So, President’s Day weekend was busy up here, for both my dogs and I. The road is dismal, so it takes a lot to get up here.
I hadn’t locked the gate, just closed it. It had a BIG no trespassing sign on it. Doesn’t stop some people from opening it, and trying to come on through. Not gunna happen. I’ve got guard dogs. Boy, do I have guard dogs. They don’t usually bite people, but tires, mud flaps, and the like are fair game. If a car gets within sight of the house, they are off, barking, and letting the trespassers know what is what. This is not a place one wants to mess with. And that doesn’t include my Smith and Wesson .357. I don’t need it, with these dogs. Missy is not really part of guard dog duty, yet. She doesn’t bark, but she responds to the others. My blind Alpha Male would take whoever it is on, but I call him back, as well as the new kid on the block, and let my Alpha female and her two pups (now 7) deal with the intruders. They are good at their job.
Dakota is 1/2 healer. The other half appears to be Doberman. She is a good guard dog, and has well trained the one male and one female pups that I kept of her litter. They are a great team.
I just don’t understand what some people think when they come upon a closed gate, with a brand-new No Trespassing sign on it, and decide to open the gate and drive in. What are they thinking? Dumb, really dumb. These idiots tried to drive through twice! What, they thought the guard dogs weren’t real? Even if these idiots COULD get past my dogs, my Jeep Commander blocks the road. Can’t get through … For almost 19 years now.
There was also a large drunken party at Turkey Flats that Saturday night. I didn’t engage – large, drunken party, they tried to challenge me for just driving by … as if THEY owned the road? Not happening. When they left Sunday, they left their campfire burning and tons of trash, which Rock Knocker had to deal with. Really, people? Is it any wonder “The more I get to know some people, the more I like dogs!”?
It is a little early for my summer cynicism to start – my calendar says February. By June, I may be a crotchety ol’ woman on a mountain in Big Sur. my neighbor tries to see them as butterflies, all different, and all fragile and transient. I tend to see them all as puppies, eager, undisciplined, and helpless. I LOVE dogs. Help me love idiots and keep my sense of humor and perspective, my friends!
Oh they have no idea!
Bravo the homesteader. Good show, Kate, on all fronts, and Woof. I first learned the hazards of driving dirt country roads, bypassing the Do Not Trespass signs of the Blue Ridge. Whatever lofty credentials in the mind of the trespasser, the trespassee’s credentials usually included steel casings, copper, and dry gunpowder. Which I quickly admired to the point of escorting an errant mushroom hunter off my hills, me and my toothsome chocolate Labrador, Rodin. And a sweet, long gone now, double barreled over/under Savage. No shots were fired; word spread. 2 days later at the local grocery I was treated to a round of Attaboys, the city kid who knew which end was the up.
Protecting your land is no small accomplishment in any life.
oh try living right where the tourists come: most are very nice but some park on your yard, block your driveway, throw their garbage out, bring loud parties over and leave, this after hours of music playing loudly like an ampitheather until all hours. And then, voila, they are gone. LOTS of vacation renters, most are great but some, boy some are doozies!. We love the Winter here and hibernate during the tourist season here, most of us.
Keep your gate locked.
In my view, most people who deliberately ignore a posted Do Not Tresspass sign do so with ill intent of some variety where a home is concerned. A person actually in need of help would probably ask/yell for it once your dogs went into action.
As for the drunk partiers, sorry, BSK, people who leave fires burning and trash everywhere–I’ve no “love” to share for such. Having cleaned up after many such folk, I consider them inconsiderate and selfish with no regard for anything or anyone but themselves. Your neighbor is a kinder person than I am. I’d keep the Dogs as Headliners in my daily show if I were you.
Maybe your gate needs another sort of sign along the lines of “Home of the Hounds of Hell. Open Gate at Your Own Risk.” Or, “Very Hungry Puppies Here Always on the Lookout for Fresh Flesh.” How about, “Beware! It’s Open Pit Barb-Q time! Care to donate a leg?”
Definitely needing more chlorine in the gene pool!
I, too, frequently prefer animals to people. Don’t have to deal with egos!
You and white buffalo are so funny!
bigsurkate, on a mountain top in Big Sur
Jack: Do you know the “Turkey Flats” which Big Sur Kate refers to in this recent post?
??? Best, Paul
Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:32:09 +0000 To: paul_danielson@hotmail.com
Paul, its about 1/2 way up Plaskett, no vehicle traffic allowed. A wonderful wildflower meadow that people tear up with their vehicles. The USFS HAS TRIED EVERYTHING TO BLOCK IT OFF, BUT PEOPLE DRIVE AROUND IT.
bigsurkate, on a mountain top in Big Sur
If its any consolation…This last weekend was “College Weekend” down at Plaskett. We had mischef, such as the large brushpile to the west of Sand Dollar beach being turned into a bonfire…
Here it is:
1) Rule out 95% of the people from the “idiot” label. Most people, young and old, want to do the right thing, most of them even when enebriated.
2) The 5% ers have a genetic defect that compells them to push the boundries. They feel entitled to do what they do, and when they are caught- Its all your fault!
Take solice as in my experience, I feel the Gods may have a sense of humor and they throw these people into our path such that we never will be able to be totally content. Just like grass seed always contains some weed seeds….
I get angry with the antics, but with the understanding that they are the 5%.
At least with grass seed, you can pull out the weeds….
Too bad the USFS does not have the resources and personnel to patrol our lands for which they have accepted responsibility to manage. The personnel that are out there are great but stretched waaay too thin in my humble opinion. Your Turkey Flats folks sound similar to a group that camped down road #5s near Wagon Caves a week or so ago and drove around all weekend on dirt bikes and jeeps and shot at beer bottles (and God knows what else) despite signage that off road vehicles and target shooting (not to mention shooting at bottles and leaving the glass) were prohibited. Maybe the sign should say “No Beer Bottle Shooting”. Oh, that’s assuming that these scofflaws can read…
Also, I’ve seen several dead raptors in the area recently, a coincidence??
I spent many years in the woods working, tromping, playing and such and in the course of work with CDF, now called Cal Fire had to pass through many fences marked no trespassing. A single “No Trespassing” sign in a remote zone may be construed as a standard or general warning but a sign that says “Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted” or “Private Residence” with a “Dogs On Duty” sign or any combination might send the intended signal.
Good ideas, Mike. I’ve got a beware of dog sign. I’m also thinking of a homemade sign, “Trespass at your own risk. My 5 dogs are hungry!”
Also, I just found out my road is in a new book called 50 best back roads in California. I’ll be writing the author and publisher once I get a copy and confirm what it says!
bigsurkate, on a mountain top in Big Sur
Dear BSK…if it’s any consolation, there are many many more of us (maybe even more than that 95% mentioned above?) that visit Big Sur, very carefully respecting boundaries and being sure to leave no footprint. We visitors treasure the area probably as much as those of you fortunate enought to live there.
If that is no consolation, just remember that we’ll alway have jerks. They remind us of the good people. I think the “dogs are hungry” sign is a great idea.
Big Sur has big rocks. Use them to block off places like Turkey Flats.
Very effective.
Well, I’d say off hand the meadow filled with wildflowers has got to be pretty compelling.
On the sign front, I always liked PROTECTED BY SMITH AND WESSON. Maybe a touch of froo froo added with a California legal bit writ out. Or,
THIS IS RESTRICTED LAND -US GOVT. MILITARY WEAPONS TRAINING CAMP.
Or KEEP OUT —MA AND PA KETTLE, 16 OF OUR KIN & 15 DOGS & 12 WILD HOGS & 2 ANGRY MULES LIVE ON THE BUSINESS END OF THIS HERE FENCE AND WE ALL BE GOOD WITH GUNS. Actually you could make a nice sound track to go with that, recorded and set to go on the perimeter. Galloping, woofing, oinking, bottles breaking.
Or one of those cute European circles with an angled line over the silhouette of a hiker, campfire, and vehicle. Above the pictures, ABANDON HOPE ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE.
Remember, your best friend (moi) is a sign painter. If I can do anything for the cause, let me know. Now I’m going back to bed.
I’ll have to work on that!
bigsurkate, on a mountain top in Big Sur