tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71641484275737929942024-03-05T03:26:41.405-08:00Mother Lode MasterProviding the Sonora, Twain Harte, Mother Lode area of the Sierra foothills with links to community and neighborhood informationUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-70036529437956641022014-10-15T14:27:00.004-07:002014-10-15T14:28:32.732-07:00 Test Your Knowledge of Groveland<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXYdL9OdxjBLKFrEfDzLwfoQUKtygYvU7VsrXQ5fGBVXLtMvOWI52AoPy74lgvw3C8InM8S8AMS_jZBZq4VJyCdCOEGTPRI5sHZedGcQNfwt82Vflfc2Qwoqi81oxKBbBhNcrMu4nhJQ/s1600-h/PML_picture_2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXYdL9OdxjBLKFrEfDzLwfoQUKtygYvU7VsrXQ5fGBVXLtMvOWI52AoPy74lgvw3C8InM8S8AMS_jZBZq4VJyCdCOEGTPRI5sHZedGcQNfwt82Vflfc2Qwoqi81oxKBbBhNcrMu4nhJQ/s200/PML_picture_2.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097218918639092786" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a>Here comes another quiz in the "Testing Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode" series. This time the focus is Groveland. (I don't want our <a href="http://www.sugarpinerealty.com/getagent/list.php?oid=007000003&odoor=1">Groveland office</a> to feel left out!) What do you know about this beautiful Mother Lode area town? Hmm? Find out with the following questions (you'll find the answers below)...<br />
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1. The oldest continuously operating establishment in Groveland is (at least according to its proprietors): (a) Sugar Pine Realty; (b) <a href="http://www.mtnsage.com/">Mountain Sage</a>; (c) <a href="http://www.hotelcharlotte.com/">Hotel Charlotte</a>; (d) Iron Door Saloon.<br />
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2. Groveland's private gated community of Pine Mountain Lake surrounds a man-made lake that, even in a lower rainfall year, has never dropped below a depth of: (a) 6 inches; (b) 12 inches; (c) 4 feet; (d) 18.362 inches.<br />
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3. Each September, the town of Groveland hosts the following event: (a) 49er fair; (b) 49er football practice; (c) 49er jubilee; (d) 49er festival.<br />
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4. The greatest contributing factor to the growth of Groveland in the early 1900's was: (a) the development of the Pine Mountain Lake area; (b) its proximity to Yosemite; (c) the development of the Tuolumne River Hetch-Hetchy water project; (d) the discovery of gold.<br />
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5. This person discovered gold in Groveland and nearby Big Oak Flat in 1848: (a) James Bond; (b) James Savage; (c) James Brown; (d) James Dean.<br />
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6. The Garrote Tree in Groveland is famous for what? (a) the Christmas lights that adorn it each holiday season; (b) children playing ring-around-the-rosie around it; (c) hoodlums being hung for their crimes on it; (d) tourists taking a nap in its shade.<br />
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7. Still a part of Groveland's famous Iron Door Saloon are it's original: (a) owners; (b) bathrooms; (c) iron doors; (d) lighting fixtures.<br />
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Answers: 1. (d) 2. (c ) 3. (d) 4. (c) 5. (b) 6. (c) 7. (c)<br />
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(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groveland-Big_Oak_Flat%2C_California">Wikipedia - Groveland</a>, <a href="http://www.yosemitegold.com/yosemite/groveland.html">Yosemite Gold Country - Groveland</a> and <a href="http://www.geocities.com/beck37/groveland.html">Geocities - Groveland</a>. Visit them when you get the chance.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-41043183939935065572014-09-15T12:18:00.001-07:002014-09-15T12:18:25.690-07:00Test Your Knowledge of Tuolumne County<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGRc1OCj6nrcAkngpLNZ2-Q2QHZlZI09DQLwA7t42g6wNs0OqYDGat7rjnkQj9zoFijyz12tHJ8cmBWhgB30oofPUKjP4__N8en44p7fYFEIv7Q4w_7oYx-It9tMu7jm2xshcnpKUtkA/s1600-h/horse.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGRc1OCj6nrcAkngpLNZ2-Q2QHZlZI09DQLwA7t42g6wNs0OqYDGat7rjnkQj9zoFijyz12tHJ8cmBWhgB30oofPUKjP4__N8en44p7fYFEIv7Q4w_7oYx-It9tMu7jm2xshcnpKUtkA/s200/horse.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095622376215954178" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a>Remember in school when you'd show up in a class and the teacher would say, "Put your books away and take your pencils out. It's a surprise quiz"? You loved those days, right? Well just to reminisce, I'm giving you a quiz today. This one's to test your knowledge of Tuolumne County. So here goes:<br />
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1. As a county in the Mother Lode, Tuolumne County is: (a) the second largest; (b) the third largest; (c) the largest; (d) tied for the largest.<br />
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2. When and where was gold first discovered in Tuolumne County? (a) in Sonora in 1850; (b) in Chinese Camp in 1849; (c) in Soulsbyville in 1852; (d) in Jamestown in 1848.<br />
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3. How much gold was yielded in dollars in Tuolumne County? (a) 600 million; (b) 1 billion; (c) 1.1 billion; (d) 100 million.<br />
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4. A "war" once broke out on a mountain near which Tuolumne County town? (a) Twain Harte; (b) Mi Wuk; (c) Sonora; (d) Chinese Camp.<br />
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5. The Tuolumne County town of Jamestown was founded by whom? (a) James in the Bible, a follower of Jesus; (b) the outlaw, Jesse James; (c) James Earl Jones; (d) Colonel George James, a San Francisco lawyer. <a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_UhOR0b8XrJ4/Rpz9EuM0GxI/AAAAAAAAAYw/czsI4ZBJXWU/s1600-h/gold.jpg"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKw8VoqBMkplclbMQQUa4D4LuINOyqTLMkTB772lFzBliKMwdqqNWHdMxLvKjiawpTXxvN-o7KyU64BxkG78jI5GQ2MhTAU90zzbvD4YZ4gJGZd_IhavMkBBPwz17hzssxo0TEbDlejUI/s1600-h/gold.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKw8VoqBMkplclbMQQUa4D4LuINOyqTLMkTB772lFzBliKMwdqqNWHdMxLvKjiawpTXxvN-o7KyU64BxkG78jI5GQ2MhTAU90zzbvD4YZ4gJGZd_IhavMkBBPwz17hzssxo0TEbDlejUI/s200/gold.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095622200122295026" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTX2-EKJK811F4o3Gqf2FkGiKh3flNgeHCzohecxk5_Xqm0LOgiJCWKACaePyMuwrviS-Ce9T0nmM4Z75TsgMWpqc37qvpgibinUOYWuxuP6cmPmR3g8M2JH-MfRCZJ16CKtjhudK9Ue4/s1600-h/gold.jpg"></a>6. A gold mine runs directly below which Tuolumne County property? (a) Sugar Pine Realty in Jamestown; (b) the Willow Hotel in Jamestown; (c) the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora; (d) the Westside property in Tuolumne City.<br />
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7. Stealing a horse in the Tuolumne County city of Sonora in the middle 1800s could get a person what type of punishment? (a) a timeout; (b) no TV; (c) lashes and branding on the cheek; (d) go straight to bed after supper.<br />
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Answers: 1. (c) 2. (d) 3. (a) 4. (d) 5. (d) 6. (b) 7. (c)<br />
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(This test was developed and based on the <a href="http://comspark.com/goldminer-mall/chronicles/tuolumne.shtml">Gold Rush Chronicles website</a>.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-54605855266153741432014-08-11T12:15:00.002-07:002014-08-11T12:15:16.678-07:00Test Your Knowledge of Calaveras County<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dQnn51YKvrcummvz-1ih85DvrDFAWVf16jJHB_VOx9IDrG5po4P6rTffeZbyvheibBsMZBXFMG0QD_ULci741Ptdr-mHRKqPXDGyQdegSDTW69WJJyIaAQxeXhTPEHXxjyQGKKs35Fc/s1600-h/skull.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090839311656567298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dQnn51YKvrcummvz-1ih85DvrDFAWVf16jJHB_VOx9IDrG5po4P6rTffeZbyvheibBsMZBXFMG0QD_ULci741Ptdr-mHRKqPXDGyQdegSDTW69WJJyIaAQxeXhTPEHXxjyQGKKs35Fc/s200/skull.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a>Another quiz coming your way. This time, how much do you know about Calaveras County? Take the following quiz to find out...<br />
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1. Calaveras County, as a county in the Mother Lode, is thusly named due to what item that was discovered in abundance in the river:<br />
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(a) gold; (b) frankincense; (c) myrrh; (d) skulls.<br />
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2. The second biggest gold nugget in the world was discovered in Calaveras County. It weighed 160 lbs. and was found at:<br />
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(a) Angels Camp in 1848;<br />
(b) San Andreas in 1848<br />
(c) Carson Hill in 1854;<br />
(d) Murphys in 1853.<br />
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3. Which authors made Calaveras County famous with their stories: "Jumping Frog of Calaveras" and "Outcasts of Poker Flat":<br />
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(a) Dr. Suess and Charles Schultz;<br />
(b) C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkein;<br />
(c) John Grisham and Michael Crichton;<br />
(d) Mark Twain and Bret Harte.<br />
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4. Which hotel in Calaveras County has bullet holes in the doorway due to a past gun battle and it's known for guests like Mark Twain, Ulysses S. Grant and Black Bart?<br />
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(a) Avery Hotel;<br />
(b) Murphys Hotel;<br />
(c) Dorrington Hotel;<br />
(d) Victoria Inn. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZ8FZbEDcniVY-uM5zKd29KYBt9EOV4WUlqYuPUV9u7GTJ3V6nbBhSsGhfVPviiN2K5Au4nNVKde7WCL95M-E3IoTLTvcDWhEcXccZYnpPGe5bZY10hYomau4fNxsQlfK-DpHXIm6Ffw/s1600-h/frog.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090839191397482994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZ8FZbEDcniVY-uM5zKd29KYBt9EOV4WUlqYuPUV9u7GTJ3V6nbBhSsGhfVPviiN2K5Au4nNVKde7WCL95M-E3IoTLTvcDWhEcXccZYnpPGe5bZY10hYomau4fNxsQlfK-DpHXIm6Ffw/s200/frog.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></a><br />
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5. In one 17-week period in the Gold Rush era there was an average of one murder per week in which Calaveras County town?<br />
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(a) Mokelumne Hill;<br />
(b) Jackson;<br />
(c) Arnold;<br />
(d) Angels Camp.<br />
<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_UhOR0b8XrJ4/RqTwBaviQWI/AAAAAAAAAbI/EW4gqZ9QZrc/s1600-h/frog.jpg"></a><br />
6. Hangings took place on this tree in front of the courthouse located in the following Calaveras County town:<br />
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(a) San Andreas;<br />
(b) Arnold;<br />
(c) Murphys;<br />
(d) Mokelumne Hill.<br />
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7. This famous rich man's father owned the Sheep Ranch Mine in San Andreas. This mine also contributed to his family's fortune:<br />
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(a) Bill Gates;<br />
(b) William Randolph Hearst;<br />
(c) Donald Trump<br />
(d) King Solomon.<br />
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Answers: 1. (d) 2. (d) 3. (d) 4. (b) 5. (a) 6. (a) 7. (b)<br />
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(This test was developed and based on the <a href="http://comspark.com/goldminer-mall/chronicles/calaveras.shtml">Gold Rush Chronicles website</a>.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-13382364973791478552014-07-01T13:39:00.004-07:002014-07-01T13:39:30.965-07:00Test Your Knowledge of Twain Harte<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE02Y6jByjzsAUNhFNKOj6zSEjRYh7HTffHSE6JoQqv83yPTRQ6PZTcOl6pugzvvK1HOgJBRgUqbwdycJ5kxKkplFZyMpUXQSReXDnEkcXAHdZqTWS-PvZbM43njlZuWfeXJU9x9TTMkk/s1600-h/250px-Twain_Harte_CA.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE02Y6jByjzsAUNhFNKOj6zSEjRYh7HTffHSE6JoQqv83yPTRQ6PZTcOl6pugzvvK1HOgJBRgUqbwdycJ5kxKkplFZyMpUXQSReXDnEkcXAHdZqTWS-PvZbM43njlZuWfeXJU9x9TTMkk/s200/250px-Twain_Harte_CA.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098970994712921202" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></a>Coming at you with the "Testing Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode" series again. This time the focus is Twain Harte. What do you know about this beautiful Mother Lode area town? Well, let's find out with the following quiz (you'll be able to check your answers below)...<br />
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<b>1. The oldest area landmark in Twain Harte is: </b><br />
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(a) the Twain Harte arch;<br />
(b) "The Rock" restaurant;<br />
(c) the Twain Harte Market;<br />
(d) the large granite rock near the Twain Harte Lake Dam.<br />
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<b>2. Which two famous author's last names were chosen to create the town of Twain Harte's name? </b><br />
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(a) John Twain and Steve Harte;<br />
(b) Steve Twain and John Harte;<br />
(c) Bret Twain and Mark Harte;<br />
(d) Mark Twain and Bret Harte.<br />
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<b>3. In the middle 1800's, cattle roamed, apple and pear orchards stood and a watering place was maintained in which Twain Harte location of today? </b><br />
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(a) Twain Harte Pool;<br />
(b) Twain Harte Golf Course;<br />
(c) Sugar Pine Realty office;<br />
(d) where the Twain Harte Inn/Lodge once stood.<br />
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<b>4. The Twain Harte wooden arch was built in:</b><br />
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(a) 1933; (b) 1934; (c) 1930; (d) 1900.<br />
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<b>5. The Twain Harte Golf Course was constructed on this man's land in 1930. His share of the rent of the land was a whopping $1 per year!: </b><br />
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(a) Mark Twain; (b) Ray Eproson; (c) Patrick Williams; (d) Bret Harte.<br />
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<b>6. According to the 2000 census, the population of Twain Harte is approximately: </b><br />
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(a) 3000; (b) 3900; (c) 2600; (d) 2000.<br />
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<b>7. The town of Twain Harte owes most of its growth in the 1930s through early 50s to which real estate company? </b><br />
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(a) Sugar Pine Realty; (b) Coldwell Banker; (c) Prudential; (d) Twain Harte Lodge Realty/Twain Harte Realty.<br />
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Answers: 1. (d) 2. (d) 3. (b) & (d) 4. (a) 5. (b) 6. (c) 7. (d)<br />
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(This test was developed and based on information from the <a href="http://www.twainhartecc.com/history.aspx">Twain Harte Area Chamber of Commerce website</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twain_Harte,_California">Wikipedia entry for Twain Harte</a>.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-82533601745035977692014-06-16T12:14:00.003-07:002014-06-16T12:14:26.108-07:00 Test Your Knowledge of Coulterville<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm7zMuQ-D_N6Xqy-EcbDkI_EXTkh2TZ3aLEnlmDN23kc_tVq-W7KoQIgmW0IewG_VToMfeHmZSo9aE_tHuGIyiPghVdTz3HfRCVH2RFkI4-mXvVgOrNIaky3FYttGVDiXNaFfctxm6RXo/s1600-h/gold.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm7zMuQ-D_N6Xqy-EcbDkI_EXTkh2TZ3aLEnlmDN23kc_tVq-W7KoQIgmW0IewG_VToMfeHmZSo9aE_tHuGIyiPghVdTz3HfRCVH2RFkI4-mXvVgOrNIaky3FYttGVDiXNaFfctxm6RXo/s320/gold.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5123104433019406962" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></a>Coming at you again with what is now quiz #8 in the Testing Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode series. Of the 8 Sugar Pine Realty offices that exist across the Mother Lode, the southernmost one is located in the town of Coulterville. Coulterville has a most interesting and intriguing history. Find out more about Coulterville with the following questions (answers below):<br />
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1. Coulterville sits at an elevation: (a) lower than Jamestown; (b) higher than Jamestown; (c) equal to Jamestown.<br />
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2. Coulterville would eventually be named after George W. Coulter who opened a store and hotel there in the early days of the California Gold Rush. Prior to being named Coulterville, the town was named: (a) Maxwellville; (b) Maxwell Bluff; (c) Maxwell Creek; (d) Maxwell Smart.<br />
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3. During the peak era of Coulterville’s history (c. 1870), what nationality made up one quarter of the town’s population of 4000? (a) Mexican; (b) Russian; (c) Chinese; (d) African.<br />
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4. In January 1862 much of California was affected by the following disaster which also wreaked havoc in Coulterville literally destroying numerous buildings: (a) earthquake; (b) tornado outbreak; (c) fire; (d) flooding.<br />
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5. Among the historical landmarks of Coulterville is the following hotel: (a) <a href="http://www.hotelcharlotte.com/" target="_blank">Hotel Charlotte</a>; (b) <a href="http://www.national-hotel.com/" target="_blank">National Hotel</a>; (c) <a href="http://foreverlodging.com/cityhotel/" target="_blank">City and Fallon Hotel</a>; (d) <a href="http://www.hoteljefferygold.com/" target="_blank">Hotel Jeffrey</a>.<br />
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6. The amount of gold discovered near and about Coulterville during the California Gold Rush was approximately: (a) 100,000 ounces; (b) 1,000,000 ounces; (c) 100,000 lbs.; (d) 62,500 lbs.<br />
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7. Gold mining operations continued near and about Coulterville until: (a) the turn of the century (1900); (b) World War I; (c) World War II; (d) the Iraq War.<br />
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Answers: 1. (b) 2. (a) & (c) 3. (c) 4. (d) 5. (d) 6. (b) & (d) 7. (c)<br />
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(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: <a href="http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/%7Egtusa/usa/ca/coulterville.htm" target="_blank">Free Pages-Coulterville History</a>, <a href="http://www.untraveledroad.com/USA/California/Mariposa/Coulterville.htm" target="_blank">Coulterville-Untraveled Road</a>, <a href="http://2getgold.com/coulterville/history.html" target="_blank">2 Get Gold- Coultervile History</a>, <a href="http://www.homestead.com/theclaimpost/CaliforniaGold.html" target="_blank">California Gold History</a> and <a href="http://www.homeofyosemite.com/static/index.cfm?contentID=100" target="_blank">Mariposa County Wineries</a>.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-46347347278931001092014-05-15T13:37:00.003-07:002014-05-15T13:37:39.905-07:00Test Your Knowledge of Jamestown<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKGBsb3wDBgqmDOvLR6hHRG1D3loC623eoztULnqr_oFYcl59o_4SopqSNPTfgCyALs9YIKP7sRHKXijvYNyFBc_Jo0zHvJh5WQhgn2b_Rf8RjIhLz0jeYlbKJKLQNWpyLkYZw9x7H5I/s1600-h/gold+strike.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKGBsb3wDBgqmDOvLR6hHRG1D3loC623eoztULnqr_oFYcl59o_4SopqSNPTfgCyALs9YIKP7sRHKXijvYNyFBc_Jo0zHvJh5WQhgn2b_Rf8RjIhLz0jeYlbKJKLQNWpyLkYZw9x7H5I/s320/gold+strike.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117168210623218546" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></a>Here comes another quiz in the "Testing Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode" series. This time the focus is Jamestown, California. It has a fascinating past with the discover of gold at the center. After you're done you can check your answers below. Don't forget to click on the hyperlinks (in purple), too.<br />
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1. Gold was first discovered in Tuolumne County in 1848 in a Jamestown creek (Woods Creek) named after the following individual: (a) <a href="http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000704/" target="_blank">Elijah Wood</a>; (b) Tiger Woods; (c) <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000081/bio" target="_blank">Natalie Wood</a>; (d) Benjamin Wood.<br />
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2. Woods Creek was yielding some 40-60 ounces of gold per day at its height. At an average price at the time of $10.00 an ounce that equaled as much as $600.00. In comparison, the same amount of gold in today’s dollars would approximately be: (a) <a href="http://goldprice.org/gold-price.html" target="_blank">$430</a>; (b) <a href="http://goldprice.org/gold-price.html" target="_blank">$4,300</a>; (c) <a href="http://goldprice.org/gold-price.html" target="_blank">$43,000</a>; (d) <a href="http://goldprice.org/gold-price.html" target="_blank">$430,000</a>.<br />
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3. The largest gold nugget ever discovered in Woods Creek weighed a total of: (a) 7.5 ounces; (b) 75 ounces; (c) 7.5 pounds; (d) 75 pounds.<br />
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4. The town of Jamestown (or Jimtown as it was known early on) got its name from: (a) the outlaw, Jesse James; (b) Colonel George James, a San Francisco lawyer; (c) James Bond, the spy; (d) James in the Bible, a disciple of Christ.<br />
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5. This famous individual at one time actually owned a trading post and tavern in Jamestown: (a) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_and_Times_of_Grizzly_Adams" target="_blank">Grizzly Adams</a>; (b) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_adams" target="_blank">John Adams</a>; (c) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Adams" target="_blank">Don Adams</a>; (d) Kelly Adams.<br />
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6. The gold rush days eventually passed and like many other foothill towns, Jamestown suffered. It was this next “boom” that would pump new life into the town: (a) the opening of the Jamestown Sugar Pine Realty office; (b) the hanging of various criminals on a Main Street tree; (c) the construction of Highway 108; (d) the arrival of the Sierra Railroad.<br />
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7. Like some other Mother Lode towns, Jamestown’s history includes the following natural disaster destroying at least parts of the town more than once: (a) frogs; (b) flames; (c) fleas; (d) flies.<br />
<br />
Answers: 1. (d) 2. (c) 3. (d) 4. (b) 5. (a) 6. (d) 7. (b)<br />
<br />
(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: <a href="http://www.jamestown-ca.com/history.html" target="_blank">Jamestown, California History</a> and <a href="http://www.sierrafoothillmagazine.com/jamestow.html" target="_blank">Sierra Foothill Magazine – Jamestown</a>.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-86005157777399087862014-02-11T14:04:00.005-08:002014-02-11T14:04:41.312-08:00Yosemite National Park: Test Your Knowledge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7I2q83SgQ0XhVBPGZeNGxnjnyYNQeHc7CjWLc9irx8s6FZfkb6sGptOmYeuUj-ATHcBqfFLhLsldBCuMWmq01UdHPjpZW_-jLb-MrHJoOFve1DPKMwOtYCTs4G9BFqbE7VchwzqtgN12/s1600/DSCN3415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7I2q83SgQ0XhVBPGZeNGxnjnyYNQeHc7CjWLc9irx8s6FZfkb6sGptOmYeuUj-ATHcBqfFLhLsldBCuMWmq01UdHPjpZW_-jLb-MrHJoOFve1DPKMwOtYCTs4G9BFqbE7VchwzqtgN12/s320/DSCN3415.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
Here comes another quiz in the "Test Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode" series. This time the focus is Yosemite National Park.<br />
<br />
Of course, you've probably heard about Half Dome and Yosemite Falls, but there's just so much more to know about "the Incomparable Valley" as Yosemite Valley has been referred to.<br />
<br />
Find out about the history of Yosemite and with the following questions (you can check your answers below)...<br />
<br />
1. Yosemite Valley was formed long ago by:<br />
<br />
(a) Noah's flood;<br />
(b) an asteroid strike;<br />
(c) a great earthquake;<br />
(d) a massive glacier.<br />
<br />
2. The numbers of visitors to Yosemite National Park annually is approximately:<br />
<br />
(a) 3.5 million;<br />
(b) 1 million;<br />
(c) 1.5 million;<br />
(d) 1.2 million.<br />
<br />
3. What percent of the park is represented by Yosemite Valley itself (where Half Dome, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, etc., are and most people visit and stay)?<br />
<br />
(a) 10 percent;<br />
(b) 1 percent;<br />
(c) 15 percent;<br />
(d) 12 percent.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ffW8Buoc8e5EgJW8LVfuRxr0h0aVTRitTqyVNJjX_olbv0r4xtWmW58v9aQdqRN21GZrNTftJUt6XZi0BdZECKuSMOV25MsXA3WV3e7h1MnDaG5nwzVv9HzQ8WL8aax-ZnFSjh_Bhbs/s1600/DSCN3417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ffW8Buoc8e5EgJW8LVfuRxr0h0aVTRitTqyVNJjX_olbv0r4xtWmW58v9aQdqRN21GZrNTftJUt6XZi0BdZECKuSMOV25MsXA3WV3e7h1MnDaG5nwzVv9HzQ8WL8aax-ZnFSjh_Bhbs/s200/DSCN3417.JPG" height="200" width="149" /></a>4. A park bill protecting the Yosemite area was passed by Congress and then signed into law by which American President?<br />
<br />
(a) Abraham Lincoln;<br />
(b) John F. Kennedy;<br />
(c) Ronald Reagan;<br />
(d) Bill Clinton.<br />
<br />
5. Native Americans occupied Yosemite Valley as long as:<br />
<br />
(a) 800 years ago;<br />
(b) 800,000 years ago;<br />
(c) 8,000 years ago;<br />
(d) 80,000 years ago.<br />
<br />
6. When non-Indian peoples came upon Yosemite Valley in the middle 1800's, they and the Native Americans who were there:<br />
<br />
(a) sat down and shared a Thanksgiving meal;<br />
(b) suited up and played a game of football;<br />
(c) embraced each other and couldn't figure out how they survived without each other for so long;<br />
(d) began to fight between themselves which led to the Mariposa-Indian War.<br />
<br />
7. In the early 20th century, a bitter struggle took place because this city wanted to dam the Tuolumne River inside Yosemite National Park so as to provide itself water to drink and hydroelectric power. This city would eventually get its way which led to the construction of O'Shaughnessy Dam:<br />
<br />
(a) Fresno;<br />
(b) Bakersfield;<br />
(c) Sacramento;<br />
(d) San Francisco.<br />
<br />
Answers: 1. (d) 2. (a) 3. (b) 4. (a) 5. (c) 6. (d) 7. (d)<br />
<br />
(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite">Wikipedia - Yosemite</a> and <a href="http://www.nps.gov/yose/historyculture/">Yosemite - National Park Service</a>.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-750309733999721892014-01-23T10:39:00.004-08:002014-01-23T10:39:27.617-08:00Test Your Knowledge of Copperopolis<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DfHs3P698IyLNiXfDurFB7evLWezkb5cIGhH03VtK5xcaeefxJ-2YVElQpfVKll6oX5SuvLKsjdI7Vs3q_kuxh7_n_W3fXFs_t2UbdLT9xpYVmkC9OlXv9LT_rcwf8qnZELSH-m11kk/s1600-h/civil+war.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164674429732524210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DfHs3P698IyLNiXfDurFB7evLWezkb5cIGhH03VtK5xcaeefxJ-2YVElQpfVKll6oX5SuvLKsjdI7Vs3q_kuxh7_n_W3fXFs_t2UbdLT9xpYVmkC9OlXv9LT_rcwf8qnZELSH-m11kk/s200/civil+war.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a>Coming at you again with quiz #9 in the Testing Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode series. Copperopolis is a wonderful community just to the west of Jamestown and Sonora. Yes, it gets just a wee bit toasty in "Copper" in the summer months, but there’s so much more to Copperopolis than that! Let’s find out how much you know about it's history…<br />
<br />
1. A large discovery of the following mineral was made in Copperopolis (duh!). It is also the town’s claim to fame: (a) silver; (b) gold; (c) salt; (d) copper.<br />
<br />
2. The following person played an integral part in the discovery of copper in Copperopolis: (a) Hiram Hughes; (b) Howard Hughes; (c) <a href="http://www.hughesfamilies.com/index.cfm?Fuseaction=HughesInHistory">Charles Evan Hugh</a><a href="http://www.hughesfamilies.com/index.cfm?Fuseaction=HughesInHistory">es</a>; (d) <a href="http://www.hughesfamilies.com/index.cfm?Fuseaction=HughesInHistory">Robert Hughes</a>.<br />
<br />
3. The copper of Copperopolis was a boom for the city. During the 1860s Copperopolis’ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper">copper</a> would be used for the following: (a) piping; (b) frying pans; (c) bullets/shells in the Civil War; (d) electrical wire.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojFJgr_ebBA-8PCE-Nni5sNhyIQz5S2FK35K4QvYjuG1Tb0HwHrbKmEsVExCOHbDYFuRBPUSnF5WXfEM1v4uJdCEAUAW_-8EZykKKcb2UMexZjcmE-toSxICGm6LGncBcZNcoY3NE1Fo/s1600-h/civil+war+3.jpg"></a><br />
4. The population of Copperopolis (according to the 2000 census) is approximately 2,300. During the boom time of the 1860s, the population was a whopping: (a) 10,000; (b) 23,000; (c) 5,000; (d) 20,000. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMsrQFeEzx7bhjhP1v_faTgiCLarKtYQiex8A6ufwNU_JN3PIktErhOGCUCuOE3IiRTPBfbLFBzUJUq6HMC6gWvSpxk222W8YQyH4V2T4l0th6tFZgBbJD4amCgGWyC8-TAidY_SLNwM/s1600-h/civil+war+2.jpg"></a><br />
<br />
5. Copper would be mined from Copperopolis to be used in both World War I and World War II as well. The mines would eventually be closed in 1946. The amount and value of the copper mined in Copperopolis over the years is said to have been approximately: (a) 720 lbs. worth 1,200 dollars; (b) 7,200 lbs. worth 120,000 dollars; (c) 7,200,000 lbs. worth 1.2 million dollars; (d) 72,000,000 lbs. worth 12 million dollars.<br />
<br />
6. Bricks used to build some of Copperopolis’ first buildings were gained from another Mother Lode town which had suffered a destructive fire: (a) Sonora; (b) Jamestown; (c) Columbia; (d) Groveland.<br />
<br />
7. The following outlaw began his career just four miles east of Main Street in Coppero<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRb7fwfMDQqWwV_6t5wqMDwOT-KJW8zV157vV7ci7ibaSTQvgcsE9Oz07hDfg-1RjAYQeGATnXHCRh6HopGZyHmtJM8aB0wL_rXa0fYCz90tP4lU7hq6K_doXs3liLdXEz2XOJ8iOLi88/s1600-h/civil+war+2.jpg"></a>polis where he would make the first stagecoach robbery in the history of California wearing an old linen duster coat, two wheat bags over his legs, a flour sack over his head with eye holes cut into it and a hat that had a large point in the center like a clown: (a) Jesse James; (b) Black Bart; (c) Billy the Kid; (d) Al Capone.<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=7164148427573792994" name="history"></a><br />
Answers: 1. (d) 2. (a) 3. (c) 4. (a) 5. (d) 6. (c) 7. (b)<br />
<br />
(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copperopolis,_California">Wikipedia - Copperopolis</a>, <a href="http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/ca/copperopolis.html">Ghost Towns - Copperopolis</a>, <a href="http://www.saddlecreek.com/historic-copperopolis.html">Saddle Creek - Historic Copperopolis</a> and <a href="http://www.malakoff.com/goldcountry/copperop.htm">The California Gold Country</a>.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-44452112684314131782011-11-10T11:39:00.001-08:002011-11-10T11:39:08.367-08:00Test Your Knowledge of Yosemite<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYS2ptu7vp2C71QMkse9DPT4fe2229ykN4hDjQPnszSR3FifHM7yKXkuY24P2F6XDn3cvwbwU0JWCz5EfP57mqA_k04ViAwK24DXRof2uYXMXpTVuKIJOYXIUZlpKTBN9dyfZ9UrXqdE/s1600-h/coy+5.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385100177212625442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYS2ptu7vp2C71QMkse9DPT4fe2229ykN4hDjQPnszSR3FifHM7yKXkuY24P2F6XDn3cvwbwU0JWCz5EfP57mqA_k04ViAwK24DXRof2uYXMXpTVuKIJOYXIUZlpKTBN9dyfZ9UrXqdE/s200/coy+5.jpg" style="float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Yet another quiz in the "Test Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode" series. This time the focus is Yosemite National Park. What do you know about "the Incomparable Valley" as it's been referred to? Find out with the following questions (you can check your answers below)...<br />
<br />
1. Yosemite Valley was formed long ago by: (a) Noah's flood; (b) an asteroid strike; (c) a great earthquake; (d) a massive glacier.<br />
<br />
2. The numbers of visitors to Yosemite annually is approximately: (a) 3.5 million; (b) 1 million; (c) 1.5 million; (d) 1.2 million.<br />
<br />
3. What percent of the park is represented by Yosemite Valley itself (where Half Dome, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, etc., are and most people visit and stay)? (a) 10 percent; (b) 1 percent; (c) 15 percent; (d) 12 percent.<br />
<br />
4. A park bill protecting the Yosemite area was passed by Congress and then signed into law by which American President? (a) Abraham Lincoln; (b) John F. Kennedy; (c) Ronald Reagan; (d) Bill Clinton.<br />
<br />
5. Native Americans occupied Yosemite Valley as long as: (a) 800 years ago; (b) 800,000 years ago; (c) 8,000 years ago; (d) 80,000 years ago.<br />
<br />
6. When non-Indian peoples came upon Yosemite in the middle 1800's, they and the Native Americans who were there: (a) sat down and shared a Thanksgiving meal; (b) suited up and played a game of football; (c) embraced each other and couldn't figure out how they survived without each other for so long; (d) began to fight between themselves which led to the Mariposa-Indian War.<br />
<br />
7. In the early 20th century, a bitter struggle took place because this city wanted to dam the Tuolumne River inside Yosemite National Park so as to provide itself water to drink and hydroelectric power. This city would eventually get its way which led to the construction of O'Shaughnessy Dam: (a) Fresno; (b) Bakersfield; (c) Sacramento; (d) San Francisco.<br />
<br />
Answers: 1. (d) 2. (a) 3. (b) 4. (a) 5. (c) 6. (d) 7. (d)<br />
<br />
(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite">Wikipedia-Yosemite </a>and <a href="http://www.nps.gov/yose/historyculture/">Yosemite - National Park Service</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-17455497199945586952011-09-13T09:53:00.001-07:002011-09-13T09:53:38.752-07:00Vintage Trains in Jamestown<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgAiMmDxwlzAL6e4DjmViRx4wRvEaExjY06e5-W8p7LMP38LFoODqoKuVZKrF1jtasmOod6XEd8LHW5ju9lPDpfGx5HIIDAajCx6-rDbvvqVTS24jT_tPBT1l3WsYsOys4frcOkGs-E4/s1600-h/train.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097090426102498338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgAiMmDxwlzAL6e4DjmViRx4wRvEaExjY06e5-W8p7LMP38LFoODqoKuVZKrF1jtasmOod6XEd8LHW5ju9lPDpfGx5HIIDAajCx6-rDbvvqVTS24jT_tPBT1l3WsYsOys4frcOkGs-E4/s200/train.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a>It's another Tuolumne County - Mother Lode point of interest I'm highlighting today. This time it's Railtown 1897 Historic Park. It's vintage steam engines you'll find at Railtown 1897 and be able to ride. One of the engines is the famous Sierra No. 3. Among the many things that's cool about Sierra No. 3 is the list of movies it's been seen and used in including <a href="http://www.filmsite.org/high.html">High Noon </a>with Gary Cooper, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099088/">Back to the Future 3</a> with Michael J. Fox and <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0105695/">Unforgiven</a> with Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman. Sierra No. 3 rests and is serviced in the famous Roundhouse at Railtown 1897. My kids and I have personally taken the Roundhouse tour (at least twice) and it was fascinating to hear the engineers explain the history behind the trains and all that goes into taking care of them. You simply won't want to miss visiting Railtown 1897 when you come to Tuolumne County. It's located just west of Sonora in Jamestown, California. Visit the <a href="http://www.csrmf.org/railtown/default.asp">Railtown 1897 website</a> for more information.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-54512718122034833212010-02-02T08:15:00.001-08:002010-02-02T08:15:42.817-08:00Giants in Calaveras County<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBPTy-NYacAzRxWpvKuznJoImpVuBBkVmWB67Zki0_450Wg8i2Eojd-BCImVB2s7AvMhRJkFSfH6v1gx0K3kcqvb31kSW71NPWGYQrZ0q21UVLvp-6djmdAAj4yHkhcv1jDaMYgkz7PI/s1600-h/big+trees.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095627598896186130" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBPTy-NYacAzRxWpvKuznJoImpVuBBkVmWB67Zki0_450Wg8i2Eojd-BCImVB2s7AvMhRJkFSfH6v1gx0K3kcqvb31kSW71NPWGYQrZ0q21UVLvp-6djmdAAj4yHkhcv1jDaMYgkz7PI/s200/big+trees.jpg" border="0" /></a>It's another place of interest I'm highlighting today in the central Sierra Nevada - Mother Lode area. We're in Calaveras County this time where, I'm not kidding, giants (as in giant trees) literally live. No, I'm not talking about like Treebeard and company in "The Lord of The Rings." Instead it's giant trees as in Big Trees State Park. Big Trees is the home of some of the largest Sequoia trees in the world. To give you an example, one such tree is the "Agassiz" tree which stands over 240 feet tall with a diameter at it's base of 25 feet. And there are many more trees of like size in Big Trees State Park. And it's interesting to note how Big Trees was discovered. I was reading <a href="http://www.sierrafoothillmagazine.com/calaver1.html">Betty Sederquist's article</a> at sierrafoothillmagazine.com. She writes about how, while tracking a grizzly bear in 1852, Augustus T. Dowd happened across the giant trees. When he went back to tell the people of the town about it, they didn't believe him. It wouldn't be until Dowd led them back to the trees that they did. And it really is quite an unbelievable thing when you think about it until you experience Big Trees State Park for yourself. My family and I visited there not too long ago. And when you arrive, it's interesting, my impression was I was waiting for the trees to just jump out and grab me. But when we parked our car and got out, no trees. When we walked in a little further and visited the museum, still no trees. Then when we finally started out to the trail and grove, that's when it happened: Trees. And they're really big! "Wow. Look at that." And it really doesn't do it justice until you're there in person. Right? I must say this was a highlight trip for us. And maybe when you're in town you'll want to make sure to take a trip to <a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=551">Big Trees State Park</a>. It'll definitely be worth your while.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-35500457585499674472009-12-23T11:06:00.000-08:002009-12-23T11:08:20.184-08:00Test Your Knowledge of Christmas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpt8PajNVOnFEBMkCEZDvu6j8FXSe_TbzSufR-OXH19oEawAAn-QN4ch-6eXqqySi_8-7p8bh0au5XBsYvqwI75lOTZKVm8ErCSmRLMoZV2PIOx5dOpTyERv-_TzkvADhyYCNb5DEHsI/s1600-h/wisemen.jpg" target="_blank"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5142410191993898594" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpt8PajNVOnFEBMkCEZDvu6j8FXSe_TbzSufR-OXH19oEawAAn-QN4ch-6eXqqySi_8-7p8bh0au5XBsYvqwI75lOTZKVm8ErCSmRLMoZV2PIOx5dOpTyERv-_TzkvADhyYCNb5DEHsI/s320/wisemen.jpg" border="0" /></a>Sing with me: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year. With the kids jingle belling, And everyone telling you, “Be of good cheer,” It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” And I just can’t help but sing. The Christmas spirit’s got a hold of me and won’t let go. How ‘bout you? And I couldn’t help but think what better way to spread some more "good Christmas cheer” like the song says than for (did you guess?) another quiz? So how are you with the subject of Christmas – songs, traditions and other assorted facts? Find out with the following questions (answers below). And most of all, have a Merry Christmas, everybody.<br /><br />1. Who wrote the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and in what year? (a) Eddie Pola, George Wyle in 1963; (b) James Lord Pierpont publ. 1857; (c) J. Fred Coots, Henry Gillespie in 1934; (d) Irving Berlin, 1942.<br /><br />2. The names of the Magi/Wisemen/Astrologers in the Christmas story were: (a) Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego; (b) Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh; (c) Larry, Curly and Moe; (d) none of the above.<br /><br />3. Robert L. May wrote the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Which of the following stories did he look to for inspiration? (a) <a href="http://www.allthingsfrugal.com/duckling.htm" target="_blank">The Ugly Duckling</a>; (b) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol" target="_blank">A Christmas Carol</a>; (c) <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038650/" target="_blank">It's a Wonderful Life</a>; (d) <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059026/" target="_blank">Charlie Brown Christmas</a>.<br /><br />4. The big guy in the red suit and hat that says, "Ho, ho, ho," goes by many names including... (a) <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111070/" target="_blank">Tim Allen</a>; (b) Saint Nick; (c) Father Christmas; (d) Kris Kringle.<br /><br /><div><div><p>5. The official determination on whether or not it's a "white Christmas" is: (a) snow flurries at noon on December 25th; (b) heavy snowfall for at least 10 minutes on Christmas day; (c) 1 inch of snow on the ground at 8 a.m. Christmas morning; (d) 1 inch of snowfall taking place any time between midnight and midnight. </p><p>6. The most famous Christmas Carol of all time is: (a) <a href="http://www.carols.org.uk/o_come_all_ye_faithful.htm" target="_blank">O Come, All Ye Faithful</a>; (b) <a href="http://www.carols.org.uk/away_in_a_manger.htm" target="_blank">Away in a Manger</a>; (c) <a href="http://www.carols.org.uk/silent_night.htm" target="_blank">Silent Night</a>; (d) <a href="http://www.carols.org.uk/a27-joy-to-the-world.htm" target="_blank">Joy to the World</a>.</p><div></div><div>7. One of the most popular/infamous gifts at Christmas is - can you guess? - the fruitcake. (Have you ever received one?) Which of the following facts are true about the fruitcake: (a) 25 is the number of years that a fruitcake can age and still be enjoyed, as long as it has the right preservatives and is stored in a tightly closed tin; (b) 1 to 1 is the ratio of the density of the average fruitcake to the density of mahogany; (c) a little more than 1 in 10 people say they would make time to regift a fruitcake to give it to someone else; (d) all of the above. </div><p></p><p>Answers: 1. <a href="http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/christmas_songs_lyrics_10575/other_lyrics_33314/its_the_most_wonderful_time_of_the_year_lyrics_360403.html" target="_blank">(a)</a> – “b” wrote <a href="http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/christmas_songs_lyrics_10575/other_lyrics_33314/jingle_bells_lyrics_360839.html" target="_blank">Jingle Bells</a>; “c” wrote <a href="http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/christmas_songs_lyrics_10575/other_lyrics_33314/santa_claus_is_coming_to_town_lyrics_360891.html" target="_blank">Santa Claus is Coming to Town</a>; “d” wrote <a href="http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/christmas_songs_lyrics_10575/other_lyrics_33314/white_christmas_lyrics_360306.html" target="_blank">White Christmas</a> 2. (d) 3. (a) 4. (b), (c) & (d) 5. (c) 6. (c) 7. (d)</p><p>(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: <a href="http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/christmas_songs_lyrics_10575/" target="_blank">Christmas Songs Lyrics</a>, <a href="http://www.allthingschristmas.com/traditions.html" target="_blank">All Things Christmas</a>, <a href="http://christmasspirit.wordpress.com/2006/12/19/counting-on-christmas-statistics/" target="_blank">Counting on Christmas Statistics</a> and <a href="http://www.carols.org.uk/" target="_blank">Christmas Carols</a>.) </p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-48992360243928428952009-11-24T16:10:00.001-08:002009-11-24T16:10:49.306-08:00Test Your Knowledge of Thanksgiving<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBVbGg4RMuRFDV4f3AyGLthiOHAfYPDeJ2XGLzMIQzYMbF0Yxy6Y7JpjAzyjBm6AlN-EoDYrpaaWzAz1ykbp5xs0C5yrXy8JaSIbjhgFXqyU4RsNZI6-xP_6LeN2s_DEkGgEexgeaPk8/s1600-h/turkey.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135353129747169602" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBVbGg4RMuRFDV4f3AyGLthiOHAfYPDeJ2XGLzMIQzYMbF0Yxy6Y7JpjAzyjBm6AlN-EoDYrpaaWzAz1ykbp5xs0C5yrXy8JaSIbjhgFXqyU4RsNZI6-xP_6LeN2s_DEkGgEexgeaPk8/s320/turkey.jpg" border="0" /></a>With all the controversy about the origins of Thanksgiving (was it the <a href="http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/History/thanksgiving.php" target="_blank">Pilgrims</a> or <a href="http://www.nativeamericans.com/Squanto.htm" target="_blank">Squanto</a> that celebrated it first?) I thought I would steer clear in this post and focus instead on some fun facts surrounding the holiday. And, of course, what better way to do that than with a test (as I'm becoming known for)? Have fun with the following questions and then, most of all, have a happy Thanksgiving, everybody.<br /><br />1. Approximately how many pounds of turkey will Americans feast upon on Thanksgiving Day? (a) 200 million pounds; (b) 500 million pounds; (c) 900 million pounds; (d) 1 billion pounds.<br /><br />2. On Thanksgiving day the average person will consume how many calories of food? (a) 3,400; (b) 6,000; (c) 3,500; (d) 4,500.<br /><br />3. The original date to celebrate Thanksgiving Day was established by which American President? (a) George Washington; (b) Thomas Jefferson; (c) Abraham Lincoln; (d) Franklin Roosevelt.<br /><br />4. The number of places in the United States named after the Thanksgiving holiday's traditional main course (ie. Turkey, Texas - pop. 489; Turkey Creek, Louisiana - pop. 363; Turkey, North Carolina - pop. 270) equals: (a) 5 towns & 9 townships; (b) 4 towns and 9 townships; (c) 3 towns & 9 townships; (d) 2 towns & 9 townships.<br /><br />5. The following part(s) of a turkey is/are not edible: (a) <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/spot/tgfaq.html" target="_blank">gizzard</a>; (b) <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/spot/tgfaq.html" target="_blank">gobble</a>; (c) <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/spot/tgfaq.html" target="_blank">giblet</a>; (d) <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/spot/tgfaq.html" target="_blank">wattle</a>.<br /><br />6. Turkeys are unusual creatures. Can you name something unusual about the turkey? (a) they have heart attacks; (b) they can drown if they look up when its raining; (c) they fly to Australia in the summer; (d) they stick their heads in the sand.<br /><br />7. Which food item(s) was/were missing from the original Thanksgiving feast? (a) pumpkin pie; (b) milk; (c) bread & butter; (d) cheese.<br /><br />Answers: 1. (b) 2. (d) 3. (c) 4. (c) 5. (b) & (d) 6. (a) & (b) 7. (a), (b), (c) & (d).<br /><br />(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: <a href="http://ww22.1800flowers.com/template.do?id=template8&page=4033" target="_blank">Thanksgiving Gifts - Fun Facts about Thanksgiving</a>, <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/spot/tgcensus01.html" target="_blank">Thanksgiving by the Numbers</a>, <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/spot/tgfaq.html" target="_blank">Turkey FAQ</a>, and <a href="http://home.aristotle.net/thanksgiving/turkey-index.asp" target="_blank">Turkey Facts & Thanksgiving Fun</a>.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-60195495617252368412009-08-05T16:10:00.000-07:002009-08-05T16:11:13.486-07:00Test Your Knowledge of Yosemite<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVJgH4WH3AqkWQ5qQpClYIOkPfG1521IuKjabMDatN9uRcXCt4P7EykUzm9N-sIACmqH43e-5TMvUcP-AXGX-udUmlcHqJp8F4AG8gpL9-HvYDGiNbX-9gmxqkXgMCh3-tr7e2mM8zOo/s1600-h/half+dome+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103492272760931282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVJgH4WH3AqkWQ5qQpClYIOkPfG1521IuKjabMDatN9uRcXCt4P7EykUzm9N-sIACmqH43e-5TMvUcP-AXGX-udUmlcHqJp8F4AG8gpL9-HvYDGiNbX-9gmxqkXgMCh3-tr7e2mM8zOo/s200/half+dome+2.jpg" border="0" /></a>Yet another quiz in the "Test Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode" series. This time the focus is Yosemite National Park. What do you know about "the Incomparable Valley" as it's been referred to? Find out with the following questions (you can check your answers below)...<br /><br />1. Yosemite Valley was formed long ago by: (a) Noah's flood; (b) an asteroid strike; (c) a great earthquake; (d) a massive glacier.<br /><br />2. The numbers of visitors to Yosemite annually is approximately: (a) 3.5 million; (b) 1 million; (c) 1.5 million; (d) 1.2 million.<br /><br />3. What percent of the park is represented by Yosemite Valley itself (where Half Dome, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, etc., are and most people visit and stay)? (a) 10 percent; (b) 1 percent; (c) 15 percent; (d) 12 percent.<br /><br />4. A park bill protecting the Yosemite area was passed by Congress and then signed into law by which American President? (a) Abraham Lincoln; (b) John F. Kennedy; (c) Ronald Reagan; (d) Bill Clinton.<br /><br />5. Native Americans occupied Yosemite Valley as long as: (a) 800 years ago; (b) 800,000 years ago; (c) 8,000 years ago; (d) 80,000 years ago.<br /><br />6. When non-Indian peoples came upon Yosemite in the middle 1800's, they and the Native Americans who were there: (a) sat down and shared a Thanksgiving meal; (b) suited up and played a game of football; (c) embraced each other and couldn't figure out how they survived without each other for so long; (d) began to fight between themselves which led to the Mariposa-Indian War.<br /><br />7. In the early 20th century, a bitter struggle took place because this city wanted to dam the Tuolumne River inside Yosemite National Park so as to provide itself water to drink and hydroelectric power. This city would eventually get its way which led to the construction of O'Shaughnessy Dam: (a) Fresno; (b) Bakersfield; (c) Sacramento; (d) San Francisco.<br /><br />Answers: 1. (d) 2. (a) 3. (b) 4. (a) 5. (c) 6. (d) 7. (d)<br /><br />(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite">Wikipedia-Yosemite </a>and <a href="http://www.nps.gov/yose/historyculture/">Yosemite - National Park Service</a>.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-29089110481544440452009-07-21T12:31:00.000-07:002009-07-21T12:32:13.268-07:00Test Your Knowledge of Calaveras County<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dQnn51YKvrcummvz-1ih85DvrDFAWVf16jJHB_VOx9IDrG5po4P6rTffeZbyvheibBsMZBXFMG0QD_ULci741Ptdr-mHRKqPXDGyQdegSDTW69WJJyIaAQxeXhTPEHXxjyQGKKs35Fc/s1600-h/skull.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090839311656567298" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dQnn51YKvrcummvz-1ih85DvrDFAWVf16jJHB_VOx9IDrG5po4P6rTffeZbyvheibBsMZBXFMG0QD_ULci741Ptdr-mHRKqPXDGyQdegSDTW69WJJyIaAQxeXhTPEHXxjyQGKKs35Fc/s200/skull.jpg" border="0" /></a>Another quiz coming your way. This time, how much do you know about Calaveras County? Take the following quiz to find out...<br /><br />1. Calaveras County, as a county in the Mother Lode, is thusly named due to what item that was discovered in abundance in the river: (a) gold; (b) frankincense; (c) myrrh; (d) skulls.<br /><br />2. The second biggest gold nugget in the world was discovered in Calaveras County. It weighed 160 lbs. and was found at: (a) Angels Camp in 1848; (b) San Andreas in 1848 (c) Carson Hill in 1854; (d) Murphys in 1853.<br /><br />3. Which authors made Calaveras County famous with their stories: "Jumping Frog of Calaveras" and "Outcasts of Poker Flat": (a) Dr. Suess and Charles Schultz; (b) C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkein; (c) John Grisham and Michael Crichton; (d) Mark Twain and Bret Harte.<br /><br />4. Which hotel in Calaveras County has bullet holes in the doorway due to a past gun battle and it's known for guests like Mark Twain, Ulysses S. Grant and Black Bart? (a) Avery Hotel; (b) Murphys Hotel; (c) Dorrington Hotel; (d) Victoria Inn. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZ8FZbEDcniVY-uM5zKd29KYBt9EOV4WUlqYuPUV9u7GTJ3V6nbBhSsGhfVPviiN2K5Au4nNVKde7WCL95M-E3IoTLTvcDWhEcXccZYnpPGe5bZY10hYomau4fNxsQlfK-DpHXIm6Ffw/s1600-h/frog.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090839191397482994" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZ8FZbEDcniVY-uM5zKd29KYBt9EOV4WUlqYuPUV9u7GTJ3V6nbBhSsGhfVPviiN2K5Au4nNVKde7WCL95M-E3IoTLTvcDWhEcXccZYnpPGe5bZY10hYomau4fNxsQlfK-DpHXIm6Ffw/s200/frog.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />5. In one 17-week period in the Gold Rush era there was an average of one murder per week in which Calaveras County town? (a) Mokelumne Hill; (b) Jackson; (c) Arnold; (d) Angels Camp.<br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_UhOR0b8XrJ4/RqTwBaviQWI/AAAAAAAAAbI/EW4gqZ9QZrc/s1600-h/frog.jpg"></a><br />6. Hangings took place on this tree in front of the courthouse located in the following Calaveras County town: (a) San Andreas; (b) Arnold; (c) Murphys; (d) Mokelumne Hill.<br /><br />7. This famous rich man's father owned the Sheep Ranch Mine in San Andreas. This mine also contributed to his family's fortune: (a) Bill Gates; (b) William Randolph Hearst; (c) Donald Trump (d) King Solomon.<br /><br />Answers: 1. (d) 2. (d) 3. (d) 4. (b) 5. (a) 6. (a) 7. (b)<br /><br />(This test was developed and based on the <a href="http://comspark.com/goldminer-mall/chronicles/calaveras.shtml">Gold Rush Chronicles website</a>.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-20539569715419784692009-06-22T14:13:00.000-07:002009-06-22T14:18:25.652-07:00Test Your Knowledge of Copperopolis<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DfHs3P698IyLNiXfDurFB7evLWezkb5cIGhH03VtK5xcaeefxJ-2YVElQpfVKll6oX5SuvLKsjdI7Vs3q_kuxh7_n_W3fXFs_t2UbdLT9xpYVmkC9OlXv9LT_rcwf8qnZELSH-m11kk/s1600-h/civil+war.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164674429732524210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DfHs3P698IyLNiXfDurFB7evLWezkb5cIGhH03VtK5xcaeefxJ-2YVElQpfVKll6oX5SuvLKsjdI7Vs3q_kuxh7_n_W3fXFs_t2UbdLT9xpYVmkC9OlXv9LT_rcwf8qnZELSH-m11kk/s200/civil+war.jpg" border="0" /></a>To celebrate the grand opening of our newest Sugar Pine Realty office in Copperopolis, I'm coming at you again with quiz #9 in the Testing Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode series. (It's been a while since the last test. Did you miss me? Of course, you did!) Copperopolis is a wonderful community just to the west of Jamestown and Sonora. Yes, it gets just a wee bit toasty in "Copper" in the summer months, but there’s so much more to Copperopolis than that! Let’s find out how much you know about it's history…<br /><br />1. A large discovery of the following mineral was made in Copperopolis (duh!). It is also the town’s claim to fame: (a) silver; (b) gold; (c) salt; (d) copper.<br /><br />2. The following person played an integral part in the discovery of copper in Copperopolis: (a) Hiram Hughes; (b) Howard Hughes; (c) <a href="http://www.hughesfamilies.com/index.cfm?Fuseaction=HughesInHistory">Charles Evan Hugh</a><a href="http://www.hughesfamilies.com/index.cfm?Fuseaction=HughesInHistory">es</a>; (d) <a href="http://www.hughesfamilies.com/index.cfm?Fuseaction=HughesInHistory">Robert Hughes</a>.<br /><br />3. The copper of Copperopolis was a boom for the city. During the 1860s Copperopolis’ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper">copper</a> would be used for the following: (a) piping; (b) frying pans; (c) bullets/shells in the Civil War; (d) electrical wire.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojFJgr_ebBA-8PCE-Nni5sNhyIQz5S2FK35K4QvYjuG1Tb0HwHrbKmEsVExCOHbDYFuRBPUSnF5WXfEM1v4uJdCEAUAW_-8EZykKKcb2UMexZjcmE-toSxICGm6LGncBcZNcoY3NE1Fo/s1600-h/civil+war+3.jpg"></a><br />4. The population of Copperopolis (according to the 2000 census) is approximately 2,300. During the boom time of the 1860s, the population was a whopping: (a) 10,000; (b) 23,000; (c) 5,000; (d) 20,000. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMsrQFeEzx7bhjhP1v_faTgiCLarKtYQiex8A6ufwNU_JN3PIktErhOGCUCuOE3IiRTPBfbLFBzUJUq6HMC6gWvSpxk222W8YQyH4V2T4l0th6tFZgBbJD4amCgGWyC8-TAidY_SLNwM/s1600-h/civil+war+2.jpg"></a><br /><br />5. Copper would be mined from Copperopolis to be used in both World War I and World War II as well. The mines would eventually be closed in 1946. The amount and value of the copper mined in Copperopolis over the years is said to have been approximately: (a) 720 lbs. worth 1,200 dollars; (b) 7,200 lbs. worth 120,000 dollars; (c) 7,200,000 lbs. worth 1.2 million dollars; (d) 72,000,000 lbs. worth 12 million dollars.<br /><br />6. Bricks used to build some of Copperopolis’ first buildings were gained from another Mother Lode town which had suffered a destructive fire: (a) Sonora; (b) Jamestown; (c) Columbia; (d) Groveland.<br /><br />7. The following outlaw began his career just four miles east of Main Street in Coppero<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRb7fwfMDQqWwV_6t5wqMDwOT-KJW8zV157vV7ci7ibaSTQvgcsE9Oz07hDfg-1RjAYQeGATnXHCRh6HopGZyHmtJM8aB0wL_rXa0fYCz90tP4lU7hq6K_doXs3liLdXEz2XOJ8iOLi88/s1600-h/civil+war+2.jpg"></a>polis where he would make the first stagecoach robbery in the history of California wearing an old linen duster coat, two wheat bags over his legs, a flour sack over his head with eye holes cut into it and a hat that had a large point in the center like a clown: (a) Jesse James; (b) Black Bart; (c) Billy the Kid; (d) Al Capone.<br /><a name="history"></a><br />Answers: 1. (d) 2. (a) 3. (c) 4. (a) 5. (d) 6. (c) 7. (b)<br /><br />(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copperopolis,_California">Wikipedia - Copperopolis</a>, <a href="http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/ca/copperopolis.html">Ghost Towns - Copperopolis</a>, <a href="http://www.saddlecreek.com/historic-copperopolis.html">Saddle Creek - Historic Copperopolis</a> and <a href="http://www.malakoff.com/goldcountry/copperop.htm">The California Gold Country</a>.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-39014000790029281522008-12-15T10:12:00.001-08:002008-12-15T10:12:55.350-08:00Snow Visits the Mother Lode<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-DHYLVviT6R7gVRjZejvDDVQInfCdBN8dq2Q0AJGr9DpECFIGroKelS-zy2RgqlUtiqWTms9FYGxr5rnqcdsxh3QPjvJtExROiwuJRVlWEzV4827liARlMQBG701Fd6MI6JM2WKOPm4/s1600-h/PICT0095.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280064551732953794" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-DHYLVviT6R7gVRjZejvDDVQInfCdBN8dq2Q0AJGr9DpECFIGroKelS-zy2RgqlUtiqWTms9FYGxr5rnqcdsxh3QPjvJtExROiwuJRVlWEzV4827liARlMQBG701Fd6MI6JM2WKOPm4/s320/PICT0095.JPG" border="0" /></a>Some of you in the Mother Lode are snowed in this morning? (But, of course, I made it to work!) I've got some quick pictures and a video (see below) of the snow in the Chaparral Heights area of Mono Vista (across from Soulsbyville). Got a little over 4 inches overnight at my house. And with Christmas just 10 days away and the white stuff having made an appearance, did you know how they determine whether it's a white Christmas or not? Any guesses? Here's how they measure it: if you have 1 inch<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-cKH9S3LVH7XvDMI3zm_Ieain-L1V0CBuRuf88Neyjq57Q8SHhxyeUMkoSkjXq0WNI6JO3y7RHMDuh76Z4jk8dezQW68LULCohCAupdGI0JYkVo51anXYWT78bQq0zKmGIRLX-OlDxc/s1600-h/PICT0096.JPG"></a> of snow on the ground at 8 a.m Christmas morning, that's technically a "white Christmas." And so what if you only have 3/4 of an inch? Not good enough. And what if you have no snow at all at 8:00, but you get 15 feet e<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrrKTNxWNqaXWAa1KLeeMLDNTWYzxAlXoTdJG-te8WqevzNmWPD_XGqEuNw3sN6mFEAw0iQGK2ozDz_a9pnHBnhr5Ro2Vrz8_mkBJN_MSLXC69AaJnTLLOhTlJkSSA8BjBqPjQ9em-GA/s1600-h/PICT0096.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280064324900584162" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrrKTNxWNqaXWAa1KLeeMLDNTWYzxAlXoTdJG-te8WqevzNmWPD_XGqEuNw3sN6mFEAw0iQGK2ozDz_a9pnHBnhr5Ro2Vrz8_mkBJN_MSLXC69AaJnTLLOhTlJkSSA8BjBqPjQ9em-GA/s320/PICT0096.JPG" border="0" /></a>xactly at 8:01? Not good enough either. Don't you just love it? I hope you enjoy the pictures and video of the snow. It actually makes me feel like singing (hold your ears): I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, Just like the ones I used to know, Where the treetops glisten, and children listen, To hear sleigh bells in the snow..."<br /><br /><object height="229" width="283"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MSoZ_nhf_g0&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MSoZ_nhf_g0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="283" height="229"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-59919435094556452242008-10-06T10:25:00.000-07:002008-10-06T10:26:13.874-07:00Watch the Sunrise in Yosemite<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkxp_jVEo8CCQ40eBELtqGc5jCMYeI34tVY7LRmBFYm7p9ppZ4McRRr2mqVNgVsLKeQA43TH1Kxoa_L8GukAbtt8ky42_SmjluNxOjwV4zgrftYb7iuqZBtmg1-IWOw3mChDcTxcEdrs/s1600-h/yosemite.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5073343715133549122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkxp_jVEo8CCQ40eBELtqGc5jCMYeI34tVY7LRmBFYm7p9ppZ4McRRr2mqVNgVsLKeQA43TH1Kxoa_L8GukAbtt8ky42_SmjluNxOjwV4zgrftYb7iuqZBtmg1-IWOw3mChDcTxcEdrs/s200/yosemite.jpg" border="0" /></a>Tuolumne County is an area in the Mother Lode like no other. Of course, there are many points of interest that could be highlighted, but probably the most world famous of all is Yosemite National Park. It's right in in our own backyard! Thousands of people visit the park each year, but still there are many others who have never had the chance. But now you can! No, I'm not going to pay for a ticket to fly you out here. Instead, I wanted to let you know about what's called the <a href="http://www.yosemite.org/vryos/">Virtual Yosemite website</a>. I watched a sunrise over Half Dome just this morning on <a href="http://www.yosemite.org/vryos/">Virtual Yosemite</a>! There's also a link towards the bottom of the website that'll take you to <a href="http://www.yosemite.org/vryos/media/timelapse/index.html">Timelapse Webcam Movies </a>where you can view Yosemite during a thundershower or when there's a light dusting of snow taking place - even see the moon rising over the park! Check out <a href="http://www.yosemite.org/vryos/">Virtual Yosemite </a>when you get the chance. You may even want to include the link on your own website or blog.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-61721992835821674462008-07-11T11:46:00.001-07:002008-07-11T11:46:58.710-07:00A Blood Red Sunrise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzsEPSodfdGUiQp9b3MpOTC9bh10bBnJna4MecjPYUG2RvQrdo4TpYnR_3iif_oXAYYYv7K7h5VdbrA74iVeSfFFfjaO-2akiKdRLYuKHz8W-tVnvjsrjNghDGQredTYKnQC-UQ95bpE/s1600-h/PICT0126.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221796384213562274" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzsEPSodfdGUiQp9b3MpOTC9bh10bBnJna4MecjPYUG2RvQrdo4TpYnR_3iif_oXAYYYv7K7h5VdbrA74iVeSfFFfjaO-2akiKdRLYuKHz8W-tVnvjsrjNghDGQredTYKnQC-UQ95bpE/s200/PICT0126.JPG" border="0" /></a>It was a blood red sunrise this morning across the Mother Lode caused by the continuing fires across the Golden State. For those of you that weren't up early enough to see it, I have a picture and a video. The picture (on the right) is taken from the top of Valley Oak Drive in Mono Vista looking in the Twain Harte direction. (Click on picture to enlarge.) The video (below) is taken from my house as the sun appears over the trees.<br /><br /><object height="233" width="283"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OyVRaiHGNrE"><br /> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OyVRaiHGNrE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="283" height="233"></embed> </object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-83375929022911047742008-06-25T11:24:00.000-07:002008-06-25T11:25:15.653-07:00Smoke in the Mother Lode<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyHzn2ZCaG6s2i5dCZ5thYE0pwf499MK36woVpYWxQZuNzZW2PGLyiMupC_43aHFf-wQh3U7qaBzeH9F7WchLvjtY-06GkbBQzhCcyF7j9uAzQgRGwEHUX_TGfN6vK-U8fFPZ0mImhVA/s1600-h/PICT0114.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215853538900847250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyHzn2ZCaG6s2i5dCZ5thYE0pwf499MK36woVpYWxQZuNzZW2PGLyiMupC_43aHFf-wQh3U7qaBzeH9F7WchLvjtY-06GkbBQzhCcyF7j9uAzQgRGwEHUX_TGfN6vK-U8fFPZ0mImhVA/s200/PICT0114.JPG" border="0" /></a>No matter where you woke up in the Mother Lode this morning you likely woke up to smoke. (You'll notice some clickable pictures in this post and a video below of the smoke as it was seen in the Soulsbyville area looking towards Mt. Provo and the Sonora Vista Subdivision, respectively.) The major culprit producing the smoke in the Mother Lode (at least in the immediate vicinity of Tuolumne County) is what has been dubbed the North Mountain Fire located approximately 19 miles northeast of Groveland. According to the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxKCLR3fTWuBqMNqm0YckWQG7J0LU_ThDMqHVdf3kwbtQC33gP2qwtavQLYxM4wOQSkEQedwV1npsF9sXLKpUKgVD76pfNxGWznx00JpoObD53Vmd3tbjImldsYeiC5zUef0FvwpAkKc/s1600-h/PICT0116.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215853243720760930" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxKCLR3fTWuBqMNqm0YckWQG7J0LU_ThDMqHVdf3kwbtQC33gP2qwtavQLYxM4wOQSkEQedwV1npsF9sXLKpUKgVD76pfNxGWznx00JpoObD53Vmd3tbjImldsYeiC5zUef0FvwpAkKc/s200/PICT0116.JPG" border="0" /></a>local radio news this morning, the fire has burned around 645 acres and is 5% contained. And so the smoke we've been experiencing in the air is probably going to continue for some time. The weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday is for a 20% chance of thunderstorms. Let's hope (and pray) the firefighters can get a handle on the North Mountain Fire before then and that no more fires will be started by lightning over the weekend. I hope you enjoy the pictures and the video.<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jNvphRmV9iw" width="283" height="233" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-78075341606453543312008-04-15T15:18:00.000-07:002008-04-15T15:19:32.791-07:00Test Your Knowledge of Murphys<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVykMTMGPnnzf3UvJE-NVotPrB2BDzw6_hbPE7Ux5P9ww_FwZKW_PNlFcg-F6mT3DR4VE3bEpYI6pOmHibOaprYeymZDWGMazET0BAtJ2Pu7glb0EdXkKaKkmq6e5BJWz4QwM35IXb86A/s1600-h/Eddie_Murphy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107113630271128850" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVykMTMGPnnzf3UvJE-NVotPrB2BDzw6_hbPE7Ux5P9ww_FwZKW_PNlFcg-F6mT3DR4VE3bEpYI6pOmHibOaprYeymZDWGMazET0BAtJ2Pu7glb0EdXkKaKkmq6e5BJWz4QwM35IXb86A/s200/Eddie_Murphy.jpg" border="0" /></a>Coming at you again with another quiz. Of course, Sugar Pine Realty has an office to serve it's customers in Murphys in Calaveras County. But how much do you know of the history of that Mother Lode town? It's a "rich" history (no pun intended) just like for every town in the Mother Lode. (Actually, much gold was discovered in Murphys, too!) Find out how much you know about Murphys by trying to answer the following questions:<br /><br />1. The town of Murphys was founded by and named after the following brothers (pick two): (a) John Murphy; (b) Eddie Murphy; (c) Daniel Murphy; (d) <a href="http://www.audiemurphy.com/" target="_blank">Audie Murphy</a>.<br /><br />2. How much gold was mined in Murphys and the surrounding area in the middle 1800s? (a) $20,000; (b) $200,000; (c) $2,000,000; (d) $20,000,000.<br /><br />3. The town of Murphys was destroyed by this type of disaster three times in its early history (1859, 1874 and 1893): (a) mosquitoes; (b) indians; (c) fire; (d) earthquakes.<br /><br />4. One of the oldest continually operating hotels in the state of California is the Murphys Hotel. Some of the folks who have stayed there include: (a) John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy; (b) Ulysses S. Grant and Mark Twain; (c) Bret Harte and John Muir; (d) Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.<br /><br />5. Among the many who were attracted to Murphys during the Gold Rush were the following (famous/infamous?) outlaws: (a) <a href="http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WWjamesF.htm" target="_blank">Frank</a> and <a href="http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WWjamesJ.htm" target="_blank">Jesse James</a>; (b) Joaquin Murietta and Black Bart; (c) <a href="http://www.abacom.com/~jkrause/hickok.html" target="_blank">"Wild Bill" Hickok</a> and <a href="http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outlaws/outlaws/mccarty/2.html" target="_blank">Billy the Kid</a> (d) Pretty Boy Floyd and the Dalton Gang.<br /><br />6. The 2000 census had the town of Murphys at roughly 2000 in population. At the height of the Gold Rush era, the population of the town was approximately: (a) 3000; (b) 750; (c) 1500; (d) 1000.<br /><br />7. A great celebration of heritage takes place each year in the town of Murphys. What heritage is highlighted? (a) Italian; (b) French; (c) Russian; (d) <a href="http://www.murphysirishdays.org/history.html" target="_blank">Irish</a>.<br /><br />Answers: 1. (a) & (c) 2. (d) 3. (c) 4. (b) 5. (b) 6. (a) 7. (d)<br /><br />(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphys,_California" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry for Murphys</a> and <a href="http://www.visitmurphys.com/history.html" target="_blank">History of Murphys</a>.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-42124214608182942342008-03-21T12:41:00.001-07:002008-03-21T12:42:41.864-07:00Test Your Knowledge of Easter<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiao8tzDMrYAb_ou9k8hsSqXwgoi980-cjjzR03oC-PwRJqykTsSWhgq5-zxsTL_d8DgUvvUYVdwtxZE4nwvi-3qzExfklGJJ4L5mz1xP-72x5aJuEg5rGZsbhkrHSWDDPJ9fZg_meCRXo/s1600-h/easter+eggs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180282584998120194" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiao8tzDMrYAb_ou9k8hsSqXwgoi980-cjjzR03oC-PwRJqykTsSWhgq5-zxsTL_d8DgUvvUYVdwtxZE4nwvi-3qzExfklGJJ4L5mz1xP-72x5aJuEg5rGZsbhkrHSWDDPJ9fZg_meCRXo/s200/easter+eggs.jpg" border="0" /></a>We took tests on <a href="http://sugarpinerealty.blogspot.com/2007/11/test-your-knowledge-of-thanksgiving.html" target="_blank">Thanksgiving</a> and <a href="http://sugarpinerealty.blogspot.com/2007/12/test-your-knowledge-of-christmas_10.html" target="_blank">Christmas</a> (click both links to view). Do you remember? So why not one for Easter? Are you pretty up on things surrounding this celebrated day? Let's find out (answers below and page links to where answers were gained)...<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><p>1. Each Easter Americans buy the following amount of Marshmallow Peeps shaped like chicks, bunnies and eggs (of which yellow is the #1 color chosen): (a) 7 million; (b) 70 million; (c) 700 million; (d) 80 million.</p>2. The day of Easter varies from year to year. How is the date determined?(a) mark 12 weeks from Christmas, multiply that by 3, then divide by 2; (b) 7 possible dates are taped to a wall. The Pope then plays pin the tail on the donkey; (c) it is always celebrated on the first Sunday after the blue moon that takes place on or after the vernal equinox of March 21; (d) it is always celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon that takes place on or after the vernal equinox of March 21.<br /><br />3. What percentage of Americans believe that Jesus rose from the grave after having died? (a) 100%; (b) 75%; (c) 50%; (d) 25%.<br /><br />4. Among other things, the use of eggs on Easter stands for: (a) the start of Spring; (b) new life; (c) an empty tomb; (d) fruitfulness.<br /><br />5. The bunny as a symbol of Easter is believed to have it's origins in: (a) Germany; (b) Italy; (c) Israel; (d) America.<br /><br />6. In its infancy Easter was celebrated on changing days of the week. Which political figure ruled that Easter must fall only on a Sunday? (a) Henry the VIII; (b) Julius Caesar; (c) Constantine; (d) Cleopatra.<br /><br />7. The first one to see Jesus alive on Easter Sunday was: (a) an angel; (b) Pontius Pilate; (c) the Virgin Mary; (d) Mary Magdalene.<br /><br />Answers: 1. (c) 2. (d) 3. (b) 4. (b) 5. (a) 6. (c) 7. (d)<br /><br />(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: <a href="http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071022/29797_Most_Americans_Believe_Jesus_Rose_from_Dead,_David_Killed_Goliath_Literally.htm" target="_blank">The Christian Post</a>, <a href="http://easter.123holiday.net/index.html" target="_blank">Easter - 123Holiday.net</a>, <a href="http://www.infoplease.com/spot/eastercandy1.html" target="_blank">Easter Candy Facts</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_egg" target="_blank">Easter Egg - Wikipedia</a>, <a href="http://www.easterbunnys.net/easterbunnyhistory.htm" target="_blank">Easter Bunny History</a>, and <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2016:9;&version=31;" target="_blank">Bible Gateway</a> and <a href="http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Video_Clips&content_type_id=50484&display_order=5&mini_id=1072" target="_blank">The History of Easter</a>.)</div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-45578215123481672432008-01-03T10:04:00.001-08:002008-01-03T10:04:42.850-08:00Preparing for the Storm<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7vvw_u-Aw1EYTLzbc5nPi02UqwP-yx2ZB4qkjBDYV_e00ug81MsZc6iH5VWxkCH46fQyJAB4-s7nM7OJDFQ_p56Jhh4fEQRRCtI2UPv4LcOc0r5_zgiM0ywYx0c8-DUGbAqyd2B585s/s1600-h/snowstorm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5151306945790990370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7vvw_u-Aw1EYTLzbc5nPi02UqwP-yx2ZB4qkjBDYV_e00ug81MsZc6iH5VWxkCH46fQyJAB4-s7nM7OJDFQ_p56Jhh4fEQRRCtI2UPv4LcOc0r5_zgiM0ywYx0c8-DUGbAqyd2B585s/s320/snowstorm.jpg" border="0" /></a>It's supposed to get wet, windy and wi<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOU2X8vGpSDTpwzxinfHEyi96KV7huwiK-U218SK0KJyPWiw0TVIPS9w3YqzWXu320T66ThgfPjjH8OGBBjgxsHQbZtqu9WZHKOWKZ_9MbAgICP5ATEUN0KHrTvj_uOm6E3v0WyY2YUhM/s1600-h/snowstorm.jpg"></a>ld over the next couple of days with a major winter storm bearing down on the Mother Lode. (<a href="http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/ski/map/95372?from=36hour_map" target="_blank">Click here for the latest Doppler Radar</a>.) What better time for another reminder on how to be prepared should the power go out, etc. Got your flashlight? Check. Got batteries in your flashlight? Check. (Duh.) How 'bout a battery-operated radio? Check. And what about extra blankets, bottled water, canned food and a can opener? Check. Check. Check. Check. And then beyond these common sense basics the American Red Cross also suggests the following items that should be a part of any winter emergency and disaster supplies kit: coats, gloves, mittens, hat and water-resistant boots for every person, a first aid kit and essential medications. For more important information and storm preparation tips, visit: <a href="http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_595_,00.html#Kit" target="_blank">Red Cross Winter Storm Page</a>. And most of all, be safe everybody.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-51694190626606010602007-12-28T09:10:00.001-08:002007-12-28T09:12:57.017-08:00Low Snow in the Mother Lode<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpijaRbJDwRpx6evrvC3hO5BX3tYt3tNXQA6CO0_YKbLflK2uJRaDkV3oY-IF_it2xgCZE94Fa2jmbDsr7yV86qWOXeiuqgy8xflhVgPzXatQLic51EF7ySANppW0ciRPuHHP0aIl7WxI/s1600-h/IMG_0930.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149066973776633138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpijaRbJDwRpx6evrvC3hO5BX3tYt3tNXQA6CO0_YKbLflK2uJRaDkV3oY-IF_it2xgCZE94Fa2jmbDsr7yV86qWOXeiuqgy8xflhVgPzXatQLic51EF7ySANppW0ciRPuHHP0aIl7WxI/s200/IMG_0930.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Of course, it snowed last night all the way down to Sonora. I don't know if it went any lower than that. But I've got a couple of quick pictures and a video (click below to watch it) for you to check out the snow at the Sugar Pine Realty Corporate office this morning. It really looks pretty. Where ever you're at today (above 2000 feet) I'll bet it looks the same. It's <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSopnpZiC06W8TgS2RFqenFgholntslikJ0DkWdFeJI0MovsucMGZvwg_Y5CAWe25NRYYemJJJGSnzb-3HEV1wzSrzkzDdwKzZMuJifwkR5kpwQvX5Pp3mCezq0E4VADpIIi15W5-K0kc/s1600-h/IMG_0939.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149066741848399138" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSopnpZiC06W8TgS2RFqenFgholntslikJ0DkWdFeJI0MovsucMGZvwg_Y5CAWe25NRYYemJJJGSnzb-3HEV1wzSrzkzDdwKzZMuJifwkR5kpwQvX5Pp3mCezq0E4VADpIIi15W5-K0kc/s200/IMG_0939.JPG" border="0" /></a>one of the many blessings of living in the Gold Country. We have all four seasons in the Mother Lode. And here are the pictures and video to prove it!<br /></span><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Gn2leRgwnHw" width="285" height="235" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164148427573792994.post-44413864049307299292007-12-10T11:15:00.000-08:002007-12-10T11:17:12.423-08:00Test Your Knowledge of Christmas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpt8PajNVOnFEBMkCEZDvu6j8FXSe_TbzSufR-OXH19oEawAAn-QN4ch-6eXqqySi_8-7p8bh0au5XBsYvqwI75lOTZKVm8ErCSmRLMoZV2PIOx5dOpTyERv-_TzkvADhyYCNb5DEHsI/s1600-h/wisemen.jpg" target="_blank"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5142410191993898594" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpt8PajNVOnFEBMkCEZDvu6j8FXSe_TbzSufR-OXH19oEawAAn-QN4ch-6eXqqySi_8-7p8bh0au5XBsYvqwI75lOTZKVm8ErCSmRLMoZV2PIOx5dOpTyERv-_TzkvADhyYCNb5DEHsI/s320/wisemen.jpg" border="0" /></a>Sing with me: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year. With the kids jingle belling, And everyone telling you, “Be of good cheer,” It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” And I just can’t help but sing. The Christmas spirit’s got a hold of me and won’t let go. How ‘bout you? And I couldn’t help but think what better way to spread some more "good Christmas cheer” like the song says than for (did you guess?) another quiz? So how are you with the subject of Christmas – songs, traditions and other assorted facts? Find out with the following questions (answers below). And most of all, have a Merry Christmas, everybody (2 weeks to go!).<br /><br />1. Who wrote the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and in what year? (a) Eddie Pola, George Wyle in 1963; (b) James Lord Pierpont publ. 1857; (c) J. Fred Coots, Henry Gillespie in 1934; (d) Irving Berlin, 1942.<br /><br />2. The names of the Magi/Wisemen/Astrologers in the Christmas story were: (a) Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego; (b) Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh; (c) Larry, Curly and Moe; (d) none of the above.<br /><br />3. Robert L. May wrote the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Which of the following stories did he look to for inspiration? (a) <a href="http://www.allthingsfrugal.com/duckling.htm" target="_blank">The Ugly Duckling</a>; (b) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol" target="_blank">A Christmas Carol</a>; (c) <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038650/" target="_blank">It's a Wonderful Life</a>; (d) <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059026/" target="_blank">Charlie Brown Christmas</a>.<br /><br />4. The big guy in the red suit and hat that says, "Ho, ho, ho," goes by many names including... (a) <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111070/" target="_blank">Tim Allen</a>; (b) Saint Nick; (c) Father Christmas; (d) Kris Kringle.<br /><br /><div><div><p>5. The official determination on whether or not it's a "white Christmas" is: (a) snow flurries at noon on December 25th; (b) heavy snowfall for at least 10 minutes on Christmas day; (c) 1 inch of snow on the ground at 8 a.m. Christmas morning; (d) 1 inch of snowfall taking place any time between midnight and midnight. </p><p>6. The most famous Christmas Carol of all time is: (a) <a href="http://www.carols.org.uk/o_come_all_ye_faithful.htm" target="_blank">O Come, All Ye Faithful</a>; (b) <a href="http://www.carols.org.uk/away_in_a_manger.htm" target="_blank">Away in a Manger</a>; (c) <a href="http://www.carols.org.uk/silent_night.htm" target="_blank">Silent Night</a>; (d) <a href="http://www.carols.org.uk/a27-joy-to-the-world.htm" target="_blank">Joy to the World</a>.</p><div></div><div>7. One of the most popular/infamous gifts at Christmas is - can you guess? - the fruitcake. (Have you ever received one?) Which of the following facts are true about the fruitcake: (a) 25 is the number of years that a fruitcake can age and still be enjoyed, as long as it has the right preservatives and is stored in a tightly closed tin; (b) 1 to 1 is the ratio of the density of the average fruitcake to the density of mahogany; (c) a little more than 1 in 10 people say they would make time to regift a fruitcake to give it to someone else; (d) all of the above. </div><p></p><p>Answers: 1. <a href="http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/christmas_songs_lyrics_10575/other_lyrics_33314/its_the_most_wonderful_time_of_the_year_lyrics_360403.html" target="_blank">(a)</a> – “b” wrote <a href="http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/christmas_songs_lyrics_10575/other_lyrics_33314/jingle_bells_lyrics_360839.html" target="_blank">Jingle Bells</a>; “c” wrote <a href="http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/christmas_songs_lyrics_10575/other_lyrics_33314/santa_claus_is_coming_to_town_lyrics_360891.html" target="_blank">Santa Claus is Coming to Town</a>; “d” wrote <a href="http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/christmas_songs_lyrics_10575/other_lyrics_33314/white_christmas_lyrics_360306.html" target="_blank">White Christmas</a> 2. (d) 3. (a) 4. (b), (c) & (d) 5. (c) 6. (c) 7. (d)</p><p>(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: <a href="http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/christmas_songs_lyrics_10575/" target="_blank">Christmas Songs Lyrics</a>, <a href="http://www.allthingschristmas.com/traditions.html" target="_blank">All Things Christmas</a>, <a href="http://christmasspirit.wordpress.com/2006/12/19/counting-on-christmas-statistics/" target="_blank">Counting on Christmas Statistics</a> and <a href="http://www.carols.org.uk/" target="_blank">Christmas Carols</a>.)<br /></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0