Seeking Sun in the Sierra
We haven’t seen the sun for about a month here in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley of California.
Seems all that rain we had back in November turned into fog that’s been hovering over the entire central part of our state. And not just hovering — blanketing the area, blotting out the sun all day and letting temperatures rise only into the low-40’s.
Yep. It’s been gloomy.
So you can imagine my delight this past Monday when I drove out of the fog and up into the mountains of eastern Madera County. I was heading to one of my favorite spots — North Fork.
North Fork is at the 2,600 foot level — well above the fog that’s smothering the Valley.
Along the way — as I drove along Highway 41 toward the foothills — I tuned into the sounds of the season — one of the many SiriusXM channels that plays holiday music.
Yes, I immersed myself in Christmas tunes by Sinatra, Bing, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Perry Como and Steve & Eydie. You get the picture, and you can hear them singing in your head right now, can’t you?
Their festive renditions made my drive through the gloom much more palatable.
And then — as if by magic — once I was up in the hills at the 1,500 foot level — the fog cleared, and there it was!
Sun. Grand and glorious sun. It had been a long, long time, indeed.
And not only was Old Sol shining oh-so-brightly — he was heating things up, as well. When I left Fresno, it was 41 degrees.
Once I hit the 1,500 foot level — it was 61 degrees.
So there I was — driving into and through the town of North Fork, on my way to the Christmastime meeting of the North Fork History Group.
And it was a festive and informative gathering, indeed.
We had all brought holiday goodies to munch on. You know — cookies. Sweet bread. Chocolate makings of all kinds.
And did I mention cookies?
And while we sat and nibbled, each of us shared stories of historical finds or photos or information we had discovered over the past year.
The most important announcement came from Connie Popelish and Michael Olwyler. They have spearheaded the gigantic effort that will result in the creation of a history park at the old North Fork lumber mill site (left)
Because of Connie and Michael — who applied for a grant — the Forest Service agreed to draw up plans for the park. Two designs have been created, and a final design may arrive by early next year.
Then comes fund-raising and grant-seeking for the cost of building the park.
Connie and Michael are indefatigable. We have no doubt that a fine historical site will be built on land once occupied by the lumber mill that provided, over the decades, hundreds of jobs in the area and millions of board feet of lumber.
It all ended because of environmental and economic challenges that forced its shutdown in the 1990’s.
That was a crushing blow to North Fork, and it has struggled to recover ever since. The history park won’t bring those jobs back, but it will serve as a reminder of North Fork’s grand and glorious legacy as a “lumber mill town.”
Another “presenter” at Monday’s meeting was Joe Ellis — whose mom Kathy is History Group president. He showed some photos of old-time North Fork that he had recently discovered.
In recent months, Joe has taken an increasing role in historical research in the North Fork area, and he has plans for several books that would have the potential to put the area “on the map.”
You go, Joe. We’re all encouraging you.
Others showed us individual photos and even a piece of bark with etchings that might or might not be significant.
As for me, I passed around a photo of Mom and Dad in front of the North Fork store (right) where they worked after they had gotten married in Fresno in 1934.
They were oh-so-young — their whole lives in front of them.
I wish I’d been smart enough when I was growing up to ask them why they had come to North Fork and why they left.
But you’ve been a kid. And you likely didn’t care about what your parents had done or why they’d done it, either.
And now, of course, it’s way too late to ask them.
Our meeting lasted about 90 minutes, and most of that time was delightful.
Afterward, Connie and Michael and I went to lunch at the historic Buckhorn in downtown North Fork. This is a place that has plenty of, yes, history in the community.
It’s built like a log cabin, with an interior that has a big bar and a giant fireplace.
And it features very fine burgers.
We sat in front of that fireplace, which happens to be “real” and which had actual logs burning.
Cozy, indeed. Good atmosphere, good food and good conversation.
Then it was time for me to head back into the gloom of the Valley.
Halfway down Walker Grade, I could see the giant fog bank that continues to bedevil us (left).
The weather gurus think storms may head our way soon. If they do, they will blow out the fog, at least temporarily.
That would help us all feel better.
As I entered the Valley of Fog again, I kept listening to one of those Sirius holiday music channels.
Trust me. Sinatra and Bing and Martin and Davis and Como and Steve & Eydie can make anyone’s day sunnier — no matter what the weather.