Nevada County Fairgrounds(Gologit you have good country there)

[Spotted Owl]

Snow storm in northern California. So we got a call to see if we want to help. Sure. We drove down on the 24th. Stayed in Yuba City that night and then to Grass Valley the next day. Checked into the motel and headed for the fairgrounds for our marching orders.

The last thing I thought I would see in California would be this.

This is what it looked like when we got there.

horse-statue-at-fairgrounds | NevadaCounty.com

When we left on the 30th it looked like this.

Fairgrounds Searching For 2010 Fair Slogan | NevadaCounty.com

Thing looked good driving through. Went through Chico(gigantic) and things got small, Live Oak, and small type communities but not towns. Then into Yuba City, damn that's a big "town". Next day we pulled into Grass Valley/Nevada City and unloaded at the motel. On to the Nevada County Fairgrounds to get our marching orders. Around the corner we came and saw that statue. The guy I was with, we looked at each other and said this can't be to bad of a place with something like that right out in the middle. Lots of snow up on the hill. Took picture of things and of the snow. Took a photo of one house snowed in. We put on the snow shoes to go measure, 5.5" of the door left to be seen. Working up by some lake, on our snowshoe walks we probed with 8' rods and lost a couple. Saw the biggest Madrone tree I have ever seen, rough eyeball is 7+' at the butt, that sure was a big sucker. We wanted to get photos but traffic said otherwise. If you get out of town that is some very beautiful country, nothing at all to what I has visioned in my head. We got up with the horse for photos on the way out and a cop stopped us from getting up on it's back. He was good though, he took a couple photos for us of the whole crew in front so everyone could be in the photo. I forgot my camera so when I get copies of from the other guys I'll try and put a couple up of what we do and did while we were there, and the sizable snowy scenery.

Been working like a dog since Jan 1. I will get caught up on messages and invites that have been requested. The boy is doing well and will be off the meds soon hopefully. He had me put on some computer glasses and it contrasted the site just enough that I can read things now, being color "deficient" is a pain in the butt.

Hopefully I will have some more time to be part of this community again. 1st day off in three month between the day job and the side work. It's time to tear things up a bit with Mrs and the kids.

If you get the chance get off the beaten path and visit NORTHERN California. It will be worth the trip.



Owl

 

[paccity]

good to see ya back on.

 

[Ironbark]

Hi Owl, How's it going!

You and me both haven't been on here much but I've started again lately. Good to read your post.

When I came up in 2009 i drove through most of those places. We both love California.... the Oregon coast is breathtaking not to mention WA and NV!!! It sure is a long way from Willamina if you stay off I5 !!!

Glad to hear your doing OK. Best wishes to you and the family

Cheers mate!
Colin.

 

[RandyMac]

Northern California is many different lands, much to see and do. If anyone is running the coast, shoot me a line, I can line out a good tour.

 

[Gologit]

Hey Owl...

Yup... that statue is famous. Around here if you tell somebody "meet me at the horse", they know exactly where to go. There's been lots of good logging stories spun out in the shade of that critter.

They have the Draft Horse Classic at the fairgrounds every year. People come from all over the world for it.

Tell your guys thanks for coming down. We got clobbered pretty hard and the extra help getting the lights back on is appreciated. I got drafted to cut open some roads for PG&E...things were sure a mess.

Call next time. If we'd known you were around we'd have set you and your crew up with pizzas or something.

Tell the family we say hi.

 

[Spotted Owl]

Call next time. If we'd known you were around we'd have set you and your crew up with pizzas or something.

Tell the family we say hi.

We pulled off the hill early the last day. I called the boy to get your number off the PMs, but during the AS overhaul I lost all of the numbers I saved in the PM folders. Was gonna have you meet us at the Willo (not sure where that was in the dark) for dinner that night if you would have been available. That's a pretty good place if your looking for a big amount of good grub.

I was gonna call Randy Mac also cause we were supposed to start out someplace called Moonstone. Figured we could roll a few and catch up on gossip that I have been missing. But things changed about half way down.

Everyone here says HI to you, Randy, Ironbark & his Mrs and everyone else too.




Owl

 

[RandyMac]

Moonstone? There is a beach near Trinidad that has that name.

 

[Gologit]

We pulled off the hill early the last day. I called the boy to get your number off the PMs, but during the AS overhaul I lost all of the numbers I saved in the PM folders. Was gonna have you meet us at the Willo (not sure where that was in the dark) for dinner that night if you would have been available. That's a pretty good place if your looking for a big amount of good grub.






Owl

You mean I missed dinner at the Willo, with somebody else buying? I'll get a PM out right now with my phone number.

That place used to get downright lively on a payday Saturday night. It was one of the few places left that had a "NO CALKS" sign outside but I see they've taken it down.

 

[snowmaniac]

My grampa was head grounds keeper at the Nevada County fairgrounds through most of the 70s. It was his retirement job.There used to be a small memorial to him but I have no idea if it's still there. He had some great storys of working in the gold mines way back when, miss the old guy. His name was John Valkie.

 

[Spotted Owl]

Moonstone? There is a beach near Trinidad that has that name.

They said Moonstone on the coast someplace. Said that we would fix wind damage on the way down. None of our guys new much, it changed with every phone call until we landed.

You mean I missed dinner at the Willo, with somebody else buying?

It was one of the few places left that had a "NO CALKS" sign outside but I see they've taken it down.

I woulda been buyin if I could have gotten a hold of ya. Some of the guys saved it on their GPS's for when they ride to Reno for a stop over. I think the sign is in the bar now. They had some timber industry signs, and other such logger type decorations. We met the owner and he was great guy and put up with a lot from us I think we had 15 or 16 guys in there that night. The staff was great too. We had a waitress madder than a hornet but she handled it fantastically.

My grampa was head grounds keeper at the Nevada County fairgrounds through most of the 70s. It was his retirement job.There used to be a small memorial to him but I have no idea if it's still there. He had some great storys of working in the gold mines way back when, miss the old guy. His name was John Valkie.

There are some things scattered around the grounds with names on them. He might have his name on one of those. You could tell that it was taken care of. After the crews all left though it had taken a pretty big hit. The heavy trucks and couple hundred guys hanging around for a week or better took a toll on things.

Anyone know if there is fish in that pond. Couple of us had travel rods and killed wait time wetting a line, nothing to show from it other than lots of good stories spun.



Owl

 

[Gologit]

I woulda been buyin if I could have gotten a hold of ya. Some of the guys saved it on their GPS's for when they ride to Reno for a stop over. I think the sign is in the bar now. They had some timber industry signs, and other such logger type decorations. We met the owner and he was great guy and put up with a lot from us I think we had 15 or 16 guys in there that night. The staff was great too. We had a waitress madder than a hornet but she handled it fantastically.



Owl

They're usually pretty understanding about rowdy behavior. As long as people don't dance on the tables or start belly-sliding in the spilt beer on the bar they don't say much.