Valley of a Thousand Smokes
Kaweah River as it enters the Valley
We have hundreds of new fires in northern California, tinder dry after two years of drought, our visibility here limited to about a mile during this past week. “Valley of a Thousand Smokes,” the natives called the San Joaquin. The smoke and dust as we wean calves is hard on the lungs and eyes of men and beasts, but the weather’s cooled into the low 90s – forecasts in the 100s by the weekend.
Robbin’s collarbone seems to be healing well. Shorthanded without her, and Chuck on another fire in Napa, Clarence and I have enlisted my son’s help. We’re tickled with his youthful humor.
2008 calves