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<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Hello
everyone,<br>
<br>
Believe it or not, the May 1 launch at Snow Ranch is on. We have had
rain every week and will get some more tomorrow. The weekend is looking
clear but might be a little windy. However, one other thing that is out
are the snakes. Last weekend they killed two rattle snakes right there
in the little valley where we launch. With a nice warm day coming you
need to be extra vigilant. Watch where you put your feet and hands.
Keep an eye on your children. One snake was killed down in the creek
where the kids like to play. Bring a shovel if you have one. They make
a good walking stick and are great for chopping up snakes. <br>
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<div>The stuff that follows is for newcomers to Snow Ranch. Of course,
it wouldn't hurt</div>
<div>for the old hands to skim over it to make sure they have not
forgotten anything.</div>
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We will be flying on a working cattle ranch in a field that hasn't
changed<br>
much in the last 10,000 years. There are no paved roads, sidewalks,
mowed<br>
lawns, or anything else you are used to having at the launches in
Livermore.<br>
You will find rocks, squirrel holes, sticks, cow bones, and other
assorted<br>
items that can twist or break ankles or legs if you are not paying<br>
attention. You will also see wildlife. In addition to the bulls and
cows,<br>
there are squirrels, snakes, coyotes, mountain lions, golden eagles,<br>
buzzards, and other critters. Again, if you pay attention, none of these<br>
critters will bother you. If you have kids, keep an eye on them, don't
let<br>
them wander far without an adult.<br>
<br>
This is rattle snake country the same as the hills around Livermore. As
long<br>
as you pay atteition to where you are walking and where you put your
hands<br>
and feet, you won't have a problem. Stay away from the rock fences, the<br>
blackberry bushes, and the brushy rock formations. Those are all snake<br>
places. If your rocket lands in one of those places, come get me or one
of<br>
the club officers to help you get it out. Now, I am not trying to scare<br>
anyone, I just want to make sure you are paying attention. My brothers,<br>
sister, cousins, and I played all over those hills as children and
never got<br>
bit and I want to make sure no one else does.<br>
<br>
When you get to the launch area, follow the marked road to the field.
Even<br>
though it looks like there is a shorter way, don't do it. There is a
reason<br>
I mark the road where I do. There is a road down the center of the field<br>
where we launch. You can park on either side of that road. On the east
side<br>
you can go as far as the creek but on the west side, do not go more
than one<br>
car length from the road. Most of the ground is sod over mud. If you
break<br>
throught he sod, your car will drop to its axles in the mud. Four wheel<br>
drive will not save you. The ground under the sod is almost liquid.
Some of<br>
you will remember when I pulled a lost rocket out of the<br>
ground. The rocket had punched a hole through the sod. I was able to
stick<br>
my arm down into the ground all the way to my elbow without any problem,<br>
slide my fingers under the rocket, and pull it out. If I can stick my
arm up<br>
to the elbow in the ground, imagine what something with the weight of a
car<br>
will do. The places we will mark out have gravel under them and are
solid. A<br>
few feet farther up the hill are not.<br>
<br>
As I mentioned, this is a working ranch and there are a few ranch rules.<br>
- Leave the cows and bulls alone. There are a lot of newborn calves
in<br>
the field, many born in the last week. If you see one, don't go too
close<br>
and do not get between the calves and the cows, especially small
children.<br>
- If you see a calf that appears to be in trouble, that is, it has
fallen<br>
in a hole or in the creek and does not seem to be able to get out, come
and<br>
get me and I will rescue it.<br>
- Leave the wild critters alone. It is OK to look, but don't try to
pick<br>
them up. The rattle snakes you find out there are real, not toys, and
they<br>
bite.<br>
- If there are bee hives on the hill above where we launch, stay away<br>
from them. They are self protecting so you have been warned.<br>
- Close any gates that you open.<br>
- Don't do anything to mess up the land. A rancher is just about the<br>
greenest person you will ever meet when it comes to his land. In this
case,<br>
our family has been caring for this land for over 130 years. The worst
thing<br>
you can do is to create ruts which cause erosion which is another
reason to<br>
stay on the roads.<br>
<br>
There is a lot of history in this area. Indians used to camp just south
of<br>
where we launch and there are Indian grinding holes in many of the
rocks.<br>
The movies "Little House on the Prairie" and "The Big Country" were
filmed<br>
around where we will be flying. The remains of the "Little House on the<br>
Prairie" set are just to the south-east of where we launch. The stage
road<br>
from Stockton to the gold mines in Angels Camp went right through this
area,<br>
and up the road a ways Black Bart used to rob them. The History Channel<br>
filmed part of a program on Werner VonBraun near the ranch house.<br>
<br>
We will rent a porta potty for the day but there is no water, food or<br>
anything else in the area so bring whatever you will need.<br>
<br>
We have a barbecue grill I will fire up in the morning. I expect it to
be<br>
really popular just for keeping warm. Bring your own dogs or burgers and<br>
have a warm lunch.<br>
<br>
If anyone does get hurt, the closest hospital is in Oakdale, about a 15<br>
minute drive from the Ranch (after you get back to the highway). There
is a<br>
map to the hospital in the LUNAR document box if you should need it.<br>
<br>
There are maps to the ranch and driving instructions on the LUNAR
website.<br>
<br>
If anyone has any questions, I will be happy to answer them.<br>
<br>
Bill</font><br>
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<div><font face="Arial" size="2">----------------------------------------<br>
William Orvis<br>
226 Joyce St.<br>
Livermore, CA 94550<br>
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