As if the history made alive by such fine writing and the bushel of juicy anecdotes were not enough, I now know what a polecat is. Thank you for the gifts!
I always love the history that you tell, Lynn. And your turns of phrase often make me chuckle. This writing took me down a rabbit hole, with regard to a polecat being a name for skunk. We had polecats in Delaware where I grew up. However, in Delaware, polecat wasn’t a nickname for skunk. For us, a polecat was a type of weasel. It was also a nickname my grandfather had for me. Hmmm.
Best recent pun: "It's not my fault." (And the application of the Mohamed Ali quote.)
Well done, interesting.
Minor points: call me crazy, but I like to see maps. Apparently it's obvious to the author where the place is, but may not be to the reader.
No explanation for the once-in-seven-year (?) bloom? Or were they frequent in the past and now gone? Still there must be a reason. It's easy to say climate change, but there may be evidence for other factors.
Also, there might be a relationship between the blooms and the bicarbonate lakebed. A little bio-geography would be relevant.
You may not remember, but years ago we had a dispute about the word "indigenous," which I said the appropriate word and not "Indian." We had several emails in which you disagreed with me. So I appreciate the language in the current piece.
"Time has gone backward" is an evocative phrase, but my impression of the valley is that time has gone irreversibly forward.
Still, overall, the piece is interesting and a net gain.
Thoughts, A Penny for Your: Thanks for your comments. I should email future Substack epics to you. (Margo was tied up when I needed to post it, so was sole writer, fact checker, editor, image collector and pest control tech in search of typelice.) You might think of typelice as endangered, owing to the extermination of Linotype machines, but the little nits have migrated to my keyboard.) Margo did point out too late) that I had translated Llano Estero (Flat Estuary) as "Salt Lake." Why? Typelice? As for a map, I have one for the sequel - but no maps really help. As for Indigenous, my initial objections are smothered by current objections to "Indians" and "Native Americans" and even "tribes." "First People" is okay, but you can't repeat it endlessly. I submit. As for the bloom, it happens in rain years -but not always. And similar blooms erupt in many hillsides in that range of weedy but otherwise barren hill country in the coast range, The reasons are over my pay grade, but this piece is already too given to lengthy asides.
All the key ingredients of a Ludlow classic, this time ironic and barely believable mascot name coupled with travel-mag grade scenery description and the always necessary sculduggery. Thanks and carry on, Champ.
No, not too long. I love your tour of the history.
Driving back and forth to Los Angeles to visit our kids, we've been detouring to Carrizo Plain once or twice a year for the last five or six years. Great wildflower shows this year and last. But the personal connection goes back further -- to a bike ride I took through there (30 years ago this month, as it happens) and to a life-changing encounter my wife had there (10 years ago this month, as it happens -- what is it about May and Carrizo and years ending in 4?). I wrote up that encounter story here, for what it's worth: https://infospigot.com/2018/05/06/farewell-to-scout-the-dog-from-the-carrizo-plain/
Lynn: You have written such a great story about Carrisa Plains. Thanks for this. You neglected to mention Evergreen College's mascot... the Goey-ducks. George worked there before he passed.
As if the history made alive by such fine writing and the bushel of juicy anecdotes were not enough, I now know what a polecat is. Thank you for the gifts!
I always love the history that you tell, Lynn. And your turns of phrase often make me chuckle. This writing took me down a rabbit hole, with regard to a polecat being a name for skunk. We had polecats in Delaware where I grew up. However, in Delaware, polecat wasn’t a nickname for skunk. For us, a polecat was a type of weasel. It was also a nickname my grandfather had for me. Hmmm.
Hi Lynn, loved your vivid details and echo everyone's comments below. Question: is this part of your book?
Best recent pun: "It's not my fault." (And the application of the Mohamed Ali quote.)
Well done, interesting.
Minor points: call me crazy, but I like to see maps. Apparently it's obvious to the author where the place is, but may not be to the reader.
No explanation for the once-in-seven-year (?) bloom? Or were they frequent in the past and now gone? Still there must be a reason. It's easy to say climate change, but there may be evidence for other factors.
Also, there might be a relationship between the blooms and the bicarbonate lakebed. A little bio-geography would be relevant.
You may not remember, but years ago we had a dispute about the word "indigenous," which I said the appropriate word and not "Indian." We had several emails in which you disagreed with me. So I appreciate the language in the current piece.
"Time has gone backward" is an evocative phrase, but my impression of the valley is that time has gone irreversibly forward.
Still, overall, the piece is interesting and a net gain.
Thoughts, A Penny for Your: Thanks for your comments. I should email future Substack epics to you. (Margo was tied up when I needed to post it, so was sole writer, fact checker, editor, image collector and pest control tech in search of typelice.) You might think of typelice as endangered, owing to the extermination of Linotype machines, but the little nits have migrated to my keyboard.) Margo did point out too late) that I had translated Llano Estero (Flat Estuary) as "Salt Lake." Why? Typelice? As for a map, I have one for the sequel - but no maps really help. As for Indigenous, my initial objections are smothered by current objections to "Indians" and "Native Americans" and even "tribes." "First People" is okay, but you can't repeat it endlessly. I submit. As for the bloom, it happens in rain years -but not always. And similar blooms erupt in many hillsides in that range of weedy but otherwise barren hill country in the coast range, The reasons are over my pay grade, but this piece is already too given to lengthy asides.
Dear Penny: For an update on Carrisa Plains, see the comment by Dan Brekke (and the story of Scout).
As they say in Galway,
Allabess!
All the key ingredients of a Ludlow classic, this time ironic and barely believable mascot name coupled with travel-mag grade scenery description and the always necessary sculduggery. Thanks and carry on, Champ.
No, not too long. I love your tour of the history.
Driving back and forth to Los Angeles to visit our kids, we've been detouring to Carrizo Plain once or twice a year for the last five or six years. Great wildflower shows this year and last. But the personal connection goes back further -- to a bike ride I took through there (30 years ago this month, as it happens) and to a life-changing encounter my wife had there (10 years ago this month, as it happens -- what is it about May and Carrizo and years ending in 4?). I wrote up that encounter story here, for what it's worth: https://infospigot.com/2018/05/06/farewell-to-scout-the-dog-from-the-carrizo-plain/
Lynn: You have written such a great story about Carrisa Plains. Thanks for this. You neglected to mention Evergreen College's mascot... the Goey-ducks. George worked there before he passed.