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May 29, 2014 at 03:04PM
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Our normal hike near the cabin took a dark turn this memorial weekend. In fact it took several. We decided to walk into the western entrance to the now trackless Central Pacific Railway snow sheds. Just dark enough to be eerie, they are a gathering place for local graffiti artists and the walls are covered with constantly-changing street art. I could walk in here all day, but the group decided to turn back before long. But not before I could capture a few bits of local graffiti.

This bit about the tunnels of the CPRR is excerpted from the July 2012 issue of The Donner Summit Heirloom, the monthly newsletter of the Donner Summit Historical Society:

The Summit Tunnel
The Sacramento Bee has the following remarks on the Summit Tunnel, on the line of the Central Pacific Railway: “The Pacific Railroad people are making wonderful progress on the Summit Tunnel. Some persons – even engineers – calculated that this great work would require three or four years for its completion, and so it would in other countries, or if it were under the control of laggards, but here, and in the hands of go-ahead Californians, tunnel-time is annihilated. The tunnel is 1,660 feet long. it was begun in September last – at four points – on the east and on the west ends, and two other faces were created by a shaft in the centre. Thus, there are four faces, with three sets of hands to each, or twelve sets in all. Each set works eight hours, and the work goes on night and day! And now, on the 1st of the present month, of all these 1,660 feet, there were but 681 remaining to be cut! The progress last week was sixty feet, and at this rate the tunnel will be completed by the middle of August next. By measurement, on the 1st instant, there were but 346 feet in the east heading and 335 in the west heading, making, as before stated, 681 feet in all to be cut. And so in the space of eleven months from the period of its commencement will this tunnel be finished!

Daily Alta California May 10, 1867

I may have missed the light by just a few minutes, but it’s rare that the sky and lake are that blue after the sun has already set. I just loved the colors of this one–one of many scenery shots that I have taken from this exact location.

Memorial weekend at cabin

Forget the NFL draft, Saturday at our house was more exciting by a magnitude. Emily tried out for several soccer teams to make sure she had at least one offer to play. We thought she may be at the end of her soccer career when Endurance, her current team,

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Patrick raced his first criterium on a road bike Saturday at the Golden State Race Series. He finished in a solid 7th place in the Junior category, age 9-12. Sunday he came back and finished 4th-just one place off the podium-to take home a bag of swag that included a GSRS jersey, a water bottle and a JBL backpack. We’re proud of our new roadie!

One year ago: Camping at Bodega Bay Campground with the Wassermanns, Bakers, Petterle’s, Quigleys, Zinkeys and more, April 17-20, 2013.

This if the eulogy that I delivered at the St. Anthony’s church at Les’ memorial service. I post it here mostly as a way to preserve it for the future, but also for the few people that have asked me for a copy of it.

I have spoken publicly many times, but this time was unique. It was simultaneously the most effortless speech I have given and the most difficult. The text rolled off of my tongue. It was written over the course of a couple of days with very little effort. The eulogy was mostly written from the heart as a collection of stories that I have heard or told about Les. I really only [Read more →]

We are deeply saddened to report that Lester Mielcasz lost his battle with cancer at the age of 83. He spent the last few months of his life at home under hospice care while family and friends visited regularly. His cancer was ultimately not diagnosed, but it was believed to be lung cancer or Mesothelioma. It was his second battle with cancer. [Read more →]

Emily’s soccer team, Sacramento Real FC Endurance competed in the International tournament, “Mayor’s Cup” in Las Vegas over the President’s day weekend. We took advantage of the locale to take the kids to Sin City for their first time. Soccer tournaments can be time-consuming, but we still managed to walk a good bit of the strip and take in a few other tourist favorites. The high lite of the strip for me is always the [Read more →]

I never had a dog in my family until I met Gretchen. She was seldom without one. When I met her she had Arthur. To be a member of the McClelland family made for a great life for a dog. Our puppies were spoiled and loved our home. Some of them were even good travelers. We had nine huggable, lovable dogs at last count. [Read more →]