Wintertime in Mineral

A couple days ago I made a delivery in Mineral, California and this is what it looked like at the delivery point. Good thing I borrowed my wife's 4-wheel drive Tahoe or I would have been in trouble. I owe her big time! (Just click on the pictures for a larger view).

A White Christmas For Platina

Today I made a delivery to the Wild Horse Ranch in Platina. As you can see by the pictures, Platina got some snow last night which is the first winter snow I've seen since Fall arrived. Please note the three deer at the Wild Horse Ranch general store. (Just click on the pictures for a larger view).

The Community of Vina

The sleepy little community of Vina lies just off Highway 99E south of Chico and west of Corning. Its main industry is walnuts and almonds with some fruit orchards. Rowles road is the main street through this little community and my deliveries have taken me down this road many times. The old Vina Tractor store looks like its been closed for years but no doubt was a thriving business at one time. Perhaps the highlight of Vina is the New Clairvaux Vineyard which is the first Cistercian winery in Northern America. Pictured is the main entrance to the vineyard and The Abbey of New Clairvaux. (For a larger view just click on the pictures).

Gas Prices Still Falling

The price of gasoline is still falling at least here in Corning. However, I noticed it has been at this price now for several days so perhaps it has bottomed out.

The Brotherhood of St. Herman of Alaska

Yesterday I made a delivery to the Brotherhood of St. Herman of Alaska in Platina. I hadn't delivered here since the wildfires last June so I asked Father Nicolas if the St. Herman of Alaska Monastery and St. Xenia Skete Monastery had received any fire damage. Father Nicolas was happy to give me their May-June, 2008 publication that told the whole story (see picture of the cover of that issue). I quote from the publication “By the Grace of our merciful God, this (fire) danger was averted and the monasteries were spared”. The monks had to evacuate and for six days could not return to the monasteries. Pictured is Fathers Nicolas and Paisius from the Brotherhood and happy to be back home again. You can visit the St. Herman Press at their website (http://www.sainthermanpress.com/ Just click on the pictures for a larger view).

Harvesting The Olives

The Olive season is over now but you can see by these two pictures how the olives are harvested. Unlike the nut crops (walnuts and almonds) which are harvested by machinery, olives are still hand-picked. Note the strange shape of the ladders used by the pickers. They are wide at the bottom and gradually get narrow towards the top. Olive trees are not allowed to grow taller than the ladders used to reach the olives so pruning is done each year after the harvest. The olive tree appears throughout history and has been found to live more than two thousand years. (Just click on the pictures for a larger view).

Gas Prices Still Falling

I don't usually shop at this station here in Red Bluff but since it had the lowest prices around and I was almost on empty I filled up my tank for $31.01. Its hard to believe that gas prices are still falling but I'm not complaining at all. (Just click on the picture for a larger view).

Overlooking "My" Cottonwood Ranch

A few evenings ago I got this shot of the Cottonwood Creek Ranch and some of its grazing cattle. Naturally since I pass this ranch twice a day I consider it mine. That's Mt Shasta in the background. (Just click on the picture for a larger view).