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Join us on our Facebook Page
Starting December 1st and going through December 18, Truckee Community Christmas will be collecting food, coats and toys for financially struggling families in the area.
Look for our collection barrels throughout the community with our signature red square logo for food donations. (Safeway is always a safe bet, and they have pre-made holiday bags of food you can purchase for your donation.)
Coats will be collected by The Church of the Mountains UMC in downtown Truckee and Sierra Bible Church on Brockway Road.
Lynn Richardson and Brooke Bentley at the La Galleria shop in Old Downtown Truckee
This is truly a ‘Community’ Christmas, as all donations will go to local families in need. In addition, we always need and welcome local volunteers. We could use the following help:
* Collecting boxes
* Asking for donations at the stores – this is where I need the most help
* Moving food from stores and various businesses to storage – flexible times
* Sorting food
* Delivering boxes to the old middle school on December 19th
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For more information or to donate or volunteer, visit our website at Truckee Community Christmas.
KTVN Channel 2 also did a nice write up about us: KTVN Channel 2
You can also contact me directly. My phone number and email address is under my photo on the left hand side of this page.
Follow us on our Facebook page: Truckee Community Christmas/Facebook
THINK OF ME, LYNN RICHARDSON, FOR ALL OF YOUR LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE NEEDS!
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
By Michelle Portesi
The Apple Growers of Apple Hill California
Nestled just off of Highway 50, from South Lake Tahoe past Pollock Pines is the area known as Apple Hill. Hidden behind the pines is a thriving community of apple growers, cider pressers, wineries, eateries and more.
The popular area’s season got off to a rough start with the King Fire nipping at its doorstep and the smoke making any foray outdoors hard on the lungs. Mercifully that didn’t hurt the harvest and blue skies and fresh air greeted us once the fire was snuffed out. (Thank you to all the fearless firefighters!)
A recent trip down to the area showed the fires vast expanse of devastation along the highway, but just past that it didn’t take long to realize that it didn’t dampen the desire for the freshest apples around by the general population. It was Saturday. It was a glorious fall day. The town was PACKED! (Do yourself a favor. Don’t go on a Saturday.)
Our first stop graced us with a riot of fall mums, marigolds and a plethora of apple varieties I’d never heard of before. I had to buy some, and I will tell you honestly, they were DELISH! Nothing beats a fresh, unbelievable crisp and sweet apple. I may never buy store bought again.
From there we followed the trail map to several other growers, quickly realizing we couldn’t buy every single variety at every single orchard and still make rent. Fortified with a tasty lunch from one of the orchards, sitting under the apple trees on picnic benches, we planned our route to a variety of places that offered different treats. One offered an on site cider press, and I couldn’t resist a freshly pressed half gallon of it. This too was marvelous, and I have just the recipe to use it for. (Chicken brined in cider with a reduced cider gravy. Yum!)
A man and his emu…
Several had craft fairs, pick your own produce and orchards, petting zoos and gift shops (Grandpa’s Cellar) offering a wide array of apple inspired motifs. Interspersed amongst the orchards were several wineries, and we did get to sample from one that carried hard cider.
But the best treat of all was a stop at an unassuming orchard named Honey Bear Ranch, with the best caramel nut apple pie ever baked. We sat under a beautiful outdoor gazebo adorned with vines, listened to some great music, and savored every mouthful.
Apple Hill is best visited in the Fall, however the area is also a major Christmas Tree grower, and some orchards are open year round.
I’m thinking I’ll be having a serious need for more of those Caramel Apple Holiday Pies…
To learn more and plan your trip, visit their website here: Apple Hill
Be sure to download the Apple Hill map.
The size of a dinner plate!
THINK OF ME, LYNN RICHARDSON, FOR ALL OF YOUR LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE NEEDS!
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
By Michelle Portesi
Arial view of the King fire
As I’ve sat here choking on what passes for air here at Donner Lake due to the King fire, it occurred to me that most of us are woefully unprepared for these unfortunate events. The fire in Weed, California blew through town in a matter of 15 minutes. That’s not a lot of time to grab anything other than your loved ones, especially if you haven’t done some due diligence ahead of time should you have to bug out in a hurry. We empathize with those for whom disaster has struck, but rarely does that motivate us to do what we know we should preparedness wise, thinking it won’t happen to us.
There but for the grace of God go we…
However, with the fire recently in the Hellhole and French Meadows reservoir area, a mere few miles from Alpine Meadows, Squaw Valley, Truckee and the West Shore of Lake Tahoe, the possibility of evacuation became uncomfortably real. Just a few weeks ago there was a small earthquake recorded outside of Tahoe Vista. I took those as a cue to get my ‘disaster preparedness’ act together. Here are a few tips to help us all get started.
Defensible Space. We’ve all heard this before, but get those pine needles, pine cones and other detritus away from the house. They go up like a Roman candle once aflame. The best defense against fire is to not give it any fuel to get started in the first place.
In addition, the forest service has bans on campfires in any back country and restrictions within campgrounds. Check out their latest alerts before you go. And no throwing cigarette butts around. I’m always stunned when I see people doing this out of car windows on the freeway or just tossing them on the ground. As Smokey the Bear says, ‘Only YOU can prevent wildfires’.
Standard plastic file box can hold your most important papers and a few valuables and/or sentimental items.
A ‘Bug Out’ Box. My name for it. As I looked around my home, I realized that most of it was just ‘stuff’. They were things I would be sad if I lost them, but they weren’t imperative for survival…or at least survival in the modern world. Take photos of it all and have it on your portable devices or online photo sites for insurance purposes. For the important things though, gather up necessary paperwork like passports, marriage license, social security cards, car titles, medical records, insurance policies, you get the idea…all in a waterproof file box, ready to grab at a moments notice. These items are a pain in the neck to replace and/or track down if lost. It’s bad enough you are evacuated or even lost your home. Proving to various government agencies and corporate entities that you actually exist is a nightmare you really don’t need on top of it. If you have valuables such as jewelry, or small, sentimental items you’d be heartbroken to lose, consider dropping those into the box as well.
Laptop, Nook Book, power cords, toiletries, jeans, long sleeved shirt, underwear…
…and the 15″ W x 12″H bag isn’t even close to being full yet.
The Overnight Bag A refugee who grew up in a war torn area had some insights on how having a few everyday items became much valued luxuries in an emergency. While they wouldn’t be considered necessities for actual survival, they went a long way in keeping her feeling somewhat human and hopeful when everything around her was falling apart. A pre-packed overnight bag in the house or left in the car is handy should you have to evacuate on short notice. Include a change of clothes, underwear, socks, hair brush, travel sizes of toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo and soap, wash cloth and any other items to make you feel more comfortable. My overnight bag also fits my laptop, nook book, power cords and such, – and no, it’s not huge.
Just another standard sized file box full of emergency items.
The Car Box. Due to our area, most of us are somewhat prepared for bad weather. I know people who’ve gotten stuck on I-80 overnight, and we’ve all heard about people stranded in their cars in the back country during a freak storm, so my sleeping bag and a warm, wool blanket stay in my car year round. Along with the emergency box of jumper cables, flares and quarts of oil for the car, why not also have an emergency car box for you? Mine has a travel rain poncho packet, a gallon or two of water, flashlight, toilet paper, large garbage bags, matches in a jar, candles in metal containers, mess kit, a multi-purpose tool, some canned food, a can opener… AND – this is huge for me! – some instant coffee and a metal coffee cup… among other items. I originally started the box as an impromptu camping gear box, but if you’re stranded in your car or have to evacuate, especially in cold weather, some of these items can be the difference between life and death.
And if you have pets, don’t forget some food for them too!
FEMA suggests a 3 day supply of food and water. A gallon of water per person per day for 3 days.
All Through The House. Not all disasters involve evacuation. Weather and earthquakes can barricade us IN our homes or just cut us off from all access to ‘the grid’ that we’ve become so reliant on. Here in snow country, we’re fairly used to the power going out, sometimes for days at a time. But the sewer not working? And it’s hard to imagine not having access to water, especially when we have so much of it around us. But what if? It’s always a good idea to have a few gallons of potable water stored, (or at the very least, some chlorine to purify it) and non perishable food stocked up. Here are a few other items that we should have on hand in case of an emergency.
*Emergency radio, preferably battery operated or solar powered with hand crank. Some can be used to power up your cell phone.
*A standard land line phone for when the power goes out.
*Flashlights, extra batteries, candles, oil lamps, matches and such.
*First Aid Kit.
* A stash of Cash
* A 5 gallon bucket or two. Good for toting water and a variety of other uses. Add a small toilet seat on top and you have an impromptu commode. Keep a bag of peat moss or sawdust for sprinkling over the ‘output’. You now have a compost toilet that doesn’t stink.
* A full, small, propane tank if you have a propane BBQ. Charcoal briquettes if you don’t. Hot Coffee! Hot Grub! You’re golden!
Sadly, I am not currently living in a home with a wood stove, but when I did, I always appreciated that I could do two of the most basic winter needs in life. Stay warm and cook a hot meal in a pinch. And of course, make coffee!
For more ‘In Case of an Emergency’ ideas and check lists, here are a few sites to visit.
FEMA Emergency Supply List
CDC Emergency Checklist
Preparedness.com
Sign up for a Nixle account, or the El Dorado, Nevada (YubaNet) or Placer County sites for text message alerts to your cell phone about imminent dangers in your area.
Stay Safe, My Friends.
And if you have some great ideas of your own to add to the list, please feel free to leave a comment.
THINK OF ME, LYNN RICHARDSON, FOR ALL OF YOUR LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE NEEDS!
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
YOUR FRIEND IN HIGH PLACES 