National Park Entry Fee Waived

National Parks Promotional Council publicized Fee-FREE days
for all National Parks for 2012.

This means that entry into Yosemite National Park is FREE
on the following dates:

Martin Luther King Day Weekend- January 14 -16
National Parks Week - April 21 -29
Great Outdoors Day - June 9
Public Lands Day - September 29
Veterans Day Holiday Weekend - November 10-12






© Copyright 2012 North Fork News

Winter in North Fork

Remember that Christmas Tree from the last blog post?

Well now that the weather is warming up a bit and Spring is fast approaching, I thought it would be a good time to share some of our winter weather photos with you. These were all taken in North Fork during the snow fall of February 12-14th. On Friday February 13th alone, we experienced an unusually large amount of snow falling in a very short period of time. About 1 foot of snow fell in just 3 hours at my home's elevation of 3100 ft. I am sure that the higher elevations got even more than that.

Here are a few scenes of Winter in North Fork:

First some views of downtown North Fork on Main Street. Elevation approximately 2600 ft.


Just as the snow is beginning to stick to the street downtown


Coming down a little harder now ~ Buckhorn Saloon lights


The snow view of Sierra Video from North Fork Hardware


Near the downtown area but up just a little higher in elevation is this view that looks like powdered sugar sprinkled over all the trees in the valley.


View looking toward Cascadel and Whiskey Ridge area

Steep and Deep Driveway

A little higher we go now to about 3000 ft elevation. Just look at the snow piled up on that deck railing!

Deck Covered in Snow ~ Another Christmas Tree too

Nature is always beautiful here in the mountain area, but when it snows it can be incredible.

Colorful Little Daffodils Braving the Snow and Ice

Blue Sky Peaking Through the Clouds

Sun Glistening on the Snow Covered Evergreens

More Sun Breaking through the Clouds onto the Snow Covered Scene

We usually do get a few snow days here in North Fork every winter. Usually only a few inches of snowfall that melts in a day or two. Just enough to be beautiful and keep life interesting. Sometimes, however, we can get quite a bit of snow that sticks around for a week or more. These next two photos show how much and how fast we can get snow on occasion.

My driveway at 8:30am just as it is beginning to snow

Same driveway view approximately 3 hours later! One foot in 3 hours!

Winter in the mountains can be a beautiful adventure. Some days it pays to just stay home and sit by the warm fire in the good old wood stove. There was no way I was going to drive my car out of there anyway.

Wood stove heat warms the house and the heart

Stay warm for the rest of the winter. Spring arrives officially 5 days from now on March 20th. I wonder if Mother Nature reads the calendar.

© Copyright 2009 North Fork News

First Annual Stone Fruit Festival in Clovis

Stone Fruit Festival Orchard Setting


Comfortable Paths and Benches were available


Way back last month the day after the Summer Solstice, we attended the first annual Organic Stone Fruit Festival/Jubilee held in Clovis at the Mokichi Okada Association orchards. We learned of it by invitation and advertisement from Kern Family Farm, our own local organic farmers right here in North Fork. They were there running the children's activity booth.


Hansel Kern and Friends


Creating Pine Cone Bird Feeders at the Kids Booth


Finished Pine Cone Bird Feeders


Cute Bunnies, also at the Kids Booth

At the festival there were about a dozen local organic stone fruit farmers represented. Each had a table and tent canopy nestled amongst the orchard trees and along a nice walking path. Our modest entry fee of $5 allowed us to sample fruit (peaches, plums, nectarines, pluots and apricots) from each farm. Most farmers also had their fruit for sale at the big fruit stand in the front of the event.


Tasting Booths & Tasters



My favorite Sweet & Juicy Peaches



More Tasters Wait Their Turn


We tasted and sampled until we were almost completely full! We then each purchased a bag of organic fruit to take home. All the fruit was priced at $3/lb.


The Fruit Stand


Beautiful Apricots

There were delicious flaky pastries and sweet & tangy paletas (Mexican popsicles) for sale both made from the same organic fruit. The pastries were provided by La Boulangerie de France. The paletas were made by La Reina de Michoacan. We ate some of each even after filling up on all of that fresh fruit. The peach pastry and the plum paleta that I personally snarfed down, were magnificent!


Flaky, Juicy Peach Pastries ~Don't they look good?



Peach, Apricot, Nectarine and Plum Pastries

It was a fun and interesting event. I look forward to attending again next year.





© Copyright 2008 North Fork News

Our Western Wild Horses are in Danger

I read this CNN News Blurb this morning and that lead me to the Let 'em Run website and the video you see above by Lacy J. Dalton, Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg.

The idea that our government would purposely kill healthy beautiful wild horses just to save pasture land for cattle is stupid and saddens me greatly. Our wild horses are part of our western pioneering heritage and belong wild and free on the land. I don't have money or the means to save the horses myself, so I am doing what I can to share their story with as many people as possible. If you can adopt a horse or help them in any way, please do it, and do it soon. Thank you from me and the horses.

© Copyright 2008 North Fork News

Did you feel it?

Earthquake Epicenter at "Tom's Place" near Mammoth Lakes, CA
Click on the photo to enlarge it & Click HERE to follow this map link


Did you feel the earthquake that shook North Fork this morning at about 7:45 am? It was a mild one, only magnitude 4.3 on the Richter scale, but still quite noticeable here in the Mountain Area. The epicenter was located at "Tom's Place" near Mammoth Lakes. The map above shows the regions (by zip code) that reported having felt the shaking.

I felt two distinct quick shakes and rattles in the quiet of my home here at about 3000 ft elevation. Each shake only lasted about 3 seconds. Not the long scary rolling kind of feeling that I had experienced so many times when living in Southern California or the Bay Area. Nothing fell off of my bookshelves. The lamps did not sway. The animals seemed unconcerned. Even so, I am reminded that Mother Nature is still very powerful and more than occasionally lets us know she is there.

More quake info can be found at THIS LINK.


© Copyright 2008 North Fork News

New Life In North Fork - Continued

The other day I heard the loudest commotion in front of my store. Two sparrows up in the redbud tree were chirping excitedly back and forth, obviously announcing something very special was happening.

Knowing how skiddish these tiny birds can be, I practically walked on my tip toes with my camera to check out what all the excitement was about.

As reported in previous postings, the returning sparrows had been building a nest just under the old shake overhang in front of my store. I have been looking daily to see if any new life was appearing, but for weeks it has been rather quiet.

But not today, Dad sparrow was obviously very proud, announcing to the world about the special new life that had just occurred.




Mom sparrow was settled in the safety of the red bud tree, she was excited to, and there was a non-stop excited dialog of chirping going on between the two parents.



As I quietly observed nature unfolding right in front of me, Dad sparrow would occasionally fly off, disappear for a few minutes, and then return with exotic bird yummies in his beak. Obviously, new sparrow babies had just hatched just hours ago, and were impatient and very hungry waiting for Dad.




And, if you look very closely in the nest under the old weather shake shingle, you can see a tiny smiling beak and two birdie eyes. I believe I saw at least three tiny brothers or sisters later.



Hi Mom & Dad, what's for dinner?









© Copyright 2008 North Fork News

New Life In North Fork......Continued

The weather and Springtime has not been cooperating at all this year. It has been miserably cold and unpredictable for us humans for weeks, but still our resident returning sparrows have braved the weather, and have been very busy transporting nest building materials to the nest site. Look closely and you can see two long wing feathers as Mom is tidying up the nesting area.





This year the neighbors and I decided to help out our industrious sparrows, note the mound of nest building material consisting of lint, tiny sticks, fluff, and, string hanging from the red bud tree.



At first the wary sparrows were more cautious than thankful for the scary cocoon looking mound of nest material as it tumbled and twisted in the wind. The sparrows soon discovered, however, that the odd looking cocoon was a much easier way to obtain building materials than darting all over town.

As attested by Dad sparrows mouth full of fluff, our offered up cocoon appears to be a very successful helpful hand.




Here is Father sparrow on the constant look out for danger as Mom is arranging the nest to suit her fancy.




Even Moms need to take a rest occasionally..............




Stay tuned for more reports on our returning sparrow family.


© Copyright 2008 North Fork News

New Life in North Fork

As promised, I am reporting back on the nest building activities under the old weathered roof shake near the corner of my building.

I check daily for activity by the knothole entrance to the nest, but not much has been happening until just recently. A couple of days ago I noticed a tangled remnant of yarn stuffed into the very edge of the knothole. Work on the nest construction has obviously commenced.

Evidence of springtime is everywhere you look. The earth is warming, the tulips in my wine barrel at home are about to explode into blossom, the redbud trees in downtown North Fork will be ablaze with crimson blossoms, and tiny green leaves on the now barren oak trees will be unfolding soon.

Today, when I arrived to open my business, I looked again for any activity near the nest entrance. And, there perched in the redbud tree, just under the knothole, were Mom & Dad sparrow chirping excitedly to each other. One sparrow was slightly built and colorful, the other more rounded and plain. They were obviously partners about to put together a family, and they were checking out the neighborhood.

The sparrows seemed to trust me, so I slowly moved a little closer to get a picture of them chattering at each other. They have just started the nest construction and there will be many more trips back and forth. I may even help them this year by hanging some string and yarn in the tree.

In a few weeks there will be barely audible peeping sounds coming from under that old shake, and tiny feathered heads bobbing up and down under the edge of the roof. I love how nature’s story unfolds right in front of me.

© Copyright 2008 North Fork News