Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/234144
6A Daily News – Saturday, December 28, 2013 Agriculture farm & ranch Lack of rainfall turns landscape brown On Christmas Day for their personal knowlKevin took me flying in the edge. The Preface reads "This ranch Cessna airplane, and everywhere we looked it history was begun in 1962 was brown due to the by Keith Lingenfelter of the drought. There was water in staff of the weather Bureau Antelope and Salt Creeks, Office in Red Bluff, CaliforAs WESCENT but Tuscan Springs Creek nia. approached, Al was dry. Nelson and Bob Surprised at Fulton (also on the the number of Weather Bureau orchards we saw staff in Red Bluff) from the airjoined with Keith plane. No wonto fill in blank der walnuts, spots to some almonds and degree and to finprunes conish "Usual and tribute more to Unusual Weather the economy at Red Bluff and than livestock. Vicinity from In 2013, I 1858 – 1970" in measured .9 rain Jean time for use durinches in Januing WESCENT ary, .l in Februwhich began on ary, 1 inch in February 9, 1970." March, 1.7 inchStock men and farmers es in April, .2 in May, .7 in June, 0 in July, August, have lived through droughts October, .7 in September, before. Dry periods since 1872. 1.7 inches in November, and .3 in December with a The only day of the year on bit of snow. A total of 7.3 which no precipitation has inches in 2013, where we ever been recorded is should have triple that August 3rd. On 15 days amount. Seasonal normal is only a trace has been recorded. 22.05 inches. The greatest number of My rainfall measurements in 2012 were: 5.6 consecutive days without inches for January,2.25 in measurable precipitation February, 3.55 in March, (less than 0.01 inch). 160 2.65 in April, May was a days, from June 1 – Novemtrace, .2 in June, 0 in July, ber 8, inclusive, 1949 and August, September, .35 in 157 days, from May 12 – October, 5.4 in November, Oct 15, inclusive, 1886. Some record drought and 9.6 inches in December. periods, 4.95 inches in 333 A total of 26.75 for 2012. We must have had North days, from February 22, Wind every month of the 1959 , to January 20, 1960, incl. year. 1.67 inches in 253 days, My father, Lyman Willard was presented a from February 26, 1966, to copy of "The Weather November 5, 1966, incl. 3.78 inches in 255 days, Story of Red Bluff, California" 1858 – 1970, by the from May 26, 1917, to Febstaff at the Red Bluff ruary 3, 1918, incl. 0.87 inches in 202 days, Weather Bureau. He and my mother kept a record of from June 20, 1956, to Janthe temperature at the ranch uary 10, 1957, incl. During Barton Courtesy photo Tuscan Buttes are on the sky line, and the mountain on far right is Mt. Lassen with no snow on Christmas Day. this drought there were 70 consecutive days, from Nov.3, 1956 to January 10, 1957, incl. with no measurable precipitation, the most on record for midwinter. This was undoubtedly the worst early winter drought ever known here. It was necessary to irrigate orchards and the first blades of winter grasses did not appear until mid- January. 0.87 inches in 80 days, from March 17 to June 4, incl. 1968. Although the growth of winter grasses was much better than normal by March 17, this spring drought resulted in their drying up, perhaps earlier than any other year of record. 0.38 inches in 175 days ending October 15, 1969. 0.27 inches in 202 days ending November 5, 1966. The 10 driest seasons between 1872 and 1970 with a seasonal normal of 22.05 inches were 11.27inches – 1919/1920, 11.57 – 1938/1939, 11.89 – 19/32/1933, 12.02 – 1923/1924, 12.11 – 1917/1918, 12.25 1956/1957, 12.69 – 1963/1964, 12.75 - 1872/18.73, 13 – 1874/1875 and 13.46 inches 1958-1959. The driest five consecutive seasons, with a normal rainfall of 110.25 inches was 1928-19 29 through 1932- 1933 with 79.01 inches of rain. 1872- 1873 through 1876- 1877 with 81.79 inches. The driest two consecutive seasons with a normal rainfall of 44.10 inches was 1872-73, 1873-74 with 29.69 inches and 1958-59, 1959-60 with 29.82 inches. The driest three consecutive seasons with a normal rainfall of 66.15 inches was 1872 through 1875 with 42.69 inches of rain, and 1930 through 1933 with 44.14 inches. The year is measured from July 1 to June 30 at the weather bureau, not a calendar year like mine. Unfortunately Red Bluff lost the weather station to Redding, and we no longer have the hottest place in Northern California in the summer, or an official weather report. *** A week from today is the Tehama County Cattlemen's prime rib Winter Dinner at the fairgrounds starting at 6 p.m. At the door tickets will be $30, but you can still buy them for $25 presale in Red Bluff at Hawes Ranch & Farm Supply, The Loft, Animal Health International (Walco), Red Bluff Bull & Gelding Sale, Golden State Farm Credit (Northern California Farm Credit), Red Bluff and Corning at Rabobank and Premier West Bank, Shasta Farm & Equipment in Cottonwood. More exciting items have been donated for the TCCA and Tehama Co. CattleWomen scholarship auction by generous merchants and friends. I-5 Tire Factory, Inc. has donated a set of 4 Goodyear Wrangler Adventure AT tires. An overnight fishing trip for 4 from Big Bluff Ranch, a leather purse from The Loft, Stay & Play for 4 at Rolling Hills Casino, 7 Red Bluff FFA members will work for 4 hours. Two boxes of 40 pounds each premium Angus beef from Tehama Angus Ranch. 4 box seats in main grandstand for Friday night at the Red Bluff Round-Up. Pine Creek Cattle Co. has donated a western earrings and necklace. Oak Knoll Herefords has a spring pig hunt for two, and Clear Creek Sports has given 4 rounds of Sporting Clays. Rutherford Ranch Winery has donated a half case of Red & White Silver Buckle. Ron Humphey Construction has donated 8 hours of road grading with included mobilization. Alsco, Inc. gave a $ 200 gift certificate. 2 Buds BBQ has given a pound of Ribeye Beef Jerky. Shasta Farm & Equipment has given 1 ton 26-9 Nutrebeef Protein Tubs. Jean Barton can be reached at jbarton2013@gmail.com. Denver Art Museum's Western collection lassos new art By Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Denver Post CARE TO COMMENT? At redbluffdailynews.com, scroll to the end of any story, click the link and type away. News tip? Call 527-2151 FREE ENROLLMENT HELP Covered California Affordable Care 530-840-6611 805 Walnut Street Red Bluff Corner of Walnut & Jackson Lic# 0573654 Even in a state like Colorado, where cowboys remain kings and bears still stop traffic, Western art must lasso its own place in the cultural landscape. A major museum has to work hard to build a collection of century-old mountain sunrises and desert sunsets, especially when it's the modern and contemporary galleries that get all the attention these days. But the Denver Art Museum has made Western art its mission, and stuck to it. DAM is the only major museum in the country to have a department dedicated solely to the genre and it has given over serious square footage for the display of Frederic Remington, C.M. Russell and other legends. The in-house Petrie Institute of Western American Art, founded in 2007, has strengthened the effort with scholarly research on the painters and sculptors who have made the region their muse, building an endowment of about $7 million. All that work paid off like a gold strike last week when local businessman and collector Henry Roath officially handed over 50 of his prized possessions to the museum. The gift added nearly 10 percent to DAM's collection, which has been growing in bits and pieces for a dozen years. But it doubled its importance overnight. Roath, a retired lawyer and banker, is a picky and focused collector. He didn't just acquire a Thomas Moran, he bought Moran's "Sunset, Green River Butte," a glowing 1916 landscape that may be the revered painter's best effort. He didn't pur- ington's bronze "The Broncho Buster," including the rare "Wooly Chaps" version, as well as the rideron-horse "Pursued," by Alexander Phimister Proctor, who Smith praises as "the most important artist to come out of Denver." There are two paintings each from Charles Patridge Adams, Albert Bierstadt, E. Martin Hennings, William Herbert Dunton and Maynard Dixon, plus important solo pieces from Walter Ufer, Thomas Hart Benton and George deForest Brush. That Roath focused on attaining one or two exceptional works by the West's biggest stars makes his gift "a perfect match for a museum," which is interested in holding high-quality paintings it can display, rather than owning multiples that end up in storage, according to Smith. And that DAM has worked so hard to establish its Western art credibility makes the gift logical. Collectors often hope to park their wares somewhere at the end of their run and they need a repository, like DAM, that has proven its scholarly intentions by issuing a major publication every year, and that has achieved a level of financial stability they can trust. It helps that the museum gets a millionplus visitors a year, guaranteeing the work will be seen. For DAM, which considers regional collecting part of its mission, a decade of careful museum strategy has paid off. Prior to 2001, it had just "a handful" of Western works, Smith said. Now it has 600. With Roath's masterworks in the mix it can begin trading off its lesser pieces to expand the collection's geography, perhaps into far West works from California painters. chase any old Ernest Blumenschein, he got the 1920 treasure "Landscape with Indian Camp." "That's one of the great moments in that collection and it certainly will be important to Denver's holdings" said Andrew Walker, director of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas, which has its own much-admired collection. The Roath pieces have actually been on loan to DAM since 2011, as a sort of run-up to the donation, so the strength they add is already evident on the museum's walls. The collection runs particularly strong in Southwestern art. "There is at least one major work by every member of the Taos Society," said Thomas Smith, who directs the Petrie Institute and is overseeing the transfer and display of the new additions. The Taos Society, which gathered in Taos for a decade starting in 1915, was known for capturing local landscapes and culture through a framework that combined both formal and indigenous traditions, and for putting New Mexico on the international art map. It was instrumental in introducing Indian cultures, in a dignified way, to the national population. Among its members' pieces now in DAM's hands: E. Irving Couse's "Moonlight in Taos," a painterly depiction of an Indian reclining under a full moon, Oscar E. Berninghaus' "Indians Threshing Wheat," and W. Herbert Dunton's crowd-pleasing "Black Bears." There are six works by Joseph Henry Sharp. But the Roath gift is broad and includes three-dimensional works, too. There are two editions of Rem- Tehama District Jr. Livestock Annual Meeting Thurs., Jan 16th 6pm held in the Tehama Ro @ Tehama Districom t Fairgrounds Dr. Art All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened Members Welcome 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check $ starting at + 25958 $ 25 certificate (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. Sutfin Large Animal Mobile Veterinary Practice (Serving the North State) Cell: 530 227-1459 Office: 530 934-3801