8

   In my latest adventure, I set off to
appraise an "off grid" property in Big Flat,
Del Norte County. Off Grid is a term in
these parts that is used to describe the
ability to be free of public utilities, with all
of your resources personally installed and
self-generated through solar power grids,
generator, septic and wells.
      Although I knew it would be quite a
drive when I started out, I didn't know it
would be necessary to make the same
difficult drive 4 times --- in one afternoon!
Past Crescent City and nearing the Oregon
border, the road less traveled ranged 15
miles off Hwy 199,   twisting and curving
above and along the footprint of the Smith
River past 3 signs (every few miles)
warning "Active Slide". Do you know what
that means? Driving through that kind of
remote and wild country, the strangest
feeling comes over me --- of wanting to
"tip toe" past those areas where rocks litter
the roadway appearing as though they
have just fallen and have been kicked
back off the pavement very recently by a
possibly more unfortunate passer-by.
  Arriving at the property (I thought it was
the property because it had the realtor's
sign on it and there are very few structures
and so very few for sale out in the boonies,
so-to-speak, and street numbers are so
elusive and unclear) I tried my keys on the
doors. Oh No! Both keys fit but would not
turn. I tried all the doors I could find: No
Luck! Returning to my truck, I took a look
at my cell phone which said "No Service".
Yeah! Of course: no service just when I
need you most --- to telephone the realtor's
office--- and just when I am no where near
a pay phone.
  I drove down to the next long open
driveway and approached the neighbor's
homestead --- past a pasture of sheep &
horses & goats & lots of dogs barking from
inside and outside the farmhouse. When I
got up the nerve to walk up to the porch
and knock --- no one came to the door ---
which was half open. As I walked back to
my truck, I heard someone call "Hello!"
The nicest lady and her teenage daughter
came out of the house, introduced
themselves to me, looked at my map and
property info and said "Oh yes, that must
be(our neighbor's) place --- that's it. The
keys should work." I returned to the house
For Sale and tried the keys in all the doors
again --- to no avail.
  So I began the twisty, curvy drive back
along Smith River to Hwy 199, along shear
drop-down cliffs, past three "Active
Slides". As soon as my cell phone would
work, I telephoned one of the agents and
found out: "You didn't go quite far
enough --- it's the next house, the large
property around the bend on the left that
sits way back from the road with a cyclone
fence around it." At the beginning of the
(third) drive back to Big Flat. I decided to
stop for a hamburger at the only cafe in
the only town I had seen in a long time,
the hamlet of Hiouchi. A sign on the door
said "Gone Fishing" but the door was
unlocked and there was someone sitting at
the counter eating lunch. He was the
cook. He looked up from his newspaper to
say "We're closed." The sign on the door
said Open until 2pm. I looked at the clock
on the wall: it said 1:56pm. Was I four
minutes late?
I decided to drive the 15 miles back to
Big Flat along the twisting, curvy road
along Smith River and Get The Job Done,
Hungry. Sure enough, the key fit in the
lock this time, and this time the key turned
and the door opened. Some time later,
while taking exterior photos, a spot of
dappled brown and white light caught my
eye: laid up under the overhang against
the foundation was a body --- new and still
--- I noticed the clean, white downy soft
hair moving ever so slightly in the breeze.
A fawn "rested in peace", as if just
delivered to that spot by a mountain lion
who would be sure to return at mealtime.
   Picking up my case, I quickly returned
to my truck, and drove up the hill, stepping
out of my truck with the motor running
and the door open to take the last of the
needed pictures.
   My work day had begun at 8am;
lunch/dinner happened at 5pm in a
seafood restaurant where I sat by a window
and took in the view: an RV park where a
vacationer (or impermanent resident?)
alongside her 5th wheel, heated coals to
BBQ her dinner while moving her puppies
around in a wire cage. *This picture was
framed by the beginnings of a sunset over
the distant crashing waves of the Pacific*
A beautiful drive home along the coast
through the redwoods, I arrived by
7pm...way-wiser, a dollar short but not a
day late.

       It has been several months since I made
an entry in my journal --- sorry about that. I have
been busy trying to upgrade my appraisal license
to certified. And, at the same time, I have been
advocating for my son who has a disability;
pushing for positive changes in his school
environment and learning about the best retro-
fitters in town for our own home. Retro-fitters are
contractors who build ramps and widen doorways
and make other changes within a dwelling to
make it more easily habitable for people in
wheelchairs.
       I always like to include a funny story in my
journal and here is a good one --- but maybe not
so much funny as scary or ridiculous. Recently,
the mortgage company considering taking on the
loan of an applicant whose home I had
appraised asked me "the reason for extended
marketing times" and "how long this is expected
to continue". I replied that extended marketing
times involves the economy: locally, regionally
and nationally. It involves the law of supply and
demand driven by public faith in our economy
and government which is influenced by
decisions of lawmakers and governing powers
which ultimately affects employment and how
much money we have and how much money we
feel like spending, etc. I went on further to say
that I am unable to look into a crystal ball to see
'how long this is expected to continue'. Who is
going to be our next president? I do not know.
As well, I commented that I had just returned
from 2 weeks in London and Paris where I
observed considerably less financial/money
problems than in this country and a greater
circulation of currency and lower unemployment
generally. Funny, and sad, too; Yes?
       Oh, and one other little funny/sad
comment: I am renewing my appraisal license
while at the same time trying to upgrade to
certified which requires taking tests in
Sacramento which is a 6-hour drive from my
home-office. I made the drive down there a few
weeks ago and failed the first time (I get 5
chances to pass so I have rescheduled for my
2nd attempt). Getting caught up in all the
necessary paperwork to submit for certified, I was
a few days later than 90 days in advance to
submit my request for my regular license
renewal. Well, I am being "punished" by the
California State Office of Real Estate Appraisers:
when I telephoned them to find out why I had not
yet received my renewed license, I was told that
even though it has been approved for some time,
they have decided they will not mail it out to me
until the week it is expiring --- since I was a few
days into the 90-days in advance to send in the
papers...bureacracy. They are punishing me.
Shame on them!