Its Halloween Time In Corning

This house in Corning is ready for Trick or Treader's this Halloween. I wonder just how many kids these signs will scare. As for me, I did feel the presents of ghosts when I drove by. (Just click on the picture for a larger view).

A Trip to Paynes Creek

Yesterday I ran across this sign as I turned off Highway 36 W into the small community of Paynes Creek. You can tell its deer hunting season just by the sign. My delivery would be another three miles in on Plum Creek Road to the ISHI Conservation Camp. It was a beautiful day and I will stop along the way to gather a few more lava rocks for my yard. (Just click on the picture for a larger view).

The Walking Man Continues His Mission

This time the Walking Man is miles from downtown Red Bluff as he continues his mission along Highway 99 E heading East towards Los Molinos. I would like to know just how far he intends to walk before heading back to Red Bluff but I don't have time to wait for an answer. I got important items to deliver. (Just click on the pictures for a larger view).

The Vina, California Stop

You are looking at the intersection of Rowles Road and Highway 99E. If you turn right you go about 3 miles to my Vina stop on Haillie Road which I make about 2 or three times a month. After this stop I go back to Red Bluff. It is open country in this area and good cattle grazing. (Just click on the picture for a larger view).

Lots of Walnuts

The walnuts you see here were knocked down by the recent wind and rain storm that came through the area. The ground is still too wet to harvest them now but soon they will be racked up in piles and hauled to walnut shelling companies. (Just click on the pictures for a larger view).

The Walnut Harvest

Walnuts are harvested much like almonds. The vehicle that goes down between the rows of trees has sweepers and blowers in front of each of the four tires. It also has a long vise-like grip that clamps onto the tree trunk and gives the tree a vigorous shake. Those little specks you see in the picture are the walnuts falling as the tree is been shaken. The sweepers and blowers at each tire clears away the fallen walnuts so as not to crush them as the vehicle moves from tree to tree. Then the walnuts are swept into piles and vacuumed up by another vehicle. A large conveyor is used to load the walnuts into open top trailers. The recent wind and rain storm we had sure left unharvested walnuts all over the ground. One farmer told me that if it continued to rain the walnuts could get moldy inside the shells and not fit to sell. But luckily different varieties of walnuts are harvested at different times. (Just click on the picture for a larger view).

It was a stormy day when I got this shot of wild turkeys. But the rain was a welcome site as its been too dry for too long. It must be mating season as they didn't want to move too much when I approached them. (Just click on the picture for a larger view).

The Almond Harvest

Its that time of the year in Tehama County when the almonds are harvested. First they shake the trees and all the fallen almonds are raked into a pile between the trees (see first picture). A large vacuum truck sucks up the almonds (dirt twigs and shells) and dispenses them onto a conveyor which loads the trucks (see second picture). They are then taken to the plants for processing. One farmer told me this year's crop wasn't as good a last year but he'll take. (Just click on the pictures for a larger view).

Truck Wreck on Highway 99 E

A couple days ago I was traveling east on highway 99 E and saw this truck overturned in the middle of the highway near the Vina turnoff. It must have just happened as no cars were backed up. I had to make a delivery in Vina, and since the highway patrol was already there, I turned around and took another route as I was behind in my deliveries. I hope no one was hurt. (Just click on the picture for a larger view).