A Great Day in Washington State

Yesterday I was up early to meet with fellow "Fish First" members at Dave Brown's Fish Rescue Project. I met Dave Brown 4 years earlier when I noticed small Salmon and Steelhead fry trapped in a high water pool after the river receeded on our property. There were hundreds of them and unless they were rescued they would be doomed when the pond dried up in the spring. I had just completed my Watershed Stewards class and had a list of contacts which led me to Dave. He showed up with hip boots and nets with the energy of a hamster on a wheel. He talked a mile a minute about fish,fishing and the politics of fisheries. Not knowing at the time
whether this guy was legitimate I insisted on releasing the fish in the main stream just a few yards from the temporary pond. Hopefully some of them survived to make their way to the sea and back again as full grown adults to spawn. Now I believe that Dave Brown's project gives these tiny fish a better chance of making it in greater numbers.


The fish are kept in man made ponds near a spring fed tributary through the dry summer months and are fed and eventually released back to the river system they were obtained.



I was there to photograph and video tape the procedure of transporting the fish to the place of release where a family with children were to be involved.




The purpose of the filming is part of a campaign to market Fish First in order to gain more members and support. The film will be edited and eventually be released to the general public. On the same day my wife and I had to be at our precincts Caucus site so that we could vote for Barack Obama. Neither of us had been involved in the caucus process previously so it was a new adventure.
Although I have never been an active political type other than wearing buttons for my favorite candidate this year is unusual for many reasons. This year the people in our great country have an opportunity for positive change. We feel that Barack Obama is a person who can lead America toward a better future. So I volunteered to be a delegate at our local precinct caucus yesterday. I did it because I'm tired of the direction that our country has been going and I'm tired of the lies and corruption that goes on in Washington. Barack Obama has the potential of being one of our greatest leaders in history. He already inspires the young and the old and he can pull both sides of the table together to move forward in a positive direction. I doubt that Hillary Clinton would be as sucessful due to the fact that she carries more "baggage" and would tend to polarize members of Congress. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. So now I look forward to the next round as a Delegate to the county convention in April. Perhaps I could make it all the way to Denver and what an adventure that would be. I doubt that many folks read my blogs but if you do I ask you to consider Barack Obama as a person who can give all of us hope and a greater respect worldwide. Yesterday Obama(pardon the expression)blew Clinton away. We can do it "Yes, we can".

Just being there is enough.

Today we woke up to a winter wonderland with the trees covered in pure sparkling white snow and about an inch layer on the ground. By noon the temperatures rose to 36 degrees and the snow was mostly gone. By 3 pm it was completely melted. Since it is a rare occurrence below 500 ft. elevation it is usually not unwelcome.
I donned my waders and took my fly rod out to the river. With a "Purple egg sucking leach" fly tied to my 6 foot long leader I felt optimistic and hopeful that a Steelhead would give me a go at it. The river is low and clear and the sky overcast and gray. These days I wade more carefully than in my younger years knowing that one false step could result in a very cold and rude awakening. It's happened more that once in the last couple of years so I must look like a person trying to avoid a mine as I tread slowly to a point in the river that allows my back cast enough room to avoid snagging my line on a Willow. On this day I wade to a depth reaching the top of my thighs and brace myself against the current. I cast straight across the river to a slot that is about 4 feet deep and let my fly drift naturally with the current.
On each cast I try to cover as much of the river possible by moving slowly a step at a time down stream. Like many days there was not much action but the cold air and the sound of the river beating against my legs keep my senses clear and focused.
I rejoice at the sight of one of my favorite birds which appears suddenly on a rock close by. It's dark, plump gray body with tail raised high, while bobbing to the river's music up and down all around the rock it goes. Diving swiftly headlong into the river's current,disappearing for seconds then reappearing again. The Water Ouzel or "Dipper" is the only passerine in North America that is aquatic. It either swims or walks along the bottom in search of aquatic insects. It is non migratory and is found year around on swift moving streams in Western States from Alaska to parts of Mexico. Today the Ouzel entertained me for a few precious minutes before flying low over the waters surface to a rock downstream. Then my eyes were averted to four Common Merganser's flying higher above me along the rivers winding course.
Another cast brought my focus on a tiny Winter Wren easily recognized by it's small dark body and extremely small tail pointing upwards. It hopped and bobbed amongst the tangled willow branches along the river's edge behind me. It's quavering voice unheard and muffled by the river's roar. Few people would enjoy standing in the middle of a cold river while patiently casting for a Steelhead that would not appear on this day. But for me the experience of just being there at that moment was enough knowing well that one day not too far in the future I may not have the capability to experiece the pleasure of such things.

Tornado

Yesterday about noon the sky darkened as if time had moved forward to evening. Then a loud boom and my cats scattered for cover. One of the loudest sounding thunder in my experience even compared to the big ones we had in North Central Pennsylvania.
Suddenly it hailed moth ball sized ice stones that sounded like a train on my Cedar shake roof. When the hail stopped in less than a couple of minutes the rain came down in sheets for another few minutes. I gazed out the window and was suprised not to see trees swaying and limbs coming down. We were fortunate because a Tornado had touched down a few miles south west of our home and spared us on this unusual occassion. The last Tornado to touch down in this part of the country was back in 1972 and six people were killed. The Tornado that touched down yesterday in Vancouver did some severe damage to property but fortunately did not kill anyone.
It's a miracle that no one was killed considering the fact that hurricane force winds hit a highly populated area. Wikipedia states that "a tornado is a violently rotating column of air which is in contact with both a cumulonimbus cloud or,in rare cases, a cumulus cloud base and the surface of the earth." "Tornadoes are typically in the form of a visible condensation funnel, whose narrow end touches the earth and is often encircled by a cloud of debris". Home videos sent to local TV stations clearly showed large objects floating in circles when the tornado was blowing through the area. It tore off roofs and uprooted large trees and knocked large trucks on their sides. Tops of utility poles were snapped off and a brick wall was blown down. This is a rare event in the Pacific Northwest and I hope that it remains that way. I wonder if climate change has anything to do with it?
Ironically I had planned to drive over to the area that was hit to exchange a gift that my wife gave me.. I would have been there about the time the tornado hit but changed my mind for some reason. Sometimes fate can change our lives or perhaps I'm just lucky.

Thinking about my Mom

I talk to my Mom almost every day now since she lives over 700 miles away. She gets calls from other family members and her neighbor calls her every morning to check on her also. I'm certain that every phone call cheers her up and helps brighten her day which is spent in her small home with her dog usually watching TV.
My mom (Rose Lark Schulz) is the youngest and last remaining survivor of Newton and Irene Lark's family. She was born in Sonoma County, California in 1917 and raised from a small child by her father with the assistance of a Nanny. Her father known by my generation as "Papa" Lark was a Pharmacist and became owner of the Lark's Drugstore in Guerneville, Ca in 1910. Rose and her sister Marion and two brothers, Warne and Don grew up in Guerneville when the Railroad was the main transportation to this resort town from the Bay Area. In the summers the town was choked with summer vacationers who filled the local beaches and swam in the warm waters of the Russian River. My mother married my Dad at the early age of 17 and I was born the following year. After I was born she was told by her doctor that she would be unable to give birth again. She loved children and fortunately had many nieces and nephews(my beloved cousins)who were her surrogate children in a sense.
Auntie Rose has been a very loving, warm,affectionate and giving person in their lives as well as mine throughout the years. I owe my ability to be a loving, giving person as well as my love of music, dancing, good food and cooking to my mother.
She was "Rosie the Riviter" during WWII working in the Richmond shipyards,helping to build ships that would carry supplies to our military personel overseas. My Dad was her crew boss and as the story goes he had to fire her eventually. It was not that she wasn't a good worker but because the other men on his crew were having trouble concentrating on their jobs. In other words, my mother was distracting them because she was attractive. In fact when I was old enough to realize it I became protective of her when men whistled. She thought it was funny when I told them that she was my mother. After the war we moved to Cazadero because my Dad accepted a job working for my Uncle Warne Lark who had invested in a small Lumber Mill. Not many women would have or could have endured the lifestyle of living in a tent for months and cooking outdoors with no running water or shower facilities. However,my Mom was a trooper and she did it with a flair, cooking gourmet meals with food gathered by my Dad from the wild. We ate well and lots of Venison, Salmon, Steelhead, Trout, Abalone and Wild Mushrooms that year. In the winter of that same year we moved to a small 3 room house(shack)on the Bohan Ranch up the hill. We lived without electricity and had only a Outhouse for a toilet. For bathing we heated water on a woodstove and poured it into a tub large enough for one person. It was during that year I read Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn by candle light and dreamed of the day I would become a Boy Scout.
The following year we moved to Guerneville where My Dad and Mom built a small home on the Russian River. Today I have wonderful memories living on the river,fishing,Scouting,Baseball,and swimming in the river. Summers spent with Herb Genelly a life long friend, and his family who owned and operated Genelly's vacation beach resort. Herbs father Herb and mother Edna had weekly BBQ's of steak and delicious Tamalie pie and a Horse shoe pit where many a game was played by Herb and I. Life in Guerneville was interupted by my parents divorce and I moved to San Francisco reluctantly in 1952 with my Mom. I finished my last two years of School at George Washington High school. At the time of the relocation I was not happy having to leave behind my friends and it caused some bitterness and tears. In retrospect the experience was key in the growth of my character as I was exposed to a greater diversity of ethnic and religious backgrounds among my peers. In the summers I worked for my Uncle Warne in Lark's Drugstore in Guerneville and the memories of those 5 years will linger forever in my mind.
In the 60's my Mom took over my job as Manager of the Golden Gate Riding Academy after I left because of a divorce with my first wife. It was there that she became a "legend" among her friends at the stables for her outgoing, friendly as well as "take no guff" personality and delicious cooking. Her Parties for the stable crew and mounted Policeman were truly memorable to say the least. Her experience at the stables taught her how to delegate responsibilities and she has used that talent to her advantage over the years with those of us who are willing to help her when asked (or coerced) with food. My cousin Ray Lark can attest to that as he has helped her more than anyone including her own son on projects ranging from plumbing, gardening,Washing machine repair, painting, and home maintenance, etc.
My mother had a short but enjoyable happy life in her "senior" years with Jim Britt
former professional boxer and Bar owner. They traveled in their RV to Thousand Trails resorts often accompainied by her sister Marion and Ed LaFranchi. When "Jimmy" could no longer care for himself my mom became a fulltime dedicated caregiver for nearly 10 years.


Mom started a tradition in the family years earlier for her Thanksgiving gatherings at her home on the river. A place where each of us felt special and welcome and a place where we knew we would be loved,hugged and well fed with her Turkey dinner and special Pumpkin Chiffon pie and cakes that are "to die for". We have seen her at her best and at her very 'BEST' with her "hackles" up and have learned that she minces no words nor hides no emotion and you can "forget about it" when it comes to political correctness. If anyone got out of line at Rosies they were put in their place with the diplomacy and swiftness of an Army drill sargent. Anyone who knows her will tell you that she speaks her mind and you definitely know where she's coming from.
I'll never forget calling my mom to tell her that I wanted her to meet my "new" love.
Her initial response was "Oh no not again, after what you have been through with women?" I finally convinced her that Kimberley was the one girl in my life who is a real friend and this would be forever. Before the call ended I mentioned that Kimberley was kind of self conscious about the size of her feet. I asked my mom not to say anything or stare at her feet. She responded "Oh I wouldn't do that".
The day we arrived at my Mom's house and walked into her living room the first thing my Mom did was look closely at Kimberley's feet and say "You're feet aren't so big honey"! That is the definition of embarrased. A true character she is and always will be. She has weathered and survived many health problems along the trail of life and still going at the age of 90. Her wealth cannot be measured in her bank account or by material things. It is measured in her toughness of character, spirit for life,loving personality and a beauty that comes from within.

Looking back at the beginning of a career

By the time I got out of the Army my first wife and I had one child with another on the way. We moved from Monterey were I was stationed to San Francisco so I could attend S.F.State University and major in Biology. I got a job working in Walgreens Drugstore on Powell st. in downtown S.F.. After a year I was offered a job as Manager of the Golden Gate Riding Academy in Golden Gate park. It was a job that required dealing with many different personalities of people who rented a stall for their horse at the stables. I also had the opportunity to teach children and adults Western Equitation.
Although I had riden horses as a young man and was confident, I had never taught people how to ride previously. So I went to the library and studied books about Equitation and within a week became an "Expert". Not really but I think the majority of the folks that I taught didn't know the difference. After two years I left the Riding Academy and got my first job in the Biology department working in the stockroom handing out equipment as well as other duties. Since it was only a part time job I found other "moonlighting" jobs as well including working for a Caterer as a Bartender and in the U.C.Medical School Vivarium cleaning Rat cages. Some of my other moonlighting jobs included working for a Commericial photographer processing film in the darkroom; Worked the midnight shift at a large Bank as a Guard; For a brief time I was a Caretaker for Robert Bowman's captive Galoapagos Finches and on one occasion I was hired as a security person for a Rock Concert which was held at the Palace of Fine Arts in S.F. It was during these times that I met new friends who were also majoring in Biology. After graduating with a degree in Biology I took advanced studies. During this phase of my education I remember well getting a call one day from Dr. Hensil who was chairman of the department. He asked me if I would be interested in teaching for Joe Hall as Lab. instructor for a class in Natural History of Vertebrates. Frankly, I was blown away and scared at the same time. After all I had dropped out of a speech class one year because my first assignment was to give a speech. Go figure. In looking back I had always had a fear of getting up in front of people, but then I reminded myself that I did alright teaching Equitation because I had prepared myself. I had taken the class that I would be teaching and earned an A. I knew the subject so I said "yes of course I would be honored to be an Instructor in Biology Dr. Hensil". The experience definitely helped build my confidence and strengthen my knowledge of the subject. I taught another class the following year in Medical Entomology for Joel Gustafson. It was that class that led to my first real job as a Biologist working in the Parisitology section of the George Williams Hooper Foundation with Dr. Frank Radovsky.
It was interesting work which included field collections of parasites and their hosts as well as laboratory preparation of the specimens for identification under a microscope. I learned much about Mites, Ticks, Fleas and parasitic flys.
The job included two field excursions to Baja, Mexico collecting rodents and in search of the Tungid flea, (Tunga monositis). Eventually this job ran out of grant money and I was again looking for a job. A person named Joe Spinelli who I met while at the Riding Academy and later became the head of the UC Medical School Vivarium told me of a job opening.
While Joe was a Veterinary student at Davis he lived in the same neighborhood as Dr. Murray Fowler. He had received a notice that Fowler was looking for someone with my background to assist him in developing a new program in Zoological Medicine in the school's curriculum. I recall meeting with Dr.Fowler and immediately felt comfortable talking to him about the job and what he expected. He called me a couple days later in S.F. and offered me the job. I don't know for sure but I think the fact that I had Eagle Scout on my resume helped me get the job. Dr. Fowler was a Scoutmaster and very involved in the Scouting program in his church. I know that I was very fortunate and blessed with a career doing something I loved. More on that later.

River Reflections/Memories of the Past

Most days now I think more about the past than of the future. It's amazing to me that a person can store so many memories in their brain for such a long time. I remember well the year that my Dad worked for my Uncle Warne Lark in a small lumber mill north of Cazadero. We lived in a tent that summer by a small creek. I was 10 years old and was given a 22 rifle for Christmas. My Dad was a hunter and taught me well and I became very accurate with practice. I roamed the hills with my dog at my side and stalked my prey. I was very curious about birds and had been given my first Peterson Field guide. I wanted to see them up close so I shot many different birds and remember the excitement when I held them in my hand for close inspection. It was I now believe the catalyst for what later became my passion in life and led to a career as a Biologist. I now cringe at the fact that my first job was a "Bounty hunter" at age 10.
"Mamma June" my uncle Ed LaFranchi's mother lived on a Ranch a couple miles up the road from the lumber Mill at a place called Creighton Ridge. One day I hiked up there with my 22 rifle in hand to visit. She was a wonderfully warm and friendly lady always happy to have visitors. Mamma June hired me that day to kill the Stellar's Jays that were destroying her Figs. I don't recall exactly how many I shot but for a nickel per bird I remember that my pockets were full at the end of the day. It was a day I will always remember.
These days I greatly admire the vociferous and pugnacious Stellar's Jays that visit our home showing off their striking black "shaggy" crest and brilliant blue and black feathers. One of natures many marvels.

Christmas on the River

This time of year the moss laden trunks and branches of the Big leaf Maples,Black Cotton Woods,Oregon Ash and Alder appear as brilliant green roots on plants standing upside down, reaching for nourishment in the cool damp air. Their leaves long gone decomposing in the soil below exposing the branches. In the past Christmas was about getting together with family, lights glistening on homes and Christmas trees laden with gifts. Hot mulled wine brewing on the stove, the scent of cinnamon and clove filling the air. The children had trouble sleeping with visions of Santa Claus arriving late at night.
These days my wife and I have Christmas alone but together, our families too far away. It's much quieter and peaceful and I can even hear the words of Bing Crosby singing White Christmas. It is time now to write Christmas cards to family and friends to let them know they are in our minds and hearts.
There was a time when shopping was fun albeit obligatory. These days I shop on the Internet to avoid the crowds of people who swarm the malls all seemingly in a trance as they trod from store to store in search of that "perfect" gift.
I am always amused by the fact that stores start putting out Christmas displays before Thanksgiving these days. It's all about the buck unfortunately and the reason for the season has been mostly lost over the years.
Each year my wife and I help the disadvantaged and homeless in a small way by working as volunteers with the Salvation Army or by collecting food for a food bank. It always feels good to help others and we appreciate more how fortunate we are. The Secret as Oprah pointed out "isn't what we need or must have, rather it's what we have to give". After all Christmas is about giving, it's about love. Merry Christmas to all and a hope for Peace one day throughout the world.