Miracle Giants

The Giants have done it again. They have put the rangers on notice that they must overcome considerable odds to deny them a championship. Bruce Bochy's brats and bums, bearded and beaded, will be gunning for a finale win tomorrow-in Texas. Nobody could have written this script. It will make a great story, from cover to cover.
Watch history, live, from Arlington, Texas.

Happy Halloween

Snow! Yes, a little of the white stuff made it below 8K'. So, Boreal Ski Resort opened---- sort of.
One run does not a ski resort make, but, hey, they got some ink in the print media and that's something.
Rug rats were seen scampering about various locales around sundown. Lots of facepaint and headgear to go with all kinds of get ups.
Maybe this year will be like last year- lots of snow and at the right time. We'll see.

Giants do it first

With a standing room only crowd, and the weather threatening to rain, delirious fans watched their odd lot Giants trash the RANGERS ace, Cliff Lee, driving him to the dugout in the 5th. The game had many high points for the fans, including three straight doubles off the bat of Freddie Sanchez, the agile second baseman.
With rain a strong possibility for tomorrow's start, it's a nice beginning for the home team that hasn't been in the series since '02, when it was all about Bonds.
Go Giants!

FEAR THE BEARD

World Series 2010

The Mayor congratulates the SF Giants on winning the 2010 Nat. League Championship-their 1st in 8 years, and only the 4th since arriving in SF in 1958. Game 6 was a nail biter, right down to the last pitch. Brian Wilson and his beard prevailed, despite putting a couple of men on. He relieved Tim Lincecum in the 8th and got a key double play with help from Aubrey Huff at first base. Turning that play put the Giants in the driver's seat, up by 1 run in the bottom of the 9th. Having thrown only a few pitches to finish the 8th, Wilson was still fresh when he took the mound in the 9th.
Drama preceded the end of the game, when in the top of the 9th, the Giants loaded the bases after Charley Manuel, the Phillies manager decided to walk Buster Posey . That brought Brian Wilson to the plate, a rare appearance for the closer. Not to be a statue during his appearance, he made contact and grounded out to second to end the threat, keeping the Giant lead at 1 run.
Juan Uribe's solo homer would stand the bottom of the inning and the Giants handed the Phillies another rare loss at home. So, the Phillies fans went home with the long face of a loser.
The Giants, meanwhile, celebrated as best they could 2500 miles from their home by the Bay. The improbable winners of the NLCS could hardly restrain their collective joy and relief that there would be no 7th game. A road win under the circumstances was almost too good to be true. Cody Ross was the hands down winner of the series MVP.
Now, for the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. Tickets, probably north of $1000 per each. Good luck.

Bear stats 2010

In Sunday's Chronicle, writer Tom Stienstra talks about California's expanding population of ursine creatures. He points out that it appears that the back country population of bears is stable and apparently non-threatening to hikers and backpackers: the bears avoid contact and survive on a normal diet found in the back country. On the other hand, bears in the Tahoe Basin and in the National parks behave quite differently. Those bears associate food with people. Find a human, find a meal, maybe as benign as dog/cat food.
His stats imply what Tahoma residents know already: bears are becoming better burglars, able to get through doors, windows, and sheds without difficulty. According to Stienstra, 40 bears have been killed this year, 29 on the Nevada side, 11 on the California side, either destroyed after repeated food raids or hit by cars, far higher than prievious years.
His complete article can be found in B Section, Oct. 24,2010. , @ sfgate.com.

Grape Harvest

The harvesting of the 2010 crop reached its peak this week as growers scrambled to haul in the bounty from the vineyards. With serious rain forecast for the weekend, the fields were hopping with activity from the Sonoma Coast all the way to the Central valley and everything in between.

Bin haulers were all over the highways with their loads, heading to the crushers for a quick dump and a return for more. Early word is good news for growers and wine makers. The late heat provided some hot days, concentrating sugars and removing moisture, depending on exact microclimate conditions.
My grapes, both of them, tasted very sweet. After a final pruning, weeding, and grooming, we left the vines to themselves. We'll observe the situation and make appropriate midwinter changes to improve the rootstock come springtime.

Go Giants

Today is Game 6 of the NLCS. The first 5 games have been exciting, decided by only 1 or 2 runs. Both pitching staffs have worked hard, with many stints lasting several innings. Some stints only one or two outs!
Now the series are back in Philadelphia, home of the cheesesteak sandwich and the Liberty Bell. And the Eagles of the NFL. It will be interesting, given the Phillies home record over the last 3 seasons. But, the Giants have proven themselves to be a resilient team, able to come back and hold on. Can Jonathan S. work some magic? Can Oswalt carry his team to a Game 7?

Don't forget the start time has changed because the rangers beat the Yankees in Arlington in Game 6, so today's game is the only game. 5 O'clock start. Watch it.

Early Winter

Looks like some snow may fall lakeside this weekend. R U ready? The end of October can be difficult when it comes to predictions, but mountain folk know the mountains- weather changes!
Bring in some wood,, stock up on fuel and enjoy some sports on the tube.
For cheap entertainment- read your Official Election Pamphlet. You'd be amazed at what you can learn.

Gerrymandering California

The Mayor's office would like to inform locals of some very important issues on the upcoming ballot. Two propositions, among the group of, require some attention on the part of voters. Only 2 years ago, voters passed an initiative to take redistricting, in California away from seated pols. The Dems don't like this situation because it makes them vulnerable in any given election. With vulnerability comes discomfort. This is always the goal of responsible voters: make pols uncomfortable, because if you don't, they get fat, sloppy, disrespectful, and they feel entitled to their "place". NOT GOOD !
The 2 Props are : PROP 20 and Prop 27. Simply put- VOTE YES ON 20 and VOTE NO on 27.
Let's review: YES on 20 and Vote NO on 27. Got it?

Why yes on 20? It takes district line drawing for congress away from politicians and places the responsibility into the hands of a citizen committee that has no interest in the outcome other than ensuring equitable representation : IN EACH DISTRICT.

Nancy PELOSI doesn't like this idea. It places her POWER in jeopardy. Like any power hungry pol, she treats threats with direct action. She and her fellows placed Prop 27 on the ballot to confuse voters and to allow her to continue in the role as the nation's ultimate power broker. Schooled at her father's knee in Maryland all those many years ago, she honed her skills in none other than the liberal haven- San Francisco, home to the most embarrassing collection of Dems on the planet.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat recommends voter approval of Prop 20 and rejection of Prop 27. They say there is a public price to pay for letting legislators draw their own districts, in effect choosing their voters.(Aug. 29, 2010).

Here are 2 web sites which offer more data and information explaining the situation with and without gerrymandering by politicians.
Yes20No27.org
gerrymanderingmovie.com

Many organizations favor Prop 20, but few union locals will oppose Frau Pelosi. Supporters include AARP(Cal),NFIB(Cal) assoc. of indep. businesses,and Common Cause, and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Assoc.

The movie about gerrymandering in the State of California will open in select theaters this month, October. Or you can watch it on the web, or they'll send you a DVD.

One more time: VOTE YES ON 20 VOTE NO ON 27

October equals baseball

The Giants have won, to many a surprised fan, the division series, beating the Atlanta Braves, 3 games to 1. All the games were decided by 1 run, and they showcased some terrific pitching. Winning 2 games in Atlanta was not often done by visiting teams during the 2010 regular season. In fact, the Braves have the best winning record at home in the major leagues. But, as fans know an understand, it's all pitching.
And now, it's on to Philly, for the NLCS game 1. And, we'll see some good pitching.
With Indian Summer in full bloom- warm, clear days, punctuated by crisp, cool nights, life is good in the basin.

1099 forms for everybody

Well, Children, are you sharpening your pencils? No? Shame on you. Barbara B., Diane F., Nancy Pelosi, and all the other little Dems who voted(through the reconciliation process) to pass ObamaCare, want you to be good little accountants. That's right boys and girls: accountants. You see, rules of Obamacare require us, as in ALL OF US, to send forms to the government everytime we make a payment of $600. or more to anyone and everyone for goods OR services. ObamaCare doesn't trust YOU or Them, so he wants to know because he's curious about where you spend your after tax dollars and to whom they're are going.
This no doubt is a lead up to complete control of ALL spending, especially, private spending outside of Federally controlled institutions.
More to come. Can't wait.
The Minister of Finance will meet with the Mayor to discuss a currency reform measure for the 2014 ballot in El Dorado County that may preempt Federal reporting rules by banning all paper in El Dorado County.

Helicopters at Emerald Bay

You Tube posted a video of not one but 2 military choppers touching the surface of the water in Emerald bay on Aug. 13. Was it part of an exercise or just an impromptu happening? The local military authorities are investigating and 2 pilots are preparing appropriate responses.S

Good Vibrations

Saturday, Sept. 25
Do you hear that noise, that rumbling, that staccato pop announcing the arrival/passage of convoys of motorcycles? That was Highway 89, all day Friday and all day Saturday, the 25th. As the Mayor was working on a home project, outside(winterization, part IV), the noise level was very distracting. I thought it was a brief passing, but, the persistence and decibel level soon led me to believe otherwise. Sure enough, word was out that participants in Reno's good vibrations had mentioned the beauty of the Highway 89 corridor from Myers north to Tahoe City. As a result, local Tahomans were rattled by a continuous roar both days. No doubt, the internet played a hand in this congregation of bikers at Tahoe and Reno. For many, I'm sure it was a first look at our spectacular surroundings; for some, a timely return to a familiar backdrop.
This event was followed by the lakeshore Tahoe Marathon, run Sunday morning. This great event required some driving restrictions, easily absorbed by our community. This running event is one of many fall events that bring many visitors to the basin. Congrats to the platoons of organizers, volunteers, and participants that make the effort to ensure success.

Proposition 19 State Ballot

Proposition 19
So, here we are again. Do we desire prohibition or education/control? Most citizens would agree that prohibition doesn't work; and it's corollary, the war on drugs is a failure, and an expensive one at that. The SF Chronicle editorialized that prop. 19 is poorly written. They didn't mention the reams of laws involving prohibition, the deteriorating court system designed to deal with the violators, or the costs borne by taxpayers to house the convicted felons sentenced for growing, selling, using marijuana.
Can reason/reality prevail? Can California voters lead the nation away from failure to a common sense approach? Now is the time to vote yes, to vote for sanity instead of incarceration. Our youth, that oft mentioned class that is to be protected and nurtured, should be educated, not threatened and terrorized by the Police State we are fast becoming. The Wall St. Journal reported today that almost 50% of deported immigrants had criminal records. No mention how many convictions were for drug-related crimes.
Mexican growers have found many areas of California conducive for growing pot. Duhhh!
With many legal issues caught in the Fed/State tug-o-war, many citizens are working the seams, trying to stay below the police radar. With ObamaCare ready to criminalize health care(ie. if you don't sign up, you're a criminal), it makes sense to decriminalize marijuana now, before ObamaCare takes hold in 2014.
So, Tahoe voters, get out there: register, vote, and restore some sense to this 20th Century cultural aberration.

Meeks Bay Fire District

The monthly meeting of the district board is today, Oct. 1, @400pm at the firehouse at Meeks Bay. A discussion of a vacant lot ordinance is on the agenda.

Autumn Days on Rubicon Trail

The days have been perfect for hiking on the lakeshore. The high pressure zone that sits over most of Nevada and northern California has produced extraordinary weather for locals to enjoy. After one of the coolest summers in awhile, warm temps have finally arrived. The lack of wind has kept lake surfaces glassy and flat, ideal for wake borders, skiers, and the usual hopeful fishermen. There are still plenty of boaters about the West Shore, although many trailers are positioned to pickup their various craft. The aspens are starting to show their colors and we know that first snowfall is just around October's corner. The photo on the rock is located just south of the old Rubicon Point lighthouse, south of D. L. Bliss State Park. The Tahoe Queen river boat was making one of many trips into and around Emerald Bay, along with assorted craft from jet skis to Tahoe Thunder, an offshore type inboard engine boat.(w/ 2 passengers. Photo taken on Tuesday morning, Sept. 28,2010, 1100am.