My cousin married his sweetheart in the sunshine, on the Summer Solstice (the longest day of the year), next to the Butte River in Northern California, about 2 hours north of Sacramento. When they said "I do," butterflies flew above their heads and salmon jumped in the river behind them. I am so happy for my cousin and his wife!
Farms Full of Food
The nearest airport is in Sacramento, the state capital. We flew in from points around the country and then drove about 90 minutes through irrigated farms with stick-straight rows of fruit trees, then yellowed ranch lands rolling towards looming buttes (flat-topped mountains). California grows large amounts of food, with farms and ranches worth more money than any other state. California farms grow almost all of the almonds, olives, raisins, and plums in the United States. This year in 2nd grade, we learned a lot about plants, including what foods we like that grow on farms. Using the UN Global Goals, I connected lessons about plants and erosion to issues of hunger and habitat loss. Seeing these crops firsthand made me think about more ways to connect science learning to real-world applications next year, especially by tying in water management issues.
Today Decides Tomorrow
We stayed in Chico, CA, a laid-back college town with Old West vibes. Chico State University's motto, "Today Decides Tomorrow," was creatively displayed in different forms on and around campus. The Hotel Diamond had wood, brick and chandeliers that made me feel like I was visiting during Gold Rush times.
Wildfire Damage
The day of the wedding, we took shuttle vans to Helltown, CA to celebrate love. But along the way, we witnessed signs of the devastation of last winter's Camp Fire, the most devastating fire in California history. The town of Paradise, CA was completely destroyed (while Helltown was spared). I had heard about the fire in news reports, but seeing the landscape in person was sobering. Our van driver described the flames roaring along the canyon at 40 miles per hour, crossing bodies of water and tall bluffs. Where houses once stood, there is now only grass, grown during this spring's rains. Burned car skeletons sit in front of newly-acquired mobile homes, and a historic covered bridge is now just a few large pillars. Many of the biggest trees are blackened and leafless. Read more about the recovery here and here, and learn about the role of climate change in fire intensity here.
