Northern Summer's Storming End

"It never rains in California, but girl don't they warn ya. It pours, man it pours."
                        From "It never rains in Southern California", 
              Albert Hammond (1944-) and Mike Hazlewood (1941-2001)


 

We spent last weekend at Pine Grove, an hour's drive north east of Manteca, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. All week the weather forecasts had been predicting rain, and when it came in on Saturday, boy did it come. It also happened to be the last day of summer, and the temperature drop certainly signalled a seasonal change. At an elevation of just over 2,500 ft, the air was noticeably cooler - definitely no longer time for t-shirt and shorts! Across this northern part of the state, rainfall varied between a half and a full inch of rain, and there was hail, and  even snow in the higher elevations, causing quite a bit of road chaos. However, there was barely a sprinkle in Manteca, so it wasn't across the entire area.

View inside Black Chasm Cavern
(Photo by the author)

After I had enjoyed the wonders of Black Chasm Caverns, in Pine Grove, and returned to terra firma, it wasn't long until the skies began to rumble and the rain began to fall.  Gently at first - but this was just building up for the deluge to come. Along with the thunder was the lightning, viewed from the cosy confines of the Jug and Rose Cafe in Volcano, another town dating back to the early California gold mining days, just a short (5 minutes) drive from my sister's house. We waited out the downpour, and when we ventured outside again, the cobblestoned path was under water and huge puddles of water lined the roadsides. It was like a totally different world. 

Main Street, Volcano
(Photo by the author)

We headed back to the house and it wasn't long before the rains returned, with another solid dump of liquid gold for this thirsty land. We also found ourselves having to make new arrangements  for dinner. We were really looking forward to the Roaring Camp Mining Company's Saturday night BBQ - but because of the rain, for the first time in 50 years, they had to cancel it. Just our (bad) luck! We were really looking forward to that.

The rain eased, and a small group of deer that appeared around the house seemed content with the change in weather. There is something quite soothing about watching wild animals feeding and just going about their business, at peace with whatever weather comes their way. The buck in the group was a quite handsome fellow, and all were always alert to any movements. Even from inside the house any movement can startle them and send them leaping away.

Buck and doe, Pine Grove, Ca.
(Photo by the author)

Left with deciding where to go for dinner, the decision was made to go to Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort. It seems quite odd to see this enormous casino and resort in what might seem the "middle of nowhere", but it certainly is well patronized, and enables the Miwuk Indians to be self-sustaining.  There were several dining choices, but we decided on the Buffet - and what a feast it was! I was careful with my portion sizes so that I was able to sample some of the many "all-American" dishes we often hear about but don't get the chance to taste - southern fried chicken, jambalaya, New York prime rib, collard greens and pork shank, black eyed peas (they are actually beans) and fried corn bread. I tried them all (with New York cheesecake for dessert), plus of course salad, rice, vegetables - and bottomless cups of coffee. Sorry there are no photos - I didn't realise what sort of establishment this was, so was camera-less. I am quite impressed with the Rancheria, and learn and understand a little bit more about the area and the Native American inhabitants each time I visit here. Chaw-Se/Indian Grinding Rock State Park is right next to my sister's property in Pine Grove, and I hope to visit it again next time we're up at the house.

So - a spectacular day, topped off by a stunningly beautiful, stormy moon

Storm moon, Pine Grove, Ca.
(Photo by the author)

California Mother Lode - there's still gold in them thar hills

The first treasure California began to surrender after the Gold Rush was the oldest: her land.
                                                     John Jakes (author, 1932-)

A truckload of grapes on their way to market. Auburn, Ca.
(Photo by the author)

The state of California is one and a half times bigger than the land area of the whole of New Zealand, so driving times and distances can be quite staggering in comparison. Here in the Central Valley, long and relatively straight, flat highways dissect the land, connecting towns whose names are familiar to many a reader or viewer of the good old "western" - Stockton, Sacramento, Sutter Creek, Lodi, Modesto, and Walnut Grove are but a few.  The variations in the climate and landscape is also quite apparent, and this diversity has enabled the area to become the breadbasket of the state - as well as a great modern marvel, the Central Valley Project. Due to the uncertainty of adequate rainfall, the CVP has harnessed the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers to provide a network of canals and irrigation for the orchards, vineyards and agricultural lands of the San Joaquin Valley. The area now yields an abundance of produce - some of which often ends up on supermarket shelves in New Zealand. 

Newly planted strawberry fields, Central Valley, Ca.
(Photo by the author)

However, it was something much more alluring that paved the roads to wealth in California - Gold! The historic town of Auburn, in the heart of Mother Lode territory,  was one of the earliest towns established when gold was discovered in California in 1848. A  picturesque little spot, this history is celebrated throughout town. An impressive statue stands as a tribute to the discoverer of gold here, Claude Chana, and the elegant late 19th century Courthouse still stands proudly overlooking the town.

Statue of Claude Chana,
Auburn, Ca.
(Photo by the author)

Gold and mineral mining is still done today in some area locations, including at Roaring Camp Mining in Pine Grove, another small rural town in this golden state, and a place I love to visit. Meanwhile, the planting and harvesting goes on, under a spectacular, but fast waning Harvest Moon.

Harvest Moon on the wane, Pine Grove, Ca.
(Photo by the author)

From "Legal Alien" to Citizen

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

 The Pledge of Allegiance, written in 1892, by Francis Bellamy (1855-1931)

The view inside Sacramento Memorial Auditorium,
 as we await the Citizenship Ceremony

With those words, spoken after also reciting the Oath of Allegiance, on Tuesday September 17, 2013, my sister became a citizen of the United States of America. After 34 years in the USA, she has officially left behind her New Zealand citizenship - and her "legal alien" status. This term has amused and bemused me for a long time - what do these "aliens" look like? Gordon Sumner, better known as Sting, leader of one of the greatest British bands of the '80s, The Police, even put it to music in "Englishman in New York". 

Along with 987 other (now former) "aliens" - including 1 other kiwi, and 2 Aussies - these people became some of the newest US citizens on what was, coincidentally, also Constitution Day. It was a bittersweet day for me, but my sister was also finding it an odd thing to grasp. Since she began the formal process barely 3 months ago, things moved rapidly to this moment - in fact, her final interview was just 2 days before I boarded the plane for this visit. Now, less than 2 weeks later, the timing of this ceremony has worked out very nicely, and it was certainly something special to be able to experience it with her. 

 One thing she is looking forward to is finally being able to vote - and the major political parties had representatives waiting to sign these brand new citizens up. The American form of government appears extraordinarily complicated to many non-Americans, so I imagine that will be quite a learning curve for her. Hopefully she'll be able to explain it to me when the next Federal elections occur here in 2014. 

The ceremony was held in Sacramento, the California state capital, in the beautiful, historic Sacramento Memorial Auditorium.

It was a colourful, serious, but happy, ceremony as friends and family of these new Americans celebrated with them. I know it was a tough decision for my sister to officially change her citizenship, but she is still (and hopefully always will be) a proud New Zealander, and I am both happy and proud for, and of, her. 

My sister, with her husband,
proudly holding her new
 Certificate of Naturalization

And I also learnt I'm known as an "Alien Relative" - so she still can't quite completely relinquish her alien connection!

A different kind of Pick your Own

“Raisins are healthy, and they are inexpensive, and some people may even find them delicious. But they are rarely considered helpful.” 
― Lemony Snicket, The Miserable Mill

You know how it is, normal everyday things you don't ever think much about because you just "know", and they're there, like the fact that raisins are just dried up grapes. Well, to give an indication of just how hot and dry things are here in California's Central Valley - I went to pick some of the grapes from the vine in my sister's backyard, and found I was also picking my own raisins!. Beautifully sweet, fresh and sun-warm, they were quite delicious.

 

Raisins - straight off the vine!

The next task was deciding what to do with the bowlful of very ripe grapes, so out came the Power Juicer. As someone who doesn't spend much time in the kitchen, having such handy gadgets to assist in any kind of food preparation is something you certainly appreciate! However, having friends who do know their way around a kitchen, always producing some amazing dish or another, I have learnt the importance of also photographing the food - albeit in this instance, it may only be the humble grape!

The result of these labours was 3 jars of rather tasty, pure organic grape juice. I can understand why grapes have been known as the Foods of the Gods - and I'm sure the ancient Gods sure would have loved a Power Juicer, too! The climate here certainly allows great opportunity for a huge variety of fruit and vegetables - but for the home gardener you do have to choose carefully as (rain) water is certainly not something anyone here takes for granted. Much as we bemoan the rain in New Zealand, it sure beats the parched earth conditions here in San Joaquin County.The weather forecast predicts rain at the end of next week though - but unless it's on the same scale as what has fallen in  and around Boulder, Colorado this week (12 inches in less than 24 hours!), it's unlikely to leave a lasting impression around here.

Our lovely pure organic grape juice

Touching down in Wildfire country

I'd rather fight 100 structure fires than a wildfire. With a structure fire you know where your flames are, but in the woods it can move anywhere; it can come right up behind you. Tom Watson

The Morgan Fire, on Mt Diablo, just after it began. Sunday September 8 2013

Coming from a small maritime country, New Zealand, to the US state of California is always marked by such contrasts. This visit is no exception, with the added drama of wildfires, which is something quite foreign to most people from that other "Land Downunder". We are Aotearoa/The Land of the Long White Cloud for a very good reason - it rains, quite a lot, in fact! To see one of the latest wildfires in California erupt barely 20 miles to our left, as we were driving directly towards the massive Rim Fire that is still raging in and around one of nature's gems, Yosemite National Park, was quite surreal. We may have been concerned about the drought conditions of last summer throughout much of New Zealand, but it doesn't compare in any way to the conditions here in the Golden State. It is bone dry, and add even light winds to this cauldron, where drought conditions have existed for several years already, and you can feel nature ready to explode.

The dry landscape is ripe to erupt into flame 

While driving, it was noticeable how the smoke has affected the landscape, so much so that there is no apparent defining line between earth and sky. Nearly 100 miles distant, something which at another time or place you might think is just a cloud or a snow-covered mountain, is actually the enormous smoke plume rising from the Rim Fire, which has now consumed almost 400 square miles (by comparison, the Chatham Islands cover 373 square miles). It has been 80% contained for almost a week now, because despite the fact firefighters are controlling more of the blaze, it still keeps devouring more of the landscape. It seems this inferno was begun by a hunter setting an illegal campfire - highlighting how seriously we must take our role as caretakers of our precious Mother Earth and all other creatures we share this space with.

Looking more like a cloud, smoke rises from the Rim Fire. Also visible is the thick layer of ash and smoke that settles and remains over the area