This Local Pine Beetle Plan Needs Our Support

It's ambitious, but the problem is huge

http://peaktopeakrotary.org/2010/04/community-group-to-tackle-pine-beetles/

Humming Bird Alert

George and Yvonne, neighbors, report:

The hummers are back!

Keep in mind that the bears are probably not far behind - and they love sugar water as much as the next life form.

Amazing Snow

The unusally deep snow pack in the yard is gradually receding.

At this point, I can run two inverse mazes through the 4 acres that is in the trees.

The first maze is to go from one snow to another drift by x-c ski without touching soil.

The second maze is to stay on soil without having to go through snow.

Currently, both mazes work with only a couple of "cheats."

But soon, the snow will be gone. The, I can finally get to the firewood I meant to pick up last fall before the snow came early.

A bit of Magnolia Road History

John asks:

Does anyone know the history of the log structure ruins just off the east side of Magnolia in the large meadow at about mile marker 8.5? I was told once that it was the ruin of a school, but I doubt the logs are more than maybe 40 or 50 years old and I can't picture a log school here in the 60's or 70's??

Just curious (I pass it almost every day and wonder)...

Vivian Long has the answer:

The ruins (foundation) of the schoolhouse are on the same side of the road as the boy scout trails and it was erected in 1912-13, which would be NW side of the road. It was moved to Nederland in ~1970. The log structure is older than you think; things don't decay here very quickly. It was the Wing's barn, part of the Wing's sawmill, which was just downhill from the school site and provided the lumber for the school. The barn was used by the students to shelter their horses

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Finally, the current owner of the property that the ruin is on adds:

Hi John,

That structure was an old hay barn that Dick Skates built years ago, now on the Kellogg property. About 30 years ago, my dad (Will Kellogg) and a few others repaired the roof and a bit of the wall, but ithe roof blew off about 10 years later - remains of it are still lying in the field - and all that's left now is essentially the foundation and a few wall logs. Will died in December, 2007.

Karl Kellogg

The area they are talking about is at:


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More Snow Flees

I've been having computer problems, this is a delayed post.

Three observations from the end of March
1) the snow flees are back
2) the elk came around
3) The "National Forest Boundary" by the power-line was still buried to the top in a snow drift. I've never seen a snow pack like this before.