Normandy: On the Beach

      When an American of a certain age goes to Paris, he often thinks of an excursion to the west coast of France, that coast that became memorialized on June 6, 1944.
      Recent Hollywood films have taken audiences back to these beaches, again.   In 1980, war veteran and Normandy veteran, Samuel Fuller produced a film about his division- the 1st Infantry Division.  It was titled "The Big Red One".  It was a success, but not as successful as the recent film,"Saving Private Ryan".   One of the more memorable films was "The Longest Day", based on Cornelius Ryan's history of the same name.
       Millions of visitors return to the Normandy coast every year to walk on the sand, to scale the cliffs, to view the beaches from various vantage points that help the visitor who attempts to step back in time to that day when Americans, British, and Canadian troops stormed ashore to seal the fate of Hitler's Third Reich.
     What strikes the visitor who gazes to the English Channel's waters is the width of the beach from shore to surf when the tide is low.  It can measure close to  four hundred yards!  It is flat and easily walked on a calm day.  In September and October, one often sees horses in harness racing tack trotting along the waters' edge.   Near Utah beach, south of Omaha Beach, wheeled sail carts are available to rent to race the wind up and down the shore.   Flanking the beaches are the concrete installations erected by the Nazis to defend the shore.   Many are intact, a few with old artillery pieces pointing seaward.   From their elevated positions, they had  excellent fields of fire.  Because of the topography, invading troops had few choices when it came to advancing off the beach.   A few ravines offered the only way east.   It took the troops a while to find them; which they did, at great cost.
          The 50th Anniversary came and went 19 years ago, to great fanfare and celebration.  Now, the locals are gearing up for the 70th Anniversary, which will include a few of the remaining veterans who participated on that day.  The youngest of the brethren would be about 88 years old.  The rest, long gone but not forgotten.
      The Mayor and his Deputy spent the day here, September 30, almost 69 years later.

Bear League Blues

     As reported in the Sierra Sun, a homeowner in Incline Village reported a bear break in and sought relief from the threat.  Nevada F&G placed a trap in front of his home.   The bear didn't show up but Bear League volunteers came instead to keep the bear(s) from entering the trap.
     Seems that Bear Leaguers have crossed the line here.   How does this confrontation aid the health and safety of local bruins?  Does it permit the bear to continue his current m.o. without interruption?  Is the homeowner to assume that his security, peace and quiet at home is now subject to the approval and  oversight of a volunteer animal rights organization?
    Ann Bryant, president of the Bear League and its official spokeswoman, lives in Tahoma.   Her presence at the Incline Village trap is in question: was she there or not?
    Apparently, she picks her spots: she is nowhere to be found around Glenridge in Meeks Bay where bears are literally running amok through the neighborhood.
     The Incline Village homeowners eventually called to have the trap removed, for the sake of their neighbors who had to deal with the Bear Leagues around the clock.
More to follow.

Welcome to our Winter: SNOW!

     Well, it's a bit late, the first snowfall of the season that is.  The system came through from the south, bypassing the Bay Area and climbing into the Southern Sierra, eventually reaching us "northerners".  Soda Springs reported 14" of powder, and 12" at Squaw Valley.  Thanksgiving will be white and skiing will definitely be available for the early birds.
       I'm sure it caught a few folks by surprise because there wasn't much weather news to wake people up to the anticipated snowfall.   Even the totals were more than we expected.  Good news for the resorts: they'll hire early, lining up staff for the entire season.

Sunday at the Lake

     Took a nice ride down West Shore Boulevard this afternoon and noticed the 'tween season beauty.  Yellow aspen leaves were whipped around by a steady south breeze coming off the lake.   A few dog walkers were out taking their sniffers for a stroll.  Stopped at "Where We Met" for a cappucino.   Owner, Liz F., was out at another event and the barista did a fine job.
      Picked up the mail and noted the new "locking" trash bins inside the lobby.  No doubt, USPS is attempting to thwart trash looters looking for dumped mail.   Interesting situation, given the identity theft issues that abound these days.
      The winds increased steadily all day, and were especially strong in the valley, over the summit, and near the North Bay/Highway 37.   The dark clouds testified to recent weather reports calling for some precipitation at the higher elevations.  Could it be our first snow of the season?   November 1/Halloween is only 4 days away.
      The Lake level has dropped several feet and only 1 gate is open at the Tahoe City Bridge.  The Truckee River is moving slowly at its lowest level of the year.   Highway 80 looks relatively unobstructed with the summer workers long gone; and all signs of construction gone for the season.  Like grounds hogs, the absence of Caltrans means winter is coming.
      Several "Sold" signs were spotted along the highway, noting some late summer deals that were completed.   Tahoma's "Eyesore" Hotel is still 'For Sale'.  (Norfolk Hotel).
     Obexer's Lodge has a sign out on 89 and work has begun on the old pizza shack next to the Old Tahoe Cafe.  That sigh is covered up with the 'Lodge' sign.   Maybe something has changed, but I believe it to be a case of "do something, anything".

      A few painters were in evidence in Glenridge, finishing the job at the turn around of Sunnyview.  The new exterior on Lucille's old house looks great: 12" rustic wood siding with new deck railings in front combined to give a whole new look to the south side of the street.   Several owners were about, making final repairs and preparations for the winter season/weather.
     No bears were seen anywhere.  Have they been sent away?   Have they sensed the outrage?  Time will tell.
     Lay up some goodies-Halloween is coming in a few days.

World Serious: Game 4

     Well, St. Louis fans went home somewhat disappointed after losing game 4 to the Red Sox of Boston.   It ended in an ignominious fashion: a pick off play that got the runner on first base for the 3rd out and game over with Carlos Beltran at the plate.   This game ending event was a first for the fall Classic.  Cedric Wong, a pinch runner for Craig who had just singled, got caught by closer Kojii Uehara of Boston.  Announcers questioned why manager Farrell had 1st baseman Napoli holding him on.   He must have had an inkling to the possibility of catching the runner leaning the wrong way.
    Game over, Series tied 2-2.   Tomorrow, Game 5, then back to Boston for at least Game 6.

     The Mayor is an out of the closet Red Sox fan due to the fact that his great Grandma was one of the original Red Sox fans.   She was born in Boston in 1853 when baseball was in its early configurations.  When she made her final move to the West Coast(LA), she brought her Red Sox sentiments with her.   Even though it would be a few more years(1957) before the major league teams would arrive in California, she always preferred the Boston team.   She told me her favorite players were Ted Williams and Babe Ruth(when he was a Red Sox player).

Bears: Again

   Local residents in the Glenridge subdivision are justifiably irate at the situation with bear breakins.  Aside from the damage inflicted on their homes, residents recognize the dangers involved with determined wild animals running amok through the neighborhood.
      There are calls for hunting licenses and active hunters to remove the problem.  Apparently, the numbers of bears in the state has exceeded the carrying capacity of the wilderness available to the species.  Combined with the intelligence of the bruins and their learned behaviors, an aggressive response seems  to be the only available solution.   How this plays out remains to be seen, but apparently, Fish and Game are not concerned and El Dorado County takes its usual stagnant response.
A break - in on Sunnyview Dr. in the last few days illustrates the issue: the bear went through the front door after tearing out a glass panel.  He looted the cupboards, the refrigerator, and managed to turn on the gas stove.  A serviceman arrived shortly after and prevented the fire that certainly would have followed.
more later.

Back in the World

Back in the World-  that oft used phrase from long ago that referred to the continental USA when one was stationed in SE Asia- is appropriately used here announcing the return of the Mayor and his deputy from a fact-finding mission in Europe.
       It was necessary to put "boots on the ground" in the EU to assess the economic situation for average citizens to help form a long term strategy for Tahoma and the West Shore in general.  Yes, we are affected by global economic conditions, even in El Dorado 96142.  It was an excellent trip, covering more than 3,000 miles on the ground, and countless hours interviewing average citizens in the major cities and in the countryside.
       While France was the primary focus, Italy also came in for close scrutiny, focusing on the central provinces of Tuscany, Umbria, and Emilia-Romagna.
        I will develop reports on many different topics related to the different experiences and integrate them all into a comprehensive over all view.
       Stay tuned for future posts/reports on this topic.

Speed Run to LA LA Land.
      After a special request, the Mayor will be in the Southland for a conference on manufacturing and engineering with the Ministers of Manufacturing and Metallurgy, focusing on aviation.