Liz Writes Life 6-26-19

June 26, 2019

Liz Writes Life

Published in Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA

Oh, summer time! The longest day-light day occurred last week and now the sun will be moving back towards winter and shortening days. But, summer weather is here for several months. Yes, garden vegetable plants are growing and flowers are blooming.

I did get some green beans planted even though I didn’t have the energy to enrich the soil with some manure. And that patch of the garden needed some better soil added, so we shall see how they do. Oh, I forgot to mention that I found one volunteer onion plant last April, when I started irrigating perennials, rhubarb and garlic. It grew to about two-inches in size and then sent out a seed stem. I cut it off and a few weeks later stopped watering it. I am trying to stream-line the garden and didn’t want to have to irrigate down there. Well, it got pulled-up this week and is drying in the shade. Yep, one onion.

Picked a small batch of peas this week and made a stir-fry with onion, cabbage, mushrooms and pork.

Can’t believe the yellow coreopsis plants are blooming already along with snapdragons, wild Shasta daisies and now the bigger Shasta daisies are peaking open. There are small daisy-like flowers on feverfew and red bee balm is beginning to top out along with pink hollyhocks.

EHS Reunion

The registration forms have been mailed out for the Etna High School Reunion on July 13, 2019. If you would like to attend and didn’t get one, call Helen Lewis at 530-468-2353. The graduating classes of the 1950s began holding annual reunions 20 years ago and this will be the last one organized by Helen and Alvin Lewis, Betty Young, Ryck Kramer, Alberta Dowling, Larry Wells, Don Meek, MaryAnn Hanna and Melanie Fowle. There was a notice that new organizers need to step-up if the reunions are to continue. Let any of the above know if you are willing to do it.

The reunion will be at the Etna City Park starting at 10 a.m. Cost is $15 with additional cost for 11 a.m. brunch catered by Bob’s Ranch House of $12.75. And a dinner, also catered by Bob’s, at 5 p.m. is $17.

There will be a special birthday treat. Eddi Lou Deppen is turning 90 years old and a celebration will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Collier Hotel on Collier Way in Etna. Wow, Eddi Lou was one of my 4-H Sewing instructors along with a bunch of other moms that decided their girls needed to learn to sew back in the late 1960s. It was quite a project getting 20 girls to settle down and sew a pillow case as our first item. We met in the Home Ec room at the Etna High School using about 12 very old sewing machines and newer ones that the moms were willing to bring. Most girls went on to sew quite a bit with some winning awards at the county fair and regional competitions. I continued to sew, but didn’t win any awards. I was much happier riding horses than sitting at a sewing machine. I claimed it hurt my back – even then!

A few years ago, before Eddi Lou moved up to Roseburg, she told me she was Scott Valley pioneer stock and Fay Lane was named after her family. Sure enough, I just now checked the U.S. census on Ancestry.com and found her ancestor Daniel Fay, who was born in Ireland around 1829 and was living in South, Siskiyou, California, USA in the 1870 census. South was another name for Callahan area. According to several U.S. census and Find A Grave, Daniel was married to Mary Elizabeth Lally also born about 1829 in Ireland. The census showed their family included nine children in 1870. I stopped there, because I don’t know Eddi Lou’s direct line. But, I am sure she could explain it!

I had a nice surprise on Saturday. Suzanne Peckham was working the Etna Native Daughters of the Golden West Museum and a man stop by asking about Hearst Dillman. In thinking about it, she remembered that I was a Dillman. Yep, good memory, Suzanne, as dad died 24 years ago. After checking some genealogy info, I drove in to meet with Ron Dillman, who is 79 and has been living in Redding for years. He is a retired dentist. Family wise, he and my dad are first cousins, but it takes a bit of checking to figure it out. His dad, Ralph, was the youngest of nine kids and was born in 1909. My dad’s dad, George, was the oldest child and was born in 1885, so there is more than a generation of 20 years difference in the brothers and even the first cousins. My dad was born in 1911, in Arizona, and Ron was born in 1939, in California.

Over 30 years ago, Ron and his dad visited Etna and my dad, but had never been close to our side of the family. So, we started making up for lost time. He wanted to see where my family was buried in the Etna Cemetery and I sent him home with an extra copy of the Dillman history that I wrote in the early 1990s. Thank you, Suzanne, for getting us connected.

POW

Scott Valley Protect Our Water will meet this Thurs., June 27, 2019 at the Fort Jones Community Center at 7 p.m. Bring a dessert to share, if it works for you.

I checked with Ray Haupt, Dist. 5 Siskiyou Co. Supervisor, and he will be there to talk about some good news from The Nature Conservancy and a Siskiyou Co. Task Force that is bringing all fire agencies, industrial timber companies and the Fire Safe Councils together to reduce fuel loading on USFS and private lands.

Also, Ray said he was impressed with recent quick responses to local fires, especially Lumgrey Fire that started around June 9^th down on Hwy 96 and jumped the Klamath River heading towards Hawkinsville. Klamath National Forest jumped on it immediately and was quickly backed-up by Cal-Fire with full-on attack personnel, Hot Shots, equipment and air tankers working through the night. It was firefighting at its best and contained quickly. He praised the local command leaders that knew the terrain and potential fire behavior. Good job!

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County and lives near Callahan. Columns from the past year can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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June 19, 2019

Liz Writes Life

Published in Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA.

Sure appreciate the temperatures cooling down to 91 degrees, instead of up to 100 early last week! When the night temps hit 59 degrees or higher, the house just doesn’t cool down enough – even with all the windows open.

The peas are starting to produce. I’ve eaten a handful while irrigating. The first rhubarb plant that I harvested over a month ago is getting large again. The volunteer pumpkin that I transplanted in May is about two-feet wide. The other two will catch-up by July. The cucumbers and tomato plants are also taking off. Still haven’t gotten the green beans planted. Maybe tomorrow.

Rodeo entries

Laurie Tippit brought by a really nice looking Old Time Rodeo poster featuring a barrel racer photo by John Rogers. That means it is time for contestants to think about entering events, which are: Ranch Bronc Riding, Bull Riding, Open Team Roping, Mixed Team Roping, Girls Breakaway Roping, Girls Barrel Race, Ribbon Roping, Saddle Cow Riding and Cow Hide Race. I really like that the Team Ropers get to go twice. Only going once was a bone-of-complaint, when I was on the rodeo board years ago.

Hides are not provided for the Cow Hide Race, so be sure to bring your hide with the rope attached, dried and ready to go.

Jaclyn Boyce is taking entries the week of July 8 to 15 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Call her at 530-340-5527. Most entry fees are $45 with a one-time office fee of $15 per contestant. The Saddle Cow entry fee is a little higher at $50 plus the office fee.

Youth events also have a fee. Mutton Bustin’ for seven years of age and younger is $20. Kids Calf Riding for ages 8 to 12 is also $20; and Junior Steer Riding for ages 13 to 17 is $35. Buckles are awarded to the youth events. Call Jaclyn to enter July 8 to 15.

The rodeo will be held on Saturday, July 27, 2019 at the Scott Valley Pleasure Park Rodeo grounds near Etna on Island Rd. Admission is $5 for everyone, except children seven and under. They are free

Ranch Tours

The Native Daughters of the Golden West hosted a tour of two ranches in Scott Valley last Saturday, so I irrigated the garden and then headed down to Marlene and Charlie Martin’s ranch and dairy located between Greenview and Fort Jones. Marlene said she has a new respect for digging into history as it took quite a bit of research to discover all the owners of the various pieces of property. Charlie named a long list of about 10 people, including a railroad company, as previous owners. He referred to the ranch as the Walker – Slater ranch, because two bigger ranches were combined.

I took notes on a small pad and hope I have the facts correct. Ha, ha. Charlie said William Shores built the first grist mill for grinding flour, near Greenview, in 1859, but that gold miners had been in the valley for at least 10 years before. Growing grain and milling it into flour is a sure sign of settlement.

Alexander Walker, who was from Scotland, bought his property in 1863. He went to Greenhorn, near Yreka, to mine gold and turned to ranching in Scott Valley. Michael Slater was also an owner of an original part of the ranch. As the owners were discussed, Charlie explained the homes and most barns were down a ways from present-day Hwy 3. It tends to be a big boggy down there. Oh, the stories he related of living with no electricity and no indoor plumbing!

Charlie’s dad, Bruce Martin, purchased a part of the ranch in 1952. He hand-milked many cows on his family’s dairy in Southern California and had stated he would never milk another cow, but, ended-up purchasing the dairy.

Marlene and Charlie displayed a variety of old milk and ice cream containers from dairies like Grenada’s Shasta View Dairy and Fort Jones Creamery. I remember the yellow ice cream box with green writing from the Fort Jones Creamery that mom bought when I was a kid.

Today, the Martin family runs 120 milk cows and beef herd. And it is an organic dairy.

Then we went to the Fowle ranch on Eastside Road that was once a Stage Stop with hotel and bar. Three generations operate the ranch. Melanie Fowle explained that in order to survive, ranches diversify. She and grandson, Kyle, are in charge of the sheep. Melanie showed us the lambing barn, which at one time held a lot of work horses in stables. Melanie, her son, Jeff, and Kyle discussed their cattle herd of Angus and Herefords, breeds of the sheep, irrigation systems and hay operation. Then, Jeff and Kyle quickly left to continue hauling the early-morning-baled hay. Jeff’s wife, Erin, is in the horse and people training business and runs several dozen horses as well.

Melanie and her husband, Ken, purchased the ranch in 1971 from her father, Clarence Dudley. She has also done extensive research on previous owners. It was originally called the Ohio Ranch or Ohio House as the migrant Ohio owner built a log cabin in 1852 and planted Buckeye trees.

Then in 1858, Ireland-born John W. McBride purchased the ranch. He served several terms as Siskiyou Co. Supervisor. John married Mary Lowe. Several of their children died in the 1860s and 1870s, but son, George, and three sisters grew to adulthood. Eventually, sisters Nell and, I think it was Bess, were living in the big house in the 1930s. My family leased the McBride Ranch around 1938 and were operating it when my dad and mom, Hearst and Jeanne Dillman, married in 1941. They lived in the very small house on the ranch.

I sure appreciate the time and effort of the Martins and Fowles in sharing their ranch histories and also doing some much-needed education on ranching. Most ranches and farms are still owned and operated by families. It is hard work that takes a true love of the land. And as the sign on Melanie’s front gate says: Every day is Earth day on a farm.

POW

Scott Valley Protect Our Water will hold its next meeting on Thursday, June 27, 2019 at the Fort Jones Community Center. Time is 7 p.m.

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County and lives near Callahan. Columns from the past year can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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Liz Writes Life 6-12-19

June 12, 2019

Liz Writes Life

Published in Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA.

It frosted at my house. Yep, it did last Saturday morning. After checking several weather services, which forecasted 35 and 38 degrees, I decided not to chance it. So, I covered the five tomato plants, four zucchini, eight cucumbers, three pumpkins and the only blue morning glory that came up. Woke up at 5:30 a.m. and saw the frost was coming in on the roof of the pump house. I guessed right!

I did not cover the newly-transplanted impatiens and alyssum, but they were small and better protected. They didn’t get singed. Neither did the bee balm or volunteer potatoes. So, the frost was not very long or hard. The peas are growing and climbing the page wire brace. The wild Shasta daisies are blooming, Sweet William is accented with a bright orange California poppy; and a hollyhock is five-feet tall. With the jump to hot, hot temps this week, guess we can say it is summer!

Because of the high 90-degree temps, I decided to harvest the mature lettuce. Washed it up and gave away 13 bags and a large one for a friend’s turtle. I knew the heat would make it bitter. Now, to get the green beans planted this week.

POW

At the Scott Valley Protect Our Water meeting on May 30, 2019, Ray Haupt, Dist 5 Siskiyou Co. Supervisor, told us about a federal project that may actually be helpful to states and counties. It is called “The Good Neighbor Authority” and was part of the 2014 Farm Bill.

This GNA allows the Forest Service to enter into agreements with state forestry agencies to do critical management work on neighboring forest lands. Locally, our county is also entering into cooperative agreements with both Cal-Fire and USFS. The first major cooperative project includes increased thinning of trees! Yea! The county will also be able to keep the harvest receipts. Ray said the goal is to reinvest the revenue back into the program for more harvest projects.

At least it is a start to a problem where years of over-regulation dictating little to no harvest created a huge fire hazard throughout the West.

Eateries in Etna

The new owners of Dotty’s invited me, and several other folks, to a taste testing of their new food items for catering. One is also a hit on the weekend menu. It is a slow-smoked tri-tip tossed in barbecue sauce and caramelized onion slider. Gotta say it was delicious especially with Southern-style coleslaw added to the top. Crunchy!

Chef Jon Klous and Brandy Hudson purchased Dotty’s earlier this year and have brought-in another chef, Sam Hartman, to add trendy items. I think we started with an English cucumber topped with sliced avocado and smoked pepper jam. Yum. There was a home-keto-friendly-grown pork treat in small individual finger sizes. Then they served beef kabob’s marinated in a special sauce and chicken kabobs marinated in V-8 juice and Worcestershire sauce. Besides the tri-tip slider with soft small potato buns, they also make a miniature Dotty’s burger and mushroom Swiss slider.

Dessert was a bacon apple caramelized onion blue-cheese tartlet. They are also made in peach, blackberry and strawberry. These are cooked in the smoker, which is their large oven for most items. Oh, and the melon ball kabob with a spritz of blackberry reduced wine sauce was fresh and perky.

All the food was tantalizing and provocative to a ranch-wife type of cook. They have specials on their daily menu and make catering easy. You can order trays for smaller groups or they will do big events. Just let them know what you need.

I mentioned to Jon, Brandy and Sam that when I was in high school, I worked for the original Dotty. I mentioned that it seemed like there would be big lulls in customers, like they were all visiting down at the other corner, and then decide to show up – all at once making the cooks hustle. Guess everyone gets hungry at the same time. Brandy said it is still the same.

I don’t want to leave out the other wonderful cafés and restaurants in Etna. It has been a busy week and I didn’t stop by for updated visits, so I am writing from memory. Hope I get things right! I apologize in advance.

Across Hwy 3 from Dotty’s Korner is South Fork Baking Company featuring coffees, full espresso bar, smoothies, teas and baked goods. They also make sandwiches and breakfast burritos. I like their donuts.

A few doors down is Bob’s Ranch House with full early-morning breakfasts to lunch and complete dinners. The banquet room is especially helpful for large groups or meetings. Oh, and they have buffets on Wednesday night, when the Wednesday Night Band plays.

Down on Main Street, Wildwood Crossings offers coffee and espressos of all kinds. I am not a coffee drinker, but sure enjoy the coffee aroma when I am there. Ahhh! They make sandwiches and luscious wraps, but my favorite is the grilled chicken in a croissant.

Up Etna’s Main Street block is the newly-opened Grain Street Bakery. I did visit, because I had not yet been in. Owner Erik makes a variety of breads, cookies and cultural pastries. A customer favorite is bacon bread! I bought a loaf of American Sourdough. It was good – and I make my own sourdough bread.

On the corner is Paystreak Brewing Company with homemade micro brews. Debbie’s salads, sandwiches and wraps are delish and Monday has an open-mic night. I saw Clint McBroom playing the fiddle on a facebook video and kids were dancing. Maybe some of the Wednesday Night Band members play there on Mondays!

Across Diggles street is the Denny Bar Co. Distillery. Besides trendy lunches and dinners featuring homegrown Jenner Family Beef, they offer guided tours of the featured distillery every Friday, Saturday and Sunday – with complimentary tasting. I really like the brick-oven baked pizza.

Etna Brewing Co. & Brew Pub is located down China Hill and open Thurs-Sun. They make all kinds of burgers and sandwiches and offer a variety of micro brews.

I hope I didn’t leave out any eateries – in Etna. I just wanted to perk your taste buds. Please check them out for yourself to find your favorite foods and drinks.

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County and lives near Callahan. Columns from the past year can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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Liz Writes Life 6-5-19

June 5, 2019

Liz Writes Life

Ahhhh, the aromas and colors of early summer. I just love fresh spring mornings with fragrances of blooming flowers flowing in the breeze. We’ve had quite the thunder storms with lightning, pouring rain and hail. Then, as the dark clouds clear-out a soft coolness floats-in. We do live in a beautiful place.

EHS Reunion

The annual Etna High School Reunion will be held on July 13, 2019 in the Etna City Park. Its organizers are sending out information this week, but if anyone would like to attend they should call Helen Lewis at 530-468-2353. The reunion is for all graduates of Etna High, teachers, friends and relatives. I think that is about everybody!

POW

Ray Haupt, Dist. 5 Siskiyou Co. Supervisor, had lots to share at the Scott Valley Protect Our Water meeting last Thursday in Fort Jones. First, he thinks it is a “big deal” that the U.S. Dept. of Interior has rescinded a letter of support for Klamath dams removal.

On May 17, 2019, DOI Secretary David Bernhardt wrote a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission withdrawing a 2016 letter from then DOI Sec. Sally Jewell. One simple sentence in the letter explains the reason: “The KHSA (Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement), however, did not require submission of the 2016 letter from Secretary Jewell.”

From all appearances, Jewell’s letter was encouragement by the federal government in favor of dam removal. That support is no longer on record with FERC, which is the agency that will decide if PacifiCorp will be able to re-license the four hydro-electric Klamath dams and continue to operate them for electricity or allow the non-profit Klamath River Renewal Corp. to obtain the hydro-electric license with the specific goal of destroying the four dams and not supplying electricity.

When Ray was in WA. D.C. last October, he met with Tim Williams, who is Deputy Under Sec. of DOI, and explained why Siskiyou Co. is working so hard to save the dams. Recently, Ray heard from the Interagency of Affairs Office, which stated, “This administration does not remove dams.” Sounds like federal agencies are hearing the concerns over removal of the dams.

Ray said that Siskiyou Co. keeps pushing and pushing on the unresolved impacts of dam removal and KRRC is not providing responses or answers. Those issues include the impacts of the millions of tons of stored sediment and silt that will affect water quality and the entire 190-mile stretch of the Klamath River, when it is released. There are also property loss questions that KRRC has not answered.

Because KRRC’s Definite Plan for taking out the dams only addresses to five-miles below the dams, the county now estimates the actual cost and rehabilitation of the Klamath River from dam removal is closing in on $600 million. This is much higher than the original estimation with the previous Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement of $450 million. There are a slew of unresolved issues that will add to the cost of dam removal, Ray explained.

“We now know the sediments will likely destroy life in the Harbor,” down at the mouth of the Klamath River, Ray added.

Earlier this year, the Crescent City Harbor District Commission asked KRRC for financial assistance to dredge sediment and silt resulting from dam removal. From what I have learned, it doesn’t look like KRRC has committed any funds to what could be an added cost of over $1 million to clean-out the excess sediments. I have always wondered why Del Norte County and the Harbor Commission supported Klamath dam removal. Maybe the unresolved issues are finally becoming a problem.

Fire

Devestation from wildfires continues to cause major worry – after the fires are out. Ray said that he has heard from his constituents that home owners’ insurance is becoming a problem to obtain and some have even lost their insurance or companies will not renew home insurance policies. This is worrisome for sure.

At the state level, Cal-Fire and the Office of Emergency Services developed a new map with high fire hazard zone areas. Guess what? Siskiyou Co. is in a high fire zone with much of Scott Valley in the highest level. With his extensive background in timber and fire behavior, Ray once again cited the extreme density of trees as the major problem. He said the surrounding interface of trees in Scott Valley is estimated to be four-times the density as those back in 1934. This is in both private lands and Forest Service managed lands.

Again, it needs to be said that the Klamath National Forest grows about 600 million board feet of timber each year. Even with the alarmists claiming all the trees were being cut down back in the 1980s, 1900s and 2000s, KNF has never harvested even half of the possible growth in a year. That is “growth” which is a small percentage of the entire forest. 

There was never a danger of cutting down all the trees! The public was duped!

The highest harvest was in the late 1980s at around 200 million board feet harvested – about a third of the annual growth! (Clip this information and educate the uninformed.)

Since the NorthWest Forest Plan was implemented, in 1994, that number has drastically dropped and averages only 20 to 25 million board feet each year. Yep, those trees are growing and growing with little impact that actually thins the forests. Healthy forest management must be implemented.

Also, the USFS must actively hustle at stopping all fires --immediately! But, I digress.

Governments, private companies, Fire Safe Councils, even CA. Gov. Gavin Newsom are now furiously planning to reduce wildfires. Strategies are being developed. State legislation has ordered vegetation management plans under and around power lines by utility companies. Cal-Trans has been directed to reduce vegetation along highways.

But, in being involved in many of these meetings, Ray saw too much fragmentation. So, at the local county level, Ray and Dist. 2 Siskiyou Co. Supervisor Michael Kobseff, have convened all land management government agencies and industrial (forest-type) companies in a meeting with the goal of “filling in the gaps.” He said he is extremely happy with the recent new mapping and planning by the Siskiyou Fire Safe Council. The target is to add the potential bad fire behavior to the mix. True stewardship and forest management is the key. A second meeting of this county group will be held next week.

There is more happening on how to reduce the threat of fires and I will discuss it next week.

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County and lives near Callahan. Columns from the past year can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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Liz Writes Life 5-29-19

May 29, 2019

Liz Writes Life

Published in Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA

Memorial Day weekend is past, but I still think of Memorial Day as May 30^th, which is tomorrow. So, there is still time to take a few minutes and contemplate the sacrifice of our military soldiers and their families have made. I watched the 30^th National Memorial Celebration on PBS Sunday night that was held on the South Lawn at the Capitol. It was a beautiful tribute. Several stories were told. One was about a medic, who survived D-Day – but not without major injuries of a bullet in his arm and shrapnel in his thigh. He and his brother were both injured during the terrifying attacks on sandy French beaches. His brother lived to be 92 and this man was alive and in attendance.

In another poignant story, two well-known actors portrayed a black man and a white man who became best friends during Viet Nam fighting. They made it back, but a good friend that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time did not. They were both in attendance sitting side-by-side. The Vietnam Wall in D.C. is a tribute to all who lost their lives in the controversial war, yet took their watch and served.

Much has been said to pay homage in thanking those who have served and are serving today. I simply want to add my sincere and passionate “thank you” to our military men and women and our veterans; and to the families that have grieved, because loved ones didn’t live to come home.

One meme out there in social media says it all. I think the caption reads: “A Day at the Beach.” One picture shows families happily playing in the sand, eating and having a good time. The next picture is of D-Day June 6, 1944 on the coast of Normandy, France.

I am so grateful for the freedoms I enjoy as a citizen of the United States. Our country is far from perfect, but we still have so many liberties and opportunities provided by our Constitution. Perhaps, we should stop and count them more often.

POW

Scott Valley Protect Our Water will meet this Thursday, May 30, 2019 at the Fort Jones Community Center. Time is 7 p.m. Bring a dessert to share, if you can. Ray Haupt, our Siskiyou Co. Supervisor for Dist. 5, is our lead speaker. He participated in the American Forester Resource Council Conference in Washington State last month and will give a report.

Ray told me it was quite a surprise on May 17, when the new Secretary of the Dept. of Interior, David Bernhardt, released a letter reversing the stand of DOI regarding Klamath Dam removal. You see, back in 2016, President Obama’s Sec. of Interior, Sally Jewel, sent a letter to FERC urging the approval of an application to remove four hydro-electric Klamath dams. Sec. Bernhardt’s letter withdrew DOI’s support of dam destruction.

This is huge folks!

In a press release, Dist. 1 Congressman Doug LaMalfa said he was able to personally explain the situation to Bernhardt before he was appointed. LaMalfa thanked the new secretary and added, “This course-reversal by Interior is a big victory for those fighting this misguided dam removal and a positive development for Northern California – we need to support new and existing water infrastructure projects, not tear them down.”

For sure, Ray will also have additional info on this situation.

Erin Ryan, staff for Congressman LaMalfa, sent me a note of apology saying she is not able to attend the POW meeting. Bummer! She has been asked to meet with an attorney who is working on an appeal for benefits for a veteran. Erin did the investigation and LaMalfa has added a full-press on the Veterans Admin. Hopefully, their work will help this veteran obtain benefits he was denied for 40 years.

More LaMalfa

Recently, LaMalfa and Calif. Democrat Rep. Salud Carbajal partnered to reintroduce the Veterans Record Reconstruction Act, which would ease the process for veterans to prove their eligibility for certain benefits or decorations. This bill implements uniform guidelines to simplify processes and “make veterans’ lives a little bit easier,” Doug said.

Our congressman has been busy working to get more aid to the Northern California 2018 fire victims. Soon, the U.S. Senate will be voting on a disaster aid package that will provide $19.1 billion for states affected by the disaster. Because Doug has been a strong advocate, Paradise will be eligible for an additional $150 million in rural development funding. The legislation is expected to pass the senate and will move to the House for approval.

Rebuilding is happening in Paradise, after the Camp Fire destroyed most of the city in November. Last week, LaMalfa attended the re-opening of the Paradise Medical Group that will be using a new virtual care platform allowing patients to see medical providers via mobil phone, tablet or personal computer. He told the group he was grateful to Blue Shield of California and PMG for their commitment to helping Butte County recover.

Garden

The weather stations were right. It hasn’t frosted even though the snow-level was down to 4,000 ft. on Sunday morning. I didn’t trust that I would actually receive the forecasted rain, so Friday night I irrigated everything. No, I haven’t harvested the rhubarb and it was thirsty. Admittedly, I was surprised when it started raining about 11 p.m. Saturday and then more on Sunday. So nice!

My Oriental orange poppies are blooming – a bit behind – along with iris. Must say I enjoy the orange California poppies flowering near the lavender lupine. There are now six zucchini plants up and will need thinning to just two. Eight cucumbers have popped-up and the tomato plants, garlic, pumpkin plant, lettuce, bee balm, hollyhocks and chives look happy. Last thing to plant are the green beans. Just in time for the return to warm weather.

It is so great that the surrounding mountains received more snow and the Sierras are reporting over 150 percent of average. Looks like a good water year for a change. Smile, life is good!

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County and lives near Callahan. Columns from the past year can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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