[A/S] Esparto, CA to Brown's Valley, CA - September 17, 2000

[hhamp5246@xxxxxxx]

Hi Gang,

I left Esparto reluctantly yesterday morning.  The ranch and the hospitality 
were hard to say goodbye to.

I drove across the back country, through Yuba, to my present location in 
Brown's Valley...on Rte 20.  I had to chuckle to myself everytime I came to a 
corner on CA 113.

Tomatoes.... tomatoes everywhere.  The ones in the middle of the road were 
now tomato paste, the ones on the side of the road were either cracked or 
many were surprisingly intact. Some trucks obviously were loaded too full and 
everytime they cornered they dropped part of the load.  I saw a load of 
honeydews on the road too.

Now I know why fruit is so expensive... the "street" value of what I saw 
wasted... was well over $1,000 I would guess. Hahahahaha.

I am at the Sycamore Ranch, a Coast to Coast campground. I was invited to 
stay at another friend's ranch, but it's in the  upper 90s.... too hot for me 
and the critters in the trailer without a/c.  I'm not especially enchanted 
with this place.  Has the Yuba river which is nice, but it is so still the 
'skeeters come out in the evening.  The roads through the campground are 
terrible...  the good news is it's quiet and private and the members are very 
nice.  Some people just leave their RV here all week and come up for 
weekends... it also has a green grass field for Frisbee... I have to sneak it 
though because of the leash laws... but this whole area just seems to grow 
foxtails and "stickerpaws"  so I can't let the dogs romp and play. I wouldn't 
live here for that reason alone.

Last night I went to the Draft Horse Classic over in Grass Valley, about 20 
miles east.
It's a huge show.  Lots of goodies for sale, a very nice art show, food, and 
best of all were the gentle giants.  Shires, Belgians, Percherons, 
Clydesdales, Fjords, Fresians and Haflingers were all represented.  I also 
saw some longears, both donkeys and mules.  

 I ran into someone I knew from Tryon, NC at the art show, so I got to the 
grandstand a bit late... but in plenty of time to watch the "Americana" 
class, the Ladies Driving class and a dressage demonstration by a Fresian in 
full armor. The Fresian was breathtaking. Draft horses were originally used 
as war horses which was the significance of the armor.  The "Americana" class 
was a hoot.... the big boys were all pulling a cart of some sort....  the 
funny thing was 3 or 4 of the carts had ladies of the evening in the back 
whooping and hollering.  Hookers seemed to be the theme of the evening (c:

The Ladies Driving was won by a gorgeous black Shire.  His wide blaze and 
knee high feathers were gleaming snow white in contrast to his shiny ebony 
body.  His mane was put up and he had a hot pick satin ribbon woven through 
it.   There was no doubt he was the crowd favorite by the applause as he high 
stepped by.  

I couldn't stay for the whole show as I had left the dogs in the truck, so I 
said goodbye to the gal I stayed with in Esparto and another friend from the 
Longears list.... I did go back to the fairgrounds this morning to buy a few 
little things at the art show and make contact with another lady on my 
Longears List who so graciously invited to me to stay at her ranch in Nevada 
City.  I will go over there tomorrow as she not only has donkeys, but she 
rescues Pot Bellied pigs... the little black ones.  Should be fun. Wish it 
wasn't so hot, supposed to be 99 tomorrow... will get some relief when I 
start climbing the Sierra Nevadas to Reno/Virginia City Tuesday.

I'm hunkered down in the trailer with the A/C cranking and the Farm Aid 
concert on the tv. I've been using my cellphone to upload and download mail, 
but need a landline to put up the Argosy page... so I'll see if they will let 
me here.

Hunter