Found this sherd…again just off the peak. I was running clockwise around the mountain…wife was running counterclockwise. Met at a point then again on the peak.
I was taking a piss when I saw this pottery piece. Sitting right on the surface.
* in the 70’s today. Dry. I was charging the hill…blowing snot out my nose until it bled. I get bloody noses often running. It’s the desert dry. Plus particles in the winds. Constantly clearing my nostrils and blowing the salt/baking soda solution up there…and down my throat every so often. Summer suns are coming…it’s a different animal the higher up I go. Sometimes I can feel the sun’s hand pushing me down.
** I have go to the work pre season group hug tomorrow morning. Should be interesting with the latest budget cuts still fresh wounds. Hopefully the season kicks off and I can get paid to road-trip all summer. Anyway out to the airport in the morning. Takes me a 1/2 hr to get there.
Last edited:
Hell yeah! We’re juicing every day…lot of greens and fruit and ginger. Beyond that I’m hitting the heat.
that is rad man and maybe someone lived on or around that mountain way back in the day
if you can find treasure like that just sitting on top of the ground there is no telling what there might be in the brush or under a few inches of soil
so how was the meeting? hopefully in light of what happened here in california more states will take a more proactive tact on land management
when it comes to brush its not a matter of if, but when it gets cleaned up
fire is natures way of cleaning house
Last edited:
The preseason meeting is the only time I get to see the other drivers for the entire season. Only 10 of us this season. Down from 13 last year. It’s actually a tough job for a lot of people. People come and go. It’s not a normal type driving job. There is no set schedule for when you work or where you are going or what you are driving or hauling. You have to just show up and be ready to move. The dispatchers at the Cache are so stressed out and tired by June…you have to be there for them…the team thing…there’s a lot going on.
^ That was my season last year. Slow. Two slow seasons in a row. They give everyone a Certificate of Appreciation like this. That’s the pat on the back…kudos for surviving the roads they send us over. I also got a pay increase…but it’s just an upgrade not a jump. A good to great season would be 15,000-20,000 miles driven. I answered the bell every time they called…that’s how you make money. Nothing more I could do…a slow season is painfully slow.
^ That’s how it looks now. In another month this parking area will be a huge circus type tent full of equipment…with Cache people going in all directions on fork lifts while tanker planes are refueling and loading up on retardant….and all those support people doing their jobs…keeping the planes in the air. There are warehouses of equipment everywhere. It’s a big system. Organized madness.
I’m not on social media but my wife showed me that meme the other day. It’s not accurate. Fire is funded. Nobody in Fire has lost their jobs on the Gila. It’s just like they never defunded law enforcement back when they were saying they were going to do that. Could change of course …but politically speaking it would blow back on the Trump administration if there is a busy Fire season nationwide…and not enough funded resources to battle them.
Fire is fire. It’s cyclic like the political climate. As a dude working for a government agency it’s the norm. Back in ‘21 people who refused to get vaccinated lost their jobs. Just like that. Now it’s a pretend revamping of agency budgets that are costing people their jobs. In both cases it’s political grandstanding. Nothing is saved. SOP
Last edited:
thats good to hear fire preventions is still a line item and will be funded
but i wonder how many rangers and other support staff might be losing their jobs in this new budget
remember a few years ago when they cut funding to the parks/rec/libraries, it was like they started at the bottom and just cut positions
/not the guys making 10X at the top
no trash removal and a lot of the basic services seemed to go neglected and it looked like a dump in a lot of areas
the politics is just a dog and pony show, but the parks are there for us all, rep or dem and are a national treasure
but leave it up to the bean counters to f'sht up for everyone
/this is why we cant have nice things
thats a nice piece of paper and i appreciate the effort you put in too man
i dont want to wish you more miles because that means lots of fires but there has to be projects they could have you guys working on when you have some down time that could be proactive land management plus keep guys working
i thnki it was churchill who said people get to sleep well because if the efforts of hard men to keep them safe
thanks brother
but i wonder how many rangers and other support staff might be losing their jobs in this new budget
remember a few years ago when they cut funding to the parks/rec/libraries, it was like they started at the bottom and just cut positions
/not the guys making 10X at the top
no trash removal and a lot of the basic services seemed to go neglected and it looked like a dump in a lot of areas
the politics is just a dog and pony show, but the parks are there for us all, rep or dem and are a national treasure
but leave it up to the bean counters to f'sht up for everyone
/this is why we cant have nice things
thats a nice piece of paper and i appreciate the effort you put in too man
i dont want to wish you more miles because that means lots of fires but there has to be projects they could have you guys working on when you have some down time that could be proactive land management plus keep guys working
i thnki it was churchill who said people get to sleep well because if the efforts of hard men to keep them safe
thanks brother
They are cutting lower GS jobs. Basically probationary jobs they can get around for a time without filling. It’s a farce. That’s not where excessive spending goes. Those employee salaries are nothing to anybody but the employees who draw on them.
Fire is a huge industry. You may not believe this from the outside but it is figured out. You can not do fuel reduction prescribed burns when the weather is not within prescription. It is a science. There are prescription rules.
As a burn boss you are financially and criminally liable if a prescribed burn gets away from you. People lose jobs over it. There is no more pay…that is to say a burn boss is not getting a bonus for being in charge. Nor is there any hazard pay in prescribed burns even though the only reason they are controlled is because of the people holding it. Hazard pay only for wildfire. As an employee what would be the motivation to be in charge if the government will hang you out to dry.
I was a burn boss trainee when I resigned the first time around. I did it because I like to do it. Pulling off burn shows is a rush. It’s an art. All good Wildland firefighters are controlled pyromaniacs. I have been since I was a youth. Controlled. Burning off thousands of acres and keeping it within prescription is rewarding and just a lot of fun.
Out here in Region 3 (AZ/NM) Fire use is a big tactic. When a fire starts they’ll let it do its thing. There are not many places that have subdivisions out here. They let fires go 200,000 acres (Black Fire on the Gila in ‘22)….you can’t do that in Southern California. It’s how it is.
* I totally want fires to burn this season. Every Fire person does. It’s the only way to make money in this business. Our fires are generally caused by pre monsoon dry lightening. Then the rains come. Cyclic. In my role….I want fires far away. The farther away the longer the drive. More money. I’m hourly. No hazard pay for me.
** Project work is always going on. Never not. It’s nonstop around the calendar. They have stacked piles that were cut last June at one of the trailheads I run out of. They can not burn them in these weather conditions. The year before they ran a mechanical masticator to open up the fuel break adjacent. Masticator was hired. Private contractor. Effective. How much did that cost? A lot. Is it cheaper than using saw teams. Probably. Big chunks of land. The Gila is 3.3 million acres. Not many towns within. No subdivisions.
It’s all good dude
I appreciate your words. There are a shit ton of maniacs on the roads I drive….a lot of hours just keeping my situational awareness where it has to be. I swear man…it’s crazy out there sometimes. Lot of two lane road driving.
Last edited:
Waiting on California friends to get into town (been here a couple times before) to visit for a couple days. Not housing them in our barrio house. We’re having them stay down on our friend’s ranch. Same ranch where I did my ‘22 grow. Same ranch that is not lived in by said friend or anybody else.
^ The back. My buddy bought this place then went crazy expanding it from an old adobe into this 1/2 done monstrosity. 20 acres and gated in. He hasn’t done any work on it in a couple years. Same as when I gardened here in ‘22.
^ old adobe wall. He should have just left it like it was. To each their own though.
^ Unfinished interior. 2.5 bath…2 bedroom. A lot of $$$$$$$$$$ sunk into it.
^ The wife in the 1/8 mile driveway. Most the vehicles here are projects or trades. My friend is in a way different tax bracket than myself. I enjoy his wealth though. I watch over his stuff while he’s gone. Like I said before probably…my friend chooses to live a block above us in the barrio. Never spent a night down here. You would not know it when you meet him but yeah….rich. In Tucson now learning to fly a plane. I haven’t been to his Tucson house yet….nothing extravagant but in a good spot. Tucson is a cool town. A lot of Silver City people winter over there. It’s a thing.
I meet a lot of cool people. I do.
^ The back. My buddy bought this place then went crazy expanding it from an old adobe into this 1/2 done monstrosity. 20 acres and gated in. He hasn’t done any work on it in a couple years. Same as when I gardened here in ‘22.
^ old adobe wall. He should have just left it like it was. To each their own though.
^ Unfinished interior. 2.5 bath…2 bedroom. A lot of $$$$$$$$$$ sunk into it.
^ The wife in the 1/8 mile driveway. Most the vehicles here are projects or trades. My friend is in a way different tax bracket than myself. I enjoy his wealth though. I watch over his stuff while he’s gone. Like I said before probably…my friend chooses to live a block above us in the barrio. Never spent a night down here. You would not know it when you meet him but yeah….rich. In Tucson now learning to fly a plane. I haven’t been to his Tucson house yet….nothing extravagant but in a good spot. Tucson is a cool town. A lot of Silver City people winter over there. It’s a thing.
I meet a lot of cool people. I do.
right on man! and seriously what is wrong with some of these people on the road now days
/why press peoples buttons
my bil worked on a fire crew when he was young and i had a friend who was a smoke jumper
/he got all the hot chicks btw!
i grew up in a place where fire was a natural part of the cycle of life and our house in goleta burned to the ground but you just start over
i hear they are looking into revamping the insurance industry, (which is a joke btw) and how people can insure their houses in fire prone areas
youve seen the fire maps and i live in a med rish area but depending on which way the wind blows that could change
i think that is bs hold a burn boss responsible if things get out of hand
if this is a habitual f'tard then he needs to go but anyone can make a mistake, but were you doing the best you could and acting based on your best judgement at the time
/why press peoples buttons
my bil worked on a fire crew when he was young and i had a friend who was a smoke jumper
/he got all the hot chicks btw!
i grew up in a place where fire was a natural part of the cycle of life and our house in goleta burned to the ground but you just start over
i hear they are looking into revamping the insurance industry, (which is a joke btw) and how people can insure their houses in fire prone areas
youve seen the fire maps and i live in a med rish area but depending on which way the wind blows that could change
i think that is bs hold a burn boss responsible if things get out of hand
if this is a habitual f'tard then he needs to go but anyone can make a mistake, but were you doing the best you could and acting based on your best judgement at the time
Last edited:
that is beautiful and i dog the natural light in that room and the overall layout of the place
do they still have exposed old adobe?
My buddy bought the property in 2018. Old adobe ranch house..creek bed property…well water at 35’. I won’t say how much he paid but I will say that whatever that number is…he has put that much into the overhaul renovations. Then he lost interest in it. That’s his nature. Plenty of money but no attention span.
Personally I’d have just kept it like it was and not added on to it with all the modern building. Although….yeah I can see what he was doing there as well…and it will be super nice if it ever gets done. I doubt it will though. My buddy is not a rancher. 20 acres requires a lot of upkeep. He doesn’t have that in him. He won’t let go of it either. He doesn’t have to.
Tucked our friends in there this evening. They didn’t get in until 9:00. On their way to a property they bought in Louisiana. Spend a couple days with them…known them for a very long time.
^ That’s actually where I’d put my gardens if this place was mine. It would need to be leveled out better because the monsoonal rains can swamp this area out….but yeah right there I’d have gardens and a greenhouse.
If my friend was actually into gardening I could talk him into all that…but I’d also add that the wife and I would have to move down there to take care of it. It needs to be lived on to be maintained.
As it is I just enjoy the property. I’ve cut down a few trees for him…we hang out and do mechanical stuff to our vehicles etc. but I have no high aspirations for living on it. Requires a lot of time and work to keep it proper. If it’s not mine I’m not going to be that motivated. I’m not a rancher/farmer. My last property got to be a pain in the ass…and it was only .6 acres
Let someone else “own” the land and pay the taxes and upkeep. I just wheel in and grow a garden every couple years or so. It’s a good deal. 20% of the harvest goes to the owner…and he stays out of it. Dude doesn’t even smoke herb. He just trades it for other things or whatever. Can’t ask for a much better deal than that.
Last edited:
thats cool that you can spend some time catching up with friends on their way to their new home
and it is one fine looking spread and its almost a shame that it just sits most of the time
a thing about a lot of properties ispeople buy them and then lay just as much into tricking it out
im with you and would have left at least some of the old adobe exposed, there is just this sense of timelessness when it comes to adobe
thats a fair deal that he lets you use to property for a little upkeep but that is a lot of land to maintain
i used to have friends who would let me grow on their property and like you said, they dident smoke it
one guy would keep it and share it with his friends and this girl i knew just like having things growing and was just nice
hope your friends enjoy their visit
and it is one fine looking spread and its almost a shame that it just sits most of the time
a thing about a lot of properties ispeople buy them and then lay just as much into tricking it out
im with you and would have left at least some of the old adobe exposed, there is just this sense of timelessness when it comes to adobe
thats a fair deal that he lets you use to property for a little upkeep but that is a lot of land to maintain
i used to have friends who would let me grow on their property and like you said, they dident smoke it
one guy would keep it and share it with his friends and this girl i knew just like having things growing and was just nice
hope your friends enjoy their visit
we found this old wreck out in the canyon, its a coastal eucalyptus forest
a little off the track but you can tell dbl track became single track and now its just animal trails
the first thing i thought was when did this get here? it looks old but i bet a lot of folks met at the car in the canyon spot back in the day
a little off the track but you can tell dbl track became single track and now its just animal trails
the first thing i thought was when did this get here? it looks old but i bet a lot of folks met at the car in the canyon spot back in the day
Last edited:
Yeah my wife threw nectarines in there that were no good. Worms don’t eat those but they do break down. That’s all forest duff in there….in blocks of cardboard boxes. The worms are stoked. Already coming up with these warm temps.
^ one of my peak gyms. I call it my power rock. Stretch and more core exercises on it after running up mountain. Sometimes I play “Move the Rock” while running up. Basically involves picking up a 10-20 pound rock and running up the hill with it until I can’t anymore. Keeping good form doing that will make a body stronger. And sore. Feeling that shit from yesterday…today. I got a rock from the bottom to the saddle. Which means nothing to you people
^ Gomez Peak portal. A portal or not…it’s a great mountain to run.
Keys to healthy balance : salt and sun…and lots of water. Flush constantly. Hiding from he sun is not a mind set. Sun spots on skin is just camouflage. No sunblock. I need a lot of sun.
Last edited:
sweet compost bin man and i be the worms are loving it
we had the warm temps last week and they say its supposed to rain today or tomorrow
im sure we are going get at least one more cold shap here before we spring springs
is that salt water your nasal spray? that is hard core toting rocks up the hillside
do you place them anyplace or just chuck them when you cant carry them any longer
you are sure getting after it and keep kicking ass man
how was the fire meeting?
^ wife and I hit the mulch pile for the Ranch Grow. 2 loads 10 bags a load.
^ 2nd load. Heavy bags. Why bags? In this garden it’s easier to get it where I want it without taking any of the T-posts out or moving bricks.
It’s a good start. Better than good actually. Tomorrow I’ll go back down and start cleaning the weeds out and raking the mulch.
* I’m not positive how I’m going to grow it or how many plants. But it will not be one big scrog like the ‘22 garden. Not going to screen everything. Also not planning on germinating beans on April 1st and into starter pots into 1gal grow bags then into the ground mid May. Nope.
I’ll soak my beans like normal but I’m not thinking of planting until mid April. Direct sow clusters of beans…see what pops…let grow…make selections down to 1 per spot….cull the rest. I don’t want to fuck around with transplanting and maintaining young plants in bags. Last grow I had 38 in 1 gal bags until mid May. Nope.
** selfed beans. Eazy Mox Trilogy S1 using the number 5 mother this time. I don’t think I ever gave her a stable name. Last grow I used the number 7 mother (Plentyland)
Should be a lot of drama for me. It’s no fun if there is no chaos and hard times. Right now I have to set this garden up to run again…along with some modifications to the footprint.
It’s a long away vision to me at this stage but now is the time to get it approachable.
Last edited:
