Church this week

This week on Wednesday and Thursday we ask for volunteers and with a little pressure got several men together borrowed a trailer from the neighbor, Jim Kenobbie, Larry brought his truck and O'Callahan and Glen came for muscle we met at chucks barn where we had stored several church pews. We sorted through them as being handled and stored they had taken a beating. They are very nice oak wood and most of the 12 feet long which is a problem because our room is only about 15 feet wide, but we persevere and moved some things around and we now have 6 long ones and two short ones about five foot plus three large chairs I call them thrones. Our previous pastor had found them on craigslist and in a moment of weakness bought the  whole Maryann. We are blest as we had church in the beer garden all summer and just when we thought we were done for the Lord closed the bar and the music competition and the permission was given to us by the owner Jim Wright to "Do what ever you want" unit the litigation is over. We have been doing what we want and brought in some more pews and the chairs i mentioned and have covered up all of the beer signs and taken down the smutty pictutres hung some beautiful quilts that my daughter had quilted for us and made arrangements for some wood for the wood stove and some propane for the propane heaters The pews were damaged in the moving so Terry,Bob and I repaired them added some legs in the center of the ones that needed center legs. Joyce was there along with our neighbor lady Debbie Kenobbie they cleaned all day Wednesday throwing out spoiled food and catsup and stiff from the closed restaurant. Vacuuming and sweeping and frebreezing the place. Then today we went for some finishing touches Terry and Bob and I fashioned a door between the "Church" area and the kitchen to keep the heat in and Joyce cleaned and hung quilts. It looks very nice. It is going to snow when we have church on Sunday and we think we are ready and the Lord is with us.
 that's it for today Jack

Penobscot Ranch Living History part one

PRESS RELEASE HOMESTEAD FAIRE DEC 3 - 4 10 - 11 NOV. 11, 1988

Sitting in the living room of headquarters house of Penobscot Ranch give one a feeling of having stepped back into a less hurried past. Sharing a conversation with Penobscot's equally gracious owner,Joyce Gates adds color to the history of this delightful place, which will open it's doors and spacious grounds to the public on the weekends of December 2 &4 and December 10 & 11 for the homestead Christmas Faire.
    Started in 1984 the Christmas Faire was designed to be an open house for Georgetown Divide residents. From humble beginnings, it has grown to become a "must see" event for literally thousands of people. "Two years ago we shared the ranch with over two thousand people, most of them from out of the area," said Joyce. "Last year, even though we were plagued by torrential rains, we deluged by Northern California people who wanted to share the Christmas spirit at the ranch. From the interest and inquiries we've had so far, we anticipate out largest crowd ever this year.
   The house and barns will be filled with crafts, gifts, displays, and demonstrations. The homestead Christmas Faire is a unique opportunity to share an authentic time in an old homestead and step into the past. With pony and buggy rides and barnyard full of animals to be petted, the faire is a special delight for the young ones. The aromas of the freshly baked treats will lure young and old to Grandmas kitchen. There will also be ongoing demonstrations of spinning and weaving, clothes making and canning. The blacksmith shop will glow from the hearth fire and ring from the hammer. All this and much more, including music and entertainment, bringing joy to the entire family.

CHURCH BLACK BOOTH

Today early this morning, well about 9 after feeding the horses and old Wilbur the pot bellied pig, we Bob Hardesty, Terry and myself went to the Roadhouse church, it is in a bar you know, but the bar is closed right now so we are a church and that's it. Anyway the musicians have departed along with their black plastic coverings of the walls and windows and we have the use of the building temporarily to do what we want is what Jim Wright the owner told us. So this morning we went to dismantle the sound control booth the musicians had built. It was built  like a bridge with three 2X4's in the corners and 20 penny nails it took three of us four hours to dismantle pull the nails and clean up the mess. We were very satisfied with a job well done. Bob is nearly as old as I am but he worked straight through along with Terry. I had to stop half way through and take a break and then found an easier job, I stacked the boards out back and fed the stray cat that sleeps under the building. She is strange when she sees you she hisses and runs but then comes back never very close but checking out the food bowl for food. I am sure she is hungry but the re is a trailer court next door and she could swipe some food from those pet cats that live over there. Any way I came home and am resting , Joyce is working away she never stops. Varnishing the posts that hold up our wrap around deck.

Free Spirits

In our local vicinity we have many free spirits. These are people who are themselves , honest , and not worried about what people say or think. The person who comes to my mind is Nora. Today as we were traveling down towards Sacramento, there were signs of Nora around Greenwood. Some are signs proclaiming Veterans day and Thanksgiving, signs that have been hand painted and posted on the telephone poles and highway sign poles. Nora always wears a hat and when ask why? Her answer is "I always wear a hat" it is as simple as that. Nora never misses a holiday, putting up signs to cheer the inhabitants and all who drive by the Greenwood area. A pleasant person and I have been told she is a professional nurse. A free spirit who we all should love.

On the road

I had to run down to the garbage pickup place this morning to deliver our garbage cans, on the way back I noticed Susan stopping by the roadside and cleaning up some trash someone had thrown out. It seems that some of us throw out trash and then there are others of us that pick others trash. Susan who has lived out here in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Foothills a long time and off the power grid, you see her house does not have electricity. We are a remote community that is located  on a National Forest Road that is not maintained by any public entity. One of our neighbors John is a very generous man as well. John owns a road grader but John is what we call a "weekender" and is not here during the heavy snow fall. John is another community minded person, he leaves his road grader with Jim and when Jim comes home from work if there is heavy snow he fires up John's road grader and plows the road for the rest of us. Jim also is a very generous soul. These people are servers, community minded or soft hearted, but caring for their neighbors. We have all kinds that live in our area, but I am impressed by the community spirit and helpful attitude of these people who care.   JACK