Tag Archives: California

Almost there, better late than never

Six years ago on this blog I announced my intention to move to Nevada. To Minden, actually. Well, six years later we finally made it. Almost.

Yesterday we signed the lease for our new apartment in Reno Nevada.

My wife, Miriam, accepted a job offer at the Peppermill Resort in Reno. She starts on the 16th.

For now I’m going to keep my job in Pittsburg CA. Luckily I work a 4×10 schedule. So I’ll be crashing at my dad’s house three nights a week.

It’s not quite Minden, but at least we’re out of the Peoples Republik of Kalifornia.

I miss Trinity

I started hunting about 10 years ago.

My first trip, and all trips afterwards, were to uncle Stanley’s cabin near Trinity (Clair Engles) Lake.

That property is a special place to me. It’s full of great memories. I have looked forward to going there every year since my first.

But then last year we didn’t make our annual October week-long trip. Nor did we go this year. That left me feeling a little out of balance.

Last year we went camping up by Mt Lassen, my old stomping grounds. We camped near Mineral and hunted the local area. And me, knowing the area very well, spent the good-weather days fly fishing my favorite streams. It was a good trip, although very cold at night, but I missed Trinity.

This year we went to Nevada. Six of us went, and we came back with 3 nice bucks. That kind of success is all too rare in California.

Jimmy’s parents in Rye Patch were extrememly generous. Our accomodations were very comfortable. I am very thankful for the opportunity.

Nevada hunting is much different from California hunting. In California, we hunt in heavily forested areas, and our shots at deer are very rarely more than 100 yards. In Nevada, there are no trees, and we can see deer a mile (literally) away. Our shots at deer were at the limits of our abilities. The high desert was a once in a lifetime hunt.

I enjoyed my trip to Nevada, but I REALLy missed Trinity.

Two years in a row without a trip to Trinity? I never want to do that again.

Metallica vs. Led Zeppelin

I was driving to work this morning, listening to 98.5 FM radio. In the Central Valley, where I live, that station plays mostly metal. This morning they were playing some Metallica.

As I got near the top of the Altamont Pass the Bay Area’s 98.5 FM radio station started to interfere with the signal. They play mostly classic rock. This morning they were playing Led Zeppelin.

So there I was, driving up and over the Altamont Pass, with Metallica and Led Zeppelin fighting each other. The signal cutting back and forth. Each band trading riffs. I like both bands so I didn’t mind.

I thought about my own life, and about the old and the older, about the two different areas of California, how these two are constantly fighting each other, pushing and pulling each other in different directions.

Much like my own life. Constantly being pushed and pulled in different directions.