Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/670450
IwaslisteningtoTom Sullivan on KFBK, Mon- day afternoon and after the 16th "You know" in her conversation, all I could think was "Lady, you need to join Toastmasters." The Red Bluff group, Sunrise Speakers, meets at noon Thursdays at Syc- amore Center, 220 Syca- more St. The members will help you get rid of the "ums," "ahs" and "you knows" in your conversations. Wish I had joined earlier in my presidency of organi- zations because you also learn how to conduct a meeting, since we didn't have girls in FFA dur- ing my school years. FFA teaches students parlia- mentary procedure. EllingtonPeek to be honored The Shasta Histori- cal Society has invited the public to a free program featuring Ellington Peek, the man behind the Shasta Livestock Auction Yard and Western Video Mar- ket. It will be Saturday, May 14 at the Historic Cascade Theatre in downtown Red- ding at 1:30 p.m. A no host cocktail hour will follow the program. Tehama County Cat- tleWomen had originally planned to enjoy a lun- cheon at Highland Ranch Resort, Childs Mead- ows on the 14th. When we heard about Ellington be- ing honored by the Shasta Historical Society, our date was changed to Sun- day, the 15. Reservations for the luncheon must be made by May 7, at 351-3508. The so- cial hour on the deck of the restaurant will be 11 a.m. followed by a buffet luncheon at noon, for $25, tax and tip included. The cattlewomen in- vite friends and family to join them for lunch at the Highland Ranch Resort. Reno Rodeo The Reno Rodeo had an entry in the Round-Up Parade, and invite peo- ple to come to their rodeo. Thanks to Mt. Lassen Mo- tor Transit, you can join your friends on a fun filled trip, without having to drive. They have reserved your hotel room at the Sil- ver Legacy Resort and Ca- sino, and secured the ro- deo tickets. You are not in Can- ada. Therefore you can en- joy the beverages of your choice as you leave the driving to the bus driver. Don't forget your ice chest for the trip. People comment about my being able to travel, and this is one of my se- crets that you can also en- joy. Sunday, June 19 at 7:45 a.m. leave Red Bluff's Tractor Supply parking lot. Return June 20 at 7 p.m. Reno overnight with Silver Legacy Resort and Casino and Reno Rodeo tickets. Single is $146.50 and two to a room $121.50. For reservations, call Mt. Lassen Motor Transit at 529-2722 Each year the Reno Ro- deo has a cattle drive from Doyle, California to Reno, Nevada. It starts the evening of June 12 and concludes on the 16th at high noon as they drive the herd to the rodeo grounds, corner of Oddie and Sutro. The guests are required to dress Western, with cowboy hat, long sleeve shirt, denim jeans and cowboy boots. The instruc- tions included the follow- ing: "So there is no con- fusion, you may not wear baseball caps, English rid- ing attire, shorts, kilts, midriff shirts, tank tops or other contemporary cloth- ing at any time during the drive. Members of the me- dia will cover the cow- boys and girls along the 65 miles and want the guests to be authentic as possible. A photographer will be on the ride, and post pictures on a special website for you to purchase." They will camp at places where there are cor- rals available for the cattle at night. Since the gear is car- ried in an authentic 1800s wagon, clothes and per- sonal items must be in a soft sided duffel bag. You must be able to carry your bag. A cowboy bedroll is re- quired. A large piece of waterproof canvas, a foam pad, sleeping bag rated at least 10 degrees, and some straps for securing the bedroll. But limited to 40 lbs of gear including bed- roll, tent and duffel bag. They suggest a small, light, backpacker-type tent with rain fly, that is easy and fast to put up. The suggested cloth- ing included 2 or 3 pairs of Wranglers, and to get them a little long so they hang down over your boots when in the saddle. 4 or 5 long sleeved cotton shirts with a tail to stay tucked in. A yellow saddle slicker that will cover you while in the saddle. The heavy vinyl rain jackets and you will have a pool of water in your saddle. The cowboy hat is a mandatory part of the gear. Cowboy hats are practical piece of gear, protecting you from sun and rain. "Please make sure it fits well enough to not blow off in wind. Please con- sider buying a stampede string which will keep your hat on your head. Felt hats are best. Straws are okay, but will blow off." Saddle bags are not al- lowed, but you can bring a pommel horn bag if you wish, for water and acces- sories. Hot portable showers will be provided, but bring a flashlight to find your way to and from your tent. All horses are provided by Frontier Pack Train, and you cannot bring your own horse on this trail ride. The horse wranglers will keep your horse fed, watered and saddled dur- ing the ride. The application wants to know your horse expe- rience. A. Eight hours in the saddle is no big deal, and I can handle and enjoy my- self on any horse. I am an experienced trail rider and have ridden many times. I know how to change leads and the difference be- tween a cantor, a lope and a trot. B. I can get a horse to walk, trot and lope with- out any problem, but I'm not ready to enter the pro class in the West Coast Cutting Horse Finals. C. I have ridden some, although not very often. I understand the basic me- chanics of go, stop and turn and can stay in the saddle. D. I have ridden once or twice and done OK. E. I have never ridden a horse, but am looking for- ward to a new experience and a great vacation. Applications for the 2016 Cattle Drive were taken in February and March 15 was last day to cancel and request a re- fund. The cost was $2,000 per person. This includes your horse, all meals, ground transportation and a lot of fun. Tough Enough During the Red Bluff Round-Up Sunday, which was the annual Tough Enough to Wear Pink event, a VIP rodeo package was auctioned off. Mueller Trucking of Red Bluff pur- chased it for $14,000. The package included Wran- gler National Finals Rodeo tickets, a two night stay in Las Vegas, a transpor- tation voucher with a lim- ousine, Southwest Airline voucher and more. Monies raised during the Round- Up's "pink" campaign go to breast cancer treatment at the St. Elizabeth Imag- ing Center. I was so pleased that Red Bluff was chosen by the Budweiser Clydes- dales as one of their stops, thanks to Foothill Dis- tributing. My favorite ads on television feature the Clydesdales each year at Super Bowl time. The Wild Horse Race was wild, and Red Bluff's Larry Smith of PhotoFast had a picture of the team wearing pink shirts, that has been shared nearly 400 times on FaceBook. The horse is on his hind legs, and the man is up by his head. A great photo, Larry. Good to see Cotton Rosser on horseback, when the three mares and their foals were turned loose in the arena. The mutton busting and wild pony rides were new features at the 95th an- nual Red Bluff Round-Up. JeanBartonhasbeen writing her column in the Daily News since the early 1990s. She can be reached by e-mail at jbarton2013@ gmail.com. JEANBARTON Help for those who struggle with public speaking CONTRIBUTEDPHOTO The Budweiser Clydesdales were at the 95th Red Bluff Round-Up. YUBA CITY California or- chardists say cold temper- atures, high winds, and heavy rains in March took a severe toll on the 2016 prune crop. The abnormal conditions in March disrupted polli- nation resulting in a much heavier than normal shed of the developing fruit in just the last 2 weeks. The over- all bloom was strong and growers expected a good crop, but this very heavy loss of the initial fruit set could result in a crop that is less than half of normal. Much of the bloom was impacted by the winter- like storm in the first half of March. Some orchards experienced up to 8 inches of rain and heavy winds blew petals and pollen out of the trees. Wind, rain, and cold temperatures also prevented bees from flying. Rain washes pollen away and cold temperatures dis- rupt pollen tube growth. Usually during bloom each year more than 20% of the blossoms pollinate and become developing fruit. This year some Uni- versity of California Coop- erative extension test blocks in the Yuba City area show only 2% to 12% of the blos- soms growing into fruit in the lower half of the trees. "By the first of May we usually see that 20 to 40% of the blossoms set," says Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Farm Advisor for Yuba and Sutter Counties. "This year even some well cared for or- chards have only 25 to 30% of a normal crop." Some orchards that bloomed later in March ex- perienced better weather and flowers in the tops generally bloomed later. Niederholzer suggests that growers should get an ac- curate fruit count from top to bottom of representative trees to determine the ac- tual crop load and adjust their cultural practices ac- cordingly. "Hopefully growers find a better set in the tops of the trees so there are enough prunes to warrant picking," Niederholzer said. Prune production in California averages about 2.3 dry tons per acre. Most growers consider yields of less than a half ton per acre a complete loss as the wear and tear on the trees, and the management and cost of harvesting and drying is more than the value of the fruit. "Whilegrowersandindus- try members are still evalu- ating the crop loss, the ini- tial take on the crop is pretty grim,"explainsGregThomp- son, general manager of the Prune Bargaining Associ- ation. "It takes about 800 prunes per tree now to de- liver a crop of a half dry ton per acre at harvest. Many growers indicate they are having a tough time find- ing even half that amount. If that's the case, the crop willfallevenshorterbecause many orchards will not be picked at all." The loss comes at a bad timefortheCaliforniaindus- try. Research continues to demonstrate the wide range of health benefits of eating California prunes, yet poor yields in the past have dis- couraged growers and some have opted to remove older prune orchards and replace them with other tree crops. Lack of supply has also in- creased imports of prunes and growers worry about foreign product without the same high production stan- dards required of California growers taking the place of California grown prunes. 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