Naoma is looking for "Tracker".

Naoma emailed me again, to see if I know "tracker" or where to find him. His email address is no longer working. Way I figger is, he tracked the wrong critter! Maybe got eaten.( bad Joke) Anyway I found the letter to be of great intrest to all of us. It's just a little more history about panther Gap and why it's called that. Interestingly, Naoma also lived at Bluff Creek, Siskiyou Co.! Got any bigfoot tales for us Naoma?

Ernie...
I am forwarding this E-mail to you. Maybe you know of "Tracker" The letter explains my reason for trying to contact him. I have not had any reply to my query. Both Joe and I thank you for your blog. I have really enjoyed reading it.
Naoma
PS. I called Bull Creek in error Butte Creek. That was a creek I lived close to in Siskiyou Co.

Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:01:32 -0500
Tracker
Subject: Panther Gap
 Hello...i saw your e-mail site as I was trying to go down "Memory Lane" to Panther Gap and the road that came from Butts Store at Butte (now BULL) Creek & up the mountain to Panther Gap. And then down into Honey Dew . Yes, a map is hard to find. There was a time....that the mail from South Forkw was in Leather pouches, and hung on a post at the side of the dirt and gravel road at Panther Gap. The mail carrier, if one made the long walk in time to catch the carrier on the way back to South Fork, was kind enough to give a person a ride on into the store to get supplies. The original trail went from Panther Gap across Panther Opening and then down into the Mattole River. I understood the trail was made ( with blazes ) to guide the trappers. At Panther Gap, a Widow woman was living alone....about dusk she was looking out her window and below her a deer was feeding. As she watched it, a mountain lion crept to the rise of the gulch....and leaped down onto the deer and killed it. She had been very content at the cabin there, until she saw how close the cougars were. The reason for the name as it was a regular route for the animals. She had heard them scream often,but it had not bothered her. She sold her place shortly after that. Thank you for the animal track information. I am still searching for the roads running West from Panther Gap.

Reason for the oil spill in the Gulf.

The following information is from Bunny, who it appears has giving up on me and not reading my blog, but she is sending a lot of very pertinent email information on the oil spill. She is focusing on her theory that this whole thing starts at Bushes feet.


Careful reading will clue you in that what is happening to America right now is a failure of our government. There is an old expression that “We get the Government that we deserve”, meaning that if we don’t know what’s going on, and we go with the flow. The people in office will take advantage of us.


If what just happened in the Gulf of Mexico, with the oil-well blow-out doesn’t wake you up nothing will. It appears that our government regulators are having an absolute orgy (very literally, an orgy) while America is burning. (very literally, burning)


I clipped out all of the politics from bunny email so you might read it and know that mechanics of what happened, but I included the whole context, below the bold printed part, with the hopes that you might read it. It is another real eye opener.
 
The absence of an acoustical regulator -- a remotely triggered dead man's switch that might have closed off BP's gushing pipe at its sea floor wellhead when the manual switch failed (the fire and explosion on the drilling platform may have prevented the dying workers from pushing the button) …Acoustic switches are required by law for all offshore rigs off Brazil and in Norway's North Sea operations. BP uses the device voluntarily in Britain's North Sea and elsewhere in the world as do other big players like Holland's Shell and France's Total. In 2000, the Minerals Management Service while weighing a comprehensive rulemaking for drilling safety, deemed the acoustic mechanism "essential" and proposed to mandate the mechanism on all gulf rigs.


In 2003, newly reconstituted Minerals Management Service genuflected to the oil cartel by recommending the removal of the proposed requirement for acoustic switches. The Minerals Management Service's 2003 study concluded that "acoustic systems are not recommended because they tend to be very costly."
The acoustic trigger costs about $500,000. Estimated costs of the oil spill to Gulf Coast residents are now upward of $14 billion to gulf state communities. Bush's 2005 energy bill officially dropped the requirement for the acoustic switch off devices explaining that the industry's existing practices are "failsafe."


BP's confidence in lax government oversight by a badly compromised agency still staffed with Bush era holdovers may have prompted the company to take two other dangerous shortcuts. First, BP failed to install a deep hole shut off valve -- another fail-safe that might have averted the spill. And second, BP's reported willingness to violate the law by drilling to depths of 22,000-25,000 feet instead of the 18,000 feet maximum depth allowed by its permit may have contributed to this catastrophe.


Halliburton may emerge as the primary villain in this caper. The blow out occurred shortly after Halliburton completed an operation to reinforce drilling hole casing with concrete slurry. This is a sensitive process that, according to government experts, can trigger catastrophic blowouts if not performed attentively. According to the Minerals Management Service, 18 of 39 blowouts in the Gulf of Mexico since 1996 were attributed to poor workmanship injecting cement around the metal pipe. Halliburton is currently under investigation by the Australian government for a massive blowout in the Timor Sea in 2005 caused by its faulty application of concrete casing.

Complete context:
A common spin in the right wing coverage of BP's oil spill is a gleeful suggestion that the gulf blowout is Obama's Katrina.

In truth, culpability for the disaster can more accurately be laid at the Bush Administration's doorstep. For eight years, George Bush's presidency infected the oil industry's oversight agency, the Minerals Management Service, with a septic culture of corruption from which it has yet to recover. Oil patch alumnae in the White House encouraged agency personnel to engineer weakened safeguards that directly contributed to the gulf catastrophe.

The absence of an acoustical regulator -- a remotely triggered dead man's switch that might have closed off BP's gushing pipe at its sea floor wellhead when the manual switch failed (the fire and explosion on the drilling platform may have prevented the dying workers from pushing the button) -- was directly attributable to industry pandering by the Bush team. Acoustic switches are required by law for all offshore rigs off Brazil and in Norway's North Sea operations. BP uses the device voluntarily in Britain's North Sea and elsewhere in the world as do other big players like Holland's Shell and France's Total. In 2000, the Minerals Management Service while weighing a comprehensive rulemaking for drilling safety, deemed the acoustic mechanism "essential" and proposed to mandate the mechanism on all gulf rigs.

Then, between January and March of 2001, incoming Vice President Dick Cheney conducted secret meetings with over 100 oil industry officials allowing them to draft a wish list of industry demands to be implemented by the oil friendly administration. Cheney also used that time to re-staff the Minerals Management Service with oil industry toadies including a cabal of his Wyoming carbon cronies. In 2003, newly reconstituted Minerals Management Service genuflected to the oil cartel by recommending the removal of the proposed requirement for acoustic switches. The Minerals Management Service's 2003 study concluded that "acoustic systems are not recommended because they tend to be very costly."

The acoustic trigger costs about $500,000. Estimated costs of the oil spill to Gulf Coast residents are now upward of $14 billion to gulf state communities. Bush's 2005 energy bill officially dropped the requirement for the acoustic switch off devices explaining that the industry's existing practices are "failsafe."

Bending over for Big Oil became the ideological posture of the Bush White House, and, under Cheney's cruel whip, the practice trickled down through the regulatory bureaucracy. The Minerals Management Service -- the poster child for "agency capture phenomena" -- hopped into bed with the regulated industry -- literally. A 2009 investigation of the Minerals Management Service found that agency officials "frequently consumed alcohol at industry functions, had used cocaine and marijuana and had sexual relationships with oil and gas company representatives." Three reports by the Inspector General describe an open bazaar of payoffs, bribes and kickbacks spiced with scenes of female employees providing sexual favors to industry big wigs who in turn rewarded government workers with illegal contracts. In one incident reported by the Inspector General, agency employees got so drunk at a Shell sponsored golf event that they could not drive home and had to sleep in hotel rooms paid for by Shell.

Pervasive intercourse also characterized their financial relations. Industry lobbyists underwrote lavish parties and showered agency employees with illegal gifts, and lucrative personal contracts and treated them to regular golf, ski, and paintball outings, trips to rock concerts and professional sports events. The Inspector General characterized this orgy of wheeling and dealing as "a culture of ethical failure" that cost taxpayers millions in royalty fees and produced reams of bad science to justify unregulated deep water drilling in the gulf.

It is charitable to characterize the ethics of these government officials as "elastic." They seemed not to have existed at all. The Inspector General reported with some astonishment that Bush's crew at the MMS, when confronted with the laundry list of bribery, public theft and sexual and financial favors to and from industry "showed no remorse."

BP's confidence in lax government oversight by a badly compromised agency still staffed with Bush era holdovers may have prompted the company to take two other dangerous shortcuts. First, BP failed to install a deep hole shut off valve -- another fail-safe that might have averted the spill. And second, BP's reported willingness to violate the law by drilling to depths of 22,000-25,000 feet instead of the 18,000 feet maximum depth allowed by its permit may have contributed to this catastrophe.

And wherever there's a national tragedy involving oil, Cheney's offshore company Halliburton is never far afield. In fact, stay tuned; Halliburton may emerge as the primary villain in this caper. The blow out occurred shortly after Halliburton completed an operation to reinforce drilling hole casing with concrete slurry. This is a sensitive process that, according to government experts, can trigger catastrophic blowouts if not performed attentively. According to the Minerals Management Service, 18 of 39 blowouts in the Gulf of Mexico since 1996 were attributed to poor workmanship injecting cement around the metal pipe. Halliburton is currently under investigation by the Australian government for a massive blowout in the Timor Sea in 2005 caused by its faulty application of concrete casing.

The Obama administration has assigned nearly 2,000 federal personnel from the Coast Guard, the Corps of Engineers, the Department of Defense, the Department of Commerce, EPA, NOAA and Department of Interior to deal with the spill -- an impressive response. Still, the current White House is not without fault -- the government should, for example, be requiring a far greater deployment of absorbent booms. But the real culprit in this villainy is a negligent industry, the festering ethics of the Bush Administration and poor oversight by an agency corrupted by eight years of grotesque subservience to Big Oil.

THANK-YOU BUNNY!

Ernie

More Kelsey-Beale history

Hello Ernie,
Just ran across your blog while googling for genealogical or historical references to my 4G-grandfather Charles Beale. In doing so I found a reference to him in the article entitled “The Kelsey's, "Bad Guys". “This charge of attempting to secure the rights of preemption from their neighbors resulting in an 1841 lawsuit in Henry County against Andrew Kelsey and Charles Beale. Two years later both men headed for Oregon in Jesse Applegate's Cow Column.”

I know that the claim is made in The History of Henry and St. Clair Counties, Missouri, 1883, that “Beal and his sons subsequently went to Oregon.” Several of his sons did in fact make the long trek west to Oregon, but not the patriarch Charles Beale himself. He apparently returned to his former home in Virginia in 1842 and died there on 10 Jul 1842. So states The Genealogy of the Beale Family 1399-1956 by Frances Beal Smith Hodges, 1956.

I also have some Alleghany Co. VA settlement of estate documents dated in late 1842 which indicate that Charles Beale was living there when he died earlier that year. The exact, or even approximate, date of when he left Missouri for Virginia is a bit of a mystery. So, I intend to try to track down the 1841 lawsuit your mentioned in your article to see if it might shed some light on when he left (or hopefully a specific date in 1841 when he still was residing in Missouri).

Charles Beale’s grandson wrote his Byogopy of C. W. Beale in 1923. You can find this family history online at Oregon Pioneers Keep in mind that this was written many years after the events depicted and that the author was not born until 1842. So, he was much too young to have been a direct witness to events described about his grandfather or some of the other family members.

For instance, he says that my ancestor, my 3G-grandfather James Beale died in 1868. In point of fact he died in Feb 1854. However, the final settlement of his estate in St. Clair Co. MO did not take place until 1868. So, the nephew’s family may not have been notified of his death until then, when they were contacted about the settlement.

In any case, this “biogopy” is a very interesting read about this family’s migration from Missouri to Oregon.

Sorry for rambling, but my primary intent in contacting you was to express my appreciation for posting the detail about the 1841 lawsuit on your blog. Without that I might never have known that there might be a court record in Henry Co. MO relating to my ancestor Charles Beale.

Thank you very much!
Respectfully, Kevin (West)

More Gulf Oil Rig.

My good friend Bunny and I, who are really great friends, but we like to quibble a lot, have found something else to disagree on. She claims the Gulf disaster was the fault of that Damn Bush that allowed the rig to be built in the first place. I claimed it was the fault of that damn Obama who was caught asleep at the switch again. Some claim that it was neither of their fault, but the problem lies with Eco-terrorists, or maybe even international intrigue. Could a submarine's missle have taken out the rig? All that we know for sure is that nobodys taking, which usually means that somebody knows exactly what happened. I've tried to research a few theories and post links here for those that like mystery stories.

It appears that both Bunny and I are right, that damn Bush okayed the off-shore drilling, but the drilling rig was built recently, the well was drilled recently, and it all happened squarely on that damn Obama's watch.

I have been able to find some information on the rig:
"On location in Mississippi Canyon Block 252 in the Gulf of Mexico, the Deepwater Horizon recently concluded exploration drilling on the Macondo prospect. According to the Minerals Management Service, BP filed a permit to temporarily abandon the well, which commenced drilling in February 2010.
According to RigLogix, the Deepwater Horizon, an RBS-8D-designed dynamically-positioned semisub, is rated to work in water depths up to 10,000' and with a rated drilling depth capacity of 30,000'. The rig is under long-term contract to BP through September 2013 and its current dayrate is $502,000. The Deepwater Horizon was built in Ulsan, South Korea by Hyundai Heavy Industries at a cost of approximately $365 million and entered service in 2001" link to full article

The rig was built in South Korea by HYUNDAI, all three-hundred-sixty-five million dollars worth! Hell, if they had spent just a million dollars more they could have instituted a few really good safety devices.

Sorry. Obama is not off the hook on this one. My only questions are: Who controls the drilling in the gulf? Are they international waters? And we have nothing to say about it?

Sabatage? One theory on "Dakota Voice"

Engineering specs on the Deepwater horizon

E

Environmental Disaster of Enormous Proportions!

This oil spill clean-up boat in the Gulf of Mexico stands about the same chance as a piss-ant in a Texas Hail storm.

Sorry folks this post is x-rated. Little kids go away!

Sometimes I rant, it seems like the only thing that I can do. When talking about the environment or politics I usually try to talk in soft logical phrases. I know full well that a lot of folks don’t agree with me, even when I know that they don’t know diddley about what they are talking about, I give them the honor of being “entitled to their own opinion.”

Now is the time for all of you self-righteous do-gooders that are still ranting about what the early settlers did to the Indians a good cause to stand up for. They see themselves as being oh-so-much-better-than-thou, knowing full well that they would have protected the Indian people. I usually try to stay calm, when I know full well that they would not have survived even one day in 1860, even without trying to save Indians.

Now is the time to stand up and show your self-worth and scream bloody murder. I just found out, thanks to Kim Sallaway, that the oil well in the Gulf Of Mexico didn’t have an ocean floor shut off valve. They saved a ½ million dollars by not installing one.

Who was watching these bastards, the same people that was watching Bernie Madoff steal millions of dollars from stock market investors? How in the hell did someone move that much money without being caught? Are you really stupid enough to believe that somebody wasn’t being paid to look the other way? He was busted once, but it was all swept under the rug and it was over for many more years. After a while even the people that can see what is going on will give up, and say “What the hell I tried.” Are those the same kind of people that tried to save the Indians? “What the hell, I tried”. Then gave up?

My friend Sallaway placed the blame directly on Dick Chaney. I think it goes much deeper and wider than that. Sallaway’s statement:

The oil disaster in the Gulf could have been prevented by the shut off mechanism that was not installed on this and many other wells drilled during the Cheney administration. The device cost 500K and somehow the government gave BP a pass on including the shut off on the wells. The entire world requires such devices to be installed on the deep sea oil rigs. BP, the 4th richest corporation on the planet, with assets in the billions, should be made to pay for everything involved in the cleanup. The fishermen, the tourist places, the entire eco system are going to pay heavily. The thought that there are so many more wells built of this way scares the @#%* outa me.

Not everything has been revealed about what happened to the huge floating oil rig. It was so big and anchored so securely that supposedly nothing could harm it. Those that pay attention should hear bells going off in their head when somebody is telling you that “nothing can happen to it”. the Titanic disaster should have taught us something about not believing everything that we are being told.

Realizing that America needs to provide it’s own independence, and be able to supply their own energy I was all for offshore drilling. I smugly though that with the very elaborate, and almost foolproof shut-off valves installed at the seafloor that we would be almost perfectly safe from any disaster. Somehow I forgot my distrust for major corporations and very, very crooked politicians. This is my wake up call!

In the back of my head I remember that the major factor in being able to defeat Nazi Germany was that the Nazis ran out of energy to supply their war machines. Had they not ran out of gas, we maybe would all be speaking German right now, and be ruled by REAL Nazis instead of accusing everybody that disagrees with us as being a Nazi. It’s a serious thought folks! Energy independence is crucial.

Now is the time to stop pointing fingers at each other. We need a grass-roots movement to take back the control of our country. This is just one time that I would ask you to open your mind and really listen to what I’m saying. Our “patriotism” is our worst enemy. We are not truly patriots until we become concerned enough about our country and future that we stop accusing each other of being “Republicans” or “Democrats”, Conservatives or Liberals, and start acting like Americans.

An example of what I say is as simple as looking at The Tea Party. It started out as a pure grass roots movement of people concerned about our government being out of control. Soon, it was suggested the Tea Party was “awfully radical and conservative”. Most of the Liberals jumped ship like fleas off a dead dog. They wanted no part of being associated with a damned conservative. Soon after the liberals were split off, the racist comments started. Well some people won’t have anything to do whatsoever with a damn racist. More ship jumping ensued. I’m just curious how long it will be until the Tea Party is no longer a factor. Does it come to any of you that what is happening to the Tea Party is being controled and manipulated? But wait, having a weak, easily defeated group around is a real advantage, so I expect that there will be little more division in the Tea Party. Plus it’s needed now, to keep everybody side-tracked while it is “Crooked Government as usual”.

Now, I don’t know how many people realize what just happened in the Gulf. The oil rig catching on fire and sinking should have been just another disaster. Because they failed to install a shut off valve, this leak will go on for maybe months. The gulf of Mexico can handle a hurricane like it was just a sneeze, but oil permeating everything may be the ultimate disaster to the people and wildlife in the gulf. The birds, shrimp, seaweed, sea grasses, the turtles. The coral, the beaches, the fish, the dolphins the… Take the time do your own inventory. This disaster is insurmountable.

You people that still want to blame each other for your stupid political partisanship can just go square to hell, you are the blame for letting our government get this far out of control. You played politics while Rome burned. Where is the Government oversight that we are supposed to have? How in hell can we trust our government or big business ever again. And the bigger question: What are you going to do about it

Remember how cold it was back in the 1930's?

Well, our new friend Naoma has written me another email. She doesn't seem to get the hang of how to make a comment, but she knows things that the rest of us would never know if it weren't for her telling us. She saw the harsh winters of the 30's that the Old-Timers, that were here then, still talk about.


My mother lives in our downstairs apartment. She has been reading Naoma's stuff. It's been a new source of interest to her, but she doesn't comment on my blog much. She knows how to, but claims it's too much trouble. I just went downstairs to ask her if she remembered how cold it was in the 1930's. She was born in 1923, so she remembers in well. I ask her if she remembered what year that Gramma Ruby Branscomb said that Grampa Roy drove the model “T” up the slough to Great Grampa Ed Branscomb's place. It was so cold that the slough froze over. As I recall gramma said that it was around 1933. My mother said that she remembers one winter when she was in high school, that it got down to -4 deg in Laytoville.


My cousin helped produce the book “Through the Eyes of the Elders”. The students all remarked that they had no idea how cold it got back in the '30's.

Naoma's latest post has to do with how cold it got back then and sent it to me. I posted it below:


Ernie
Thank you so much for the instructions.  It sounds so much simpler and
maybe I can do it.  It has be so wonderful (,a word Joe likes :-0 ) to be
able to read in your space "ernies place" and the other comments.  So
much I have learned about the place I loved so much as I was growing up.
There is one more story I'd like to share....Tho ' it is spring here and
snow is far off yet, I remember back in 1935 or 1936 we spent
Thanksgiving vacation at the Circle E.  Dad was an Advertising Salesman
for Alexander Film Company out of Colorado and he had to travel a lot, so
he had taken the family up to be with grandma and Grandpa.  The weather
set in and we had the biggest snow we had ever seen.  On the flat the
snow kept coming down...not drifts...so that the fence was covered and
the cows could walk over into the yard.  It was a bad winter, as some of
the stock was lost....any way, dad tried to come in to get us to get us
to school .  He could only drive as far as the Butts Store on Bull Creek,
as the one way road up to Mottole and Panther gap was snowed in.  ( in
those days that road was one narrow curvy track...only one car at a time)
 as one got to a curve the thing to do was to honk the horn to let anyone
coming in the opposite direction. know that there was someone there.
Then one car had to back up (up hill, as it wasn't safe to back down
hill) until there was a place wide enough for a car to get pass .,
Anyway...dad bought a pair of skis and poles.  He had never been on skis
, put a pack on his back ( Xmas presents , food etc.) and started up the
Motolle road.  I really don't know the distance he walked on those skis,
but the folks always said it was 20 miles to South Fork.  I don't know
the distance to Butt's Store...nor do I remember how long it took, but I
know he started out early and it was late afternoon when he got to my
Grandparents House.  He called out , as we always did , when we came
close to the house , and just as he was feeling very proud of himself and
everyone rushed out to greet him the skis slid right out from under him
and he fell flat on his back.  He told us later that he had not fallen
once on the whole long trip up hill until he had called out to us!!!  I
don't know where Gramps got the mules, but some time later dad walked
back and caught the mail carrier to take him down the hill.  The road had
been cleared of snow by that time.  Dad got the car and brought it to the
spot where the trail met the main road...and we rode the mules out to the
car.  If I walked .still, as much as we did in those days , I might live
to be 110 !!   Thanks for the conversations.  How I would love to be able
to sit down at quiet bench and listen to all of you tell of your
memories.
 Naoma



THIS JUST IN, EXTRA, EXTRA, EXTRA, Naoma knows how to comment. As evidenced below!!!

Help for beginning bloggers

Naoma

I know that you must be reading the comments from your replies. If you want to place your comments with the rest, the very easiest way is to type your comment into the comment box provided for that purpose, then scroll down near the bottom, click on "Anonymous". then all you have to is copy the squiggly word into the word box, then go down to the bottom left and click on "Publish". Your comment will then appear in the section that you want it to be placed.

However, if you have any trouble whatsoever, just send your comment to me, and tell me which post you want it placed under. I don't mind if you want to practice on this post, so go ahead.

Maybe others will have tips for you to make it easier. If anybody else wants to practice, go ahead. I want to talk to people like Joeseph and Naoma that have information that we would never know if it werent for them. I don't care about spelling, punctuation or typos. If we can make it out we will. Otherwise we will ask.

Ernie.

Kentucky Derby Day!!!

Photo of "Ice Box" winning the Florida derby (#8)

Our new found friend and old time Panther Gap resident, Joe Erwin is as close to a horse racing expert that I know, but he didn't give me any betting tips. Being left entirely to my own hunches and instincts, I'm going to bet on “Ice Box”. With a name like that, he can't lose.

My wife is going to bet on the only filly in the race, "Devil May Care". After all, a filly won the derby last year.

Photo of "Devil May Care"

What I call "tar weed", and other aromatic plants.

Both, Joe Erwin and Naoma Holley steered me to these plant identifications. Thank-you!

I'm going to do some more posts on smelly plants the grow in the EelRiver valley. I'll atart with this one. This is what I always called "tar weed". But I know that's wrong because the newcomers told me it was.

Tar Weed or Vinegar Weed

Trichostema lanceolatum

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Trichostema lanceolatum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Subfamily: Teucrioideae
Genus: Trichostema
Species: T. lanceolatum
Binomial name
Trichostema lanceolatum Benth.

The annual herb of the mint family Trichostema lanceolatum is commonly known as vinegar weed because its foliage contains volatile oils that have a strong vinegar odor. Other common names for the plant include terpentine weed and camphor weed. The oils also have phytotoxic properties, which help vinegar weed compete by killing or injuring other plant species. Indians of northern California used the plant as a cold and fever remedy, a pain reliever, and a flea repellent.

Vinegar weed is a wildflower bearing striking purple-blue flowers on short green stems. The numerous leaves are juicy and green and are covered in fluffy hairs. The plant is well adapted to its native range in California, where it thrives in dry, nutrient-poor, sun-baked clay soil. In hot weather the vinegar smell of the plant becomes intense as the oils in the tissues permeate the air. The plants of this genus are sometimes called blue curls, but this name may be more associated with the similar, but sweeter smelling, species Trichostema lanatum. Vinegar weed is found on the west coast of North America from northern Mexico to southern
Canada.


Yerba Santa. Eriodictyon glutinosum

Other Names: tar weed, Yerba Santa, mountain balm, Consumptive’s weed, bear’s weed, gum plant.

Elements Applied: Leaves are commonly applied in herbal medicine.

Used for: The plant is valued for its scent. Additionally it’s used to promote expectoration.

The plant’s conventional application is for catarrhal pulmonary diseases, asthma, recurrent bronchitis, and laryngitis. Quite popular for cold-in-the-head and nasal congestion. Additionally applied for rheumatism. The herb is used topically to heal bruises, sprains, insect bites, and sores.

Safety: There is no data concerning the plant’s safety level. It is possible that the plant interact with a chemical remedy you use. Speak to your health-care provider before using the plant.

Related Terms:
Consumptive's weed, bear's weed, eriodictyol, Eriodictyon californicum, Eriodictyon glutinosum, gum bush, holy herb, mountain balm, sacred herb, tarweed, Wigandia californicum.

Brand name products: American Indian Baby Smudge Bundles Clarity (Yerba Santa) from Ancient Aromas, Flower Essence FES North American Flower Essences Yerba Santa ¼ Oz from FES Quintessentials, HerbPharm Yerba Santa 1 Oz from HerbPharm, Mouth Kote from Parnell Pharmaceuticals, Turtle Island Yerba Santa Leaf from Turtle Island, Yerba Santa 1 Oz from Nature's Apothecary, Yerba Santa Botanical from Viable Herbal Solutions, Yerba Santa liquid Extract from Eclectic Institute.

Note: Not to be confused with other herbs which share the same common name(s). For example, the common name "mountain balm" is also used for Ceanothus velutinus, Satureja chandleri, and Calamintha nepeta. The common name "consumptive's weed" is associated with three different Eriodictyon species. The common name "gum bush" is also associated with several different Eriodictyon species. The common name "bear's weed" is also used for Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. The common name "tarweed" is associated with many species of Hemizonia and Madia. The common name "holy herb" is used for marijuana (Cannabis sativa), hyssop (Sorghum vulgare), basil (Ocimum basilicum), verbena (Verbena officinalis) and aloe (Aloe barbadensis). The common name "sacred herb" is used for marijuana and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum).

Chumash Indians and other California Indians have used Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum) and other related species (Eriodictyon crassifolium, Eriodictyon trichocalyx) for many centuries in the treatment of pulmonary conditions, saliva production, and to stop bleeding of minor cuts and scrapes. In the United States and Britain, Eriodictyon californicum was formally used for conditions including influenza, bacterial pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, and tuberculosis starting in the late 1800s until the 1960s (when drug regulations became more stringent around proof of efficacy). Subsequently, the extracts remained on the GRAS ("Generally Regarded as Safe") as a flavor for foods, beers, and pharmaceuticals (such as to hide the bitterness of quinine). Eriodictyon plant extracts have also been used in cosmetics.

Eriodictyon species contain flavones with free radical scavenging (antioxidant) properties, and have therefore been proposed as being beneficial for a number of health conditions. However, there is little scientific study of Eriodictyon californicum in humans, and efficacy has not been demonstrated for any specific condition.

Watch video on yerba santa by clicking the arrow below:


Yerba Buena

Yerba buena (Clinopodium douglasii) is a rambling aromatic herb of western and northwestern North America, ranging from maritime Alaska southwards to Baja California Sur.[1] The plant takes the form of a sprawling, mat-forming perennial, and is especially abundant close to the coast.

The specific plant species regarded as "yerba buena" varies from region to region, depending on what grows wild in the surrounding landscape, or which species is customarily grown in local gardens. Perhaps the most common variation of this plant (besides Clinopodium douglasii) is spearmint (Mentha spicata).

In parts of Central America yerba buena often refers to Mentha citrata, a true mint sometimes called "bergamot mint" with a strong citrus-like aroma that is used medicinally and as a cooking herb and tea. In Cuba, yerba buena generally refers to Mentha nemorosa, a popular plant also known as large apple mint, foxtail mint, hairy mint, woolly mint or, simply, Cuban mint. In Puerto Rico a close relative of traditional culinary savory, Satureja viminea, is sometimes used. In Peru the name is sometimes applied to a shrubby aromatic marigold, Tagetes minuta also known as huacatay or "black mint"; in this case, despite some similarities of flavor, the herb in question is in the Sunflower family and is quite unrelated to any of the mints or mint-relatives with which it shares a name.



Penny Royal (Mentha pulegium) Toxic! My warning, Ernie

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) is a plant in the mint genus, within the family Lamiaceae. Crushed Pennyroyal leaves exhibit a very strong fragrance similar to spearmint. Pennyroyal is a traditional culinary herb, folk remedy, and abortifacient. The essential oil of pennyroyal is used in aromatherapy, and is also high in pulegone, a highly toxic volatile organic compound affecting liver and uterine function.
 
Note: an abortifacient means that it kills unborn children. The Indian people of the north coast routinely used it to abort unwanted pregnancies.
Ernie
 
The drawing isn't a very good depiction, I can get a picture tomorrow and add it here.
 
As an easily-made poison, pennyroyal has had a long historical use. Early settlers in colonial Virginia used dried pennyroyal to eradicate pests. So popular was pennyroyal, that the Royal Society published an article on its use against rattlesnakes in the first volume of its Philosophical Transactions (1665)

Pennyroyal tea is the use of an infusion made from the herb, the infusion is widely reputed as safe to ingest in restricted quantities. It has been traditionally employed and reportedly successful as an emmenagogue (menstrual flow stimulant) or as an abortifacient. In 1994 a young woman died from an undetected ectopic pregnancy while performing a self-induced abortion using pennyroyal tea; reports say that she had consumed the tea for longer than the recommended five days. The most popular current use of the tea is to settle the stomach. (don't trust it! Ernie)  Other reported medicinal uses through history include treatment for fainting, flatulence, gall ailments, gout, and hepatitis (presumably Hepatitis A), and as a lung cleanser, a gum strengthener and, when ground with vinegar, a tumor remedy.

I'm sorry! I got this information from so many places that I couldn't keep the attributions in order, and I didn't want to look them up again. As long as nobody sells this article, we should be okay. Otherwise bring me chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies in jail!

Naoma's email finds me

Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:51:58 -0400


Subject: Re: Panther Gap

Hello....I was so glad to find your address as I was researching for new

information on Panther Gap. I grew up there in the 30 & 40's , and have

been getting " homesick" for information about that area. My

grandparents homesteaded there. I would love to hear about what the area

is like now. I miss the big Douglas Firs ( Virgin timber) and the

coolness of the big trees of Bull Creek. If you could take a little

time to share with me your experiences It will be appreciated. I was

about two years old, when I rode a pack mule into the "Ranch" sitting on

top of large pane glass windows, with a father's admonition...." do not

dare break those windows" I rode the complete trail with my legs and

feet well away from the windows that hung on either side of the Mule.

Thank you. I am new to computers, and do not have a "blog" I would

appreciate any communication. Naoma Holley

How to tell a story on this blog.

Circle "E" brand western boot. Circle E boots I thought Joe Erwin might be interested.

My wife says; “ everything that Ernie says is based on the truth, then he embellishes, exaggerates, changes things that don’t fit, and in the end he tells a great story that leads you to believe that something happened, but you are not sure what”. Just like that last sentence, that isn’t what she said at all, but I’ve heard her say something much like that statement, until in my mind, it becomes what she said. That is how “twice told tales” are passed down. Ancestors, become more heroic, battles become bigger, villains become more ruthless, and common thieves like Black Bart, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and others become, not common thieves, but adventurers bigger than life itself.

Today, people ride into the South Fork of the Eel canyon, wiggle around a little bit, find a place to drive themselves a stake, put up “No trespassing by God, this is my Land” signs on every edge of “Their Land”, then they make themselves comfortable, and start to look around them. They can’t help but love this wonderful place. They become curious about our history, and start to study. Soon, they read a story or two about some event, they take the story quite literally. They haven't heard all umpteen versions, like some of the people with residential seniority, but they feel that they need to express their outrage and horror.

They pass judgment with very little information, when it's probably more fun to learn most of the stories before passing judgment anyway. I was raised knowing that a good story was in the person telling it, and everybody's version was at least a little bit different, so it paid to just listen to the story, know that it was based on the truth, and wait for the next story, or the next telling. Black Bart may be one mans hero, and another mans common thief. Same with the early pioneers. Some were made out to be far better than they deserved, and some were made out to be far worse than they really were. The one thing that I found out in talking to the Old-Timers. You believed what they said, and the way that they said it. Most of them would admonish you that what they were telling you was the truth, and other people would tell you a different story, but theirs was the only true version. They would go so far as to point out that other people were “damn liars”.

So, I was raised listening to stories, leading them in the direction of things that I wanted to know, but I was always smart enough not to question the story teller, or I wouldn't get to hear any more “tall tales”.

When oral history is passed down from generation to generation, great becomes greater, big becomes bigger, small become smaller, until you end up with stories about giants, and wee people, and knights in shining armor killing maiden-stealing-dragons.

Evey telling of the tale is like telling somebody about a dream that you had. We all know that a dream makes no sense whatsoever, but when we try to tell somebody about it, we add continuity, we leave out the part that might embarrass us, and we add a few things here and there to make the dream sound better. After all, we are the only one that knows about the dream, so we tell our own story our own way.

I guess what I'm getting around to saying, is when you tell a story here, tell it your way. We want to hear YOUR version of the story, the way that you tell it, or the way that you heard it. Too many people won't tell their stories today because everybody is so quick to judge. The rules of this blog is that spelling doesn't count that much. Punctuation doesn't count that much. Colloquialisms are okay. For the readers, the rules are to be good listeners and DON'T interrupt, like my cousins did. They didn't get to hear half as many good stories as me.

After all, you might to hear a good story!

I heard that Joe Erwin has a cousin Naoma that knows some history about the Circle “E” ranch up panther gap way. As usual, I'm not bashful about asking questions. So, I would like to ask Naoma if she has ever found any arrowheads or Indian artifact on the ranch, and does she knows who were the first white settlers there.





e

"New" History

"Joe writes home" is over 100 comments now, and some "new" history is coming out about Bull Creek, Panther Gap, Shelter Cove, and Honeydew. Here's the link for the interested. Joe writes home

Other newsie notes: Mountain Lions are numerously being sighted in the area of the ridge between Dean Creek and Little Buck Mountain creek. One was hit in the road, and it's mother hung around for a while. A man I know said that he saw a Mountain lion that was redder than most and seemed to have a dark patch on it's head and down the center of it's neck. He also said that he had a Lynx eating his chickens. He said that the cat had hairs sticking up from it's ears and cheeks, and off it's elbows. I'm not arguing with him about his stories, he is a fairly credible person and has lived in the hills for a LONG time, and has seen many mountain lions and bobcats. But, if I had seen either of those animals, I would have waited until somebody else mentioned it first, then I would have said "Yeah, Me too".

But, you can only imagine the first time that I saw, a Road-runner, a Pheasant, an Opossum, and a Wild Turkey, right here in Southern Humboldt. All separate occasions. Yes, I waited until somebody else announced it first.

The ridge up the hill from where the freeway goes over Dean Creek hill, has a large rock on it that has several Mountain Lion dens of yore in it. Or, is there mountain lions that still live in it??? When I was young and stupid, or I should say “stupider”, I crawled back into the cracks in the rocks to see. It’s dark and spooky, cold and scary. I was never so glad to be back outside of anything in my life. I still get the chills thinking about it. I guess that I’m glad that I didn’t find any Panthers!

Harming Redwood Roots. From one that has "harmed" many.

I tried to answer this question in the "comment section", but wrote too many words. So, I put it here as a "Post".

"How close can a proposed building foundation typically be to an existing mature redwood tree without harming the tree and it's root system?"

First, you have to convince me that you have a very, very good reason for needing a building there. You should never build ANY kind of a building around a redwood. The redwood always wins!

I know this stuff is boring to the folks that don’t want to know anything about redwoods, but they “know that they love them”. But, please read! You WILL learn something, I promise!

I don't have nearly the experience that some have, but I have experience that not many have. I have cut and fallen redwoods, I have built roads with a Cat through them, I’ve dug out stumps. I’ve split every kind of a redwood split product that can be made out of redwood. I’ve built many structures from redwood. I’ve built many structures near redwoods. I have what is known as “Common Knowledge” about them.

Here's why you will lose if you build around a redwood: The common misconception about a redwood is that it only has a very shallow and weak root system. Nothing can be further from the truth. More later.

Fir trees usually have two major tap roots, that are usually found on the uphill side of them. They go deep down, and they anchor the tree very firmly to the soil. I know this from dynamiting them off of hillsides for road building. I dug a small hole between the roots, placed a small charge, and touched it off. That gave me a burrow between the tap roots, and under the center of the tree. Then I placed a bundle of dynamite under the tree, along with fertilizer and diesel fuel, I back-filled the hole with soil, lit the fuse and ran like hell. The tree would jump out of the ground about a foot. With its tap roots gone, it would fall right over.

Redwoods are not that simple. Even though they have “No tap root” they have dozens to hundreds of what I will call “anchor roots”. The anchor roots extend downward at a 30 to 45 degree angle, if the tree is on flat ground. They seek firm soil and they will extend downward until they reach it. These anchor roots can be found as deep as 12 feet, they quite commonly are found at 10 feet deep. On hillsides these anchor roots can extend almost straight down. That is why you can see redwoods growing above a cut road bank. You wonder how they stay there. I know from digging the stumps out of hillsides that they have the roots that seek the tight soil. In most all cases they have roots that go straight down on the lower side of a steep hillside. That may answer some peoples questions. Redwoods don’t have tap roots, they have MANY very sturdy “anchor roots”.

In combination with the anchor roots the redwoods have thousands of “feeder roots” that seek nutrition for the tree. These roots are very fine. From hair like, to pencil size. These are the roots that you see when you dig around the base of a redwood. These surface roots are what give people the misconception that “the redwood trees only have surface roots”. The feeder roots are very resilient and grow quite rapidly. They grow to where the food, and water is, in a very short time. (I was going to say a heartbeat, but we have enough anthropomorphizing of redwoods. Redwoods are not people, people. It‘s okay to love them, but they don‘t have toes) Redwood's feeder roots grow rapidly in the direction of needed nutrients. People just walk to the grocery store. Redwoods are much more adapted to where they live than we are. If the redwoods were people, I wouldn’t be surprised to find redwood roots coming up in the beer walk-in. They are not people, it does the tree a great disservice to think of them as such, please get real!

As I’m am sure you realize by now, the redwoods don’t make it to be thousands of years old without a sturdy and well adapted, and resilient, root system.

Now, to answer “Anon’s” question: Don’t cut into the plain of a thirty degree angle down from the base of the tree. Because that is the area of the anchor roots. On hillsides measure the angle down from the surface angle and add to it. On a 60 degree hillside you can dig straight down, if you are foolish enough to do that. I have! Stay without of that plain, and the redwood won’t even acknowledge your presence. You will not harm the tree even a speck! But you will be repairing your building a bunch. Don’t do it unless you need the building very badly.

I want to say that everything here is from my own direct knowledge. I have no education to rely on, so I would sincerely appreciate any corrections from the erudite.

Redwoods, Natures Gift

The Del Norte Titan. Not quite as big as the Dyerville Giant, but still a nice tree!

The controversy over Richardson Grove has bothered me to the point that I really fear that people don’t take the time to think about things anymore. They seem to just have opinions. That wouldn’t bother me so bad, but they seem to base their opinions on popular thought, or mistaken ideas of what a redwood is, or how it grows. If I promise not to lecture you too much about my opinions, would you take a little bit of you time to read my experiences with redwoods.

My whole life has been associated with redwoods in one way or another. You can’t be raised on the north coast of California with out gaining a considerable knowledge about redwoods, or at least that’s what I thought. Recently, I’ve decided that may not be true. I have heard so much misinformation, disinformation and outright ignorance that I thought that I should print a few things from my life long love, and knowledge, of the redwood trees.

Redwood diseases:
I made a statement about “diseased redwoods” the other day. A person called me out, that I must not have any knowledge about redwoods at all, because they are “disease free” and that was “common knowledge”. Really? If they are truly disease free they would probably live for tens of thousands of years, but they don’t. I know, some would say that I’m stretching it to call top-rot a disease, but it eventually kills a lot of redwoods. Then there is heart-rot, that also kills a lot of redwood trees. Both are caused by fire scaring or top breakage, or top-death from drought years, but they all kill redwoods.

Root-rot is a genuine redwood disease, the bottom of the tree gets lumps around the base. The lumps are filled with rot. The giveaway that it is root-rot is the white growths under the bark. (It is caused by Heterobasidion Annosum. I didn’t know that, so I looked it up.) I also found out that there is no cure for it, and that the redwood tree should be cut, and the stump treated with Boric acid to keep it from spreading to other redwoods.

Redwoods also gets grey-mold. (Botrytis Cinerea, I also looked that up) It mostly happens in nurseries, but it can happen in the wild, and is always fatal. Healthy trees can be treated with a fungicide which will keep them healthy.

Redwoods also suffer from twig blight, Pestalotia Funerea. Twig blight can be identified by examining the tips of the needles. If they are turning brown from the tip to the base, it is twig-blight. It can also kill redwoods.

So much for “Redwoods don’t suffer from disease”.
Redwoods are remarkably fire resistant, and suffer a fire well. In fact, the redwoods will put out new, and much healthier growth after a fire. The competing underbrush, and small redwoods are killed. Any diseased trees will be burned in a fire. (this statement is where I got called out that redwoods “don’t have diseases“.) Fire is one of the few things that stops redwood diseases, and to protect them from fire is more detrimental than to let them burn. The fire spreads through the duff on the floor of the forest, and burns the accumulating vegetation matter that can cause a root fungus. Some of the surface roots also burn, which is also beneficial to the root system. It encourages new root growth. The ash from the fire feeds the roots of the trees, and they experience a growth spurt after a fire. To see a redwood forest five to ten years after a fire is a remarkable thing. Everything is fresh and new, the ferns are healthy and green again. Everything is back in balance as a forest should be.
The biggest danger to a redwood is where they grow. They thrive on river flood plains. River flood plains are mostly comprised of silt and soft soils. As the trees grow larger they become extremely heavy. The combination of the weight of the tree and the loose soils almost guarantees that they will blow down before they die of anything else. The wind works them loose and they rotate in the soft soils and topple very dramatically. My cousin and I watched during the ‘64 flood when many, many trees toppled in the Benbow state park. I have also had the unfortunate experience of evacuating Lower Redway, with the Redway Fire department, in a wind storm. We saw several large diameter trees slowly uproot, as if in slow motion, they slowly swing to the ground. It is so gentle to watch that you become mesmerized by the action. Watching a redwood topple is more thought provoking than you can ever imagine. Your mind fills with how old the tree was, and the history that past while it stood. You think of things like the birth of Christ, the pilgrims, the population of the new world, the conquistadors, the Franciscans, the Gold Rush, the civil war, the unfairness of a native population being uprooted and killed. Your mind fills with the life of the redwood, that is now over, as you watch it slowly float to the ground. When it hit’s the ground, it is the most explosive sound that you‘ve ever heard. Your feet jar from the impact. And, the trees life is over. Have you ever seen that? You will never be the same if you have.

The Dyerville Giant was knocked over by a windstorm. I used to take all of my visiting friends to see the Dyerville Giant. It was a long walk back to it from the parking lot, but it was always a treat for my friends to see it. On the way I would explain the things around us that made a redwood forest unique. I would show them how deep the duff was, how silty the soil was. I would explain the symbiotic realationship between the ferns and the sorrel and the redwoods. I would show them a limb from the top of a redwood tree, and a limb from the bottom of a redwood tree. I would ask them if they knew what kind of a tree that they were from. Few would guess that they were from the same tree, there is such an amazing difference between a low branch, and the branch just a few hundred feet up. I would show them all of the “redwood sprouts”. Which were actually broken redwood limbs that broke out of a tree during a storm. They come straight down, like an arrow, sometimes sticking many feet into the soil. Again with the Redway Fire department, we rescued a Little Ol’ Lady in a different wind storm. She called us in a panic. She wanted to leave. When we got to her house she had SEVEN limbs that fell out of a redwood. They went through her roof, ceiling, floor, and into the dirt under her house. Nobody should ever live under a redwood.

When we would get to the Dyerville Giant, I would explain that: “This is the worlds greatest tree. It is healthy all the way through, it has no heart-rot, it has no top-rot, it has no root-rot. This tree has more board feet of wood in it than ANY other tree in the world. You are looking at natures greatest miracle”. I would have a hard time getting through my spiel without choking up just a little. When we left the tree, my friends would walk away with a whole new understanding of redwoods, and maybe a little bit more understanding of me.

Now, back to the Richardson Grove. There are trees there, that have fallen in the wind, that have three layers of roots. Three layers of roots mean that there has been three events that have flooded the roots of the trees, enough to add a few feet of soil over them. The redwoods put out fresh new roots and continued to grow. Testament to the redwoods remarkable ability to survive natures tests.

The trees in the Richardson Grove, for many years were completely surrounded by pavement. At one time, in the middle of The Grove, you could just turn off of the pavement, and walk right into the lodge. There was a good 75 feet of pavement from the west side of the highway to the front of the lodge. It was that way for many years, the trees that are there now are still healthy. Let me be clear that I approve of moving the pavement from around the trees. Also let me be clear, I don’t approve of unnecessary encroachment into the redwood forest. Buildings don’t belong anywhere near a redwood tree. Redwoods are dangerous to be around in the wind and the rain! Been there done that! Also, I would way rather see a natural forest than a lodge stuck in the middle of it.

The highway is another subject. The highway is a critical part of our civilization and our community. The highway, in a modern condition, is much needed for our future on the north coast. The risk to the redwoods is practically none. I have a few reservations about some of the things that the state has planned, and I intend to address those issues. But, I want to work to get the road fixed, and ALSO not damage the redwoods.

There is much misinformation about the project in the grove. I have deep feelings about redwoods, which I also have about all of nature. Some of the people that call themselves “environmentalists” are a little misinformed, and a little bit too over the top to be thought of as environmentalists. It is sad that people view these radicals as “Protectors of the environment”. Many people have worked hard to educate themselves about the Grove project, people that I trust. People who were born and raised under these trees, and have deep feelings for them, people that have been to most of the world and speak many languages that now call this home. They should not be discounted out of hand. They know what they are talking about, and like me, are for the project with a few reservations, that can be addressed.

Most of the people that are against the project spend a lot of time referring to the “roots of thousand year old redwood trees”, and how cutting the roots should not be risked. I wonder how many of them know that those same roots can be many thousands of years older than the trees that they feed. Many trees in a redwood forest are clones of each other, sprouted from the same root stock, many, many times. The roots in a redwood forest are often feeding many trees, not just one. The roots of a redwood can span many trees, and go hundreds of feet around a single tree. That is how they suffer root damage so well. Not only are they quick to grow new roots, they can feed from their surrounding trees. Redwoods are as resilient as a weed. One of the few things that will hurt a redwood is overcrowding, and over competition from other species of trees.

If you’ve learned anything, you are welcome. If you know anything that would help me know more about redwoods, I will eagerly listen.

Thanks for reading!

Two Rivers Tribune

I recently got an email note from Lorencita Lavine, '92 graduate of Hoopa Valley High School, and '97 graduate of Humboldt State University, and the current Managing Editor of the "Two Rivers Tribune". She wrote me to comment on my post about ”Indian Soap Root”. She seems to be a very nice person, and seemed to share my, somewhat offbeat, sense of humor. She even respectfully ignored my inappropriate spelling of “appropriatly”. She did point out that I have an obsolete listing in my sidebar, and asked if she could have her “Two Rivers Tribune” added to my listings.

Her email:
Hi Ernie-
I happened upon your website while looking up Soap Root. And, I
really liked what I was reading. I certainly laughed, especially the
comments about the "Indians," being that I am one. Anyway, I'm also the
managing editor of the Two Rivers Tribune and noticed that our publication
is not listed on your local and regional news sidebar. Also, the Eureka
Reporter is no more...Anyway, we'd love to be added to your site. We publish
every Tuesday, are located in Hoopa, but service the entire Klamath-Trinity
region from Happy Camp to Hawkins Bar , and we now have a website
www.tworiverstribune.com. Thanks for the always interesting website and keep
up the great work!

Lorencita Lavine, Managing Editor
Two Rivers Tribune
PO Box 1328
Hoopa CA 95546

Such a generous, (and educated), person certainly deserves a listing. While I perused her publication, I came across several interesting articles that blew me away. One being the story of Shaunna Oteka McCovey

”Yurok Woman Honored by Humboldt State University
By Manuel Sanchez, TRT Staff Reporter

When furthering one’s education, it comes down to hard work and dedication. For Shaunna Oteka McCovey, a renowned author, attorney, and advocate, her drive and determination has led to her being awarded one of Humboldt State University’s (HSU) Distinguished Alumni for 2010.

McCovey was one of four recipients for this year’s award, all of whom will be recognized at the 2010 Distinguished Alumni Awards banquet at the Ingomar Club in Eureka, Calif., on April 23, 2010.”

I was also amazed by the father and son musicians that will be playing at Carnegie Hall, April 20 2010.

"The Delta Winds Orchestra -- including Hoopa Tribal member Charlie Henderson and his son Jeffrey Henderson -- will be performing at Carnegie Hall in New York City on April 20. The 80-piece orchestra will be joined by groups from around the world for their performances. / Photo courtesy of Jeff Henderson.",

I invite you to read Lorencita Lavines work at http://www.tworiverstribune.com/. Also it is now listed in my sidebar.

Clipped from the L.A. Times 4-7-10

My Daughter called me from Los Angeles and told me that Humboldt county is all over in the paper down there.


Humboldt County afraid of being uprooted from pot perch
As legalization of marijuana grows as a possibility, the Northern California enclave where weed culture thrives ponders its future. Would its pot economy wither or does greater opportunity await?

April 07, 2010|By Sam Quinones
Reporting from Garberville, Calif. — In this region renowned for potent marijuana buds, many in Humboldt County long accepted that legalizing the weed was the right thing to do.

Now some folks aren't so sure.
A statewide initiative in November would allow cities to regulate pot possession and cultivation. Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) has proposed a broader legalization. Neither is certain to pass.

Yet as medical marijuana has spread and city and state budgets are being slashed, legalized marijuana is becoming more possible than ever. That has some people here thinking twice.

Wholesale prices have dropped in the last five years -- from $4,000 a pound to below $3,000 for the best cannabis -- as medical-marijuana dispensaries have attracted a slew of new growers statewide, Humboldt growers say.

Recently, "Keep Pot Illegal" bumper stickers have been seen on cars around the county. In chat rooms and on blogs, anonymous writers predict that tobacco companies will crush small farmers and take marijuana production to the Central Valley.

With legalization, if residents don't act, "we're going to be ruined," said Anna Hamilton, a radio host on KMUD-FM (91.1) in southern Humboldt County.
Photo of Anna Hamilton from Kym Kemps Blog.

In March, Hamilton organized a community meeting in Garberville addressing the question "What's After Pot?" It attracted more than 150 people, including a county supervisor, economic development consultants and business owners.

All this was unimaginable to the hippies and student radicals who came here in the 1960s and '70s, escaping a conventional world they abhorred. As marijuana's price steadily rose, it funded their escape. In time, mom-and-pop growers became experts.

The plant thrived in the tolerant climate -- cultural and geographic -- of far Northern California. Small plots got bigger. An Emerald Triangle of premium marijuana growers formed in Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino counties until, virtually alone, they supported the economies.

Following Hamilton's lead, a meeting will be held in Ukiah, Mendocino's county seat, on April 24 to discuss "The Future of Cannabis in Northern California." Speakers include the director of the Ukiah Chamber of Commerce.

For years the plant was only a small part of the Humboldt economy, as logging and fishing provided most of the jobs.

Joe writes home.

Photo from Wikipedia:

I've been corresponding with Joe Erwin, Who was raised in Panther Gap back in the day before the "change". Back when logging, and sheep and cattle ranching is how we made our living here. I was hoping that we could fill him in on what Panther gap is like now.


Apparently his father knew “Charlie” Howard, the famous Buick salesman that owned the Sea Biscuit Ranch in Willits. My uncle bought all of his Buicks from Mr. Howard also.


The following is copies of our correspondence:
Hey Ernie,

I ran across your blog when I was checking up on some of my friends
over in the Mattole Valley and just wanted to say hello. You blog
triggered a lot of memories.

I grew up on a ranch near Panther Gap. I imagine you know where
that is. If not. it is on the ridge between Bull Creek and Honeydew.
Of course, I know the community of Bull Creek was washed off the
map nearly 50 years ago, but it was a thriving little logging community
when I was a kid on the ranch. We had to move away in the 1950s.

My Dad's family did a lot of rock work in and around Benbow. Dad
and grandpa were skilled stone masons who built a lot of fireplaces
out of river rock. They also operated the James Ranch up by Bell
Glen and Red Mountain at one time and later grew musk melons
at Benbow. Dad also used to tell of caddying at the Benbow golf
links. Eventually the family homesteaded up near Panther Gap.

You'd think I'd have a lot of panther stories, growing up at Panther
Gap and living a stone's throw away from a place we called Panther
Opening. I don't have many such stories--just the federal hunter
dropping by to return the gate key and showing us the panther ears
and tail tip from his successful hunt out on Cold Springs Ridge. I
did hear that blood curdling scream, but only once.

We did see more evidence of bobcats, including a few sightings.
They were usually sitting in the middle of the road--a back country
dirt road that was seldom traveled. When I went back to visit the
area in the 1960s, I was driving down the switchbacks below
Windy Nip Gap (west of Panther Gap) on the way down to
Honeydew. I rounded a bend, and there sat a bobcat in the middle
of the road. I just stopped and watched him for awhile. More than
ten years later, I was moving my family from Nashville to Honeydew.
My 12-year-old son was riding with me as we started down that
same old road. I told him about seeing a bobcat there. As we
rounded the turn, there in the road sat two juvenile bobcats. We
watched them play for awhile. I gained a lot of credibility with my
son that day.

So, I lived near Honeydew and both my kids graduated from
Ferndale High School. I tried to make a living teaching at HSU,
while my wife worked at CR. We were not able to earn a decent
living, so we moved to Chicago, where I was a zoo curator. Then
we moved on to the Washington, D.C., area for me to work as
a scientific editor for National Geographic. Eventually, I settled
a job working for a biomedical research contractor.

But, growing up near Panther Gap can render a person intolerant
of living in town. So, we bought a little piece of property in rural
south-central Pennsylvania (this is part of Appalachia), close to
Maryland and West Virginia. I'm retired now, mostly, and live
in a county that has only 15,000 residents--very few of them
near me. Most mornings I stop in at the Dott General Store
and gas station for a cup of coffee, and chat a little with the
other geezers. It reminds me of the Honeydew Store (and the
Bull Creek Store long ago).

Well, when you blog, you never know who may turn up. I hope
all is well with you. I miss my Humboldt Home, but I'm not sure
it even exists anymore. Maybe it is true that "you can never go
home again." But, then, some people actually stay on their spot,
and there is something to be said for that.

Wishing you well,
Joe
Joseph M. Erwin

Joe

Thank-you so much for the letter. You are right, you wouldn't recognize it around here anymore. The land is pretty much the same, but the people and the places have changed. I wouldn't live any other place in the world though. I guess that I slowly got used to the changes as they came. I did suffer a great amount of culture shock, but for the most part I got over it.


At the time that you lived here, the predators were mostly eliminated. It would have been rare to see a mountain lion or a bear. They are coming back, and they are starting to be a problem. It will be interesting to see how the new people will deal with them. Most of the new people have moved deep into the wild territory, so they will be the ones to have the problems. We have no sheep like we used to have on the wild hills. There are no mills, and logging is gone for the most part. There is less catlle than there used to be.


Most of the new people are very naive about the land, and they have a tendency to care less about the history, but some of them find themselves at home here, and they know more than the natives about the land, places, and history.


Is it okay to put your letter on my blog? It jogged a lot of old memories for me.


Thank-you again for the history.
Ernie Branscomb.

Ernie,

Sure. No problem about posting the letter. My
life is an open book. I should write that book
sometime. Sometime soon, I guess--I'll be 69
years old in a couple of weeks. I'm not sure
a person should write their "memoirs" until
they are about 70, or so, but I'm getting there.

Yes, I knew/know a lot of non-natives. There
was some friction among natives and non-natives
out in the Mattole. We tried to build some bridges
when we were there--especially regarding
wildlife and fisheries and livestock issues.

I don't think I ever saw any evidence of bears
on the ranch, but we sure saw plenty of sign
around the King Range, and had them down
behind the house near Honeydew. I did see
a panther on Wilder Ridge in 1978. I was very
impressed with the tail length at the time. I
keep in touch with some folks there--not too
regularly, but once in awhile.

When I was a kid we had sheep and a few
cattle and some horses. Good horses. Dad
admired what Charlie Howard was able to
do with horses (like Seabiscuit) and we used to
visit Ridgewood Ranch whenever we went to
The City. So Dad had Buicks and racehorses,
but with not quite the same profile as Charlie
Howard did.

I always feel like I've come home when I get
to Hartsooks or Benbow. I suppose I might
move back sometime if my wife dies before
I do and if we have any money left. I could
get along just fine living in a little trailer next
to a trout stream, or out by Shelter Cove or
back up the Middle Fork or Van Duzen. As
long as I could get some wild black caps,
huckleberries, and a piece of backstrap once
in awhile.

Thanks for responding so quickly.

Wishing you well,
Joe

April Fool!

There is no boat past the slide! April Fool!

Thank-you for all the free medical care!

I've not been feeling good for weeks now, fever in the evening, general malaise, and so on. All that stuff that goes away instantly, as soon as you step foot on threshold of the Doctors office. Then the Doctor asks you, “what are you here for?” As you sheepishly aim your answers to yesterday, when you were so sick that you thought that you would surely die. But, today you just happen to feel good, in fact you feel great, and you have no idea why you are here bothering the Doctor.

Well, I kept finding excuses for not going to the Doctor. After all, I didn't want to find myself in the doctors office explaining why I was there wasting his time. So, I took my temperature three times a day. It was 98.2 in the morning, which is a little high for me. By noon, my temp was 98.9, but by mid to late afternoon my small fever would consistently spike to 100.1-.5.

This would be my trap, I would calmly point out, “Of course I'm sick, see my temperature?” Then, the Doctor would have to take me seriously.

One little flaw in my plan was that I still have Blue Cross, but I was afraid that they wouldn't pay if they found out that I have Medicare now. Last month I feverishly (literally) filled out all the Damn Stupid Government forms. Hopping to get them close enough to right that they would give me a card. I foolishly thought that all you had to do is prove that you are American and that you are at least 65 years of age. So, I dug out my birth certificate, and called the Social Security Administration. They told me to go to their website and fill out the very simple form that they have provided for that. The form asked me how much money that I earned. I had to tell them that I don't know that kind of stuff, I turn-in all the money that I make to my bookkeeper, My wife. The whole thing wouldn't fit in the slot that they provided.

After deciding that the questions were unanswerable, I called the SS man back. I told them that he would have to talk to my bookkeeper, my wife. He said that he couldn't do that, that they could only deal with me directly. I asked them, “What if I was stupid, or senile, or otherwise unable to function at a full mental capacity? Would you be able to talk to my wife then?” The man saw where I was headed, and realized that I had him beat, so he consented to talk to my wife, but I would have to stay on the line to confirm that she was telling the truth. I was mildly offended that this twit thought that my wife would lie, but I swallowed my male pride and let it go.

A few days later the SS guy called back, and said that he needed to clear-up a few things. I told him that my wife was on her way to Eureka, and we would be unable to reach her. Plus, she never answers her phone. The first time it rings she says, “Hello”. I was totally embarrassed that she answered her phone when I assured the guy that she would have to call him back later. I said “why did you answer your phone”. She said that she had just turned it on because she was going to call me. She said that she “was stuck on the lawn of the school in Cutten” in her GTO.” I told her okay, forget that if you can, I have the SS agent on the line with me, he wants you to answer a few more questions for him. He meekly asked a couple more questions and he sent out my Medicare card, I guess he figured that we would probably need the help.

The card got lost in the mail (on my wifes desk). Sometimes a man just has to re-access his whole marriage. I came to the conclusion that I would be lost without her. (Literally! She is the only one that knows where I put things)

So, card in hand, I picked up the phone and called the Doctor. As luck would have it they could get me right in! I said “No, Sorry... Can I have something near closing time?” I knew by then, my fever kicks in that time of day. Strategy!

Before I went to the Dr.s office. I asked the people at the store what I should tell the Doctor. Carol said to tell him that I've lost my sense of humor, and that I was “Bitchy”. Of course that offended me, and I told her so! I told her that to imply that I was “bitchy” implies something feminine and illogical. That I was merely “grumbly”, which to me, implies that I'm thoughtful, and correct in my thinking, it's just that I'm so tired of incompetence that I forget to be my normal thoughtful, caring, self.

Dennis said, “tell him that you have bronchitis, and ask him for some of that great Codeine Cough Syrup.

A friend of mine emailed me after I announced that I wasn't feeling well. He said something to the affect that I looked dead the day he talked to me.

Ben said to be sure and tell him to check for “Lymes Disease”. ( I did that Ben). In fact, he did a double take when I told him. He looked like he was going to slap me on the forehead and say, “You could have had a V-8!”.

But he said: “You are supposed to go to the doctor and get antibiotics within seventy-two hours of being bit by a tick. It reduces your chances of getting Lymes by 80%! So remember that.

Diana said that she had that Lymes disease, last year, and she “Hot-tubbed it out of her”. I guess that works. Give yourself a fever.

So, I get to the doctors office, the nurse had me step on the scale. I had tools in my pockets, and I had my coat on, plus a few other things. I chuckled to myself, if the Doctor tells me to lose weight, all that I will have to do is empty my pockets. More good strategy, it pays to use your head when going to the Doctor.

The nurse says “you have a slight fever”. I smiled and said “yeah I know, I'm sick”. The doctor came in and said, “I see that you have a slight fever.” Don't you just love it when a good plan comes together?

He asked me what was wrong. I told him the long and detailed story about what all of my friends told me. He asked me what “I” thought was wrong with me. I didn't feel comfortable talking about what “I thought”, I didn't want to look like a hypochondriac! But, I said “I think that I have Lymes Disease”. Sure enough he gave me that “Hypochondriac Look”. So, I watch Miami CSI. I know that you ALWAYS take your evidence with you, I whipped the Bagged Tick out of my coat pocket and showed it to him. He looked at it for at least a full second, then threw it in the trash. That's when I got “The Seventy-two hour” lecture.

He whipped out his Stethoscope, listened to my lungs and said: “You have pneumonia in the lower part of both lungs” I said “That can't be, I'm not that sick”. He said “well why are you here?” I said “well I'm not Pneumonia sick, I only have a little bitty fever.” Right... See how he turned that on me? He gave me some high powered antibiotics and sent me home. We'll see who's right. He sent me down to the lab for a Lymes test also!

I'm Not a Bitchy Hypochondriac! Dammit!

Excuse making

“Open letter” to all my friends and relatives.


First, Thank-you for all of your Birthday wishes, they were all quite gratifying. To the coffee group at the Eel River Café, I’m sorry that I haven’t been there of late.



As some of you know, and others might have guessed, I’ve been fighting some mysterious disease. I get up in the morning and feel semi fine, but I have trouble becoming enthusiastic. I feel like doing a few things by about 10:00 am. By 3:00 pm I start dragging and start getting a mild fever (100 deg.) By the time dinner is over (7:30 pm) I can’t wait to go to bed. Last night I slept 11 hours. when I got up, I took two ½ hour naps in my chair.



Now, for the part that is annoying. I don’t feel terrible, just incredibly tired and forgetful, and I make a lot of mistakes. I’ll measure a board and cut it wrong, which is totally out of character for me, and it is embarrassing as hell to be trying to stretch a board when I don’t have the strength to stretch it. The kicker is, this has been going on for 3 weeks now. I whined to some of my friends at Rotary, their advice was, “get used to it”. Bea Anderson said that she had the same thing for 5 weeks and Dennis Abshire has had it for 4 weeks. Other people have said that they have had the same thing. With similar aches, pains, and maladies.



Now the for the good part. I think that I’m getting better. All of those 12 hour sleep-overs and Vitamin pills are staring to work.



Thank-you for putting up with my cranky moods and fuzzy thinking. Well… That is, the ones that did.

S.O.S. (Save Our Schools)

This is the kind of event that I like. They offer a good time, at a reasonable price, and where most of the expenses are soaked up internally there is a pretty good profit potential… That is if enough people come, which they should. Who doesn’t like to have a good time and not have to clean up the mess.

Pretty arrowhead

From Milkwood Lake.

Arrowhead found in Welsh Castle, brought there by the Romans, probably around 43 A.D. (my guess, bullshistory warning!)