Rock Wrangling in the Gold Country

ARRRRGGGGGGGHHH!

That is the sound of two fat ladies, preparing for an auto trip.

My buddy Barbara decided to come for a long visit in order to escape house projects at her home. On day two of her visit, I bundled her into the Honda and we headed southeast through the California historic gold rush lands. I LOVE the drive and it changed since my last visit to the area. There are now 'Historic' bypasses that veer off the main route, that wind though historic houses in quaint, old-timie neighborhoods.

A ruin that reminded me of Ireland's roadside castle ruins
The real purpose of the drive was not sight-seeing, it was THEFT! Yes. I admit. I'm a thief. And just below is a photo of my booty - Calaveras County Marble!

Ill Gotten Gain, or Free Landscaping?

There is a HUMONGOUS vein of marble rock that pops out of the ground in Calaveras County. Not the fanciest marble rock on the planet, but it is nice, whitish grey with streaks of darker gray, and heck, it looks great in my garden. We drove down side streets looking for outcroppings of the rock.

We found one likely spot, and lady-like Auntie Barbara strolled up the incline and began lobbing great chunks of rock down to the road. She has the strength of 37 grizzly bears (piss her off and the grizzly number rises exponentially).

Barbara washing her delicate hands after lobbing boulders downhill.

We stopped briefly for a nice lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Columbia State Park.

Columbia State Park: Photo by Robert Holmes / Cal Tours

On our drive back to Fair Oaks we detoured to an old restored cabin. Mark Twain sort-of-very-nearly-kind-of lived in when he wrote The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. Actually, only the stone chimney and fireplace remain from the original cabin that burned down.

Mark Twain Cabin

Site Marker

The hill Mark Twain's cabin is found on is called Jackass Hill. And by dingies, there was a large jackass in the pasture. No, maybe this month I should call it a donkey, a dignified Democratic donkey at that. Stand proud little donkey! You done good.

Jackass... Dignified Democratic Donkey, on Jackass Hill

I'm RETIRED! Sort of...

This past week I attended a work Conference in the Napa Valley. When you work for CalEPA's Waste Board, as seen below, you shoot photos from a hill at the world's loveliest landfill.

Looking Straight Down the Napa Valley
View on Opposite Side

Happy Napa Valley - the Morning After the Election
My bud Barbie drove up from Monterey & we had loads of fun. Barbara's Aunt Judy lives in Napa and we visited her. We spent at least one evening laughing until our fat belly muscles ached. Really a fun & cheap holiday this vacation paid for by Ah-nee & your hard working state tax dollars.

Oh... had to include this photo, taken at the Napa Marriot. I kept expecting the creepy little twin girls from 'The Shining' to appear and ask me to 'come play' with them.

Spooky long hallway at the Marriott
Now I'm back in Fair Oaks. This morning I thought of when my buddies hardly able to contain our girly enthusiasm over our future, post-graduation jobs. We gushed at the idea of working a 40 hour work week and 'doing better' than our mothers had. Working, striving and achieving were our fondist wishes. Ok, years have past and now I wonder - what the EFF were we thinking????

We - and in this I include my boy buddies too - we now long to get the eff out of town and retire. We dream of lounging on our REI lounge chairs, sipping dark ales and maybe getting in a little traveling. Lovely dream that is.

So, this month, still unable to retire, I'm giving myself three weeks off to do nothing. Nada. Zip. If I accomplish anything at all - and I admit, I have a 'To Do' list that I wish I could turn into the traditional 'Honey Do' list, but tough b'jingos - then I'm cool & down wit' that. My time off begins today and lasts until December 1st. HURRAH for me!

could NOT resist

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