Q-topia

Christmas Stubs

2011-12-28T15:45:00.000-08:00

A Little Sparkle

2011-12-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

Warmer, better weather than in 2010 or 2009.

Backcast

2011-11-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Today (Sunday) we are getting the weather that was forecast for Friday. On Friday we had what they had forecast for today (just last night). I guess we could say that, along with the snow, their accuracy is Falling.

Afternoon Dewdrops

2011-11-12T16:14:00.000-08:00

Catalpa

2011-11-12T15:33:00.000-08:00

Leveling the Green

2011-11-12T15:21:00.000-08:00

Replacing the topsoil that was sequestered during construction of the new Learning Resource Center at Feather River College.

In the Spring the Green should be green again.

Follow this link back to the LRC construction thread.

Jack-O-Post 2011

2011-11-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

Here the link to past years.

Macabre

2011-10-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

This may not be as portable as a chainsaw, but as a Halloween instrument it is equally frightening.

Chauffeur

2011-10-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

A really great Halloween costume, or just a bitch behind the wheel?

Greeters

2011-10-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

Halloween greeters at downtown businesses.

Ada's Place

Emily's Garden and Pangaea

Emily's Garden

Main & Bradley St. (For Lease!)

Great Northern Hair Company

Bank of America

Carey Candy Co.

Tag

2011-10-18T16:00:00.000-07:00

This morning, the FRC Intro to Wildlife class captured a deer and outfitted her with a GPS/VHF collar. (She now has other pretty jewelry too – two ear tags). They are working with the California Department of Fish and Game to learn how to capture, handle, and collar deer in order to investigate how far our campus deer stray from the hay barn. :-J

It was a great experience for students who set up drive nets, waited until a deer wandered into the area, then chased her into the nets where she became temporarily entangled. They ‘mugged’ her (wrestled her down, blindfolded and hobbled her), then took blood samples, body measurements, vital signs, sampled the insects on her body (mostly ticks), collected hair samples, ear-tagged, and collared her. If you see a deer with a big fancy necklace, you’ll know why! Another capture attempt is planned in a couple of weeks.

Credit:

Darla S. DeRuiter, Ph.D.
Environmental Studies & Outdoor Recreation Leadership
Feather River College
570 Golden Eagle Drive
Quincy, CA 95971

No Permit

2011-10-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

On every campus I know, parking spaces are at a premium and enforcement can be brutal. You may get away with cutting a class or two, and cheating on a test will get you an "F", but taking a full-time faculty parking spot has serious consequences. :-J

West Wing View

2011-10-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

A photo of the Tree taken by Mike Nellor from the front of the West Wing cottage at Ada's Place this morning.

Time to wake up those Leaf-Peepers and tell them to hit the road up to Q-topia!

Log Deck Spray

2011-10-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

Spray on the log deck at Sierra Pacific's Quincy mill.

Peach-a-Pie

2011-10-05T15:45:00.000-07:00

Remember these peaches from a few days ago?
Here they are again:

(Here today, gone tomorrow!)

The Tree 2011

2011-10-03T15:33:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to this year's day-by-day snapshots of the famous* "Judge Thieler Tree", a sugar maple, near the heart of beautiful downtown Quincy California.

(*famous) The tree was mentioned in this Sacramento Bee article on Sunday Sept. 25, 2011 touting the Leaf-Peeping opportunities in Plumas County.

... The Judge Theiler [correct spelling is Thieler] Tree, a maple near Quincy's courthouse, has become a magnet for photographers and painters, drawn by its size and stunning colors. ...

Here are photos of artists in action painting the tree last year.

Select a link below to compare this year's progress with prior years:

Beginning to Fall

2011-10-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

Summer's End

2011-10-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

Gathering Storms

2011-10-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

2pm September 14, 2011

Looking East,

North-East, and

due North.

Signs of Summer

2011-07-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

Egghead

2011-07-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

Vegging out at QNF.

Restoration and rebirth[day]

2011-07-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

The Kellogg House - 1862.

Decked out in celebration of the nation's birth.

Here is a pre-restoration photo.

Watering up

2011-07-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

Decades ago Quincy boasted that it was the petunia capital of California. Up and down Main Street all the businesses had sidewalk planters filled with petunias, the county fairgrounds was awash with them, and nearly every home had some in their flower beds. This year the downtown merchants have revived the tradition with baskets hanging from all the downtown lampposts.
I caught a prominent local family taking their turn with the watering cart early this morning.

Vintage

2011-06-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

It would be hard to guess the vintage of this photo
(except for the signs and the curb paint and the building on the right with an air conditioner and the reflections in its windows and ...).

Still Hangin'

2011-06-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

The catalpa branch is still on the phone line. (Joe's photo)

Q-topia

2011-06-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

On days like this Quincy really is utopia.

Looking west from Quincy Junction Road near the High School athletic fields, across American Valley toward Gansner Airfield with snow-covered Spanish Peak in the distance.

a May Zinger

2011-05-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

Alternate titles considered:

May Day
(distress call: The Summer Solstice is less than four weeks away!)
Gulf Wars
(Another mass of cold air from the Gulf of Alaska is heading across the continent to do battle with a mass of hot air from the Gulf of Mexico.)
Bismarck Beware
(As in North Dakota - see forecast above.)
(They should be Mindful in Memphis too.)

Quilting B

2011-05-20T16:44:00.000-07:00

The local barn quilting enthusiasm has grown and has spread from town (previous post) to actual barns, and to the town blog, and the newspaper.

Also there was a 45° rotation at Ada's Place.

Post no Posts

2011-05-18T23:18:00.000-07:00

You may post your sign on facebook, but you can't post it here.

May Ides

2011-05-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

I warned you to beware.

Almost Done

2011-05-13T22:50:00.000-07:00

The new Learning Resource Center at Feather River College is nearing completion. Ironic that while the building was being constructed the politicos have been deconstructing the educational system around it.

Link to previous construction photo thread, or search campus.

By the Tulips

2011-05-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

Just walking by, not tiptoeing through.

Look now because tomorrow it could snow.

Happy Mothers' Day!

Chaenomeles

2011-04-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

Quincy's quinces are in bloom all around town.

Mixed Marriage

2011-04-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

Actually, they're just living together.

Barn Quilts

2011-04-22T16:22:00.000-07:00

I grew up in Pennsylvania, so I know about hex signs and distelfinks and such.

But today, walking to the grocery store with my canvas bag (it is Earth Day after all), I noticed that barn quilts have begun to appear here in Q-topia.

This one is a Japanese lantern motif on the Hop Sing cottage at Ada's Place.

Mike & Valerie caught in the act of "quilting" another Ada's Place cottage.

Con Way

2011-04-18T14:56:00.000-07:00

Must be a truckload of convicts on their way to or from the courthouse.

April shovels

2011-04-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

You can see where it was; and where it was, it wasn't going to melt any time soon.

Spring Ups (and downs)

2011-04-14T23:04:00.000-07:00

Snack up (chow down).

Sod up (bent down).

Sawed up (and down)

Tangled up (broken down).

Built up (cut down). Look here for last year's photo (and before).

Powered up (bills down).

Chipped up (ground down).

Mixed Messages

2011-04-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

March Lamb

2011-03-29T11:03:00.000-07:00

Finally, and just in the nick of time, gentler weather has arrived so that March can go out in the prescribed manner **.

Crocuses in a corner, tulips in a row.

** In the evening at the beginning of March, Leo the Lion rises in the east just after dusk to bring March in.

After the vernal equinox, the Sun is in Aries the Ram (lamb), the first sign of the zodiac. Therefore, at the end of March "the lamb" is setting in the west at dusk, and taking March out with it.

So from an astronomical point of view, the saying more correctly would be, "March comes in with the lion, and out with the lamb." However in this case meteorology trumps astronomy and so we say, "March comes in like a lion, and out like a lamb."

Only a Day Away

2011-03-21T22:45:00.001-07:00

When Spring was only a day away ...

The forecast says that more of this is on the way.

Longboards Sesquicentenial

2011-03-15T01:50:00.000-07:00

I have posted about the historic Longboard ski races before: here and here (both with video links); but this weekend is something even more special: It was here, 150 years ago, that the first downhill ski races in the world were held. As described in Forbes magazine a few years ago, "... raced by drunken miners with boards the size of telephone poles strapped to their feet". This weekend that spirit (and those spirits) will be revived again. Come join the fun if you can.

There are several events planned, but the Longboard World Championships are Sunday, March 20th from 11AM to 4PM at the Plumas-Eureka Ski Bowl (map). As the poster above says, it promises to be "The world's greatest ever gathering of longboard revival ski racers".

Paddy's Wagon

2011-03-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

If you were wondering what to be on the 17th, here is a suggestion.

Winter Breakdowns

2011-03-13T15:13:00.000-07:00

Snow Seen (Snow Scene)

2011-02-27T09:21:00.000-08:00

Snow day.

The day after:

Yes, the sky is this color.

Hopefully no plans 'til Spring.

Slip-sliding Away

2011-02-24T08:22:00.000-08:00

Remnants of last week's storm sliding off a roof yesterday as we await the next big one today and tomorrow.

Double Trouble

2011-02-20T14:20:00.000-08:00

Today the ogre brought a fire-breathing friend to play.

Ogre Attacks Fort

2011-02-20T08:33:00.000-08:00

Nebulous Valentine

2011-02-13T11:22:00.000-08:00

IC1805; a.k.a., the Valentine nebula.

Rafters

2011-01-29T11:29:00.000-08:00

A rafter of turkeys outside my classroom window early Friday morning.

Taking advantage of the recent good weather, the windows are in and shingles are being put on the rafters of the Learning Resource Center.

See previous LRC posts for more of the story.

Dog Days of Winter

2011-01-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

Re...

2011-01-03T22:20:00.000-08:00

Re: solve,; duce,; use,; cycle,; store,; think,; new.

Happy New Year!

Santa Ho

2010-12-23T22:45:00.000-08:00

Critical Path

2010-12-11T17:55:00.000-08:00

During the last week of the Fall 2010 semester, the windows were finally being installed in the new Learning Resource Center under construction at Feather River College. If you have followed the sequence of previous LRC posts, you may realize that the building was originally to have been completed this month and occupied next semester. Sadly (and expensively) the plan was disrupted by some two-bit criminals.

What happened was that metal thieves stole the aluminum from the window manufacturer that was supposed to be used in the window frames. The manufacturer had to re-order it. Since no one can afford to hold any inventory any more, the custom-made aluminum had to be redone (and probably shipped here on a slow boat from you-know-where). Of course with no windows the building was open to the weather, so the interior finishing work could not begin. Also as it turns out, the flashing could not be installed without the windows; and the design specified that the flashing had to be installed before the roof could be finished. So now that the windows are finally here, things can proceed.

But wait, it is not that simple, because now the crappy-rainy-snowy-cold weather is here. Not the kind of weather you want for roof installation. The ideal weather occurred three months ago, exactly when the windows would have / should have been installed.

[Insert tongue in cheek now.]

So some guys with a hacksaw and a little time made a little money at the expense of education. Of course, it's not really their fault. This was the fault of the environmentalists! Those people who want to sustain the only planet we have, have built an infrastructure to encourage scrap of all kinds, especially metal, to be recycled for reuse. Furthermore they pay people do what people ought to do for free, make the small effort to recycle things that actually are scrap. So these entrepreneurs have made a business of creating scrap. Brilliant in that the only capital equipment needed was that hacksaw (which was probably acquired with a five-finger discount coupon from an unsuspecting supplier). So they are not criminals. They are just small businessmen creating jobs and helping to reduce unemployment. If they are ever caught, they should be praised for doing their part to beat the recession and kick the economy someplace, and they should be released rather than incarcerated. In the unlikely event that they are caught and convicted, we no doubt will punish them severely by providing them with comprehensive medical coverage, three daily meals, housing, and an immersion course that will teach them how to take their business to the next level upon their release. [Remove tongue from cheek.]

Quincy Sparkle

2010-12-04T14:15:00.000-08:00

A few camera-phone snapshots of this year's Sparkle parade.

What the Dickens?

2010-12-02T08:22:00.000-08:00

Ghosts of Halloween past.

Tagged

2010-11-30T11:30:00.000-08:00

Storm Tracks

2010-11-21T16:44:00.000-08:00

The morning after.

Toe to toe, so to speak,

under our sequoia with the neighborhood bear.

More to come?

Spring things

2010-11-13T11:13:00.000-08:00

Planting bulbs before the ground freezes.

Hope for Spring.

Milling around

2010-11-10T22:11:00.000-08:00

The biggest real business in Quincy is the Sierra Pacific mill. Among other things, they operate a co-generation facility to convert waste biomass to electricity.

On weekends those in the community can "contribute" their yard waste to the co-generator as well. To give those readers who actually live in urbanity a glimpse inside, these photos were taken over the last several months while driving through their log deck to or from the yard-waste drop-off point.

Ursa Major

2010-11-08T23:08:00.000-08:00

Last night ursa left a major dump in the yard (actually three). So if you are asked whether a bear shits in the woods, the answer is: not always.

The local ursae (bears) have been coming into town for several months to fatten up on fruit (and un-secured garbage). Now about all that's available is the remainder of a good apple season. A week ago one ambled through our backyard late in the evening on the way to our neighbor's apple tree passing silently just six or eight feet from my wife. Both were surprised and hastily departed in opposite directions without incident.

Unseasoned

2010-11-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

Roses today, Winter storm warnings for tomorrow.

Caption Needed

2010-11-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

There is a great caption for this photo, but I don't know what it is.
If you think of it, leave a comment.

Scary

2010-11-01T21:29:00.000-07:00

And finally the most scary of all:

Jack-O-Post 2010

2010-11-01T21:11:00.000-07:00

2009
2008

Artists

2010-10-15T22:15:00.000-07:00

At the risk of overdoing the tree, one more post. (If you want ongoing tree updates, go to the previous post where I will add to the slide show and the associated album every day or so.)

Photographers visit every day in early autumn to capture some photons; but Friday afternoon in addition, oil met canvas.

Artists Linda Blum in white and Norma Lewis wearing the hat.

Artist Sally Yost at work. (Click photos to enlarge.)

See more of her work on her website.

The Tree 2010

2010-10-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to this year's day-by-day snapshots of the famous "Judge Thieler Tree" near the heart of beautiful downtown Quincy. By the way Leaf-peepers, it is a Sugar Maple, not a Norway maple! Also, many thanks to BlackOakNaturalist for my use of his photo above. His camera is much much much better than the puny cellphone I use to take the daily snapshot.

If you want to compare with last year, 2009 is here.

Autumn Begins

2010-09-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

Time for another Awesome Autumn in Q-topia!

See the tree last Fall HERE.

Butt sizer

2010-09-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

Sit where it fits.

But(t) don't get nailed.

Water Added

2010-09-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

Remember to Click for Quincy.

September's progress on the new Learning Resource Center at FRC.

Previous post.

Click for Quincy

2010-09-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

The Feather River College Writing Club took a wild card chance and applied for our community college to be one of the stops Ariana Huffington would do on her national book tour for her new book Third World America. Ariana stated that she would make an unscheduled (and free) stop in a region in the US that was economically depressed (this is Q-topia, not utopia). Out of over 200 submissions, Huffington Post picked the application for FRC to be in the final 15. Currently there is voting on the Huffington Post website underway, Please vote (for us)!

Margaret Garcia wrote the application, and after you have voted, you should click over to her blog, Tales of a Sierra Madre, to read her latest poems and essays. (Note to readers, her blog does not have a full RSS feed, so in a reader you only see the first few lines of poetry all smashed together, so you actually need to visit the site.) As a rule I object to partial feeds (read why here), but I think her work is worth the extra click.

I know that this post skirts the edge of the Ad-Free Blog logo on the left. Think of this as an ad for Q-topia rather than the book. I can't say that I am a huge fan of Ariana Huffington, but she is clearly in the vanguard of challenging the entrenched old media establishment in what I consider a fundamentally positive way. Even though I may or may not agree with everything she says, I do listen to her point of view.

Thanks for your votes! Wish us luck!

Unusual

2010-09-05T00:11:00.000-07:00

Even on a holiday weekend Saturday afternoon it's unusual to have car-less person-less moment in front of the QNF Coop (but there are patrons inside).

Frequent visitors to the Urbanity blogs may notice the flag meme. Other readers may recognize the sunflowers that the BlackOakNaturalist occasionally features, as he did on the same day this photo was taken. To learn a little something about sunflower flowers, read this. Thanks Joe.

Solar Lunch

2010-09-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

Vacant and alone

2010-08-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

Not my personal state; just a couple random, albeit forlorn, shots. Perhaps reflective of the fact that summer suddenly seems to have ended - early and without denouement.

Summer Progress

2010-08-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

The new Learning Resource Center under construction at Feather River College. The previous posting was at the end of May just before Summer break. Fall classes at FRC start on Monday.

Fair Parade

2010-08-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

A somewhat shorter parade than usual this year because of the fires that started yesterday afternoon in the Feather River Canyon. The Forest Service is busy fighting them, and the associated road closure prevented some from getting here.

Look here for last year's parade.

Three Doors Down

2010-08-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

Art Show

2010-08-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

The 40th annual Almanor Art Show in Chester, CA.

IMO it is consistently the best one in the region.

Every Vote Counts

2010-08-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

Read more.

Road Trip (inbound)

2010-08-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

Coast, castles, elephants, lions, cathedrals, and ships.

Road Trip (outbound)

2010-08-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

Notice people.

Not Kansas anymore

2010-07-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

Need to get Black Oak Naturalist to study these.

Bumper stickers

2010-07-08T08:40:00.000-07:00

Main St. USA

2010-07-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

Flags for the Fourth.

Red, White, and Blue

2010-07-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

also yellow, green, etc.

Fence Followup

2010-07-03T18:00:00.000-07:00

I said mend, not rend.

Going Fourth

2010-06-28T07:04:00.000-07:00

Notice all the great restoration work that has gone into this house since last year.

County Site

2010-06-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

Plumas County has a shiny new website, www.plumascounty.us

Come for a visit, or more.

I'm not sure that I would have called Q-topia "quaint", but I must admit that it is a much better marketing word than "quirky".

Fences to mend

2010-06-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

BP

2010-06-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

Bicycle Please

Still More

2010-06-16T14:22:00.000-07:00

Flags.

Wondering

2010-06-10T15:45:00.001-07:00

The "gift" you get after saying one too many times that your car is too hard to find in a parking lot because it is no more distinctive than a loaf of bread.

Memorials

2010-05-30T23:11:00.000-07:00

Equine

2010-05-28T23:05:00.000-07:00

Snapshots of the annual production horse sale by the Equine Studies Program at Feather River College.

Pictures by Bill Peters, Amberley Eck, and Daniella Revers.

Raising the Roof

2010-05-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

End of May photos of the FRC Learning Resource Center construction.

Previous LRC post.

Lunch break

2010-05-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

Either way it's hard to beat:

Ride up the Feather River Canyon on a beautiful Spring morning and have lunch in Q-topia.
Have lunch in Q-topia and ride down the Feather River Canyon on a beautiful Spring afternoon.

More little flags

2010-05-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

Not the same, but not different.

Driving the Message

2010-05-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

WHY?

More flags here and there.

Peace wagon(eer).

Learning Steel

2010-05-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

Structural steel rising for the FRC Learning Resource Center.

Previous LRC post.

Spanish Peak

2010-05-07T10:57:00.000-07:00