Thunderstorms broke this afternoon. I drove into professional rain at Lockeford, less than ten feet of visibility. Fortunately the storm passed by the time I reached Clements, four miles down the road.
Driving through the Delta on Route 12 this afternoon I finally had my Blossom Trail. Route 12 is more or less a levee road; the fruit orchards sit just below the roadway, on either side. I cannot identify the trees but I saw acres of white blossoms. The Central Valley is on its way to feeding the nation.
Ben and Karen gave me the book Epitaph for a Peach by a neighbor David Masumoto. David is a third generation Japanese American trying to maintain his family orchard of specialty organic peaches In his book he writes about a machine that shaves the tops of the fruit trees, presumably to force more lower growth and make the fruit more accessible. Sure enough, I drove past orchards with a very neat flat top.
I took Jackson Valley Road to come o the ranch from the north. I was looking for the vineyards in Jackson Valley that line that road. A true California experience, but these are working farms not Tuscan villas.
A Year at the Snake 