Raven's Roads. How to live an interesting life.

Heading south on I-5

Linda R. Moore — Mon, 12 May 2008 05:13:41 +0000

I don’t know how much longer I’ll have online, so I’ll summarize in this post and then start to post the story with some photos of the day when I get back. We have spent so much time chasing after wireless this trip that it stopped being fun until we got here, to this rest area, and discovered that wireless had found us.

Our trip this month took us up to Redding and the Trinity/Shasta area. I haven’t been here since 2001 so had forgotten how truly beautiful it is. There’s still snow on the higher mountains and it’s eerily reminiscent of Slovenia. This is probably why I think it’s so wonderful.

Anyway, this is by way of hello and no, I haven’t disappeared. Adventures this time included two Indian casinos, a snarfari in Colusa and rather bland Chinese food in Williams.

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Thursday Thirteen #30: 13 favorite photos in April

Linda R. Moore — Wed, 07 May 2008 21:16:40 +0000

Every day on each of four blogs I’ve been posting an image of the day, as well as the occasional article with piccies. Here are my thirteen favorites from April. Which one/s do you like best?

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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Raven's Roads. How to live an interesting life.

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Black Butte

Linda R. Moore — Tue, 06 May 2008 08:13:32 +0000

After spending several days at Black Butte reservoir, we went up to the observation point to look at the dam. We also found Black Butte (or at least I suppose so). This looks like volcanic rock to me…

Snowy caps

Linda R. Moore — Mon, 05 May 2008 08:13:29 +0000

Katster, Pussreboots and I have been trying to figure out which mountain this could be. I took it from a hiking trail at Buckhorn Campground. Maybe this one will help. I’m sort of leaning towards Lassen, myself.

Imaginative signage

Linda R. Moore — Sun, 04 May 2008 08:13:34 +0000

Butte county has imaginatively named county roads. Down from here were roads A, B, C, D and then…DD. What were they thinking?

Ospreys!

Linda R. Moore — Sat, 03 May 2008 08:13:32 +0000

This untidy blob of a nest is home to a mated pair of ospreys. These grand fish-hunting raptors are special to me: as a child I was taken on at least two visits to Boat-of-Garten in Scotland, the only place in the British Isles where these rare birds nest. And here they were, planted on top of a utility pole down an obscure county road. :)

Fishing trip

Linda R. Moore — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:13:16 +0000

Don and I wandered down to the boat ramp to skim stones and play with the lizards. A boat full of fishermen tootled up, someone ran to fetch supplies from their camp, and then they tootled off again. I think they may have gotten more beer. ;)

Looking back

Linda R. Moore — Thu, 01 May 2008 08:13:13 +0000

Remember that picture of the Simpson Bridge girder I posted in the not too distant past? This is what the little area looks like from a distance, i.e. our campground. If I hadn’t been there I would probably never have noticed it. I do get a kick of seeing places I’ve been from different angles. :)

Silver bells and cockle shells

Linda R. Moore — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:13:55 +0000

May Mary quite contrary how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row… with pretty maids all in a row. :)

Best post office ever

Linda R. Moore — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:27:02 +0000

Once in a while, I forget that old lesson, “look beyond the surface.” How often have you heard people say, “The real beauty is inside?”

It applies to old gray buildings, too.

I went a-hunting landmarks today, and Amber knew that the main post office in Stockton was on two historic registers. So that’s the one she chose…and the first thing I said was, “Gee! What a boring building!” She kind of chuckled.

Government architecture isn’t always noted for being pretty. It’s typified by solid, gray blocky buildings, perfectly functional but not very imaginative. On the other hand, there were a few nice details, like this eagle.

A long time ago, a friend taught me to look up in towns and cities. Many of the best architectural details are way up high.

I was quite pleased to see it was on two historic registers, though–double points!

This is a Depression-era (1930s) building which houses several federal agencies as well as the post office. The murals were added as part of Roosevelt’s New Deal program.

I decided to go inside. There was a nice bit of decorative metalwork over the doorway that gave a hint of things to come.

And then I went inside and found this. Just look at this! Look at the floor, the ceiling, the walls. So ornate and beautiful. In every direction there was something so at odds with the dull exterior that I could barely reconcile the two. The details were picked out in marble and wood; at the center were potted plants that seemed to thrive under the broad ceiling lights.

Everything was deliciously symmetrical.

Intriguing polished metal (brass?) doors led off to hidden offices. Note the decorative paneling, the little touches of decor that made everything so perfectly grand and imposing.

This picture is a tad blurry, but it shows the detail of the polished floors.

A gold eagle peered down at the steady stream of customers.

This mural depicted travel by stagecoach, which also used to carry mail alongside the passengers.

This one showed more modern aspects of carrying the mail.

Outside the post office, we found a lady who’d taken a stumble and made sure she was all right. She was not hurt, but she had noticed me walking around taking pictures with a big grin on my face and was glad I liked the post office. :)

Raven's Roads. How to live an interesting life.

Heading south on I-5

Thursday Thirteen #30: 13 favorite photos in April

Hummingbird

A boat going nowhere

Nature’s little A-frame

Fruits of the forest

Stairs in Stockton

Delta campus layers

A Stockton church, shadowed (photo essay)

Black Butte Dam observation point

The Paul Thomas trail

Woodson Bridge again

Everyone’s birthday party

Goslings

Don’t bother me. I’m ranching.