Most people don’t have to worry about ‘getting home’ but here in the End of the Rainbow Valley that is never a given where one dirt road /driveway is bordered by tall grasses and lots of trees which dead end in the bowl we call ‘home.’
My first trip back to the homestead 10 years ago, this road resembled a path more than a road. That path was obliterated after a 14” downpour and flash flood five years ago. The 500-year flood caused 8 mudslides and downed a hundred trees just on that one mile stretch. It took 3 months to rebuild this new driveway/'super highway' and then nine months later another ha ha 500 year flood downpour returned. That damage was minimal in comparison although emotionally draining to say the least. Here's of a pic of Lietke Lane before Coon Creek overflowed and ate all the bridge approaches.
When we ask the other if we want to walk to get the paper/ mail that ‘yes’ reply entails a one mile trek to arrive at the mailbox on the black top road called Lietke Lane. There are 3 major inclines to achieve this task – down, up, down and then the return. You can even experience a temperature change as the wind blows down the ridge and through the valley. There’s also a difference in the bug population along different parts. AND I would know.
BUT the thing is YOU never know is what you will encounter along the way whether it’s wildlife as in snakes or pond frogs, toads, deer, turkeys, hawks ‘ the resident owl or a limb/tree across the road the latest storm/wind has brought down. It’s never a bad idea to leave some extra time when going into ‘town’ just in case. One night we had to park the car leaving the lights on to be able to see in order to crawl over a humongous felled tree, walk home to change clothing and return equipped with gloves and the chain saw so that we could have a clear path the next day.
Our best friend is the Husqvarna chain saw. The only ‘chainsaw massacre’ that happens around here is for firewood /when another tree or one of its appendages bites the dust and ends up on the road.
BUT it’s never a bad idea to leave some extra time when going into ‘town’ just in case. Our standard wish for visitors is 'to be careful' coming in and going out the
End of the Rainbow Valley … A Greek may have been the first to declare 'Eureka,' but we living in the back of a valley that is not so easy to get to can understand why Californians chose the phrase for their state's motto. Any time we make it in or out, we can exclaim, " Eureka, we made it!"
My first trip back to the homestead 10 years ago, this road resembled a path more than a road. That path was obliterated after a 14” downpour and flash flood five years ago. The 500-year flood caused 8 mudslides and downed a hundred trees just on that one mile stretch. It took 3 months to rebuild this new driveway/'super highway' and then nine months later another ha ha 500 year flood downpour returned. That damage was minimal in comparison although emotionally draining to say the least. Here's of a pic of Lietke Lane before Coon Creek overflowed and ate all the bridge approaches.
When we ask the other if we want to walk to get the paper/ mail that ‘yes’ reply entails a one mile trek to arrive at the mailbox on the black top road called Lietke Lane. There are 3 major inclines to achieve this task – down, up, down and then the return. You can even experience a temperature change as the wind blows down the ridge and through the valley. There’s also a difference in the bug population along different parts. AND I would know.
BUT the thing is YOU never know is what you will encounter along the way whether it’s wildlife as in snakes or pond frogs, toads, deer, turkeys, hawks ‘ the resident owl or a limb/tree across the road the latest storm/wind has brought down. It’s never a bad idea to leave some extra time when going into ‘town’ just in case. One night we had to park the car leaving the lights on to be able to see in order to crawl over a humongous felled tree, walk home to change clothing and return equipped with gloves and the chain saw so that we could have a clear path the next day. 
Our best friend is the Husqvarna chain saw. The only ‘chainsaw massacre’ that happens around here is for firewood /when another tree or one of its appendages bites the dust and ends up on the road.
BUT it’s never a bad idea to leave some extra time when going into ‘town’ just in case. Our standard wish for visitors is 'to be careful' coming in and going out the End of the Rainbow Valley … A Greek may have been the first to declare 'Eureka,' but we living in the back of a valley that is not so easy to get to can understand why Californians chose the phrase for their state's motto. Any time we make it in or out, we can exclaim, " Eureka, we made it!"
You not only took the path less traveled but chose to live on it....that says a lot about you two.
ReplyDeleteCheryl you know how different our life is living as remote as we do with 'creature comforts' 'as Irv calls it.
ReplyDelete