DAY 54 - AVENUE OF THE GIANTS-

TEMPORARY NARRATIVE: Have experienced a difficult day today...pain and tiredness...and a 100 mile drive in SPIA at 5:00 am this morning. To avoid saying something stupid or hurtful, I will now get some rest (is 7:35 pm) and complete this narrative in a few hours during the night...

OK...AFTER 7 HOURS SLEEP IT IS 2:55 AM WITH 65 % MINI BATTERY AVAILABLE AND A TALL HOT CHOCOLATE. MUCH BETTER, THANK YOU.

SPIA IS PARKED AT SUSAN& DAN LEWIS' THE "IMMORTAL TREE", SOME 12 MILES SOUTH ON THE AVESNUE OF THE GIANTS.

SINCE FINDING WE HAD THE WRONG PROPANE TANK - IT WAS FEEDING "LIQUID" PROPANE INTO SPIA'S SYSTEM INSTEAD OF VAPOR, A POTENTIALLY "DEADLY" EVENT, THE BIG 7-GALLON TANK HAS BEEN RIDING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT FOR NEARLY 2 WEEKS...LIKE A BIG "BOMB" NEXT TO ME...MADE ME QUITE UNEASY. SO, AT 5:00AM YESTERDAY, DROVE SPIA BACK 40 MILES TO ARCATA, CALIFORNIA WHERE ON SATURDAY I SAW THE 3-GALLON PROPANE TANK I NEEDED TO FIT INTO SPIA'S PROPANE TANK COMPARTMENT (THEY WERE CLOSED SATURDAY).

HAD TO WAIT UNTIL 8 AM FOR THEM TO OPEN, BUT DID GIVE THEM THE "BOMB" AND INSTALLED THE NEW 3-GALLON TANK.

FEEL RELEASE OF TREMENDOUS PRESSURE WITH THAT "BOMB" GONE.

THEN DROVE BACK TO THE AVENUE OF THE GIANTS, WITH A STOP IN FORTUNA FOR A "STEAK AND EGGS" BREAKFAST AND TO PURCHASE TWO PAIR OF "BAMBOO" SOCKS. WORE ONE PAIR YESTERDAY...THEY ARE FANTASTIC...SOFT AS RAYON, WARM AS WOOL, HOLD THEIR SHAPE (DO NOT STRETCH), AND DID NOT BUNCH UP.

TODAY, I MAY DRIVE BACK TO FORTUNA AND PURCHASE 3 OR 4 MORE PAIR....YES, "BAMBOO". LITTLE FELLOW (HE IS UNDER 3 FEET TALL) TELLS ME HE SWITCHED FROM WOOL TO BAMBOO. THE FIBRES ARE SHORT AND DO ALL THE THINGS I CONFIRMED YESTERDAY(SEE COMMENTS ABOVE).

DURING MY WALK ALONG THE "RIVERWALK", THE UNEVEN TORTUROUS "PATH" TWISTED AND TURNED BOTH FEET, RESULTING IN BOTH LITTLE TOES BEING RUBBED RAW INSIDE MY SHOES...THE BAMBOO SOCKS ALLOWED ME TO WALK THE AVENUE OF THE GIANTS ALL AFTERNOON FOR NEARLY 24 MILES - COUNT 12 MILES TO "REDCREST, CALIFORNIA"

THE ABOVE PHOTOGRAPH IS REPRESENTATIVE OF "THE AVENUE OF THE GIANTS".

RECOGNITION IS GIVEN ALL ALONG THE AVENUE OF THE GIANTS TO INDIVIDUALS, ASSIGNING "GROVES" OF REDWOODS TO THEIR NAME(S)...KINDA LIKE NAMING A STAR OUT IN THE UNIVERSE FOR SOMEONE.

I HAVE DISCOVERED REDWOOD TREES ARE COMMUNAL; I.E., THEY "DO" GROW IN "GROVES"...SOMETIMES GREAT DISTANCES BETWEEN EACH GROVE.

SOME FOLKS ACTUALLY DO LIVE ALONG THE AVENUE OF THE GIANTS...THESE FOLKS FOUND A CREATIVE WAY TO USE THEIR OLD PICKUP TRUCK...A "PICKUP PLANTER".

REMEMBER THE PHOTOGRAPH I "LOST" YESTERDAY OF MY NEW FRIEND, MARTY ?

PROMISED TO UP-LOAD IT TODAY. WELL, ABOUT 4:30 PM ON MY WAY BACK FROM THE TOWN OF REDCREST, CALIFORNIA, WHO BUZZES UP THE "AVENUE" BUT MARTY.

HI BRUCE, I'M MARTY...YES...I SEE THAT...HI MARTY...JUST DECIDED TO DRIVE OUT TO FIND YOU FOR A CHAT... MARTY...YOU ARE TOO MUCH.

WIFE AND I COULD NOT FIGURE HOW TO FIND YOU ON THE NET, SO WE DECIDED SINCE YOU ALWAYS TELL WHERE YOU WILL BE THE NEXT DAY, I'D RIDE ON OUT, FIND YOU AND FIND OUT WHAT WE WERE DOING WRONG.

MARTY AND I CHATTED FOR 20 MINUTES OR SO...IT WAS GETTING DARK IN THE DENSENESS OF THE "GIANTS" WHEN WE FINALLY SAID "GOODBYE". MARTY ROARED OFF ON IS 1300 cc "HOG" (HARLEY DAVIDSON), AND I HURRIED ALONG DOWN THE MOUNTAIN NOT TO GET CAUGHT OUT AFTER DARK.

YOU SEE, PEGGY...YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD...FRIENDS SIMPLY APPEAR EVERYWHERE...JUST GOTTA SAY "HI".

ARRIING BACK AT SPIA, SHE WAS SAFE AND SOUND IN THE PARKING LOT OF SUSAN AND DEAN LEWIS "GOOD SAM" RV PARK (CLOSED FOR THE WINTER) AND - AS SUSAN CALLED IT - OUR "TOURIST TRAP" - FULL OF REDWOOD ART, PRINTS, STONE, AND A SMALL DELI.

CHATTED WITH SUSAN AND DEAN FOR SOME TIME ABOUT LIVING WAY OUT HERE...SUSAN'S CONCERN FOR THE RISING GAS PRICES...THAT'S A BIG RV LOT TO FILL UP...JUST HOPE FOLKS WILL GET OUT AND DRIVE WITH GAS SO EXPENSIVE..AND, DEAN SAYS...WHY NOT PARK HERE TONIGHT UP NEXT TO OUR BUILDING...HERE IS OUR WI-FI PASSWORD, BECAUSE THERE IS NO VERIZON SIGNAL OUT HERE.

THANKS YOU TWO...AGAIN, PEGGY...OUR WORLD IS RAMPANT WITH FOLKS LIKE SUSAN - BORN AND RAISED IN FORTUNA, CALIFORNIA (HOME OF THE BAMBOO SOCKS)- AND DEAN, WHO HAILS FROM THE TIMELESS TOWN OF SCOTIA, CALIFORNIA, WHERE SPIA STAYED TWO NIGHTS AGO.

NOTICE THE LARGE "CHUNK" LIKE A "BIG BITE" OUT OF THIS REDWOOD TREE.

THE AVENUE OF THE GIANTS HAS MANY SUCH TREES. THESE TREES STAND SO CLOSE TO THE HIGHWAY, THAT PASSING VEHICLES - PARTICULARLY TRUCKS- HAVE A GOOD POSSIBILITY TO ACTUALLY HIT THE TREES...SO, CALIFORNIA DOT (DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION) HAS CUT OUT CHUNKS OF THOSE GIANTS TO MINIMIZE COLLISIONS WITH PASSING MOTORISTS.

STOOD LOOKING UP AT THIS SKY-SCRAPER REDWOOD FOR A LONG TIME

TRYING TO FIND A SUITABLE ANGLE TO SATISFY KRAM AND HIS DEMAND FOR IMAGES WHICH "PUT YOU THERE"....ANYONE GETTING A STIFF NECK LOOKING UP ?

THE AVENUE OF THE GIANTS, FOR THE FIRST 12 MILES OR SO IS A TRANQUIL PLACE...NO WIND...HUSHED RUSTLING OF UNDERBRUSH...EVEN THE BIRDS SQUAWK AND TWEET QUIETLY...AND A FEW FLOWING STREAMS...HARDLY NOTICEABLE IF NOT PAYING ATTENTION.

ONE COULD SAY SOME STREAMS ARE "MEANDERING BUBBLING BROOKS" AND BE PERFECTLY CORRECT.

AND, SOME SPOTS AS IF PRODUCED BY MAGIC, OF CRYSTAL CLEAR WATER FALLING DIRECTLY OUT OF THE HILLSIDE - SMALL ARTESIAN WATERS, PUTTING A BIT OF ACTION DOWN UNDER IN A WORLD OF OTHERWISE NECK BENDING GIANTS.

WONDER IF I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT ALONG A GOLD PAN...LOOKS PROMISING, THIS SPOT (YES, I HAVE PANNED FOR GOLD IN CALIFORNIA AND IN WASHINGTON STATE...AND BROUGHT OUT GOLD FROM BOTH PLACES)...ANOTHER STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY.

AM ABOUT TO INTRODUCE A SERIES OF PHOTOGRAPHS...ALL WITH A COMMON CHARACTERISTIC.

AT THE END OF THESE PHOTOGRAPHS, I WILL TELL WHAT I DISCOVERED ABOUT THEM AND THE REDWOOD TREES TO PORTRAY.

IF YOU STUDY THESE PHOTOGRAPHS CLOSELY, YOU WILL BEAT ME TO THE PUNCH.

LOOKED FAR AND WIDE ALL AFTERNOON TO FIND THIS SHOT. THESE REDWOOD TREES PORTRAY QUITE NICELY WITH THE BACKGROUND LIGHTING, THE BRANCHES OF REDWOOD TREES.

PLEASE NOTICE THAT THE BRANCHES GROW NEARLY HORIZONTAL OUT FROM THE TREE TRUNK AND THAT THEY ARE ALL ABOUT THE SAME LENGTH; I.E., ABOUT 30 TO 40 FEET LONG.

THIS FINDING REPEATED ITSELF ALL ALONG THE AVENUE OF THE GIANTS.

AND, I SEARCHED ALL AFTERNOON - AND WAS QUITE SURPRISED TO FIND - THIS CUT-AWAY OF REDWOOD TREE ROOTS, REVEALING THAT THE ROOTS DO GROW NEARLY HORIZONTAL (REDWOOD TREES HAVE NO "TAP" ROOT...A "TAP" ROOT IS A CONTINUATION INTO THE EARTH OF THE VERTICAL TREE TRUNK, SO COMMON WITH MOST TREES - ADDING STABILITY AND "HOLDING" POWER TO KEEP THE TREE FROM TOPPLING OVER)

REDWOOD TREES, HAVING NO TAP ROOT, STAND ON A SHALLOW ROOT SYSTEM SPREADING OUT IN A GREAT CIRCLE ALMOST EXACTLY THE DIAMETER OF THE TREE BRANCHES ABOVE ..SO, THIS AND THE PIC ABOVE IT, FORM THE ABOVE GROUND AND BELOW SYEMMETRY (SP?) OF REDWOOD TREES.

DID NOT READ THIS SOMEWHERE...NO ONE TOLD ME...JUST A PERSONAL OBSERVATION FROM THE ABOVE TWO PICS.

THIS DISCOVERY LED ME TO MY DISCOVERY THE NEXT FEW PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW ABOUT HOW AND WHERE REDWOOD TREES GROW...CAN YOU FIND IT?

SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL ABOUT REDWOOD TREES IS REVEALED IN THIS PIC.

AND THIS PIC, TOO

THIS PIC REALLY GETS TO THE CENTER OF THE OBSERVATION

THIS PHOTOGRAPH...NOT SO CLEARLY, BUT LOOKING CLOSELY, FOLLOWS THE PATTERN.

AND, HERE TOO

INCLUDED THIS PIC...JUST TO GIVE YOUR EYES A REST...THE AVENUE OF GIANTS

LIKE WALKING DOWN CENTER AISLE OF A CATHEDRAL

OK...THAT IS ALL THE PICS FOR TODAY. ACTUALLY, I HAVE OVER 100 MORE PHOTOGRAPHS, BUT JUST HOW MANY WAYS CAN ONE PORTRAY A REDWOOD TREE GOING STRAIGHT UP OUT OF SIGHT STARTING FROM A MASSIVE 10 - 30 FOOT DIAMETER GIANT SPROUTING OUT OF THE GROUND.

OH, BY THE WAY, THE TEXTURE OF THE "BARK" IS SPONGY, BUT QUITE RESILIENT (I.E.,; FIRST MEW MILLIMETERS IS SOFT, BUT THE UNDERLYING BARK IS VERY FIRM)


NOW, FOR MY DISCOVERY - WHICH IS PROBABLY KNOWN TO ALL THE WORLD...EXCEPT TO ME UP TO NOW.

REDWOOD TREES GROW IN "GROVES"...AS CALIFORNIA DOT DEMONSTRATES BY ASSIGNING RECOGNITION OF GROVE AFTER GROVE TO FOLKS (WONDER IF THESE FOLKS "PURCHASE" THESE ASSIGNMENTS, OR IF SOME OTHER METHOD IS USED TO CHOOSE WHO GETS THEIR NAME PICKED FOR THIS OR THAT GROVE).

BEYOND REDWOOD "GROVES", THE ABOVE PHOTOGRAPHS GRAPHICALLY PORTRAY THAT SOMETHING IS GOING ON "WITHIN" EACH GROVE.

NOTE THAT: REDWOOD TREES GROW IN BUNCHES.

ALMOST AS IF THEY ARE SMALL FAMILY GROUPS.

THEIR BRANCHES INTERTWINED.

THEIR ROOTS ARE HOLDING ON TO ONE ANOTHER.

VERY OFTEN, TWO OR MORE MASSIVE TREES SPROUT FROM "THE SAME" ROOT.

THEN, LOOKING WIDER...DISCOVER THAT THESE "FAMILY GROUPS" STAND SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE NEXT "FAMILY GROUP"...NO BRANCHES OVERLAPPING...NO ROOTS TOUCHING.

LESS OFTEN, ONE FINDS A SINGLE REDWOOD TREE STANDING ALONE. ALMOST AS THOUGH REDWOOD TREES LONG FOR AND STRIVE TO BE IN ACTUAL "CONTACT" WITH EACH OTHER.

SO, THIS IS MY GREAT "DISCOVERY" FOR TODAY.

PROBABLY, I"M ALL WET AND AM JUST HALLUCINATING...FINDING PATTERNS WHERE NONE EXIST...

PROBABLY A GREAT SUBJECT FOR A PSYCHIATRIST TO PONDER...JUST WHAT IS GOING ON IS THIS GUY'S BRAIN ANYWAY ! !

I'M CERTAIN IT IS BECAUSE OF MY "HOROSCOPE" RATING...BORN JUNE 30...IN THE MIDST OF "CANCER"...SIMPATICO (AS ITALIAN GIRLS USED TO TELL ME)...OR JUST PLAIN "STAR STRUCK".

I FIND GREAT PLEASURE IN "TOUCH". I FIND GREAT PLEASURE TO "SNUGGLE". I FIND GREAT PLEASURE BEING "CLOSE". I FIND GREAT PLEASURE TO "ADORE AND TO BE ADORED"

SIMPLY PUT, I'M A CRAZY ROMANTIC.

THEN I ASK MY SELF...IF ANY OF THAT IS SO,...JUST WHAT IN HECK AM I DOING OUT HERE ALL ALONE WALKING AROUND THE WORLD.

AS PEGGY SAYS...FINDING "FRIENDS" IN MOST UNUSUAL PLACES...BY JUST SAYING "HI".

JUST WISH IT WAS NOT SO EMOTIONALLY DIFFICULT TO LEAVE THESE WONDERFUL FOLKS BEHIND AS I WALK INTO NEW WORLDS, DISCOVERING THAT REDWOOD TREES MUST BE "CANCERS" TOO.


DAILY UPDATE: WALKED 24 MILES TODAY...COUNT 12;

ALSO DROVE 100 MILES FOR A NEW PROPANE TANK AND A PAIR OF BAMBOO SOCKS.

SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG: CREDIT 12 MILES @ $0.02 PER MILE = $0.24 FOR THE DAY.

IN THE MORNING - ABOUT 2 HOURS FROM NOT (IT IS 4:35 AM), WILL DRIVE SPIA SOUTH ON THE "AVENUE", PARK, AND BY THE END OF THE DAY, REACH ONE OF MY ORIGINAL OBJECTIVES...THE "DRIVE THRU" REDWOOD TREE LOCATED AT MYERS FLAT, CLIFORNIA, 10 MILES SOUTH OF REDCREST, CALIFORNIA, NEAR WHERE MARTY FOUND ME...WHAT A GUY !