Twain Harte TimesTwain Harte Information & Photo Gallery

I know it’s Memorial Day weekend and am proud of the men in my own family who have served in the military but  I’ve had my eye on Father’s Day. I want to teach my son the importance of giving honor to his father.

Quiet Time Coupon

I had such a lovely Mother’s Day with my family. I am so- hoping for an encore. This Father’s Day, we’ve invited the grandparents to our newly found treasure, the Willow Steakhouse & Saloon in Jamestown, CA. I really believe this restaurant is one of Tuolumne Counties best kept secrets.

We ordered the Steak and Lobster for our Entrée; a moderate portion of – grilled to perfection – Australian Rock Lobster tail, accompanied by — I believe it was Filet Mignon (I have a menu here somewhere, I’ll check on that).

In my wildest dreams, I would never have thought such an excellet cuisine could be found, in such rustic surroundings. If you are looking for a romantic rendezvous, this is not it. The room was rather loud at times but I rather enjoyed our cozy little booth, which gave us an illusion of privacy. I didn’t seem to mind or notice, until it was time to leave.

I ordered a Strawberry Daquiri, the men had raspberry tea, the drinks were acceptable. The highlight of my trip followed with warm sour dough bread served with cheese fondue that enjoyed way too much of and I would do it again in a New York minute. I tried to recreate it here at home — it was a total disaster. I called to see if I can order the cheese fondue to go. I am happy to report, I can and I will — very soon.

By the time the clam chowder arrived at the table, we were all wondering how we were ever going to make it to the entree. We were determined so, we  pressed on. The clam chowder had a delightful flavor, possibly from the onion, it had a lot of onion. The flavor was perfect but the texture wasn’t to my liking. The men devoured theirs and half of mine. It was great with the sour dough bread, which I had seconds on – of course.

I’ve been putting together some colorful Father’s Day coupons for the kids to give to dad. It’s a neat little novelty that we pull out at our house from time to time. It’s easy to get caught up in the wear and tear of daily life. These coupons are a gift not only to the father but for the son as well. We can never give our children enough of our time. I’ll post a link, when I have the page up. You will find a sample here.

Be sure you are creating some lasting memories this Father’s Day with the kids. Nothing can tear apart a strong family. We’ve weathered some rocky waters in our 13-years together and to be sure we’ll weather a few more along the way. We all need the good times to carry us through the bad ones.

I’ve also been adding to my growing list of Father’s Day links. Be sure to check them out.

The town has swelled in numbers as is usual for Memorial Day weekend. I had a good chuckle yesterday. You would have thought it was Friday on a holiday weekend. I could hardly believe how many people were shopping at the Twain Harte Market.

Twain Harte Memorial Day Parade 2004

As I was checking out the produce section, I overheard one man telling another that it snows every month of the year here in Twain Harte. I don’t recall it actually snowing here in Twain Harte during the months of July and August but a little further up the hill and he would have it just about right.

I hope you brought your warm woolies this weekend, temperatures have been dipping down into the 40’s at night.

I’ve been talking to my mother, who still resides in Michigan. Here she is complaining about the heat and how temperatures have been in the 80’s. In fact, she finally turned her air conditioner on yesterday. It was just last week we put our portable heaters back in storage. So, with only one heater left here at the house, it’s been more than a little chilly.

The Twain Harte Lumber Store still has plenty of pellets if anyone is in need. I stopped in just yesterday and picked up a few extra bags to get us through the week. Temperatures are supposed to be down in the 40’s all week long. I can wait for the summer heat to hit.

Have a happy Memorial Day weekend. If you are looking for things to do this weekend, visit Annette’s Favorite Links.

Stellar Jay with a Peanut

What a beautiful day in Twain Harte. It’s 77° out, the birds are singing and I would be perfectly happy, if I didn’t have to be on the look-out for the census takers. 

I wouldn’t want their job for all the tea in England, especially the census workers, stuck working in these parts. Let’s face it the job has to be a nightmare. Many of the “houses” up this way are rustic cabins that have people coming and going for most of the year.

Those of us who do live here, can’t receive mail at their homes — a post office box is essential. So, all the census forms that were delivered to our homes, were all returned to sender, which means the foot soldiers have their work cut out for them.

Add to an already impossible situation, the fact that many who live in the area really do value their privacy and refuse to submit to yet another government intrusion and you’ve got an recipe for miscalculation and lots of errors.

This will be my fourth census and I don’t ever recall speaking to so many people, who are so opposed to a census as they are with the 2010 Census. Many of the individuals I spoke with, simply threw them in the trash.

Our family doesn’t mind being counted – we’ve always provided the number of people in our home, which we feel is important for redistricting purposed. As for the rest of the “required” data — it’s simply more government intrusion into our privacy.

Oh and just for the record. An individual can be fined $5,000 for refusing to participate in the census. However, if you partially complete the form and return it, the fine is only $100. I think that’s more than fair. I would rather pay a $100 fine than give up our privacy. The note left on our door assured us that the data would be kept confidential (under penalty of law). What a crock.

Historically, census data has been used for many nefarious reasons. Don’t buy the lie. Our government sells snake oil in the desert too.

So, be on the look-out for nosy little census takers. The census taker who showed up at our door, walked all the way around our house — and me without a gun. Darn! I’m not sure what he was hoping to find but we provided all the information we intend to provide.

Have you received a census form? What did you do with it?