Yomen - A Leafing Out!

I volunteer as a docent at the Maidu Museum and Historic Site in Roseville. It’s an awesome experience working at the museum and i wouldn’t trade it for the world. I get to learn cool stuff about nature, how the Maidu lived and how they celebrate their culture today, then i get to pass that knowledge on to enthusiastic 3rd and 4th graders. I’m never quite sure who’s more excited – me – or them.


A Maidu Festival
This Sunday, April 17th, we will be celebrating Yomen – a Maidu festival celebrating the leafing out of the trees and flowers – spring. I’m super excited and can hardly wait for the event. It’s going to be fantastic! We’ll get a chance to watch traditional Maidu dancers – something you don’t see very often. There will be trail tours going on all day, demos of traditional crafts, a special section for hands-on activities for the kids, music, vendors selling beautifully made hand-crafted items, Native storytelling and poetry, and (one of my favs) Indian tacos. And if you haven’t been to the museum lately – well definitely come check it out. We have a new, and very beautiful, museum – just one year old!

Free!
To top it off, this is a free event! There will be no entrance fee to enter the museum or the event. Nice. That said, i strongly suggest to bring some cash – you don’t want to miss out on Indian tacos and there will certainly be crafts there you won’t find anywhere else. Perfect opportunity to pick up gifts for someone special. The festival will be going on all day, from 10 am. till 3 pm. Come early for good parking. For more details and directions to the park, click here.

Address: 1970 Johnson Ranch Drive, Roseville  95661
Phone: 916-774-5934

It's Film Festival Time!

I’m a little late on this and many of you may already know – but there is a plethora of films and theatre being shown in our lovely town of Sacramento. Going on right now is the Sacramento Film Festival with films, workshops, parties, awards and just a great overall smorgasbord of celluloid-speak and delicacies for film aficionados. Many of the events are taking place at the Artisan, 1901 Del Paso Blvd – between Arden and El Camino just west of I-80 – but check the local schedule of events to get current information on locations and times.



For the young ones who have their hearts in theatre, check out Sutter Street Theatre in Folsom. They have two plays showing right now, 13 – the Musical and The Noodle Doodle Box. They also run workshops for all ages. Final showings of Cinderella by Buck Busfield will finish up its run this week at B Street Theatre with a last show on Sunday, April 17th.

Team In Training - Team Ostroff

I am always moved by people who walk the talk. Those who get off their duff and DO – to support what they believe in. And so it is with Pat Ostroff. Pat and i are both volunteers at the Maidu Museum in Roseville. That said, we don’t see each other that often and honestly, i don’t really know her. But today i heard her speak as she passed out a handful of purple cards and i immediately heard in her voice the sound of courage and determination that only a person who is fighting for something they love could make. You see, Pat is training for a marathon. And she’s running that marathon to raise money for her mother-in-law who has lymphoma – a cancer that starts in the lymphatic system and often spreads to other parts of the body. Pat has lost 5 people in the last four years to cancer. The look in her eyes is that of a battle worn captain. A captain who has walked the trenches of the hospital halls supporting those in pain. I understand. Some of you may know that my own father has had lung cancer; he’s never smoked a day in his life. One day maybe i can talk about it. But not now.


Right now i want to help Pat and her family by raising awareness and raising funds. Every little bit helps. Please take a moment and look at what this family is doing to help their own and to help others. If you can give – bless you and thank you! – and please pass this on. If you cannot give – bless you and thank you for reading this! – and please pass this on.

In Peace and Love…

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - Team In Training
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sac/rnr11/postrofpkw

Magpies, Poppies, and Butterflies

Isn’t California beautiful? Just take a good look around. What don’t we have? And what a great spring this is starting out to be! Flowers everywhere, trees are super-saturated green. Just lovely. What a fantastic season! But over the past few years, a subtle list of oddities has accumulated in the dark recesses of my brain – something is missing amidst this garden utopia we call California. Something missing like – magpies.


Back when i lived in a house and not an apartment, i used to be visited by a flock of the gregarious, chatty birds every morning. I loved their black and white suits and bright yellow-orange beaks, and their social antics made me laugh. When i moved to an apartment several years ago, i saw less of them. They’re not too keen on crowded buildings and prefer spacious yards and open grass fields to hunt for insects. They nest high-up in large oaks in open savannah – definitely not the apartment dweller type. So even though i had moved, i still saw them around neighbors’ houses and all across the countryside. But over the last five or six years, i’ve hardly seen a magpie – anywhere. It’s been a long time since i’ve heard their distinctive and expressive vocabulary of whistles, grackling, and chirping – and it makes me sad. What happened? Where did they go?

The Yellow-billed magpie is special; they are endemic to California. And not even all of California. Their range is limited to the central valley and coastal ranges of the state. To find out where my little tuxedo friends had gone, i spoke to a ranger at Effie Yeaw about their disappearance. She told me the magpies were hard hit by the West Nile virus which started sometime around 2004. They’re not wiped out, but have been seriously reduced in numbers – enough that Audubon has placed them on a “WatchList.” I also discovered through several on-line bird watching sites that the Yellow-billed magpie, previous to the West Nile virus, was already on a decline due to loss of habitat and pesticides. After hearing all this, i was quite depressed. I really do love the birds. But one day, i was driving in West Sac close to the river and had just turned down a small street when there they were. Four little magpies, skipping and hopping along the side of the road. I pulled over and watched them for a long time. They reminded me of best friends, playing good-naturedly and teasing one another. I have since seen the occasional magpie and i always whisper a prayer that they will hang tough and continue their antics for a very long time.

Here is another site by UC Davis on the Yellow-billed magpie and the West Nile Virus: http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vgl/wildlife/projects/magpies.html

Carpet California in Golden Poppies

Another thing i’ve noticed – where the heck is the State flower – the ever-cheerful poppy? While there are some well-known parks that advertise their abundance, why don’t we see them all over the state? I would think they’d be everywhere. One place you can see them is anywhere D.O.T. has been – they’re like the Johnny Appleseed of poppies. I called D.O.T. and spoke with several, very pleasant, and informed gentlemen in the landscape and maintenance divisions. D.O.T., as well as Cal Trans, seeds and plants poppies in areas of new construction, which account for all the poppies along freeways. But why nowhere else? That took a little more digging. It seems that poppies prefer disturbed land over established and they love poor, sandy, dry soils and lots of sunshine. Ah! So you’re not going to see them around the heavily treed and lush lawn suburbs of Sacramento. Too much water, too much mulch, and too much shade. So why don’t they cover the countryside then? No one had a ready answer for me on that – the only thing this countryside doesn’t have on the wanted list for poppies is “disturbed soil.” If someone knows the answer to this, please let me know!  I'm stumped! 

April 6th each year is California Poppy Day!  Celebrate the poppy!


Here’s a link to CA State Parks, Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=627

Top 10 places in CA to see poppies:
http://www.wondermondo.com/Best/NA/CalifPoppies.htm


Amazing Butterfly

The absence of the third of my trio is more well-known but i still listed it because, well, i know with the right education and planning, we could bring them back – the monarch butterfly. A lot has been said about the loss of one of the most beautiful, and at one time, most plentiful of butterflies. Like the magpie, pesticides, habitat loss, and the destruction of their food supply, the milkweed, is the culprit for the increasingly smaller numbers that visit our lands. And though the coast is famous for the nesting grounds of these amazing butterflies, they migrate yearly across the valley in search of milkweeds. Plant more milkweed!

If i had a house with property, i would have huge valley oaks with lots of savannah grasses for the magpies, i would plant hundreds of golden poppies, and have loads of milkweeds in my garden in hopes the beautiful monarch would appear. Then i would sit at my window, sipping tea, and enjoy the beauty of California.

Happy Spring Everyone!

Blimey! I Think I Saw A Leprechaun!

Happy St. Paddy’s Day! Well, by the number of green shirts i’ve seen today, i don’t think i need to encourage the celebration of Ireland’s best known holiday. Despite that it’s Thursday – there’s a party atmosphere in the air – maybe it’s the sunshine. So let’s get down to business – where are the festivities? Every Irish bar, and the English ones too, are pulling out the green and offering specials on beers and music festivals and anything remotely Irish. Downtown Sacramento has the best variety of venues and choices of entertainment and beer specials. But Elk Grove, Folsom, and Roseville are celebrating the green tonight too. De Veres downtown is having a block party that started this morning and will go till 10pm – featuring live music, dancers, bagpipes, and food vendors. Proceeds benefit Mary House, a service that provides shelter and help for the homeless and struggling families. Another live music venue is at the Boxing Donkey in Roseville. The Streets of London, while not Irish (but neither am i), will be celebrating in big style in all three locations (Sac, Folsom, and West Sac). Elk Grove has the Elk Grove Brewery & Restaurant which will be serving up some tasty treats and brews this St. Patrick’s.

While you’re out enjoying the celebration, look for these favorite Irish drinks. I’m going to skip Guinness; i think everyone is familiar with that famous stout. For beer, try Beamish, Murphy’s, Smithwick’s, or Sam Adams Irish Red. For whiskey (and my personal favorite), look for one of these pleasers, Jameson, Bushmills, Midleton, Brennans, and Tullamore Dew. I put the last on the list, not because you will find it (if you do, for freak’s sake – please let me know!), but because it’s one of my favs from when i lived in the UK.

If you’re completely broke (like me) or can’t go out due to work obligations the following day – here’s a recipe for St. Paddy’s fun. Put on a CD of Dropkick Murphy’s and play it obnoxiously loud – sing along whether you know the words or not. Drink your favorite Irish brew or whiskey. Have a Rueben sandwich. Watch the DVD Boondock Saints (the first one please, and no – they’re not actually Irish but it’s a great flick nonetheless). Read some James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, or William Butler Yeats – top it off with a whiskey night cap and Oi! You’re Irish for the night!

Erin go braugh!

 
Since whiskey is my drink of choice, i have to push this nice little guide to Irish whiskey here: http://www.thewhiskyguide.com/Irish/Irish_Whiskey.html

And please - if you drink and are out on the town, don't drive! Have a designated driver!



Time Well Spent - Volunteer!

On this blog i’ve talked about what we can do to enjoy our lives. To see and experience things we haven’t tried before or maybe not for a long time. But now i’d like to suggest something near and dear to my heart – volunteering. If you rolled your eyes when you read this, don’t worry; i did too for most of my life. I had in my head that volunteering was boring. Stuffy. Like filing books at the library or stamp collecting. It just didn’t have that zing that i thought i was looking for. Ha! I love it when i can surprise myself.


Sometimes it seems we’re already stretched to our limits with lists of “things to do,” many of which are never finished. You never feel there’s enough time. Or maybe you wonder why you should give away what precious little time you have – for free – to someone else; let some other sucker give it away. Even the most open of hearts can feel this way sometimes. We are pulled and pushed in so many different directions that just the idea of one more thing to do will send us over the edge. Yet we will make enough time to chat on Facebook or Twitter for hours. Or mindlessly watch whatever happens to be on TV for most of the evening.

Enrich Your Life
Despite what some might think, volunteering is not altogether an altruistic act. At least not completely. When you volunteer, you suddenly have a whole world of information open up that was previously not accessible. If you like learning new things, volunteering can be a great way to re-discover your inner-child. Like a great teacher it offers intellectual and hands-on learning. The best of both worlds.

I’ve found another benefit to volunteering. Camaraderie. This, even more than learning, is a huge factor in the warm and fuzzy feeling i get about volunteering. Humans are such social creatures. Being with other like-minded people is such a boost to our need for community. The time spent together working on a project connects us heart and soul to what is best in the human spirit.


Obviously, many of us like the idea of volunteering because we truly like helping others. The opportunity to help and contribute to the community in a positive way makes us feel good about ourselves. It gives us a place to belong and a reason to be a better person. And that’s addicting. One of the few addictions that won’t cause weight-gain, isn’t illegal, and you won’t be embarrassed about telling others.

The other great thing about volunteering – you make your schedule. Do as much as you want. Organizations that rely on volunteers are overjoyed with whatever you can give. So there really isn’t a downside to being a volunteer. It’s all good. If there’s something you like or are interested in, there’s probably a volunteer job out there that will fit the bill. Whether you want to work with animals, medical & disaster preparedness, museums, environmental, schools, sports, the homeless, or children’s services, there is a niche you can fill.

Where To Go To Volunteer
There are many, many centers over the greater Sacramento area that take volunteers. Most cities have a volunteer page on their websites but almost all organizations have listings on Volunteer Sacramento – an all-in-one site of information. There is also the Volunteer Center of Sacramento and Hands on Sacramento that have excellent suggestions and contacts for volunteering. So take a moment and ask yourself, “What do i have a passion for?” Now get out there and volunteer!

Bok Kai Festival!

 

Everyone Loves a Parade!
March 5 &6, 2011 - Marysville, CA
The festivities of March start off with the spectacular and colorful Bok Kai parade in Chinatown, Marysville. This will be the 131st year of the Bok Kai festival which celebrates the Chinese New Year and honors Bok Kai, a Chinese water deity believed to keep Marysville safe from flooding. The Saturday parade is a huge affair, with marching bands, equestrian riders, dancers, martial artists, singers, and various performances. But the big treat that everyone waits for are the lion dancers and the Bok Kai Dragon! So colorful, so energetic! The Dragon coils and uncoils and weaves its sinewy body along the parade route. The best show is, of course, in front of the Bok Kai Temple where the Dragon and lion dancers converge to honor Bok Kai. Two-story long firecrackers are set alight and the scene is filled with celebration! I have performed in many a Chinese New Year parade – but Marysville has more firecrackers than any place i have been – including the parade in San Francisco! It’s fantastic!

Bombs Away!
The following day, March 6th, is “Bomb Day” where special “bombs” are made and set off at 4 PM. Both days offer tours through the Chinese American History Museum of Northern California and the Local History Archives.

Parade Details
The parade is on Saturday the 5th and starts at 11 AM on the corner of 6th and D Street and lasts approximately one hour. Come early, bring chairs and get a good seat. Immediately following the parade are performances which are held on 2nd Street between C and D Streets. There will also be vendors selling food and drinks all throughout this area.

Click for a calendar of events!

Map of Marysville