City of Angels? Well..,maybe frogs.

Saturday after lunch The Prospector wanted to go across the county line and scout out a stream that he thought might be a good place to use his high banker because this time of the year it has WATER in it and makes it easier to work the sides of the gravel bars along the creek.So at 1:00 p.m. we took off for Calavaras County and the beautiful country south of us. We don't usually leave on day trips this late in the day but it wasn't very far and the weather was perfect for "just a drive".
When we go anywhere near the towns in Calavaras Co., like Mokelumne Hill, San Andreas or Angels Camp, I start seeing new territory for antiquing. I certainly don't need to buy anything else for my home but THAT'S NOT THE POINT. It's a new horizon..., a new venue for "looking" . So part of the deal was that we would go scout creeks for a while and then we would drive into Angels Camp and I could look at a few antique stores while The Prospector took Carl for a walk in the town park. Of course, I happen to have my camera with me. The photo above is Main Street in Angels Camp. Its buildings are so beautiful that they just scream "photo shoot".
This is a collage of the "FROG" mania in this town. Every year they have a celebration. They have a jumping frog contest to see which frog can jump the farthest. It one of the biggest celebrations of FROGS anywhere in the world.., I'm guessing. They have lined the streets with plaques for each of the winners with the year, name of the winners and where they came from, plus the frogs names( some of which are really funny). I also found this chalk drawing of a frog on the sidewalk. Very cute. It's a "frog" obsessed city.

The town is known for this celebration and thousands of folks come here, every year, to join in the festivities. You must get reservations during this gathering because the population explodes and you will not find a place to sleep unless you have a good sleeping bag and tent handy..., or, like a blogging friend of mine, relatives, or friends, that live nearby. It's a beautiful town. Only about an hour from Stockton and probably 2 1/2 to 3 hrs east of San Francisco.

Not only is it a charming gold rush town that's proud of its past but it also has all the modern conveniences. If I can find a clean bathroom and a latte I'm a happy camper.

History
Henry and George Angel were soldiers serving under John C Fremont during the Mexican-American War. When the California Gold Rush started, they tried their hand at prospecting, but decided they didn't like the labor involved, so they set up a trading post, which became a camp, and eventually a town. The placer around their camp were very productive but gave out after a few years and the population began to dwindle until Gold-bearing quartz veins were discovered in the town, which brought people back. Those mines operated for the next few decades, producing over $20 million worth of gold, processed by stamp mills in town. It was said that when the last mill finally ceased operations, the townspeople couldn't sleep, the silence was so loud. The first post office was established in 1851 (and called Carson's Creek). It was renamed along with the town in 1853. The city was incorporated under the name of "Angels" in 1912.
(information is from Wikipedia)

In 1928 Angels Camp paved the main street. To celebrate the occasion they held a frog jump competition. This frog jump competition was modeled after the frog jump in the famous short story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County", written by Mark Twain. He spent a great deal of time in Angels Camp and first heard the jumping frog story at the Angels Hotel that still stands today. The event became known as the Jumping Frog Jubilee.

Everyone is telling me that they can't see the photos that I posted with this story on Angels Camp. I'm so sorry. I don't know what's wrong. I was seeing photos and now I'm not. I have worked on this all day. If anyone knows what is wrong with Picassa and is having the same problem please let me know. Thanks.

LOVE OF PLACE

I've never been outside the United States except for a trip to Vancouver and Victoria on Vancouver Island in Canada..., oh, and a trip over the border to Tijuana once so we could say we had been in Mexico.
A few years ago we were given a very special gift cruise to Alaska( from our family ) for our 40th wedding anniversary which was one of the highlights of our lives. The family took turns staying up here and taking care of the farm. We could not have left if they hadn't been here to watch over everything for us.
The Prospector and I are not "well traveled" folks. We will probably never see Europe, China or Africa, but that's ok. You see, when you have a small farm and farm animals you can't just leave whenever you like. We also have two very old dogs that don't travel very well, and are kind of spoiled ( they sleep inside at night, yes they do. ). We have one neighbor within sight( although at quite a distance ) and lots of "carpe diem" beasts waiting in the bushes that wait for us to leave our animals to their skillful predatory ways.
So we take DAY TRIPS; and in this beautiful state, you don't have to go very far to find somewhere that takes your breath away. You just have to get in the car and drive a few miles in any direction. Sunday we did just that.

Sunday morning we drove south on Highway 49 to Sonora and then east into the mountains to PINECREST LAKE. The Prospector was "scouting a campsite" for next summer's fishing trip. Yes, it's an obsession on his part, but it's also a necessity because reservations open for July camping in February and you can't find a good , long multi car, trailer, people site in 10 feet of snow. So we took a drive up to the lake for the day and what a beautiful day it was. Don't ask me why the boys don't scout the "perfect" site during the summer, WHEN THEY ARE CAMPING, but I think it's part of some family ritual that goes way back before I was a part of all this. It's all about the quest for the "Perfect" place to spend that one week in the summer with fathers, sons and daughters. It's about TRADITION.

The Prospector walked through the empty campground (that is closed for the season) and looked for long, open sites that could accommodate 4 vehicles, a tent trailer, a boat and 7 to 10 people. I took pictures with my new Nikon (I should be getting a kickback from Nikon for all this free advertising) and walked, with wonder, around this beautiful place that has always been such a part of our lives.
We camped up here ,when we were first married, 40 some years ago, and as much as I give my husband and his brother a bad time about all the pre-planning and strategic groundwork that surrounds this week in the summer, I do understand. The rivers and lake are so clear, the mountains so close, the trees reach heaven and the world of Pinecrest Lake shines a little more brightly than most other places on earth...., and then, of course, there's the family history. Their father brought them here. The prospector brought our sons here...., and, for the first time last summer, our son brought his first born up here. The tradition continues. It's important..., its about continuity, love of a special place and memories.

( Please click on photos for a closer view. )