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“He may be just a tramp, a guy that likes to roam about this great country without any special aim, just to thank the Lord for these beautiful mountains.”
-B. Traven, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

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“. . .here, where there are still the silences and the loneliness of the earth before man, . . .”

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Recently Read
- Indian Head Test Pattern (1939)
- Eating Poison Oak
- Sulfur Mountain Oil Seeps, Ventura County
- The Sisquoc Falls: A Little Known Region in California Explored (1884)
- Carrizo Plain Wildflowers: Temblor Range, San Luis Obispo County
- On Adventure
- The Bandit of Ballarat
- Native American Cupule Boulder Discovered
- The Origin of the Name "California" and the Island Myth
- Burro Schmidt Tunnel and Shanty (1906-1930s)
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Latest Dispatches
- The Exceptional Sundowner Winds of Santa Barbara
- Lobster Poachers?
- Dick Smith on Forest Access
- Old Mission Sycamore Whacked Again
- Bald Eagle, Manzana Creek, San Rafael Wilderness
- When Rains Fall, Will USFS Close Our Forest? The Coming El Niño
- Language of Forest Closure; Assault on an Ancient Right
- March of the Mustard; The Spread of Noxious Weeds
- Mark of Conquest II: Benchmark and Mortar
- Save Old Mission Sycamore … __ __ __ …
- Raking the Forest: Anderson, Trump, Kuyper
- Initials of J.D. Reyes (1907)
- Last California Grizzlies Seen In Santa Barbara National Forest? (1926)
- Eccentric Artifact, San Marcos Foothills Preserve
- Fog Drip Morels
Lunar Phase

Tag Archives: History
Old Mission Sycamore Whacked Again
As dead as it looks, that stump is still very much alive, although the tree may have been cut down decades ago. The old sycamore stump sprout has been razed yet again. A maintenance worker apparently snipped it off when … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged History, Landscapes, Natural History, Nature, Old Mission Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Sycamore, Sycamores, Tree City USA, Trees, Wildlife
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2 Comments
Mark of Conquest II: Benchmark and Mortar
Mortar, benchmark, cupules. In a previous post we wrote about a United States Geological Survey benchmark medal adhered to a Chumash mortar stone, adjacent the Santa Ynez Mountains along the southern-most edge of Santa Barbara County. Here we call attention … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Anthropology, Archaeology, Artifacts, Benchmarks, Chumash, Cupules, Cuyama, History, Indians, Native Americans, USGS
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Save Old Mission Sycamore … __ __ __ …
The sycamore sprout on the tree that refuses to give up. For years I’ve watched from the window of my passing vehicle the historic sycamore stump adjacent Santa Barbara’s Old Mission resprout, and get whacked. Every time the tree pops … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Historic Landmarks, History, Landscapes, Nature, Old Mission Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Sycamore, Symbiosis, Travel, Trees, Wildlife
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4 Comments
Initials of J.D. Reyes (1907)
J.D. Reyes served the length of his duty as a United States Forest Service ranger, from 1900 to 1931, in Santa Barbara National Forest, later renamed Los Padres several years after his retirement. When his family first settled in the … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Adventure, Anthropology, backcountry, Caves, Hiking, Hiking (2), History, J.D. Reyes, Los Padres National Forest, United States Forest Service, Wilderness
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5 Comments
Naming Santa Barbara’s Modoc Road
Walking tracks, west of town. Keep on keeping on. This offering relates to the preceding, Mark of Conquest; Benchmark and Mortar. The previous post mentioned the Modoc War of 1872-73 in California. Emphasis has been added below to highlight portions … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged American Indian Wars, History, Hope Ranch, Indians, Modoc Indians, Native Americans, Place Names, Santa Barbara, Street Names, Walker A Tompkins, Yankee Barbarenos
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