Smoked Beef

Last Summer Solstice, we were hit with tremendous dry lightning storms which ignited fires all over the state, but especially here in Mendocino county. I posted quite a number of images on Willits Daily Photo at the time, and the smoke was miserable for weeks. These images didn't make the cut back then, but you can see some smoke in the valley behind the cattle. It was a reminder that our animals are at nature's mercy too. The closed poppy was fully exposed to the mid-afternoon sun, but responded to the smoke-darkened skies contracting as if it were in shade.

True Story: The Poppies

I was over at Ardella's having breakfast (where else?) when Emmy came over to say hello. She's the one with the fresh and clean house I featured a while back, and about which I speculated on what a beautiful blank canvas all that white paint would be for colorful poppies in the right season. She commented on that post: "Those who imagined the poppies should know that in June there is a riot of poppies, irises and roses. After the recent painting, the yard underwent a fall cleaning. Under the window that you do not see are purple and rust crysantemums and purple and orange violas - very colorful for this frosty time of the year."

Well, she said her gardener was working on the yard when she went over there recently. He was just about done, and lo and behold, he had "weeded" up all the new poppy sprouts she was so looking forward to! She said she thought of my blog post, and tears swelled in her eyes! Emmy, it's a beautiful house, and I know you have all sorts of glorious garden surprises in store for us! Don't worry about the poppies! Bless you for telling me what happened!

Mystery Solved

Last spring, I took a photo of this lot, wondering about the neatly stacked boxes or drawers standing against an old mechanic's garage. I happened to spot this truckload today, at the same location. The lettering on the door solves the mystery. Only saw a handful of bees buzzing around, but it was enough to convince me.

Violets Again

Good crop of violets popped up this year. They came as a secret bonus in the potting soil of the Juncus I purchased for this pot (which died back in a severe cold snap).

Happy Earth Day!

Cattle and Sheep

A recent heatwave had cattle and sheep sheltering from the sun. Spring leaves are only just starting to grow, so the blessing of lichen is useful once again.

Dumpster Collection

These assembled dumpsters almost look like lakeside condos at first glance. I had a lot of fun taking photos out in this industrial lot near the solid waste transfer station, but only published one image on Willits Daily Photo.

Chuck Crayne Memorial

A couple of Sundays ago, I attended a memorial gathering for a board member of Roots of Motive Power. As with Fire Chief Smith, death came fairly quickly for Chuck. He was diagnosed with bone cancer on a Saturday, and died the following Monday night. He was the guy that Roots board members relied on for all the accounting and computer stuff for the organization, and he had a wry humor in all things. He will be missed.

Blue Smoke Shop Building

I exploited all I could from this business building, right in the heart of the old commercial district. One of my earliest shots was of the bulletin board at the far end (beyond this frame), as well as the later image of the blue door with tubular vents. Around the corner, in front, they displayed some of their products. The door with all the stickers leads to their studio for preparing the tie dye artwork.

Ukiah Brewing Vats

Before an appointment down in Ukiah last month, I stopped in at the Ukiah Brewing Company for some pub food. They state that they were the first certified organic brewery in the country, and their food reflects that same sensibility. These steaming vats of grain were set outside the utility door. I don't know enough about beer to know what part of the process this was, but it was interesting to see.

Pair of Pear Trees

The ornamental pear trees really are a nice choice, whoever chose them, to line the industrial section of Commercial Street. They look good in every season.

101 Drive-In Mural

I hadn't made it over to the 101 Drive-In in months and months, but got a cheeseburger there on Tuesday. I talked about the place way back about a year ago on Willits Daily Photo, but hadn't featured it since. Even after such a long time, the proprietor still remembered that I took my burgers without lettuce!

While waiting for my order to cook, I decided to get a good look at this mural/panel painting decorating the open air dining area. It was done by students at the nearby Sanhedrin Alternative High School, situated nearby, in 1998. This image doesn't really do justice to its details.