By Bob Spiwak
Well, winter is creeping up on us bit by bit. Our low last night (Oct. 26) was 31 degrees, after temperatures were ranging in the 50s at bedtime most of the month. The foliage on the various trees — cottonwood, birch, willow, aspen — has peaked, and the leaves are laying a dense cover on the ground, atop what seemed an unusually heavy and prolonged dump of needles from the ponderosa pines.
And the snow has appeared on the higher peaks. Gardner Mountain had more than a dusting, and Last Chance Mountain has a significant cap of white. As of today there are 7 inches of the white stuff at Harts Pass.
Two days ago there were 3 inches less. We took a drive around the Chewuch loop yesterday and Eightmile Ridge was brilliant in the sunshine, which sporadically came and went.
I owe an apology for the misspelling last week of David McClay Kidd’s middle name, which also is a family name. He’s the architect of the new Gamble Sands Golf Course at Brewster.
This Friday (Oct. 31) is Halloween, and at 4:45 p.m. at the Mazama Store a mass (for Mazama) of children and parents all ages will head out around the community for trick-or-treating. Returning to the store en masse, they will find pumpkin donuts, caramel apples and other stuff appropriate to the holiday.
On CBS’s Sunday morning program yesterday, a fellow offered an essay urging doing away with candy and replacing it with healthier treats. He focused on the growing crisis of obesity in our country. I agree, and it struck me that there is a correlation, not regarding children, that the obesity concerns became an issue at about the same time smoking did. Shamefully I admit that as I have cut back on tobacco use, I have become a Reese’s peanut-butter-chocolate candy addict.
In the near future, there will be what has become the traditional Veterans Day observance at the Mazama Store’s 40-foot high flagpole.
We will miss two of the usual vets, not to combat, but they’ll be taking shelter in Arizona. The event will begin on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m.
I know the height of the flagpole because only hours ago Randy Picklesimer and Rick LeDuc measured it in order to replace the present American flag that has become faded and a tad shabby. While it was measured by an ancient methodology involving a tape measure, these guys were up to date, putting their smart phones to the task. Within 10 minutes Rick had researched what size flag was needed for a pole of that dimension and gave the measurement to Randy, who got on his phone and ordered the new Star-Spangled Banner, displayed a picture of it and announced it was on its way.
Speaking of pictures, if you still have the cardboard flyer about the gun control initiatives, check out the photo on the back. It is a wondrous depiction of Diablo Lake and covers the area from the upper end of the lake all the way to a peek-a-boo view of Diablo Dam. Exquisite. I’ve canoed that lake for over 30 years and never appreciated how gorgeous it and the terrain around it are.
