Memories of Yosemite
by Maureen Kendrick Hall—Conclusion
We would camp every year in Yosemite with our boys. One year Wes hiked up the Glacier Point Trail with the boys and I followed in the afternoon by car with clean clothes and a picnic dinner. Wes and the boys showered at the Hotel. We watched them light the fire for the Firefall and then listened to the Park Ranger with the evening program before the huge mound of coals. When 9 o’clock came we were able to hear the call from Camp Curry and the Ranger answering down. It was thrilling. Then they very slowly pushed the coals off the edge of Glacier Point and we were right there to see the burning coals fall to the ledge below. The hot coals on the cold granite sounded like tinkling bells. Who would have known or guessed.
For many years we were in the Housekeeping Camp on the river with our family, grandchildren and Earky, Arnie, Mona and Dustin. Such wonderfully happy times and memories. It gladdens my heart to ask the grandchildren what vacations they liked the best and they always told me—Yosemite.
When the boys were a little older Wes decided he wanted to take Gary and Andy on an overnight hike to Half Dome. Earky, Arnie and Mona were camping with us. Earky and I drove Wes, Gary and Andy to the trailhead at Happy Isles. Earky was having a double fit that I was going to let Gary and Andy go on the overnight with Wes and climb Half Dome. It was just too DANGEROUS. Wes started off with the two boys and we went to the stables where Mona and Scott went on a burro ride. Wes and the boys had a ball. They climbed past Vernal and Nevada Falls and on to the meadow where they made camp. Wes hung the food over a tree so that the bears couldn’t get to it. They continued on up the trail to Half Dome. Wes said that boys did just super scampering up the backside of Half Dome. They spent some time on top and then made their way back down Half Dome and to their camp in the meadow by the river. It was dark and they were tired, but they had had a terrific time. After dinner they rolled into their beds with all the wonderful memories of a climbing feat with their Dad.
Yosemite will always be the ultimate place to be for me. My happiest days have been spent there all my life. Now, in this day and age, I am watching the environmentalists doing their very best to destroy Yosemite as we know it. They want to make Yosemite where only the elite can afford to go. They even want to take out the Heritage Bridges so the Merced River will return to its normal flow? So very, very stupid. They think there are too many cars! I wonder if they have ever traveled in Los Angeles and on the freeways. I wish they would take their ideas for improvement and go South. There are some days, yes, where the traffic is on overload, but for the most part Yosemite is still the quiet, beautiful, magnificent spot on earth that God has given us. I don’t want to be around if they make some of these drastic changes to my beloved Yosemite.
I hope that whoever reads my story of Yosemite comes away knowing a little more about one of the most wonderful places that God has given us.
STCHS Speaker Programs
January and February 2012
7:00 PM
Groveland Community Hall
Check the Museum website
(grovelandmuseum.org) or your local
newspaper for details. |
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Friends of the Library
Trivia Triumph
and a
Dynamic Display
by Nadine Pedron
The Friends of the Library are boasting these days. We are very proud to be showing the creative photography of Steve Ryan in our library Book Nook. Steve’s collection includes dramatic views of glorious Yosemite, up close wildlife shots you would like to touch and brilliant still life studies. Come in any Saturday, 10-2, to enjoy . . .and buy. Photos are very reasonably priced and a percentage of each sale goes to the support of our library and its programs.
And with loud drum rolls, we are excited to announce that our Trivia Bee Team, The Groveland Smart Cookies, won first place at the county library fundraising event on October 8. Patti Beaulieu, Malcolm Milliron and Larry Santa Maria performed superbly and brought home the gold! Kudos to them and to our large contingent of Groveland rooters who won the “Applause Meter” award for best cheering section. Wow!
In addition to all this, we are delighted to have a very successful Book Nook which brings in substantial funds to support the library and literacy in our community. Come in for our BIG THANKSGIVING BOOK SALE on SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 10-2. GREAT BARGAINS.
Patti Beaulieu, Malcolm Milliron and Larry Santa Maria
take first place in the county library Trivia Bee competition.
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STCHS Museum Expansion
by Jim Phillips
The STCHS Board of Directors has approved a program to expand the museum by approximately 1,000 sq. ft. Expansion plans and concepts are being studied and developed and when approved the actual building plan will be announced. It appears we will expand to the south, giving more room for display area and even consider going up another story. A major reason for expansion is to make display space available for our diorama exhibit.
As readers may know, STCHS has been given, and now owns, an invaluable diorama exhibit which has been on display in the Oakland Museum and has traveled the country for several years. The diorama is life-size figures and landscape of Gold Rush miners and scenes and is now in protective storage. Some of the figures have been taken out of storage and shown at the annual STCHS barbecue.
We want to have this marvelous exhibit on display for the community and the public to be able to see and enjoy. We need more room to do that. Various STCHS fundraisers have generated funding for getting underway. In order to finish the project we will soon start a major fundraising program which will be necessary to complete this project. We will need and appreciate all contributions to fund completion of the museum expansion.
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Thank You
by Dodie Harte
Living History Day was a big success. People enjoyed themselves thoroughly. The committee would like to thank everyone who took part in making it a fun and educational day. Everyone who gave of their time and talent is much appreciated. Put on your calendars now—October 6 for next year’s Living History Day.
The 10th Anniversary Celebration was a great tribute to all of those who brought about the Museum/Library Building we all enjoy and use. A big thanks to Jane Dees, Kathy Brown and Peter Barsotti and all of the others who organized and presented the celebration.
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President's Message
by Rolene Kiesling
We have been busy these last few months. The BBQ at the Pine Mountain Lake Stables was well attended and fun was had by all. We had a raffle for $500 cash. The winning couple gave half back in the form of a Lifetime Membership.
Lifetime Memberships are $250 and are certainly appreciated. Again, we thank all those who have become Lifetime Members in the past. If you are interested in becoming a Lifetime Member please contact me at rolene@grovelandmuseum.org for more details. Since the new year is not far off and it will be time to renew your membership, please give some thought to becoming Lifetime Members.
Saturday, October 1, was Living History Day. I thought that Dodie Harte did a great job. It was a lot of hard work but I think we all had fun. As usual, I was the washer lady demonstrating the use of an old-fashioned washboard to do laundry. The three Radanovich girls seemed particularly interested and did a lot of scrubbing. Denise Henderson, the photographer, caught me “napping” on the job! How embarrassing! She offered to delete the picture but I said, “NO.” I thought that some would be amused by it.
Hard Luck Lynn was there again telling stories and demonstrating games played by the 49ers. “Mark Twain” had car trouble and did not make it. Various ladies were present demonstrating tatting, crocheting, weaving, quilting, etc. Anita Millard’s famous carrot cake was quite large. I could not believe it but it was all gone by noon. Nancy Jones was churning butter and, of course, the kids got to do some gold panning.
Winter will be quieter. Steve Beck, an archivist from Sutter’s Fort and outstanding speaker, presented our November program. There will be no program in December. We are working on programs for 2012.
Rachel Karunos has lots of new inventory in time for your Christmas shopping. If you have not been in the Museum since she took over the Museum store, please stop by and see not only the new merchandise but also the newer exhibits. If you have any ideas for exhibits, Rich Hathaway is always eager to hear your suggestions.
Finally, we desperately need more docents. This winter we are closing on Sundays and Mondays, mostly because we are having trouble having enough docents to provide the staffing. Just one afternoon a month is a small commitment. Please consider it. Also, January is the month when the terms of some of our Board members will expire; not all are continuing. We look forward to having new Board members with new perspectives and suggestions. The Board normally meets on the 4th Monday at 7:00PM in the Museum/Library Conference Room downstairs. If you are at all interested, please feel free to drop in on Monday, November 28, to get an idea of who we are and what we do. If you are not available on the 28th, please feel free to contact me if you want to know more about what it means and entails to be a Director.
Enjoy the holiday season.
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