This afternoon we took off and headed up to Yuba City to meet some friends for dinner. It never seems to fail that once we are all loaded up into the truck somebody has forgotten something :). Usually it is me – not this time though. Finally we make it to the gas station, fill up ($$$) and run the truck through the car wash. As usual on exit the back wheels spin and the truck ever so slightly slides to one side. Eventually they catch and out we pop into the alley. This is when I can exhale – we made through the evil bubble machine again. I always do but I have witnessed cars in front of me in line slide to far and hit the wash machine. It is a vehicle slip and slide.
We decided to take the scenic drive. We headed down I5 to Woodland – a two lane route with slower moving semi-trucks going over the causeway and lots of hurried people trying to pass them speeding by in the left lane. I stopped and took a couple of pictures in Knights Landing. I decided to walk up the old metal grate bridge and see what – well what I could see. I had to walk up the side of the road and step up to the sidewalk that leads to the walkway across the bridge. Once up there I decided on a couple of shots I thought would be cool looking. I about jumped out of my skin when the first vehicle crossed the bridge. It shook and vibrated – actually it rattled too – whoa! Everytime I tried to take a picture – the vibromatic bridge attacked.
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We decided to turn left onto Progress Rd. (Robbins) and drive alongside the farmlands. Stopped near the duck club to see if there were any birds around. Saw a beautiful skunk. Then there was a bright yellow plane dusting the crops. Wow, now that would be a nice picture. As I opened the door I was hit with – surprise – whatever stinky pesticide was being applied. Slam the door turn off the air blower and split the stinky scene. We headed up into the Sutter Buttes.
The Buttes can be so beautiful in the winter when the grass starts to show the beautiful green it will become in spring. Not this year yet. The lack of rain has left them still the golden and brown colors of summer with a few spaces of green here and there. There was a lot of traffic compared to a few years back making it hard to pull over and take a picture. As we rounded on corner I saw a space big enough and pulled over. Right there in front of me was one of the numerous volcanic rocks with grafitti on it.
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Took of few more pictures along the way. Since the 1960’s most of the land owners started inforcing tresspassing laws so when I was growing up the Buttes had limited access. I can not say that I blame them – after all the Buttes are full of geologic, natural, and cultural history. The Maidu and the Wintun lived around the Buttes. They are a rather odd geologically – just sitting there in the middle of the valley. In 2003 the California State Parks acquired the property on the north side. Our new State Park will open sometime in future after all the State required inventories and studies are done with. More of this grafitti is sure to be seen I fear.
I took this picture of a fence – well it is actually three generations of fence by apperances. One built from the rocks, one from wood, and another wire. At first I thought the wood was just in place for support against the wind but there were posts up the line a bit. In the late 1860’s and 1870’s the Chinese looking for work after the railroad track laying jobs dried up helped clear the land and built the fences.
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All and all a nice drive and I did get some pictures. Drove by the Sutter Cemetery and remembered and said my special prayer for everyone – especially J-204-4.
