“Does anyone know why there are so many dead fish on the beach at Washoe Lake?”

We received this info from State Parks:

“According to the fisheries biologist from the Department of Wildife the fish are dying off due to the low lake levels and warm water temperatures. The fish are basically oxygen starved. Wildlife says there are too many fish competing for oxygen in too small a space. The small fish on the beach are Sacramento Perch. We are trying to pick the dead ones up the birds don’t eat and dispose of them.“

Donna Silva
Washoe Lake (State Park)

I suspect as the lake evaporates, this will continue- ed.

Meanwhile, here in Washoe Valley, we saw a 2 inch scorpion roadkill today on our walk and are cursing the burr buttercup that is springing up all over that will soon be the bane of any dogs paws.

There’s a tenet in the cowboy mentality that takes pride in doin’ what needs to be done, even if you have to do it yourself.

The common cowboy answer to “How did you… 1) get that lump? 2) lose your eyebrow? 3) get that scar? or 4) tear off your pantleg?” usually begins with “I was by myself when…”

Fence stretchers, 4×8 sheets of plywood, twitches, a handyman jack or squeeze chute are often accomplices in the injury. In ol’ Bud’s case it was an aging Isuzu pickup. A relic of the occupation of Japan, some might guess. It was your typical Nevada ranch truck; a diesel with dents in the fenders, a crack in the windshield and a deer guard on the grill. The bed carried a saddle, rope, plastic bucket full of shoein’ tools, a pile of wadded up baler and twine, as well as oats sprouting in the corner.

Bud had some cows on a little place at the north end of the Washoe Valley. Almost every day he drove out to check them. The starter on his truck was acting up, but he knew that the morning he headed out. “No sweat,” he thought, “I’ll just leave it running all the time I’m checkin’ the cows and doin’ the chores.”

Shurnuf, as soon as he pulled up to the corrals, he shut off the key…” Dagnabbit!” he said in this G-Rated column. It was just habit, I’m sure. “No problem,” he kept repeating to himself after cranking the ignition. He went over and retrieved the backhoe from the shed. He drove behind the stalled Isuzu and nudged up to its bumper with the loader bucket. Then he dismounted, put the Isuzu in neutral and turned the key to the on position. You can see his plan, of course; a brilliant way to single-handedly save the day.

Back in the tractor seat he started pushing the pickup. But not so fast that he couldn’t set the throttle, jump out, catch the pickup, and pop the clutch. Which he did. Nothing happened except he bent the tailgate.

“Not fast enough,” he concluded, jumped out, ran back to the tractor, advanced the throttle, picked up speed, jumped out of the tractor, raced back to the pickup, put it in second gear, dumped the clutch and it started.

Pleased with himself, he parked the truck off the side, out of the way and debouched to catch the backhoe, which had hit a dirt mound and was now bearing down on the Isuzu. It all seemed to proceed in a slow motion as Bud watched the impending collision thinking, “I wonder which one I should…?” But by then it was too late.

He walked up to the neighbor’s house sweating and breathing hard. The brim of his hat was hanging down around his neck and an odd scrape ran across the side of his face.

“How did you…?” asked the neighbor.

Baxter Black, author, cowboy poet and former large animal veterinarian, lives in Benson, Ariz.

“Goal: To work cooperatively with landowners, as well as university, federal, state and local government entities to identify and control the spread of noxious and invasive weeds in our valleys.”

Check out the website for the Washoe/Pleasant Valley Cooperative Weed Management Area group. A link will be in the “Links” section named “Weeds”.

In addition to the official noxious weeds this group is interested in, Washoevalley.org is also interested in identifying and fighting less “threatening” “obnoxious” weeds that grow so well in our yards. See our special page on obnoxious weeds. Have a weed you would like help identifying? Write us and let us know.

A real Cowboy- Easy Rider

Originally uploaded by Kathy~

I was just doing some mindless exercise and my mind wandered to something I read about in, I think, Montana. A group of folks who like to dress up in their period western duds and celebrate the old west and another group made up of artists get together.

One group poses and the other group takes reference photos for their paintings, drawings, sculptures, I hear. The annual get together has gotten so popular that it is now by invitation only and attended by some of the country’s greatest western artists.

Could we do this? We seem to have the ingredients, terrain, scenery and props. It could tie in to the big western art show in Reno every year. It would be a lot of fun for equestrians, reenactors and artists/photographers.

Are you interested? let me know by writing washoevalley@gmail.com or “email the editor”.

“During a two-day burn in Little Valley, just west of Washoe Valley, the Nevada Division of Forestry conducted a controlled burn of wood piles from previously thinned forest lands. The NDF helicopter inserted two 12 person crews one day and 130 piles were burned. On day two the helicopter inserted three 12 person crews and 250 piles were burned. A total of 380 piles burned, an effort which helps enhance forest health in the Sierras. “

This is a cool area, a little valley secluded above Washoe Valley. The US Forest Service, Nevada State Parks, UNR and local Catholic Church are the principle property owners up there and are working to lower fire danger but uphold the unique character of the area.

We try to hike up there a couple of times a year as the “powers that be” keep gates closed to motorized vehicles. By the time we get there we have barely enough energy and daylight to explore, but it is a pretty neat area.  If you have the ability you can mountain bike from Spooner Lake to the west, over the ridge, through the valley and down to Washoe Valley. We have not done that but we did hike from “Tahoe Meadows” or “Sheeps Flat”, the big meadow on the Mount Rose Highway (431) down to Washoe Valley once which was really cool but hard on the knees. Check out our “gallery page” for photos from the area.

Interment will be in the family plot at Lone Mountain Cemetery in Carson City. At his request, there will be no services. Donations may be made in his memory to: Range Conservation Foundation, attn: Ed Depaoli, Box 1595, Carson City Nevada, 89702.