Groundbreaking

It's official...our new home is underway. The ground was "broken" on February 4

It might not look like a lot, but it's the beginning.

Every house has to begin somewhere...and this is how our new house is beginning. It's exciting to see  progress. Our agent will be taking pictures of the property as the structure grows. 

Milestone

As of today, we no longer own property in California. Escrow closed on our home at 10:30 this morning. Our real estate agent said it was time to cancel the fire insurance on the house, so that was done. 

We are now full timing in our fifth wheel trailer,,,

...while our new winter home in eastern Nevada is being built. We plan to get to the summer home in WY as soon as it begins to thaw out. The DrCs like adventures, and we are embarking upon a big one. Watch this space to see what unfolds.

Chinese Temple in Oroville

Oroville, CA has a "rich" history, no pun intended. The name of the town explains a lot...ORO is the Spanish word for gold and VILLE is the French word for town. Oroville is literally "gold town, USA." Gold was found along the banks of the Feather River--millions of dollars of gold was found. The news spread rapidly and people from all over the world came to get rich. A few of them did get rich, such as John Bidwell, the founder of Chico, CA. Among the miners, were about 10,000 Chinese men. They were not allowed to bring their wives, so they came alone. By the 1850s they requested artifacts from the Emperor and Empress of China to build a Temple. After the first two wooden Temples burned, a third was built of local brick (from Palermo, CA) in 1863.

That Temple is still standing, and during normal times, it's open to the public as a museum. (Due to Covid restrictions, it's not open right now.) Don't let that stop you from walking around the Temple to see the 3 main buildings and enjoy the beauty. 

A bright red Moon Gate leads into one of the 3 parts of the Temple which houses tapestries and carvings from ancient China. As a treat, the redbud tree beside the gate is starting to bloom.

Sadly, the Temple has had hard times. It is located near the Feather River and in 1907 the river flooded not only the Temple, but Oroville too. Lots of work was done to restore the Temple, but the Chinese community was getting smaller and smaller. Remember, only single men came from China and by 1907 they were not young any more. The remaining Chinese restored the Temple and by 1935 they knew they could not keep it so they donated it to the City of Oroville with 3 provisions: 1) the Temple would be a museum to house their artifacts 2) The Temple would be available for worship and 3) that volunteers would teach about the importance of the Chinese culture in the area.  

The Temple is a California Historical Landmark and as Huell Howser (of PBS Fame) would say, "Part of California's Gold." If you have some time, follow the green line in Oroville to discover more of the history of the town.

The Mother Orange

Last week we traveled to Bidwell Bar Bridge and I was reminded that the Mother Orange used to live there. Today we decided to find the Mother Orange. (BTW, her address is in Wikipedia)

This little tree was originally planted in 1856 in Oroville. She was the first orange tree in Northern California. We know she started out in a planter box in Mazatlan, Mexico. She was shipped to Sacramento when she was about 2 or 3 years old and purchased by Judge Joseph Lewis who eventually planted her at Bidwell Bar Suspension Bridge in present day Oroville, CA in 1856. 

For decades, miners (and others too) ate her juicy fruit and planted her fertile seeds. It was thought that an orange tree could not grow in this less than tropical environment...but the tree flourished and grew to over 60 feet tall, regularly producing 500 to 700 pounds of oranges annually. Her seeds were the start of the orange industry in the North State.

The tree was thriving at Bidwell Bar Bridge until construction of the Oroville Dam began. In 1964, when the tree was about 108 years old, she was moved to her current location. The average lifespan of an orange tree is about 50 years, so in 1964 the Mother Orange was an old lady and folks wondered if she would survive the move. Not to be bothered by a mere move, she continued to grow and produce fruit until 1998 when a freak cold spell damaged her. We all thought she was doomed, but not the scientists at UC Riverside. They were able to make three clones from the original tree. In 2003 those clones were replanted back in Oroville.

This tree is a survivor. The clone, also called "The Mother Orange," produces about 500 pounds of fruit yearly. The clone is less than 20 years old.

Plaques commemorating The Mother Orange

If a tree can be loved (and I think they can), the Mother Orange is beloved by all who know about her. For folks who might be offended by my use of SHE and HER when writing about this tree, I say "too bad!" The Mother Orange has always been referred to as SHE. Who am I to argue with a tree that has brought forth fruit for over 150 years and started the orange industry in Northern CA. 

Long live the Mother Orange.

Covid Update, Day 2

We received our Covid shot about 4 PM on Friday, January 29. Neither of us felt bad right after the shot, so we drove home and proceeded to go about our business. As directed, we continued to move our left arms regularly while drinking lots of water. Yesterday morning, my arm felt like it had been hit with a large hammer, while the other DrC's arm felt like it had been slapped hard. All day long we felt well. As the day progressed I could move my left arm above my head without pain, By 11 PM we both had muscles aches in our hands, shoulders and back. We took our temperatures and they were normal. Based on the normal temperature, we thought we were getting a reaction to the shot. This morning, we both woke up with achy hands, the other aches had gone away. Both of us could raise our left arms above our head without pain. 

Individual reactions will vary. What I've written above can be used as a "yardstick" to measure your reactions to the vaccine when you receive it. We are now playing a waiting game for shot #2.

Moderna Shot

Yesterday I had a surprise! We were taking the other DrC for his Covid shot thinking I was not eligible. We were okay with that because at least one of us would have the shot. We joined the long line of cars filled with folks over 75 waiting for their shots. We had our paperwork filled out...we were ready. When we got to the front of the line, the nice person with the clipboard asked if we were both getting the shot, and I answered no, as I was too young. She asked my age, and said "Don't tell anyone but we are letting spouses take the shot together." With a little HOOT I gladly filled out the paperwork and got my shot.

This morning, my arm feels like it has been hit with a sledgehammer, but I feel great. We are onboard for shot number 2 later in February. It was a good day. Thank you President Donald J. Trump, the Covid vaccine would not have been possible without you spearheading Project Warp Speed!

Sunday Drive

Remember in the "old days" folks would go on a Sunday drive? Today is Sunday and we went for a drive to Oroville Dam. It was a gray, somewhat drippy day, but that did not curb our enthusiasm. We went to Loafer Creek and saw some deer by the roadway.

The males still had their antlers.

From there we drove to the marina and found hundreds of houseboats patiently waiting for better weather.

The big surprise was seeing the Bidwell Bar Bridge. 

I've seen pictures of the bridge, but never the real thing. You have to drive highway 162 for several miles outside of Oroville, past Loafer Creek before it comes into view. The original Bidwell Bar Bridge was built in 1855 with materials shipped from New York via Cape Horn. Bidwell, the founder of Chico, made his fortune mining gold near this location. When this bridge was constructed in 1966, it was the highest suspension bridge in the world. Alas, it did not stay that for long, as the lake behind Oroville Dam started to fill. 

 This picture, gives a good idea how high the bridge is over the water. 

Just a few facts about Oroville Dam and Lake.

For Friends

 A  piggy and teddy bear. I gave the piggy to my orthodontist. The teddy bear goes to Teresa. 

Mt. Moran Winter and Summer

 I stole this picture from Facebook. Kelly Minor took it. Mt. Moran at the Oxbows in the winter. 

Mt. Moran at the Oxbows in the summer. Both are beautiful. In case you have not figured it out, I'm not happy with the current political environment, so I'm resorting to things that make me happy--Teddy bears, mountains, slippers, ice cream, my wonderful husband...

Slippers

 

Some yarn is easy to work with...then there is this stuff. It's soft and cuddly, which I guess makes up for it's stubbornness. This slipper has been remade 3 times...I think I have it right. I gave it to Teresa for her birthday and she loved them. She said she had never had homemade slippers before. Who knew?

Teddy Bear Home

 

It's always fun to give a teddy bear away. The purple bear went to Abby and according to her grandparents she plays with it all the time. Teddy bears need good homes and I think this one has found one.

The Adventure of Moving

We are used to moving...we do it a couple of times every year. This year, we are truly moving. Moving out of our home state into Nevada. Remember a few entries back, I said "watch this space?" Our lovely home in northern CA sold in 6 hours. Before that happened, everything we had was stored or donated or tossed. 

The movers came and rolled away with most of our possessions. In the meantime, we are "full timing" in our RV. We are used to living in small spaces, so it's not hard, but I do not recommend full timing if you are not 100% compatible with your spouse. I was telling someone today that we are living in a 32 foot "tin box" and there's not a lot of room for extras. Continue to watch this space as the next adventure is in the early stages of discovery.

2021 and Hope

I did not create this image, it was sent to me by my sister. It works for me. I hope that 2021 will bring us out of the pandemic. I hope we do not go the way of socialism. I hope we will be a united country.

 So much to hope for; so little time...only 365 days. 

In the scheme of things, that's not very long for that huge agenda.

In the meantime, I'm still making teddy bears. They are hopeful and happy. 

This one is going to a six year old who loves purple. I've named her Fleur.

 

2020 Coming to an End

I've not written much in the last few days (or even this year) as 2020 was not a lot of fun. We were expecting "The Roaring 20s" of the last century, instead we got " The Masked 20s" wrapped in fear. I passed up Christmas as it was not the Merry Season it is supposed to be. My family mourned two losses in December. My brother in law passed away mid-month; and my nephew never got to play with his stillborn grandson. We met on Christmas and celebrated in a somber manner, no hugs, a few tears. Yes, I'm happy to see this go away. 

As we stand on the cusp of 2021, there are worries in the future. We need the vaccine. We need a strong democracy (which the weak puppet-elect cannot give us) to unite the country. We need so much that we are not going to get. The next 4 years will be hard endure as we fight an invisible killer (Covid-19) and the very visible "progressive" movement that will lead us to defeat. 

I do not talk politics in my blog, so I need to apologize to my readers, I just broke my own rule. But I do talk about my life and times and pretty pictures. Two evenings ago we had an amazing moon-rise. The sky was pink and a paper moon skimmed over the mountains as it was rising into the night sky.

That night the moon shone like a spotlight in an inky sky. Does that moon represent anything? I doubt it. With that, I wish you a better 2021-- but I'm waiting for the other shoe to fall.

Covid Bear

I made this bear for my friend Kay. She specifically asked for a masked bear. I hope this is the last masked bear I have to make. 

Kizen and his Teddy Bear

Meet Kizen and his new teddy bear. He's a year old on Christmas. 

He seems to be enjoying his new toy.

 

Good News

Our house went "live" on Saturday morning at 9 AM. It was supposed to go "on sale" on January 1, but everything was in order, so our real estate agent asked if he could put it up on the web. By 10:30 we had a call from the agent saying that a couple wanted to see the house between 12 and 12:30. They arrived at noon and stayed for over 2 hours. From my vantage point in the RV, they seemed to look at everything from the outside. I wanted to be a fly on the wall, but I knew I needed to stay in the RV and be patient. At 3 our agent called saying we had an over-price cash offer on the home. WHEW! It was sold.

It was uncomfortable having someone evaluate my home, yet the results were incredible. My beautiful home sold in 6 hours. I don't know if that is a record or not, but it was fast. 

Yesterday we met the buyers and we liked them and they love our home. I can rest at night knowing that my home will have people who love it as much as I do. It's hard work getting a home ready to sell. I need to thank our real estate agent who helped us along the way; the stager who made our home look wonderful; my neighbor who helped more than he will ever know; and a host of other folks who were very encouraging all along the way. 

It's Busy Outside

The last few weeks have been very busy for the DrCs. We found a new house; we emptied the old house, and today we started full-timing in our RV. The stagers arrived today and set up the home completely different from the way we had it. We now have 3 very distinct bedrooms, and cool entertainment room, a great room all decorated in "cool, hip" neutrals. 

The living room

The dining area

Our home is well designed and very pretty. Let's hope it sells quickly. If you know someone who wants a custom home on almost 12 acres, let me know.

A Visit to Zion

Over the weekend we had special treat...an opportunity to visit Zion National Park in Utah. Zion was beautiful; and while there were people there, it was not overcrowded and we could drive our car on all the park roads. 

To top off the day, we saw this buck taking a sun bath. Then, he stuck out his pink tongue. I've never seen a deer stick out his tongue. 

It was a good weekend.

 

Watch This Spot

Sunset on the desert

Mountain Lake at Sunset

 

Guess what? More critters

I love making these critters and now that I'm getting more orders...it's hard to keep up with the demand. So  I made a teddy bear for Kaizen and a hedgehog for Sharon.

BUT...here's the recipient of a teddy bear and, according to his grand dad, Benjamin is completely in love with his teddy bear. He got the present on Thanksgiving and would not let it down the whole time grand dad was there. Proof...kids like these guys.

 

Happy Thanksgiving

 

May you have a Happy Thanksgiving! 

Politically correct or not; Covid or not; we have things to be thankful for...

friends, family and health. Long may they reign.

Critters

The critters I made for the charity auction never made it to the auction. The auctioneers bought them and made a lot of $$$. So, I've been making some replacement critters to actually sell. I wonder if these will be scarfed up before the auction too. 

Meet Bonita and Dot the hedgehogs...

...and Red Fred, a Santa Bear.

I'm crocheting as fast as I can to meet demand. It's a kick!

Second Fall

 One of the joys of living in two places is we get to experience 2 springs and 2 autumns. Right now we are enjoying our second fall in northern California. Here fall starts late, and the colors are different from those in WY. There we have bright yellows. Here we have reds and oranges. We left fall in the Rockies and returned to later summer here. NOW the colors are starting to change, well past the official date of fall. Take a look.

A Chinese Pistache (related to a pistachio but does not bear fruit) decorates our driveway

As well as the streets of town

The leaves, up close and personal are red and orange and gold. These colors are completely different from those in the Rocky Mountains...see below

Lots more yellow...the pictures tell the ...

...tale of two falls.

Elections come and go but Love is forever

I am not happy with the outcome of the election, but I know one thing...I love my country, even if folks made the wrong decision. Now it's time to "buck it up buttercup" and get on with my life. To that end, I'm making Critters for a Christmas Charity Auction. They were too much fun to make (it's good to have a diversion when the country has gone crazy).

Hedgehogs

Teddy Bears, including a little girl teddy with her ballet slippers and tutu, and one wearing a covid mask 

And a pile of piggies and hedgehogs.