Not quite 40 days and 40 nights, but close...

Good morning, Tina here.


As I write this, it actually IS NOT RAINING! I haven't been able to say that in a while.


Our main road to Placerville, Highway 193, is now closed indefinitely, due to a landslide which has undermined the roadbed, and trees that are about to topple.


In spite of all the problems, I can't help but enjoy the sight of the swollen, muddy river and the many waterfalls tumbling down the east side across the river. I thought I would share photos I took yesterday morning from our front porch in Kelsey, which overlooks the South Fork of the American River.

 
Doo, doo, doo, looking out my FRONT door... Yes, we still have Christmas lights up on our front porch. My hubby likes them because it has been so darn dark around here with all the storms. So they add a bit of brightness to our evenings, and besides, only the people across the river can see them anyway.

Above is the river to the south, as it makes its way around the corner coming from Chili Bar.

This is the river heading northeast toward Coloma.

A closer up look at a few of the waterfalls coming down the other side of the river. There are probably some going down on our side also, as we have a seasonal creek which flows close to and under our driveway and on towards the river.

The river is way higher than it is normally, and it usually isn't that muddy color. There is a beach on the left which is inundated, and trees growing out of the water.

This photo above was taken standing at the top of the porch stairs and looking directly west across the river. There is a waterfall there, which you can barely see, so below is a closer look.

Below us and a bit northwest is the river as it heads around a bend toward Coloma.

I guess the daffodils are happy. Nothing seems to faze them, bring on the rain.

Another shot closer up of the river as it heads toward the Coloma valley, which has had its share of flooding with these storms.

The hills above the river on the right will be covered with California poppies before too long, if the rains will allow it!

I haven't seen any rafters, but the kayakers still are out on the river, in spite of, or because of, the fast flowing waters!

Maybe I should change my Creedence Clearwater song from Looking Out My Back Door, to...

... Oh Lord, Stuck in KELSEY again! (Except I really don't mind being stuck here...)

Vintage Barbie Dolls And More - A Fabulous Display

I made the time to go for a long-awaited, much-needed visit earlier this month with my very dear old friends up in Camino, and while I was there, we also went downtown (to Placerville) so we could have lunch and cram in a wee bit of shopping in our short time allotment that day. We ended up splitting up, and I headed straight for the antique shops (there are no thrift stores on Main Street!).
One of the shops I visited was  Empire Antiques (I hope I have the right place), and when I came upon these wonderful displays, I just HAD to snap some photos so that I could share them with you here!
First of all - a LOT of vintage Barbie, Midge, Ken and other dolls:

It was a couple of weeks before Christmas, and honestly I didn't even look at any of the price tags because I had no money to spend on vintage dolls or clothing for myself!
 I can't usually afford to buy vintage Barbies anyway - you can see some of the prices, here. They're just nearly always too "spendy" for my thrift shop budget!

But the displays! The rooms were large and all set up behind Plexiglass or something.
 I don't know whether this was something that had previously been in a collector's home, but I'm just assuming so.
I mean - they were fabulous!
Check out the kitchen:

All of the women and children are busy in the kitchen - so cute!

Oh, is that hubby sitting in an easy chair in the other room?
Gee - does that seem familiar to anyone?
What a delightful Christmas scene, though - preparing to have dinner in the dining room:

And I had to take a picture of this set-up, as well - with the sort of "mod" look furniture, and such.

I was extremely impressed with this vendor's doll display, as I'm sure you can tell by my post!
Sorry I did not get great photos of it all, but there was not a lot of light, and I was using my phone, and had the reflections to deal with, etc. I did my best!
I hope I have more time next time I go, and if I have any money I can afford to spend, I will take another look at those price tags!

New Years Greetings from Tina and Jac



Good morning! Tina here. I hope everyone had a great Christmas!

I am going to share my present to myself which I just purchased from ebay. The seller purchased it at a garage sale, and lucky for me listed it just after Christmas as a buy-it-now. I could not resist.



This is a self portrait watercolor by Jac Turner, one of my very favorite local artists, who has been gone now for over twelve years. This was painted in April 1991, not long before I met him. Longtime readers of the blog might remember my post in August 2014 about Jac, and mentions of his art in March 2011 in my post on the Gutenberger house, and the May 2011 post about the M. E. Church in Coloma.

I want to wish all of you a very nice New Years, and I can't think of a better way than to show you than an antique (1909) postcard with my favorite flower, the nasturtium!

 May your wishbone always break in your favor, and may your New Year be bright!

Once Upon a Time in Placerville No. 22: The Spencer Home on Washington Street

Good morning. Tina here once again with another Once Upon a Time.

This is the Spencer house which was on Washington Street. Washington Street has been reconfigured, I believe when the freeway went through town, so this home may have been torn down then. It used to meet with Mosquito Road at some point near where Broadway now begins at the east end of Main Street. The photo below was dated 1889.

I wish I knew more about this home which was lost to the wrecking ball. At one time quite a few years ago these photos were for sale on ebay and I didn't win the bid, but I saved the copies of the photos.

The Spencers are gathered here in the photo above, circa 1899. It looks like they have upgraded the home with more porch additions and fencing. It also looks like the kids are getting older.

This shot of the street itself shows a fairly flat area. As the street now begins, it heads south up a steep hill and then for a bit goes fairly flat and then heads downhill again to Cedar Ravine.

The Spencer family plays croquet near their home in 1905. The elevated railway and possibly Hangtown Creek is behind them.  It isn't easy to read the names but they appear to be Maxine, George, Annie, Ray, Frank, Larry (or Lorrey?) and Mabel. I found Annie L. Spencer, housewife, in the Precinct Register for Placerville in 1938, and a Miss Lorena Spencer and N. L. Spencer Jr., a mechanic.

One last shot of "Our dear old home". When I think of all the old homes that are no longer standing in our lovely historic town, I get such a feeling of loss. Memories are gone to ash, streets are rearranged and trees and gardens destroyed. This little area above is completely unrecognizable. It just makes me sad.

I wish I knew more about the Spencers and their home, but hopefully I can help keep their memory alive just by sharing this post.

Loungechair Road Trip No. 15: Pacific House on Highway 50

Good morning Tina here.

It is a beautiful day, and we are going to lounge and at the same time go up Highway 50 and pay a visit to Pacific House.

This beautiful piece of art above is painted by my good friend, and fellow high school and college art class member Jonni Hill. She trained with George and Carol Mathis and her work is wonderful!

I have always enjoyed seeing this lovely rock-covered building. My mom had a friend who lived on the hill across the highway in a cabin made of rock which overlooked Pacific House. She has passed away and the house burned down.

The postcard above is the same as the one above it however, this one has a description included.

A great postcard showing the inside long ago.

The photo above I was able to get from the internet and unfortunately I didn't put down the photographer's name, and I am so sorry, I would love to give credit.

Above and below are two older postcards I have purchased fairly recently. The lobby, and a lovely rock fountain.

Now we get to the present, the poor place needs a new roof and sits sadly decaying.

Below are remains from the great old two story building that once sat here. I have an old postcard but it is not on my computer so I can't show you right now.

A piece of history crying out for help.

But here I sit in my lounge chair and I am not much help.

Enjoy the great spring day.

Once Upon a Time in Placerville No. 21: The Spencer House in Pleasant Valley

Good morning, Tina here. Here we go again dragging up old photos of old places to be nostalgic about.

This was the Spencer House (sometimes also known as the Pleasant Valley Hotel). It stood at the corner of Pleasant Valley Road (just before it becomes Sly Park Road) and Mount Aukum Road (also known as E16).

This place stood here all through my childhood, looking a little worse for wear as time went on, paint fading, porches falling, roof failing...  I remember always looking at it and walking around it, I don't think I ever went inside.

In a memory on facebook, one person who grew up nearby said he was afraid to trick-or-treat there because of the man who lived there. Can you imagine living in that dilapidated old place? There were probably only a couple of rooms that didn't leak and had complete floors.

In the he photo above, 1930, it looks like it might be livable still.

The hotel looks lonely sitting here in the 1960's. On the north side of Pleasant Valley Road there used to be a bar and a small store. I have more pictures that I am saving for a book someday.

This photo was taken in about the spot where the bar and store were.

The last two pictures are from 1972 as the old place was drawing its last breath. The workers who took it down found lots of old bottles, square nails, old coins and even some mail.

Now a Holiday Market (built as Hall's Market) sits in the same general area, a busy place in the neighborhood, with a little shopping center across the street. Lots of traffic in and out, a great deli for sandwiches, and a good wine selection. 

Life goes on.

Getting in the Christmas Mood: Placerville in the Snow

Good morning, Tina here.

I was thinking how fun it would be to have a White Christmas this year. It isn't common here in our Gold Country town, but it has happened. The way the storms keep coming lately, I think it could be possible so I am going to keep hoping...

I gathered together some images of local places in the snow.

Above, the top of the bell tower, with the trees on the right that were in the front yard of the O'Donnell house, and the lovely Presbyterian church steeple above them on the right.

The Nick Fox house received a mantle of white a few years back.

The lovely Gutenberger house looks frigid but still inviting in 2011.

Our old County Courthouse becomes a Christmas card with the addition of a lit tree and some snow.

One of the nicely decorated trees from the side of Highway 50 at the parking structure. (Okay, no snow on this one.)

Cleared of traffic and snow added, Main Street looks like a Thomas Kinkade painting.

Quail hunker down in a fluffy and icy bush.

And last, our view west from the front porch, after the heaviest snow we have had here in Kelsey, December 2009.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas... how about you?