Bye Bye Bank of Willits

It's been announced that the Bank of Willits (you didn't think we were big enough, did you) will be absorbed into the Savings Bank of Mendocino, and this sign will become a thing of history. I take no responsibility for any symbolism you may apply to this image.

Grapes in Willits

Ah, well, there they are. Proof that grapes can indeed grow up here in Little Lake Valley. I found these growing deep within a tangle of vines overflowing a fence by a back alley in town. What I have not seen are any commercial vineyards in our immediate area. The production of wine seems to start south of Ridgewood Grade, in Redwood Valley and beyond. The quality required for Mendocino wines is rigorous, with a worldwide reputation to maintain. Our valley may not have sufficient heat, for long enough, at the right times of year, to do the job. The other thing we may not have is enough guaranteed water each year. Vine installation is an expensive investment, and water has to be available for irrigation. But these are still good to see.

Quiet Pastime

I spotted a friend of mine enjoying the company of other chess enthusiasts on a recent evening at a local late night eatery. There are so many hidden cohort groups in every little town, and it's nice to see.

Big Wheel

I've only been in Willits for about eight years, but already I've started taking some things for granted. Like the intimate relationship this town has to railroads, and the blessing of so many expert enthusiasts who keep its history alive. You might recognize this as a big, powerful wheel on a beautifully restored steam locomotive, a technology that made possible the Euro-American settlement of the western states.

Coastal Fog

I don't get over to the coast nearly as much as I would like. The county road pictured above has been in my life for as long as I can remember. Coming home from a visit with my mom for her 81st birthday, I stopped and rolled down the window to try to capture the sun sinking into the marine fog blanketing the Pacific. It's typical summer weather, where the damp ocean air, chilled by a current from Alaska, meets the hot, dry air of the sun-parched inland earth. I need to find my way over there more often. Besides that, my mom is the greatest person I know.

Samba in the Park Picnic

Too many pictures today! I hope you can see the fun folks were having. Ardella's served up the BBQ and pie, while bands such as SambaDa played for the happy families.

Flower Fall

A gentle breeze released tiny privet flowers from the dense tree crown above, and swirled them into micro-drifts against barriers big and small. I couldn't figure out what caused the rusty brown lines among them. They seem too thin to be wheel imprints. Perhaps the ghost of Jackson Pollock floated by.




Indulging in some Photoshop play:

Baby Buckeyes

Last fall on Willits Daily Photo, I posted some mature buckeye nuts emerging from their skins. I've also posted the floral spikes where the process begins. Well, these are the young ones, just beginning to form. Interesting that for all those flowers, only a few at the tip seem to bear fruit.

Gallery Door Art

I've always admired the artistic double doors at the Willits Center for the Arts. The building started out as the Women's Improvement Club, then served as the local jail. A great deal of work has been done to repair and refinish the premises, and they have much more to do. They really scored well with whoever designed the entrance.

Sitting at the gallery desk for an afternoon recently, I got to study the interior left panel of the door, with its inset prisms of glass. I think these are of the sort used in the decks of wooden boats, to cast light into the chambers below.




Here are the full doors from the outside. Just lovely.

Warm Summer Night

Upper Main Street sports several new crosswalks, taking a lead from the constant jaywalking this section was known for. As with most small towns, the shops close early, and restaurants call it a day by 9, even on Friday nights. These folks were probably leaving the pub. Or maybe they're just night owls like me.