Category: Personal

Walk on the Mineral King Road

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This is your photojournalist reporting in from an excursion taken today, Saturday, March 18, 2023. Trail Guy, The Farmer, and I drove about 4 miles up the Mineral King road, then continued on foot. There will be many many photos (I took 92 but will only show you 47—you are welcome), and a little explanation or commentary.

The Road Closed sign is barely visible here below Mile 4.

A friend was doing a similar excursion and began the same time we did. Trail Guy advised him to climb up to the flume for easier walking, because his destination was farther up the road than ours.

Common sight.

Ho-hum, another big rock.

Mud, road a little bit gone.

And yet another rock.

And another chunk gone.

Wait, are you telling me we could have driven another 1/2 mile up?? Apparently so.

Whoa. This is the big washout. I bet Mineral King folks will forever refer to this as Washout Corner, or Washout Canyon.

We had a little bit of boulder scrambling to do.

Then some water to cross.

Looking back at the mess.

About 1/2 mile farther up from the mess.

Standard mud-on-road.

Oh-oh. Are we finished? The road certainly is. This is at Skyhook.

Nope, we are not done. The Farmer scrambled up the bank to the flume, pronounced it doable, and we followed.

Our friend caught up with us on the flume, and we pulled aside to let him pass because he was on a mission to check on a man who lives farther up the road. We were just ogling, on a mission to see things.

We climbed down.

And headed down a paved road to the real road…

…only to discover we were on the uphill side of Skyhook. The flow went right through the center of the property.

I want to go to the bridge.

In the days before the flood, this would have been considered a disaster. Now, it’s merely another blip on the screen of the Winter of Water.

Bear Canyon survived. It appears to be abandoned, so even if it got washed away, no one would care. (what a waste)

Another muddy section.

And yet another one. I waded through this one in barefeet.

By the time I got to this muddy mess, I just walked through in my trusty hiking Crocs.

Such a beautiful flow of water in this canyon after too many dry years.

MY FAVORITE BRIDGE IS FINE!!

Rocks, mud, no big deal.

Happy Centennial, Oak Grove Bridge!

Looking upstream.

Looking downstream.

Just looking.

And looking.

Time to turn around and head back to the pick-em-up truck.

Whoa. Is this a new disaster waiting to happen to the flume just below the bridge? Or are we seeing with new eyes, filtered for impending doom?

Here’s the abandoned Bear Canyon.

Climbing up to the flume just above Skyhook.

I really like walking the flume. Not supposed to do it.

Our friend told us that the flume had blown apart or been smashed by a tree, so he had to do some scrambling and crawling. We got to this yellow tape, and climbed down the steps to the access road.

This is the access road onto the flume, opposite the very wide spot in the road below the bridge.

We walked back without incident, happy to be alive, thankful for rain, thankful to be able to walk 5 miles, thankful for springtime, thankful for friendship, just thankful.

And looking forward to seeing repairs by the Tulare County Roads Department. But I bet the people at Skyhook and those on above are looking forward to that road work even more than we are.

Thanks for coming with me on this tour. Batten the hatches, because there is another storm coming our way tomorrow.

Sunny Day, Stormy Day

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Sunny Day

Monday was a sunny day, with bright colors, and warm temperatures.

We went to church to deal with a flooded office, broken gutter, and misbehaving water flows.

Then we headed down to Kaweah Lake to see how high (and muddy and full of debris) it looked.

Looking west toward the dam, which is now too far away to see, around a corner.

Looking east at Blossom Peak (hill with 3 points)

Looking northeast toward Moro Rock and Alta Peak, which isn’t visible under the clouds.

The parking lot at Slick Rock is blocked.

Later I went walking with a neighbor. So very very green, blue, and white!

Bush lupine with poppies.

Two more kinds of lupine with popcorn flowers. We just hung out, soaking sunshine and bright colors for awhile. (It was steep, so maybe we needed to catch our breath a little too.)

Rainy Day

Tuesday was so different from Monday that it was hard to believe the two days were in the same month, much less the same week. This is how Kaweah Lake looked when I pulled over at the normal view point on my way down the hill to teach drawing lessons.

A few roads were narrowed, a main road was closed.

It rained all the way back home.

This is the Yokohl curve, where the normally dry Yokohl Creek occasionally flows. Nope, I didn’t pull over in the rain to photograph the water. I focused on my driving, while holding up the camera and hoping to capture something without looking at it. (You’re welcome).

I pulled over next to this grove of pistachios, put down the passenger window exposing the leather seat to rain, and took a few pictures. When it was planted about 7 years ago, I asked the farmer if he had a plan for planting in what is historically a pond during wet years. He thought the pump could handle it. Apparently he overestimated the pump’s capacity.

Excuse the blurriness. I just wanted you to see how tall the trees are so you can estimate how deep the pond is.

So far we have gotten about 9″ of rain at our house since this series of storms began last Thursday. It ain’t over yet, folks. . . keep your LLBean boots handy!

Maybe we can talk about making art tomorrow.

P.S. Nothing new to report about the Mineral King Road or other road closures or flooding in Three Rivers. Your photojournalist only reports on what she sees with her own eyes.

MORE WEATHER (Instead of Art)

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When there is an event, everyone is a photojournalist. I am your photojournalist reporting from the middle fork of the Kaweah River in Three Rivers. There is a lot of action in other parts of town, but it is fairly sane in our neighborhood. I continue to be thankful that we couldn’t afford riverfront property when we moved here, and thankful to have a house that was here pre-1955 when The Big Flood happened.

Middle Fork

This is also known as the main fork of the Kaweah. We live about 1/2 mile above it and often walk to the Dinely Bridge to see how it looks.

Lots of snow is still hanging in there, in spite of the warm rain.

We took a walk, and Trail Guy carried a big rake. He tried to free up some gunk clogging a culvert so that mud stops flowing across our road.

Moro Rock is visible up the canyon while the Alta Peak elephant hides behind clouds.

Back to the Dinely Bridge, looking upstream

Looking upstream to the Dinely side of the bridge (makes me think of Olivia Newton John’s song “The river’s too wide now for crossing. . .”)

Looking upstream to the Sierra (Hwy. 198) side of the bridge

Looking downstream

Looking downstream toward the highway

Looking downstream with Comb Rocks in the distance

Back home for a brief moment of sunshine (hi Pippin!)

East Fork (also known as the Mineral King Road)

We got a call from an adventurous friend who rode his bike up the Mineral King Road. (He likes to do things like that. . .ride to Mineral King, run to Eagle Lake, and ride home in the summer). He took many photos for us where the road is “gone-zo” (his term) about 4.5 miles up.

These are some of his photos of various washouts and blowouts and gone-zo-outs. I’m not sure where each one is, but know that the county has a ton of work ahead.

He also sent videos, but those don’t work here. Many similar photos were posted on the Book of Faces by one of his traveling companions, and several friends sent me screen shots. Our friend called us before they went public. Thank you, Dennis V!!

Three Rivers

Big Water Update from Three Rivers

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Many friends have checked in to see if we are okay. We are definitely okay, and touched by the many inquiries.

We took some bags to a friend who lives along Salt Creek so he could fill them with sand. The creek flowed over his bridge so he needed to prep more for the next wave, or “atmospheric river” as everyone loves to say these days. Looking upstream

Looking downstream

Looking down

Looking across It didn’t rain during the day yesterday and there was much to appreciate.

My neighbor wanted to go for a walk again.

Looking downstream at the Dinely Bridge (on the Middle Fork).

Looking upstream

The water is lower than yesterday.

Someone didn’t want to get her feet wet.

Equipment was working on that washout.

Looking upstream

Moments of sunshine, appreciating the early wildflowers and green.

Did I not notice those cones on our way toward the washout? I did notice the puddles. . .

If I lived by the river, I would waste an enormous amount of time just staring at it.

Looking downstream off the Dinely bridge one more time.

Yesterday we had thunderstorms around 5 p.m.

Town is still mostly closed, no church today, but people are allowed to leave town and return now.

Fearsome, Ferocious, Frenetic Water Report

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Thursday night brought 4-1/2″ of rain.

My neighbor asked if I wanted to go looky-looing on Friday morning. Her car is higher than mine, and I immediately replied YES.

She manages a vacation rental on the North Fork. This is the view from the backyard at the normally mild fork that often dries up in the summer.

This is the North Fork flowing over the top of the Airport Bridge (there used to be an airport nearby). The whitewater is where the water hits the railing that the county used to remove when floods were predicted. Now they prefer to leave the railings up, which causes the water to flow around and wash out the approaches. This happened in January. Here we go again.

This is by my studio and workshop.

Later in the afternoon I went walking with another neighbor to survey the ongoing excitement and damages. This usually dry drainage was roaring over the road by her house, so we went another direction.

Same drainage, farther down, closer to the river.

Looking upstream from the Dinely Bridge.

Looking downstream on the Dinely Bridge.

No, really, LOOK AT THIS!!

Pretty little drainage coming off Edison Road.

In a friend’s yard, where the water is usually a bit of a distance away. Not so today.

This is a spot where lots of people trespass at the river on this little beach. We could hear boulders banging around beneath the current.

Another little drainage along Kaweah River Drive. This is where overflow from the flume occasionally flows.

A yard where the flume flows is very exciting right now.

Well, oops. This is where we turned around. There was a roaring stream across the road. I tested it with a stick, and it was about a foot and a half deep.

Looking upstream at this drainage, wondering where it came from. A man who lived above was out walking and explained that someone built a pond incorrectly, the dam on it broke, and the result is that many people are trapped on the other side.

Walking back, you can see that the water is very close to the road. In the early 2000s, I saw it closer. I was scared then, and I shouted at my neighbor who was driving, “GO FORWARD, GO BACK, OR LET ME OUT, BUT DON’T JUST STOP HERE!”

What’s this??

Mandatory evacuations.

This is the view upcanyon from the Remorial Building. I said “Remorial” because another neighbor thought that was the correct pronunciation when she was a child. She is getting married in 21 days, but we still pronounce it that way.

A sheriff was going through the neighborhood around 7 p.m. last night to tell us about evacuation orders. But Trail Guy met him at the bottom of the driveway and said no, we aren’t going anywhere. The sheriff gathered our name, phone numbers, address, and went on his way. Our house was built before the ’55 flood, so we feel fine.

Three Rivers

Ten Things Learned in February

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February is my favorite month, especially when it has rained and snowed around here. Orchards begin blooming, yard flowers and wildflowers are out (I saw some poppies across Lake Kaweah on February 21), the air is clean, and the weather is exciting. So few days, so much to learn.

The Dream is a podcast with a series about multi-level marketing companies, and another about the wellness industry. The main lessons are A. Multi-level marketing is a useless exercise in trying to earn a living; B. There are 13 vitamins—A, C, D, E, K, and 8 different B; C. Supplements are not vitamins and are not regulated by the FDA.
Remember when I told you what those scribbly squares are called? They are QR codes, and now I am participating in them. An upcoming show in Exeter’s Courthouse Gallery (now called CACHE) will have recordings with the art so that you can hear artists tell you about each piece if you scan the code with your smartphone (and I think you are supposed to bring ear dealies).
Ever heard of a “sweetheart table“? This is a fad with brides and grooms: they sit at their own table at the head of the wedding reception. You ask, “Who cares?” So glad you asked. Trail Guy and I care enough about a couple getting married in April to build their sweetheart table for them. This involves more learning than you care to read about today.
I learned what our average monthly propane use is. This is helpful information when one’s gauge doesn’t work, although I am pretty good at guessing by feeling the tank. (The delivery man pooh-poohed that method until he saw that I was right.)
We tried a new coffee supplier: Community Coffee Company. It was part of my feeble attempt to stop using the giant A, to buy American, and to stay stocked up. They didn’t have a lot of choices, which made things easy. (There are many American coffee supply companies; no need to use the big A or drive down the hill.)
A friend (Hi CK!) told me her favorite tea is Rooibus. Excuse me? It is pronounced “ROY-buss”, it is herbal (no caffeine), and it is hard for me to find any discernible flavor, so I like the version with vanilla from Celestial Seasonings, which is described here: Rooibus (they don’t offer it any more!)
I bought a huge pair of overalls (made in China, sigh) and converted them to a jumper! (Phooey, bought them from the big A).
Eggs are “only” $3/dozen (fall down laughing) at Costco. My neighbor has kindly brought some to me for that bargain price.
Gas was “only” $4.13/gallon at a Sinclair station in Tulare. I don’t make it a habit of driving 45 miles to save money on gas, but I certainly don’t pass up a good price when it appears.
Occasionally tightening the screws on a roof of heavy gauge metal is a good plan if you like to keep your roof intact and attached. Three of our neighbors plus our church lost pieces of roofing in February storms.

Pippin isn’t too interested in learning anything other than how to sneak into the house, shove me out of this chair, and spend as much time as possible near the woodstove.

February 2023 in Three Rivers (before the snow)

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The first daffodil opened in my yard on February 17.

A neighbor’s flowering quince bloomed sooner than ours.

Yes, I know you have seen this many times.

There are some new steps at the gate to the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) area above our house.

This is the top of Case Mountain. When people talk about the BLM land, they call it Case Mt. but one would have to walk very far and do a tremendous amount of trespassing to reach actual Case Mt.

Fiddleneck are the first flowers of the season, often starting in January.

Redmaids ought to be called “magenta maids”.

That bank on the right will have some blueish purple flowers in another month. I can’t spell the name.

Hi, you little misnamed blooms.

We’ll conclude today’s tour with another fiddleneck.

Three Rivers Weather Report

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Several friends asked if we got snow last week. We hadn’t on Friday when I sent out a newsletter stating no snow.

Then, it snowed on Friday night and Saturday morning.

Not very much (we are at 1000′), but it stayed cold all day so the parts that weren’t dissolved by rain stayed around.

Pippin wasn’t interested in being an outdoor cat on Saturday.

On Sunday, snow was still visible on the foothills around our house.

Because it was a little bit sunny, we took a short walk. All the little drainages were flowing.

I was thinking about flowers and cold: flowers are kept in refrigerators at florist shops, so this can’t be too bad. These daffodils will probably bounce back.

The rosemary is certainly flourishing.

More snow and rain is coming.

Don’t you just love wet winters in California??

Three Rivers

A Little Work, A Little Walk, A Little More Work

While I am waiting to begin the murals at the giant church in Visalia, I have time to paint. However, I don’t have any deadlines, no upcoming shows, no commissions (there are a couple, but they are still in the conversation stage), and it has been BEE-YOO-TEE-FULL outside.

So, I work a little, walk a little, and work a little more.

When I am thinking about walking, it is a little bit hard to focus on detail. So, the detail on this 6×18″ oil painting of Tulare County’s best will have to wait.

Let’s make like a tree and leaf.

Nothing in particular to photograph, just the same beautiful scenes of February in my Three Rivers neighborhood.

The elephant on Alta Peak is very clear, with a shadow making an ear and a rocky place making an eye. His back leg is significantly larger than his front. And there is Moro Rock.

A neighbor’s narcissus are in bloom. Mine are too, but I don’t want you to get too bored with the repetition here.

Back to work, Central California Artist!

This is 10×20″. Sawtooth is the peak on the left, and Homer’s Nose is visible on the right.

I photographed this at an angle so you could see a bit of the reference photo minus the glare.

Nothing is finished after today’s disjointed painting attempts, but there was progress made, and February was enjoyed. Such a short month. Sigh.

oil painting oil paintings Three Rivers Tulare County art

Procrastination, Not Anticipation

Remember that song by Carly Simon “Anticipation”? I was singing that in my head the other day, but instead of “Anticipation is making me wait”, the words were “Procrastination is making me late”.The day was both cold and beautiful. I worked in the house where it was warm, wondering if anything was important enough to be in the workshop or studio where it was cold. If I was going to be cold, it was more appealing to go for a walk.

So, I did.