First and foremost, the
River Voice
would like to express it's thanks to Stan Krute of Hornbrook,
CA, for donating the domain name: I think the most salient feature of this year's version of Spring, is that it was preceded by Summer, which, as a note of interest, came in March. It just flat out got warm, average highs in the 70's, with a few days into the 80's, and no rain and no, none, bupkis, zip, nada, freezes! We haven't had a decent freeze since mid-February. Here comes the tension builder... Then came a couple of days, of a couple of inches of rain and wham! Spring. The Redbud, while the Daffodils still bloomed; the Dogwood, while the Redbud still bloomed; the California Poppies, while the Dogwood still bloomed; the Cyanosis while the Poppies still bloomed. And everything else in between had to get going or be overshadowed by blooms that usually appeared in late May. From the coast to Cecilville and Sawyers Bar it was SPRING and by god if you forgot that it was SPRING all you had to do was try to leave it... like say skiing with Cedar and Galena Seeger at Sugar Bowl in the Sierras.
If there were any doubt about
the season all you had to do was count the number of boater's vehicles you
dodged while driving the river roads. I swear you'd think those guys
driving their clients and gear hadn't had enough adrenaline on the river
the way they drive to and from put-ins and take-outs. They are
brightly colored as they scout the river while driving the road. Couple of big stories, both beneficial to the River Communities Huge
news in and around the Forks of Salmon. The
death last year of Rosemary Butte brought the news that her land was
going to be sold... finally. I say "finally" because in the thirty
five years I've lived here the "Rosemary Buttes' Land" has attained almost
mythical status. The first time I recall an effort to communicate
with Rosemary was back in the 70's when Billy Harling organized an effort
to buy the land for a bunch of locals. Didn't fly then or since
(except for her land, which in 1977 became Croman's shop at Missouri Bar
and, much later, Cormier's place further up the South Fork). Muggs and
Chuck
Nichols, who had rented their homesite at the confluence of the two forks
for decades, continued to be the only folks that Rosemary wanted to live
on any of her property. There the property stood for decades, until this
spring when Muggs was basically offered the land by Rosemary's estate.
Hey Ma, look we're just like Anywhere, USA... I guess that's what you'd say about the new Neighborhood Watch program here on the Salmon River. It's a shame really, but a response to changing realities. With the cooperation of the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Dept. the local community elected officers; Les Harling, president, Peggy Hanley, vice president, Petey Brucker, secretary treasurer. Residents with something to report should get in touch with Fred Solis, our own personal sheriff and local road crew captain. Babies! We got some and there are still more on the way! Where to start? |