Thursday, October 3, 2019

Liz Writes Life 10-2-19


Oct. 2, 2019
Liz Writes Life
It was a bit soggy for activities held last weekend. I certainly didn’t expect that much rain or the temps to cool off so much. Snow levels were down to 4,500 or below on our mountains. So, it was quite a shock from the high-80 degree days from mid-week. We needed more than one coat!
Even though it was cold, the fund-raiser event for the Congressman Doug LaMalfa campaign turned-out really nice. It was held at the Dowling Ranch barn. Dave Tyler’s barbecue ribs, grilled chicken and beans were delicious along with his wife, Kathy’s, coleslaw and muffins.
Doug’s wife, Jill, was able to drive up too. I hadn’t visited with her for a few years, so it was nice to chat with her. Later, she took the mic and shared that she was driving, when they dropped down Forest Mt. into Scott Valley. The scene was breath-taking. She told us, “You really do live in God’s country! You are our people and we thank you for your support – from the bottom of our hearts.”
She is such a great wife. You see, Doug flies back and forth every week to WA. D.C., when congress is in session. This makes family-life very busy. Jill stays in California at their rice farm with their two younger daughters, who are still in school.
Jill believes in our country and the need to stand for our Constitution and conservative values. She told us about her family attending President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2017. It was bitter cold, but so incredibly inspiring to see history unfold before their eyes. She even played a calm, but firm “Mama Bear” part, when some anti-Trump people started to confront her 6’ 10” tall college-age son for wearing a MAGA hat.
Doug has met with Trump on different issues and found him to be very considerate and engaging. He listens and “does what he says he’ll do.”
Doug was questioned about the current impeachment threat of President Trump, because of his phone call with the president of Ukraine. Our congressman explained that impeachment really is a process, which must be followed. He said House Speaker Pelosi is caught in the middle of the mess and is doing an inquiry, which is the first part of the process. But, because the pro-impeachment House members are so loud, she is trying to make the inquiry look like it is the process.
President Trump released the transcript of that phone call and Doug said there is nothing in the call that is illegal or an impeachable offense; and it reads like two world leaders talking about a variety of issues.
Doug added, “The stuff they are accusing Trump is what they (his opposition) have done.”
Doug thanked Siskiyou County citizens for their support. He recalled the first time he came to Siskiyou on the campaign trail. It was to participate in the Fort Jones Christmas Parade, in December 2001, when he first ran for state assembly. That is when I met him, talked with him, liked him and voted for him ever since.
When local issues were brought to him, Doug always understood and was a champion for us during his assembly and state senate years. He questioned and argued for us, when, then, Dept. of Fish and Game, demanded a permit that would have taken away our legal water rights. A permit, with its resulting fee, would have added a huge cost for agriculture to do business and confiscated property – especially when under California law, the water is already owned by the landowner or water right holder.
Doug said headway is being made in stopping the removal of the Klamath dams. The “phony-baloney shell corporation,” of Klamath River Renewal Corp. does not have the $450 million in funding that will pay for the destruction cost. He said the process is now at the level where it will be the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to make the big decisions.
Those are two decisions: The first is if FERC will allow KRRC to obtain the hydro-electric licenses from PacifiCorp and the second is actually allowing the destruction of the four Klamath hydro-electric dams.
Once again, our congressman brought up the environmental issues that are now part of the federal and state mandates before dam removal can occur. He said the devastating amount of sediment that will contaminate the Klamath River must and will be addressed.
Garden
I decided to pick the last of the tomatoes and the rhubarb on Friday. Several friends were hoping for some rhubarb and I gave most of the red tomatoes to another family, who wanted to freeze them.
Finally, I got the rest of my tomatoes in the freezer. I cut them up, scattered them on wax paper in a big pan and put in the freezer. Did pretty good this year, cuz I didn’t forget about them and gathered them into freezer bags. Even put the date on them!
Think I picked my last bouquet of the year. The maroon and lavender cosmos are five-feet tall with lots of blooms, so I picked some to go with a very late-blooming salmon-colored gladiolus and some Shasta daisies. The sky-blue morning glory never did bloom. Bummer! But the vines from the one plant took over the ladder and lattice I put up for it to climb. The purple morning glories are wrapped around old glads and the big maroon elephant amaranth plants.
Story time
Celeste McFall, branch manager for libraries in Scott Valley, announced a weekly story time and play group for children ages 0-5 will begin next week. The Fort Jones session will start on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019 from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. and the Etna session will start on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019 at the same time. This is a parent and children activity, which includes a craft. The theme is “Harvest of the Month. There will also be a book giveaway courtesy of the Fort Jones Lions group.
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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