Friday afternoon. What beautiful country this is. A note from Mary Berry: "There will be a yard sale at the Catholic Church this Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM." July 23rd. Only one hundred and fifty three shopping days left until Christmas. I thought you might like to know that. There is free kindling wood at the Community Center. Residue from the remodeling. Help yourself. Local contractor Barnett/Fanto has been working on the Greenwood Elementary School. Replaced most of the south facing exterior wall and then a complete painting of the building. it looks great. The concrete has been poured at the Community Center and the wall plates are bolted in place. Progress is progressing. The Anderson Rancho, north of town up by Frankel's, has new owners and various levels of construction will be happening there in the future. Kris Kristofferson will soon be spending more time in our area at his ranch north of town. Some construction may be happening there too. A flat bed truck was backed up to the front door of the "Mill Office", last Friday. Paneling was being unloaded for the interior of the "Superintendents Office", the room to the left of the entry. One of the locals commented to the worker about finally seeing something happening at the building. The State Park worker looked aghast and said, "When we start something, we finish it". Later, upon pondering that comment, it was realized there was no mention of dates. A survey crew was out again, shooting various angles from the proposed future site of the new post office, across the street from the old post office. Anita Allegeart stopped by the Elk Garage and had me fill three, two and a half gallon, gas containers. I made the comment that she and Peter must be getting ready to watch several VCR movies, back to back. Anita said, no. She was getting ready to vacuum the house. Local goat farmer and baseball coach, Ed Bird, took an all star team of coastal ten, eleven, and twelve year olds inland to Cotati for the "Future All-star Tournament". They won their first game, July 11th, 26 to 5. They lost the second game, July 17th, 10 to 5. The third and final game, July 18th, they lost by one run, 2 to 1. The only run coming when Connor Bird stole home plate. Ed said it was the best defensive game they have ever played and many folks at the tournament commented on that fact. Ed said his team played "heads up baseball and had a great attitude". They were pitted against teams from a much larger population base, such as Santa Rosa, Windsor, and Lake County and in spite of that, they did very well. Five players on Ed's all-star Team were from the immediate Greenwood/Elk area. Connor Bird, shortstop, who had a three-run homer, the above mentioned home plate steal, and many double plays. Jonah Steinbuck, third base, who did a great job. Cody Heller, outfield. Three doubles in the first game. Terry Galletti, pitched a total of six innings. William Simon, who pitched and played outfield. I heard we have a new visitor in town that is causing quite a stir and called Prue Wilcox to find out more. "Yep, a big sucker. Saw it crawl out from under our car and go into my flower garden. I didn't know it was a rattler until I saw its tail. Maybe two inches worth of rattles." How big was it? "Oh, maybe eight to ten feet." What? "Well maybe six feet. When I first saw it I called Del. When he saw it he snatched up Cruiser, our Poodle, into his arms. Mel Matson said the snake probably fell off a logging truck, he has seen that happen many times. I know I'm only gonna water my flowers now, I ain't gonna pull any weeds til I know it's out of there. Dave Brotherton, next door, is keeping his ax handy." July 30th. As I write, it is Saturday, July 25th, and I have been out scouting around for Greenwood/Elk news. I went over to the Community Center and checked on the progress. It looks like all the concrete work is complete and hefty bolts protrude to eventually tie down the walls. The formerly attached storage room, on the east side of the community center, has been mover over next to the water district storage shed. A wheel chair accessible rest room is being built where the storage room was. The front entry now has sloping concrete instead of steps, also for wheel chair access. This is good. One time at the gas station some folks stopped in and wanted to know where a rest room was that they could get a wheel chair into. The only place I could think of, off hand, was Van Damme State Park. Since then I discovered that the new "Garden Shoppe" at Kendrick's Greenwood Pier has a handicap rest room. Anyway, upon leaving the Community Center building site, I noticed a fair amount of old, busted up, redwood siding in the scrap pile so I helped myself, per instructions in last week's column. Lolli and I will enjoy that siding as we use it to heat the water in Lolli's cow tank hot tub. That reminds me of something my cousin mentioned when he and his wife were visiting from Venice, California. He was amused at Mendocino's "Politically Correct" attitudes and then we turn around and burn redwood, oak, cypress, and pine in our wood stoves, fire places, and under hot tubs. He pointed out that in the city they burn old furniture, scrap from building sites, and shipping pallets. "At least their wood was used for something before it was burned." "Well, yeah but..." Heading back towards home I noticed a wedding going on at the Greenwood pier. The local "Mistress of the Post" was taking the photos. Quite a few weddings happen in town. Couples that have run off for their weekend get-a-way in a cozy Greenwood/Elk B&B, sometimes return to tie the knot. At the Griffin House I see that the stumps have been removed with a stump grinder, out where the parking lot for the new pub will be located. As I walk around, kicking saw dust, Leslie Lawson moseyed over to report that she has just returned from a fast and furious shopping spree to Ireland, in search of "pub stuff". She found "neat things" for the wall and a "bar back" with beveled mirrors that is "old". Next up the road I see that the Keehn house is getting a new roof. I hear the owners plan to start living in town. Ah, more victims for the community center board. The Monsignor is now mover into the Catholic Parish, only he is on vacation somewhere up in Alaska. It looks like the exterior painting is completed at the Greenwood Elementary School. Looks great except I don't care for the chocolate brown trim. Steve Sinclair was recovering from his shoulder operation nicely until the chair he was sitting on collapsed. The sudden fall and more sudden stop set him back a ways on the road to recovery, but still, he staggers on. Charlie and Rosie Acker bought a new car, well, new to them anyway. Rosie says she is amazed at the comfort and driving ease the Volvo Station wagon affords after years of driving that good ol' 1967 Dodge "Slant Six" wagon. Now they even have air conditioning. Well, great, but don't expect me to wave at you. not for a while at least. That is what happens when you get a different car around here. All of a sudden nobody recognizes you anymore and you seem to get the cold shoulder for a time. Now, driving ROAD COW around seems to have the opposite effect. Everybody is always waving at me, even in Lakeport or Nevada City and I don't know who the hell they are. The latest word on Prue's rattlesnake is..."Gone". Prue said it sure helped thin out the tourists for a while though. There is talk of putting up one of those yellow, highway warning signs. WARNING August 6th. I've been off cigarettes for over eight weeks now and it sure is hard to write this column. Yet I console myself with the knowledge that I have out lived the Marlboro Man. Onward. This column will be all I know about going on vacation; what I have learned about "doing vacation" over the past fifty some years. It used to be that, for me, vacation didn't start until the miles had been driven, the tent stakes "droven", and the pull tab pulled. Everything prior to that moment was pure frustration and a waste of vacation time; making lists, packing, unpacking, repacking, last minute car repairs, gas, groceries, ice, "don't forget the ice", and then, miles of traffic going nowhere on the way to that primo spot. My friend Ed Slipp showed me the error in my thinking. Ed owned a thirty foot sailboat. I would meet him at the dock all hot to go sailing for the weekend and discover there was about an hour, hour and a half of stowing away groceries, hanking on the head sail, unfurling the main, disconnecting the shore power, topping off the fresh water, starting and warming up the auxiliary, singling up the lines and, finally, casting off. Then motoring out of the marina, hoisting and trimming in the sails, shutting down the diesel and... "Yo Ed, we're finally on vacation." "No", said Ed. "Vacation started when I got up this morning. I enjoy all of it." Food for thought. Now, I was raised in a family where the Annual Summer Vacation consisted of two weeks of driving six hundred miles a day in blistering heat. Of course, when you live in Nebraska, that is what it takes to go on vacation. Drive, drive, drive, interrupted by a quick stop to photograph something. The following winter we always had something to do while snowed in. "That's the Rockies." "Is not." I remember. Those are the Tetons." "Is not." One time I worked for a summer at a Union 76 gas station/grocery store just out of Puyallup, Washington, on a highway that went to Mount Rainier. We sold gas, propane, fishing lures, groceries, beer and ice. Many the time folks would roll in with their kids, dogs, and camp trailer, not speaking to each other. No they weren't speaking to each other, they were hollering. "Johnny! Stop hitting your sister." "I thought you said you fixed the radiator." "No more candy. I mean it this time." "Shut up. Just shut up." And so on until they rolled out of ear shot, on up the mountain, leaving a trail of steam. Well, anyway, over the years I have gradually learned how to do vacation. A few months ago, Lolli mentioned that there were half price airline tickets on sale and she was thinking of going to Seattle to visit her family. Well, hey. I should visit my family too. How 'bout us taking two weeks vacation and going up in the ROADCOW? "Great. I didn't think you wanted to go." "No. No. It will be lots of fun." So, two days before we are to leave I mention to Lolli that I have it all set. I tell her that I have called by brother and asked him to gather up all my relatives, grill up a bunch of steaks and chill the beer. We will be there Sunday afternoon, the 9th of August. We can see Lolli's family the day before. I figure it will take us six days to get to Seattle, then, a weekend shot grinning and gripping with the relatives. That leaves us six days to get back home. By the way, "I been checking the maps and highway 97 up through Oregon looks interesting. Might even be some hot springs along the way". "Lolli." "Lolli?" Seems like I have a lot more to learn about vacation. August 20 Is it a vacation or is it a visit? You would think I would know the difference, after all these years, and, after this trip, I do! Our two week trip to Seattle was a real illustration of the difference between vacation and visit. We spent four days poking along, getting to Seattle, definitely the vacation part. This is the part I do best, and can't get enough of. Studying the map, picking out roads I have never traveled before, seeing the sights, enjoying the little wayside towns, finding "our spot" for the evening. This time the road, never before traveled, was highway 97, up though the middle of Oregon. After spending a night overlooking the Sacramento River below Dunsmir, we ducked off I-5 at the town of Weed and settled into a slower pace. South of Bend, Oregon, we took a side road up towards a stream we could see on our map and after a little trial and error we finally found a most beautiful camping spot. It had all the requirements; option of shade or sun, running water (small waterfall), swimming hole, no neighbors and plenty of sticks for the dog. As it turned out, this was the peak of vacation, as good as it gets. The next evening we found a place alongside the Columbia River that also had all the requirements including relentless wind and two curious skunks. Our final evening/night of vacation was spent beside the Little Natches River in Washington State. This camp spot had all the requirements except sun, of course. I can't count all the times I have camped in drizzle in Washington State. Oh well, we were on the verge of ending "vacation" any way. The "visit" was about to commence. This phase of our two week trip is where Lolli really begins to shine; calling up folks and making appointments, shopping here and there at this thrift store or that, while I slouch further into the darker recesses of the ROADCOW and become useless and boring. I don't remember much of the visit except endless traffic. Endless traffic and arriving one half hour late at this get-to-gether or that. Traffic and food. Drive, eat, drive, eat. Moms and babies, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, sons and daughters, relatives and friends. Lolli and I both grew up in the Seattle area, so there are a lot of folks to visit and I must admit, it was good seeing everybody but, what can I say? "Get me out of here, I want to be on vacation"? No, I can't say that. One good thing came out of all this though. My brother lives amongst a veritable hot bed of computer stores in the Bellevue area, and between him and a seldom used charge card that Lolli had with her, I finally got a notebook computer. Now I can go off on vacation, sit on my rock, and write my column. Lolli thinks I'm nuts, wanting to sit out there in the midst of it all that splendor with my nose stuck in a computer, but as she well knows by now, I'm not much of a visitor. Next week. What's happening in Greenwood/Elk? Are the walls up? Is the pub open? Is "Baby Doc" back in town? Do I really have to go back to work? And last but not least. Who are all those tourists, anyway. August 27 So, there we were during "Family Values Night" of the GOP Convention, soaking au natural, with our friends Ed and Suzanne in Lolli's home brew hot tub. No NBC, no CBS, no ABC, CNN, BBC, in fact, no hoop-la at all. We were just enjoying another typical Mendocino Coast evening; sipping some wine and engaging in a lively conversation beneath the fog shrouded redwoods, pondering the meaning of life in a county without money, in a state without a budget, in a country with the worlds largest debt when, all of a sudden, the bottom of Lolli's galvanized cow tank unsoldered itself, opened up and all the water rushed out, leaving us high and dry to contemplate each other's...reality. I hate it when the Republicans do that. Do they use satellite surveillance and high powered space lasers, or what? The Community Center is looking good. The funds ran out before the project was finished, of course; everything always costs more than you expect. Dennis Flemming and his crew of students got the cement poured and the walls and roof up and sheeted with plywood and the handicap bathroom well under way. When the funding ran out a heroic volunteer effort by Steve Hale and his construction crew, installed and finished the metal roof. Vince Carleton organized volunteers, Roff Barnett loaned equipment and offered expert advice. Jamie Roberts, Steve Davidson, somebody named Henry and I don't know who all, flogged on every inch of the way by "Baby Doc" Edison, have persevered, trying to get the addition ready for Great Day in Elk. It looks like everything will be done except the exterior siding, handicap bathroom and store room. We are down to donations and volunteers now. Rusty Gates will work three more days with the teenage crew doing final clean up. Special thanks to Del Wilcox who conceived of a way to build the addition using grant money and then dug in like a bulldog to get it, Art Kramer who helped us get the grant and administer the project. Bob Matson, Lee McKnight, Dave Skilton; the usual group who is always around you can count on. Kudos to those folks who have kicked in extra money to help the project along towards completion, especially the North Greenwood Association, and finally, "Well Done" to the teenagers who built the addition; Kiva Bolton, Jason Spitler, Ehren Keopf, Rio Russell, and Jacob Perrill. Greenwood/Elk thanks you. Our Mill Office/Visitor Center is now open on weekends, 10 to 1 Saturdays and 10 to 12 Sundays. Anne Daniels is currently doing the docent duty. Stop in and see the renovation of the superintendent's office. Two master craftsmen from the State Parks Department are doing the work, restoring the interior to its original splendor. They are using old growth redwood that was cut and milled from a huge tree that was wind blown down on the Eel River. back in, I believe, 1988. On August 19, the Elk Altar Society and the Centennial committee of the Greenwood Saint Patrick's celebration, met at the home of Will and Cathy Edelbrock. This was the second meeting of the Saint Patrick's Centennial committee. Father Peter Talcott, pastor of the Blessed Sacrament Church led the group in a prayer of renewal. Several committees that have been formed, reported on tentative plans. Gloria Ross's dinner committee is planning to feed 400 corned beef and cabbage dinners from 3 to 8 PM. Cook assistants, dish washers and serving people are needed. The arrangement committee is planning open houses starting at 10 AM. in the new Visitors' center and then Bed and Breakfasts, the Garden Shop, the Rectory, Church and Cuffey's Cove Cemetery. At 10:00 PM. there will be a con-celebrated Mass with Bishop Patrick of the Santa Rosa Diocese, Monsignor Welch of Greenwood, Father Talcott and all former pastors who have assisted at all those Saint Patrick's celebrations. The history committee is writing a book on the 100 years of this oldest, continuous event in Mendocino County. A report was given of the research done and underway, especially in the archives of the Mendocino Beacon. The history committee consists of Sharon McMaster Mitchell, Al Fisher, Lee Friburg and Anne Walker Daniels. Their next meeting will be September 10, 1992, in the home of Anne Daniels. Old timers and/or their descendants are urged to submit their pictures and other memorabilia for publication. The meeting ended after the election of new officers of the Elk Altar Society. Chosen were: Al Fisher, President; Audry Skilton, vice-president; Cathy Edelbrock, Secretary; Denise Pacheco, Treasurer; Mary Berry, chair of fund raising; and Louis Martin, publicity. Jak Tanenbaum of Elk will have a showing of experimental photography at the Fort Bragg Center for the Arts, August 29 through October 31. Reception for the artist will be September 4. Jak is an instructor at the College of the Redwoods and also at U.C. Berkeley. Check it out. Final note. If you have stuff in the refrigerator at the Community center, would you please remove it before the week of Great Day. Move it or lose it. |