Calibama

In the central valley of CA, based in Fresno, last week. Paul and Mary, the friends I stayed with call it Calibama. Why? It's an aging 20th century city that was, and is, still based on agriculture. Lot's of services have grown up around ag and the wages that go along with such industries. Like the rest of CA sprawl reigns. More people move in, build more strip malls. They go on and on....

One of the most ideal aspects of Fresno is its location. It is 50 miles from Yosemite and 35 miles from Kings Canyon. We also visited the south fork of the Merced river. There was an incredible hike there on a perilous trail that reminded me of the Treasure of the Sierra Madre, funning because at the end of the trail there was a gold mine and it was in the Sierra. Needless to say Paul and Mary and thier friends did not make it back and I won the lottery when I was out there.