By Diane Sawdon
The calendar tells me that Fall has officially arrived, but the
thermometer says it is 87 outside. There is some confusion here, to be
sure. Mother Nature delayed the arrival of Summer, so Fall, too, must be
following in this delayed arrival pattern. Like many residents of Nevada
County, I am ready for a change of Seasons. The weather forecast for
next week is rain and I am looking forward to it. After last Winter, I
better be very careful about what I wish for~~~I may be eating these
words in a few short months.
Two weeks ago, we returned to The Lakes Basin area of Sierra County. I
was so enamored with this little bit of Heaven on Earth on our last
visit, that I convinced my Better Half that we needed to return. The
compromise I made was that we would not bring our kayaks and we would go
?over the mountain? into Plumas County and explore that area. Wrong
decision and wrong compromise. On our way up Gold Lake Road, we stopped
at Sardine Lake to reacquaint ourselves with a sweet memory. All I
wanted to do was abscond with a kayak from some unsuspecting soul who
happened to have left his or her kayak by the shore. I behaved myself
and we moved on down the mountain.
Plumas County is a place unto itself. For a golfer, it must be heaven.
For those of us who do not know the difference better a putt and a par,
it was a foreign nation inhabited by aliens. It was not exactly the home
of warmth and friendship. Those small towns that dot HWY 70 and HWY 89
seem to be dying a slow death. They have been left behind since the
logging industry has virtually disappeared. We spoke with some fifth
generation Plumas County residents and they told us they hoped their
sixth generation leaves the county because there is no future for the
young. How did this happen? I have no answers, but I certainly felt this
helplessness. How does one walk away from five generations of family
history?
We had another adventure at the very beginning of this month. It was a
once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of California history. I did
things on that day that I have never done in all my years on this earth.
We were so in awe of our experience that we have not stopped talking
about it. I wish I was in my 20s and could partake in such an adventure
of the body and soul. I will never forget that day. Thank you many times
over to our hosts and friends. You know who you are!
It is getting darker much earlier these evenings. Soon the fires will be
lit and we will, once again, ponder the significance of Fall~~~home,
hearth, and harvest. Hopefully, your home and hearth will be filled with
a bountiful harvest for your soul. Happy October!
Comments(0)