~ soft afternoon light, filtered by cirrocumulus. sitting on my andesite chair outside of wren shack. did some drawing of plans, started a materials list.
~ as the sun was setting we pulled down the phantasmagorical headframe; moaning and twisting it settled into a pile of shattered logs and salvageable six by sixes. the phantasmagoria beam is apparently intact, and tomorrow i will try to retrieve it and my others. as i drove home, watching the moon glimmer through the clouds, I thought it might be nice to use the six bys for cabañita posts, in random lengths in synchronistic structure.”
[Russell Towle's journal]
“11/5/77 saturday morning ~ last night the first snow of the season at moody ridge. almost all gone now… i arose well before dawn when i realized the brightness outside was too intense for the waning fourth quarter moon; i was so excited i got up even though i had to light the lamp. soon after sunrise, i went to take a walk with my binoculars and my pipe, heading towards rocky point. the clouds were swirling in green valley and the snow line was about 3500 ft.
however, as soon as I left my cabin, two shots rang out that sounded as though they came from the meadow, where willy and ruby are parked [truck and Volkswagen]. This is the last weekend of deer season, so the hunters are out in force.
i hurried up the trail and found no one, nor footprints. a glance over at green valley trail turnaround showed nothing. but i knew it had been close, so i fired up willy to take a look around. as soon as i got down to the green valley road, i saw a man with a rifle, who came walking up to talk with me. he said something about wanting the combination to the lock, and i told him he was on private property, to which he replied, he owned the land. so i met bob jellison (?), football coach at roseville high school, for the first time. he may eventually build near where our ‘ridge’ road diverges from the green valley trail road. seemed like a very nice man. said he'll be at the next meeting of the board of supervisors on 11/18. so i should see him again then.
the green valley fog has enveloped the cabin. i have decided to stain the outside walls of the cabin a dark gray to camouflage it from view.”
[Russell Towle's journal]
“11/5/78 [...]
dana came by michael's friday morning while i was sitting on the new deck composing a letter to placer county about the proposed campground in the gold run hydraulic diggings. […]”
[Russell Towle's journal]
“11/5/80 The fall colors are intense and leaf fall accelerates. [...]
So. Today I commence work on the foundation of my cabin, so that I can add on a bathroom.”
[Russell Towle's journal]
“11/5/81 a cloudy morning, a forecast of rain. Fantastic Indian Summer weather for a few days, I got a lot done. [...] I may go gather rocks today. Need a wider selection, many more small ones.”
[Russell Towle's journal]
“11/5/88 Morning, sweet blue canyon, glowing leaves. More storms forecast; [...]
Later, I clean my cabin, sweeping dust into clouds, throw an errant penny into the yard to be buried by oak leaves, to be found, maybe, years if not eons hence, inspiring the finder, for one brief moment, to think of he who lost it: me; and in just that way, I have picked up arrowheads lost a hundred, nay, a thousand, ten thousand years ago, and I have paused to consider he who lost it. A materialist, I still enjoy pretending to believe in “spiritual” realities, to this extent: holding such an arrowhead, I'll diffuse my attention and try to divine the characters written in its maker's soul, “psychically.” Well, let someone hold yon penny, let them diffuse to divine me: will a wren appear, just then?
Oh yes my god, wrens. Whatever changes? Five years ago I puzzled over polyhedra and chortled over Tintin; what changes?”
[Russell Towle's journal]
Photos, November 5, 2001
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| Birchleaf Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides) |
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| Panorama view of Green Valley from Casa Loma ridge, Giant Gap at right, East Knoll at left. |
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| View to east, Green Valley, from Lovers Leap |
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