Scotia Sawmill

The cosiness of last night was such that it was a relief to get up at the crack of dawn to fight with the ancient shower system before going for a wander round the intriguing model town of Scotia built to house the workers of the Pacific Lumber Company which was based in the area in the late 1880's.
The houses are wooden bungalow type houses painted in pale pastel colours with a medical centre, dental clinic, school and playing field, voluntary fire service department and a church in the town. It reminds me a lot of Saltaire in West Yorkshire.

At the back of the town on the river is a massive sawmill with an equally massive pile of sawdust awaiting a use and a mile of logs and planks along the river bank. A cloud of steam rises from the power plant to mix with the mist on the surrounding hills and there is the all pervasive smell of sawdust in the air.

Oilman is good at getting us up early and managed to chivvy us to leave the town at 8.10am on the drive south to Santa Rosa, by way of the Avenue of the Giants, a 25 mile highway through redwoods.

There is nothing to prepare you for walking on a trail underneath these giants some of whom are almost 2,000 years old and taller than the Statue of Liberty.They are so tall that they inhabit 3 distinct climate zones, the roots at one zone , the trunk at another and the foliage at the third.

The words of the hymn -'when I in awesome wonder
consider all the works thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
thy power throughout the universe displayed......' really mean something.

It was like walking in a cathedral, not a sound save those of our footsteps on the pine needles underfoot.

Onwards and southwards to arrive at Berkeleyblipper's and Oilman's estate in the early afternoon in sunshine and a temperature of 85 degrees. This is the first time since last August in France that I have removed my woolly cardigan and bared my chalk white arms.