Tollhouse CA News and Gossip October 16-31, 2006

WEATHER DISCUSSION: The Weather continues to remain pleasant as Halloween comes to Tollhouse today. Though cooler, cloudier and breezier than yesterday, the temperatures continue in the mid 70's, though the forecast continues to call for further cooling in coming days as well as the hint of rain for the end of the work week that remains in the forecast and which has been raised from 10% to 20% today. Will it rain? Time will tell? OTHER NEWS AND TIDBITS: As earlier stated, today is Halloween, or All Hallow's Eve as it used to be known, time for ghosts, ghouls and goblins to make their appearance searching for treats, or lacking the receipt of same, dispensing a few tricks along the way. Alas, though, with the changing times, the time when hordes of youngsters would make their way through the neighborhoods knocking on doors in their costumes in search of goodies with which to rot their teeth seemed to have gone the way of many other forms of social interaction. We find this sad in a way, but understand how the concern of parents over the safety of their children has led to this state of affairs. Trick or treating now, seems to be limited to local parties, or visiting the homes of a few trusted friends.

Area resident Ronnie Wilson, who passed away yesterday as the result of an accident on Friday, October 20th.

Monday, October 30, 2006
Sunrise:	6:20 am - Sunset: 5:02 pm
Today:	High: 76/Mostly Sunny
Tonight:	Low: 44/Mostly Clear

WEATHER DISCUSSION: The temperature here in Tollhouse today didn't quite reach the predicted 76 degrees, but even so, it left Tollhousians wondering if summer was truly done with, as it was a bit warm here in the community for the end of October. Temperatures will be cooling in the next several days, or so they say, with the forecast even hinting of possible showers on Thursday or Friday. OTHER NEWS AND TIDBITS: We report with great sadness today that Ronnie Wilson passed away last night. When speaking to an acquaintance of Ronnie yesterday, we were told that Ronnie always had that grin of his and a friendly smile for his friends, and this is a very true thing. We never saw Ronnie without his trademark smile, and he had done a lot of that lately with the birth of his daughter only weeks ago, and looking forward to moving in to his new place with wife Heather. It was that new home they were building that led to the accident that led to Ronnie's death. As he was clearing brush around the place, he fell down an embankment as was severely injured. At first the prognosis was pointing towards a possible, but lengthly recovery, as several emergency surgeries were performed with the appearance of success. But further complications arose and Ronnie finally succumbed to his injuries late yesterday. He was friend to many area residents, and his kindness and his friendship will be severely missed. As we have mentioned earlier, an account has been set up for Ronnie's family at the bank in Prather. If you wish to help, simply go to the bank and tell them that you want to contribute to the TIP (Trauma Intervention Program) account under the name Ronnie Wilson. We will publicize services for Ronnie, when they are announced.

The Sierra High School Cheer Squad puts on a stellar performance last Friday night during half-time during the last Home game of the season.

Sunday, October 29, 2006
Sunrise:	6:19 am - Sunset: 5:03 pm
Today:	High: 76/Mostly Sunny
Tonight:	Low: 46/Mostly Clear

WEATHER DISCUSSION: The weather continues to be unseasonably pleasant in the Tollhouse area today, as we reached a high of 77 today under mostly sunny skies. A change appears to be in the weather though, as the forecasts for the upcoming week are starting to call for cooler temperatures, especially those at night as well as a hint that some precipitation may be in the works for later in the week. Current forecasts are calling for the low 70's for most of the work week, and some possible sprinkles by Thursday and Friday. In addition, partly cloudy skies are expected for most of the area by Tuesday. TRAFFIC ROUNDUP: Amazingly, we've come across no traffic issues today, which is unusual for a weekend, but then again, it's our quiet time between the summer tourist season and the beginning of the ski season, so the weekend traffic has been quite light. OTHER NEWS AND TIDBITS: Near perfect weather made for a very nice day here in Tollhouse, though getting used to the sun going down about 5:00 pm after the time change last night took a bit of getting used to, as it seemed there just wasn't nearly enough daylight left to get everything done that was on the 'to-do' list today. Then again, most of us woke up this morning quite a bit earlier than usual for the same reason, so we guess that extra hour of sleep we got last night did us some good. Maybe that will help all of us get to work on time tomorrow morning. (smile)

The flag over the stadium at Sierra High while the National Anthem was being played.

Saturday, October 28, 2006
Sunrise:	7:18 am - Sunset: 6:04 pm
Today:	High: 81/Mostly Sunny
Tonight:	Low: 48/Mostly Clear

WEATHER DISCUSSION: The weather, as predicted for a change, remained pleasant today, with the temperature in Tollhouse reaching a high of 82 degrees. The folks in the know tell us that this will be the last time for a while that we will see the 80's as a cooling trend will begin to manifest itself in the area starting tomorrow and continuing through the coming work week. In the meantime, the weather will be quite pleasant tomorrow as well, albeit a bit cooler. Some of the computer models are now indicating that a slight chance of rain might be in the forecast next Thursday or Friday, but it's still a little too early to tell if that threat will materialize. TRAFFIC ROUNDUP: A motorcycle off the road, late this afternoon, caused some problems on Watts Valley Road just east of Pittman Hill Road about 5:50 pm. The driver suffered minor injuries and was treated by paramedics from Blasingame, however, and friends soon arrived with a pickup truck to haul away the damaged motorcycle. OTHER NEWS AND TIDBITS: We were all treated to wonderful showing of both community and school spirit yesterday evening as we attended the last home game for the season of the Varsity football team at Sierra. The game, as previously mentioned here yesterday, was dedicated to local area resident Ronnie Wilson, who was severely injured in an accident a week ago today. Ronnie remains in critical condition at UMC at this time. The food booths at the game donated all of their proceeds to the Wilson family in a show of support, and we've also had reports that a sizeable number of donations have been made to the special account setup at Clovis Community Bank in Prather. For those that would like to aid the family, simply visit the bank during regular business hours and tell one of the tellers that you would like to donate to the TIP account for Ronnie Wilson. They will be happy to take your donation and make sure the Wilson family finds outs about your kindness. ..... As to the football game itself, after the presentation of the senior members of the Cheer squad and the football team, (which included Mr. Wilson's son, Ben) and a moment of silence observed by those on the field and in the stands in behalf of Mr. Wilson, the team proceeded to fight a tough game against a very good team from Chowchilla. Chowchilla preceeded to score two touchdowns before Sierra came back with one of their own just before half time. Sierra came back even harder in the second half, matching each of Chowchilla's two touchdowns, but that still left them with a deficit of 1 goal, which in the end, they were not able to overcome. This left the final score of the game at Chowchilla 27, Sierra 21. While Sierra has not had their best year this season, it was obvious to all those in the stands that these were young men who were fighting with a great deal of spirit, and we wish them the best next week as they play in the annual Mountain Bowl against Yosemite.

The Chieftains, in the process of scoring an extra point after their first touchdown, shortly before half-time.

The banner, visible from the grandstands, dedicating yesterday's game to local resident Ronnie Wilson.

As seen from a point not far from Hume Lake, State Route 180 prepares to descend into the canyon of the Kings River in Kings Canyon National Park

Friday, October 27, 2006
Sunrise:	7:17 am - Sunset: 6:06 pm
Today:	High: 81/Sunny
Tonight:	Low: 46/Clear

WEATHER DISCUSSION: Near picture perfect weather is what we're having here in Tollhouse today. As of 3:00 pm, the temperature had reached an even 80 degrees and appears on track to reach the predicted high of the weather forecasters. There is a slight breeze in the air, the skies are blue and it's a truly nice day for the last home football game of the season at Sierra High. According to the powers that be, tomorrow is supposed to be a near mirror image of today, before the temperatures start to cool a bit for next week. As it sits right now, the weekend appears on track to be a very nice one, at least as far as the weather is concerned. TRAFFIC ROUNDUP: Local roadways have yet to experience any signficant problems today, and with the weekend traffic to the mountains quieter than usual, at least until the ski season starts, we're not likely to have too many problems, but from what we hear the attendance for tonight's football game at Sierra is likely to create a bit of traffic both before and after the event with a good turnout expected. ..... Last night a non-injury accident led to some traffic slowdowns on SR 168 at Lower Dogwood at about 5:30 pm, but damaged vehicles were quickly moved off the roadway. OTHER NEWS AND TIDBITS: We spoke earlier of the football game at Sierra High tonight, and there are a couple of items of note that we'd like to relate concerning that game. According to tradition, this being the last home football game of the season, the members of the team that are seniors will be marched out onto the field by their parents tonight, with a brief announcement made for each as to their goals, where they will be attending college, etc. A most bittersweet note on this is that Sierra Senior Ben Wilson will be making that trek with his step-mother, Heather as well as his brother, in lieu of making it with his father, Ronnie Wilson, who was severely injured a week ago today (See Tuesday's article here) The prognosis for Mr. Wilson has not been good for the past several days since the time that we made mention of his accident here, despite many prayers of a great number of local residents, friends and family. To honor Ben, and his father, tonight's football game will be dedicated to Ben's dad, Ronnie Wilson. In addition, the proceeds from what are called the Cheer Food Booths this evening, will go to the Wilson family to help defray the medical expenses that this accident has wrought upon the family. So, come on out to the game this evening, buy a hamburger or a soda and see our Varsity team win one and help out for a good cause. Our hearts go out to Ben and his family, and most especially to his Dad, and we ferverently hope that the many prayers for Ronnie will be answered through all of our goodwill and efforts on his behalf.

At Roads End, where State Route 180 comes to an end in the Kings River Canyon near Cedar Grove, we see a view of the Canyon's steep walls.

Thursday, October 26, 2006
Sunrise:	7:16 am - Sunset: 6:07 pm
Today:	High: 81/Sunny
Tonight:	Low: 47/Clear

WEATHER DISCUSSION: The Weather Service was so far off the mark today, that it sometimes begs the question of why they even bother to try and predict the weather. Instead of the predicted high of 81 forecast by the folks with the fancy computers, we managed to make our way to a high of 74 this afternoon, which as we said, didn't even come close to their forecast. They've also lowered the forecast for the next 5 days downward another degree or two, so that with the exception of tomorrow, there's nary an 80 degree temperature mentioned in the long term prognostications. The upcoming weekend looks to be pleasant, but not too warm and with maybe a few high clouds to help hold down the temps. We'll see if their forecast holds true this time around. (smile). TRAFFIC ROUNDUP: The relative calm of late on local roadways came to an abrupt halt today, much as the overturned big rig did just below Prather on SR 168 near Gooseberry Road. The incident, which occurred about 11:30 am this morning, caused major disruptions to local traffic through much of the afternoon. The big rig, apparently. was not able to negotiate a curve on that stretch of 168 and the vehicle overturned, leaving the driver trapped inside, and paramedics arriving on the scene shortly after the accident were unable to reach him and ascertain his vitals signs. It was at first feared that the driver had suffered fatal injuries in the accident, but this proved not to be the case after he was successfully removed from the severely damaged tractor unit. However, due to the difficulty of the extraction and then the removal of the big rig, SR 168 remained closed from the time of the accident, until about 2:15 pm, when 1 lane was opened allowing 1 way controlled traffic past the scene until both lanes were finally cleared at about 3:30 pm. During the closure, traffic on 168 was diverted along Tollhouse Road, to Sierra Elementary, then diverted along Lodge Road until reaching the bottom of the 4-lane where it rejoined SR 168. Downhill traffic followed the same course in reverse. The school district made use of their automated phone system, to make calls to the parents of nealry all students in the district warning them of the accident and the closure so that they could avoid getting caught in the traffic in trying to pickup students, as well of the possible delays the extra traffic caused to the school bus schedule today.

Another View of a rather quiet Kings River near Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon National Park

Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Sunrise:	7:15 am - Sunset: 6:08 pm
Today:	High: 81/Sunny
Tonight:	Low: 47/Clear

WEATHER DISCUSSION: The Weather Service actually came pretty close to reality in today's forecast as we reached a high of 80 today, only 1 degree shy of the predicted 81. In the meantime, the highs predicted for the rest of the week have been lowered a few degrees in today's forecast, but still reside in the low 80's through the weekend. The threat of rain still remains absent from the forecast as does much mention of clouds or winds. All in all, it's a pretty warm and tame forecast for this time of the year. TRAFFIC ROUNDUP: The roadways in the area were relatively quiet once again today with only one incident reported, that being a non injury accident near the bottom of the 4 lane about 6:15 pm this evening that left the road partially blocked for about half an hour. OTHER NEWS AND TIDBITS: Birthday wishes go out today to Al, a member of our Rogue's Gallery since the beginning of our website. We would like to take this opportunity to wish Al a Happy Birthday and to wish that he have many more to celebrate with us here in Tollhouse.

Grizzly Falls, Kings Canyon National Park

Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Sunrise:	7:14 am - Sunset: 6:09 pm
Today:	High: 85/Mostly Sunny
Tonight:	Low: 47/Clear

WEATHER DISCUSSION: The folks that forecast the weather continue to have problems with 'getting it right' for the foothills. We barely made it to 80 today, which was no where near the 85 degrees predicted by those in the weather know. The current forecast for the rest of the week shows highs in the 80's through Friday. Given their track record of late, we'd be willing to wager that the forecast will change once again within a day or two and trend downward yet again as the Weather Service continues their prediction roller coaster. TRAFFIC ROUNDUP: Local roadways are once again quiet today as we've seen no reports of any traffic incidents throughout the day. TODAY IN HISTORY: October 24, 1933: An auction was held in Auberry yesterday to dispose of many of the assets of the now abandoned San Joaquin and Eastern Railroad. Among items that were sold were building, water tanks, machine tools, and an item most popular with local ranchers, redwood ties to be used as fenceposts. Also popular with local ranchers were the railroads 3 cabooses, that were purchased by various farms to be used as ranch offices. OTHER NEWS AND TIDBITS: The sometimes sad part of being responsible for this website is that sometimes we find ourselves in the position of having to report on events occuring in the local community or to it's residents. Today is one such day. Area resident Ronnie Wilson, who just celebrated the birth of a little girl along with wife Heather, an office manager for Century 21, was severely injured in a 25 foot fall in a work accident on Friday afternoon. Currently in ICU at UMC, Ronnie has undergone a number of emergency surgeries in the past few days attempting to deal with his head injuries suffered in the fall. At present, his diagnosis remains uncertain, and his recovery, if possible, will be a long one. Friends of the family have setup an account at Clovis Community Bank in Prather to help the family with medical expenditures not covered by insurance and to help with other expenses due to the accident. A number of local residents, and friends of Heather and Ronnie have already contributed to the account. We agreed at the request of some of those friends to spread the word via this website of Ronnie's accident and to request the help of all local residents who might feel so inclined, and we also thank you in advance for your kindness.

A quite serene Kings River in Kings Canyon National Park with the Fall foilage showing it's colors.

Monday, October 23, 2006
Sunrise:	7:13 am - Sunset: 6:10 pm
Today:	High: 87/Partly Cloudy
Tonight:	Low: 49/Mostly Clear

WEATHER DISCUSSION: The Weather Service just doesn't seem to have a clue lately when it comes to predicting foothill weather. Yesterday, they had predicted 79 for today, then changed it to 87 by this morning, and in actuality, we ended up reaching 84 degrees this afternoon. They don't seem to have a very impressive track record lately. For what it's worth, the folks that are trying to predict the weather for this week tell us that we'll see a lot of 80's this week as we continue above normal temperatures, and that a small possibility exists that some of the moisture from Hurricane John might make it's way into the Sierra in the next several days. Then again, it might not. TRAFFIC ROUNDUP: The traffic situation started out with problems early this morning at about 5:50 am with report of a grass fire on Fraizer Road near it's intersection with Auberry Road. Further details on the fire were unavailable to us as we were writing this article today. Other than that, it would appear that the roadways have been much safer today than all of the chaos they endured yesterday. OTHER NEWS AND TIDBITS: The rock climbers that made their way up Tollhouse Rock in the annual Tollhouse Face-Off Rock climbing event have now come and gone, making their way up various paths along the rock in some interesting and colorful costumes, so once again peace and tranquility returns to Tollhouse for another work week. Word has it that one couple making the climb up the hill made the climb decked out in full fire-fighting gear.

General Grant Tree, Kings Canyon National Park
also known as The Nation's Christmas Tree

Sunday, October 22, 2006
Sunrise:	7:12 am - Sunset: 6:12 pm
Today:	High: 86/Sunny
Tonight:	Low: 44/Mostly Clear

WEATHER DISCUSSION: The Weather Service doesn't seem to know which end is up lately, at least as far as foothill weather seems to be concerned. While predicting 79 for today this morning, they watched the temperature in the foothills quickly surpass that today and changed the prediction to 86, and several residents said that we even surpassed that today reaching a high of 87 degrees. They claim that it will cool a bit tomorrow and into the work week, but given their record of accuracy lately, we're not really sure that we want to take their word for it. TRAFFIC ROUNDUP: The cows were back in the traffic news today with yet another bovine stroll along local roadways. The first occurred at about 5:50 am this morning near the intersection of Pittman Hill Road and Tollhouse Road. when a Honda Goldwing and the cow had a difference of opinion as to whom had the right of way. Both the cow and the motorcycle survived the discussion, but not without damage to either. This next occurred at about 9:25 am this morning at nearly the same location, when a cow was spotted taking a stroll in the middle of the road by passing traffic. Whether it was the same animal was never determined. At about 8:35 am this morning, on Tollhouse Road just south of Burrough Valley Road, a vehicle taking a curve too quickly ended up on it's side and left it's two occupants slightly injured. This incident also led to slowed traffic in the area. If the morning's activities weren't enough, an accident on Auberry Road just north of SR 168 at about 5:30 pm led to major injuries according to eyewitnesses. However, further details as to the cause of the accident, the vehicles involved and the nature of the injuries were rather sketchy. If this wasn't enough vehicular mayhem on local roadways, an accident at about 8:45 pm on Auberry Road just south of Millerton Road left a number of people injured, when a vehicle overturned in the area, which was close to Sherri's Roadhouse and left a number of occupants trapped in the vehicle and screaming for help, according to those who arrived first on the scene and called 911. Traffic was brought to a halt as a number of emergency vehicles, paramedics and CHP responded to the scene of the accident. OTHER NEWS AND TIDBITS: Several of us made a pilgrimage today to the "Land of the Giants", otherwise known as Kings Canyon National Park, taking a soon to be resident of Tollhouse whom had never been to the park. We have to admit that many of us haven't been to the park for more than a few years as well, so a tour of the Park from Grant Grove to Hume Lake to Roads End was in order with a lots of stops for photographs, some of which we will share with you in upcoming days, starting with today. While the rivers and creeks may have been mostly serene, the Fall colors certainly weren't, with lots of gold and reds in abundance, especially in the canyon. We hope that you will enjoy our photograph view of our nearby park in the next few days.

Saturday, October 21, 2006
Sunrise:	7:11 am - Sunset: 6:13 pm
Today:	High: 79/Sunny
Tonight:	Low: 48/Clear

WEATHER DISCUSSION: The weather continues quite pleasant for a late October weekend here in Tollhouse today. The Weather Service said that we'd make 79 degrees, but we actually managed to make 83 degrees. All in all, we're having a wonderful weekend, and since it will be the last one before the time changes next Saturday night, it's a chance to enjoy that hour of extra daylight in the afternoon that we'll be losing next week. The Weather Service says that we'll have a repeat of the warm weather today for tomorrow, before a cooling trend starts early in the week, but it appears that temperatures will still remain in the mid to high 70's throughout the upcoming work week. TRAFFIC ROUNDUP: While we would like to say that it's been a quiet weekend traffic-wise, it would not be a truthful one. At 4:30 pm this afternoon, it was a case of vehicle versus deer on Lodge Road just west of Tollhouse Road. The deer lost, but managed to do enough damage to the vehicle to require it being towed off by local tower D & K Towing. Local commuters were inconvenienced by the accident as it occured during the hours of the afternoon commute. At about 8:30 pm, it was a case of "How now, Brown Cow?" on Auberry Road just east of Wellbarn Road, as a brown cow in the middle of the road disrupted traffic trying to make it's way through the area. While the cow was eventually contained and corraled by local residents, it was then found that it had friends, and it's two companions managed to make a getaway and were last seen making their way down Corlew Mtn Road. OTHER NEWS AND TIDBITS: While we recounted yesterday that Michele had a birthday, we did not recount what happened on her birthday and yesterday evening. After a birthday dinner at the Black Angus in Fresno and some birthday shopping, Michele, along with her escort, our own intrepid webmaster, the couple returned to Tollhouse, where under the starry skies and the Milky Way overhead, Michele received and accepted one final birthday gift from our webmaster, and that was an engagement ring. In other words, after seeing our webmaster down on bended knee with that imploring look on his face, she just couldn't say no, so it would appear that at sometime at an as yet unspecified date in the future, that Tollhouse will have another permanent resident. You just have to watch out for this little community, it has a way of getting under one's skin, if you let it. (smile) It was reported that Tollhouse Fat Cat Minou was quite pleased with the arrangement indicating that her second favorite pet human, Michele properly knows how to treat a feline with the respect that is their due. In this, we would have to agree with Minou, in that Michele is indeed a special lady and will be a most welcome addition to Tollhouse.

Friday, October 20, 2006
Sunrise:	7:10 am - Sunset: 6:14 pm
Today:	High: 73/Sunny
Tonight:	Low: 40/Clear

WEATHER DISCUSSION: The weather has been quite pleasant here today in Tollhouse with the high reaching much beyond the 73 originally predicted for today. Our actual high reached 78 degrees. The current forecast calls for temperatures to reach a high of 79 for tomorrow as well as Sunday, which if turns out to be correct will lead to an above average, very pleasant weekend for Tollhousians and residents of the surrounding areas. After Sunday, the forecast hints of temperatures going back to something a bit more normal for this time of the year, with the work weekend starting out in the mid 70's range. TRAFFIC ROUNDUP: Traffic was relatively quiet today, at least as far as we've been able to monitor, in what has proved a hectic day for us. As of yet, we've come across no reports of accidents in the area of note. OTHER NEWS AND TIDBITS: For those of you that have been wondering about those little creepy, crawling things scurrying across local roadways, we thought you should know that it's the annual mating season for our local varieties of tarantulas. The ones that you see on the roadways are of the male variety in search of lady friends. For the two legged variety of wildlife in the foothills a young man's fancy turns to love, but for tarantulas, we suppose that autumn is preferable. ..... Birthday wishes go out today to Michele who is turning...., well, she's turning another year older, but we think she's getting cuter with each birthday. (smile) Michele is responsible for our Area Events page and Business Directory on the website, and also for editing our webmasters attempts at writing what gets posted on this website. So, if she doesn't catch one of his spelling errors, then she's the one to blame for it. (grin, duck, run)

Yet another view of Tuesday's storm as the dark clouds contrast with the sun shining on the oaks in the foreground.

Thursday, October 19, 2006
Sunrise:	7:09 am - Sunset: 6:15 pm
Today:	High: 74/Sunny
Tonight:	Low: 42/Clear

WEATHER DISCUSSION: While predicted temperatures for the next few day vary by only a degree or two each day, some of the computer models used to predict the weather patterns hint that another storm may try to make it's way into the area by mid week next week. Other models disagree with this theory and in the meantime, the Weather Service is deciding to play it safe and leave things pretty much as they are for the present, at least as far as the weather forecasts are concerned. That leaves us with a forecast of one very pleasant weekend in the Tollhouse area. Just the perfect kind of weather to enjoy those outdoor activities and any lingering 'honey-do' projects that might be on your, or your significant other's to-do lists. (smile) TRAFFIC ROUNDUP: Early morning commuters from our area to the Flatlands below had a very unpleasant surprise waiting for them this morning along Sample Road just below Pittman Hill Road. An early morning rockslide that was first reported at about 5:00 am this morning left both lanes of the roadway blocked, while CHP and Sheriff's deputies scrambled to find out how long it was going to take county road crews to make it to the scene to clear the obstruction. As of 7:00 am, they were still waiting. Last word was that crews finally arrived shortly after that time to finally clear the debris out of the roadway. OTHER NEWS AND TIDBITS: Some of us, old enough to remember what the 60's were, often remembered seeing a sign that was often posted at many businesses and workplaces, that simply said, "The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get". Lately, it feels like we've come to know the meaning of that particular gem of wisdom quite well. Between work for various entities, a bit of necessary, but brief travel, and keeping up with this website, it seems like there just aren't enough hours in the day. However, then we go and look at the software that tracks the number of visitors and see how many of you drop by to say hello every day and every week, and that makes it all worthwhile. To those of you that come here to visit, we wish to thank you and hope you enjoy our efforts in your behalf, to share a bit of this little place we call home with you.

Yesterday's storm provided a study in contrasts as we view the approaching storm from the bottom of the 4-lane while sunshine prevailed below.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Sunrise:	7:08 am - Sunset: 6:17 pm
Today:	High: 68/Mostly Sunny
Tonight:	Low: 38/Mostly Clear

WEATHER DISCUSSION: Weather, weather, it's all been about the weather lately, it seems. Yesterday's storm was no where to be found this morning, and as the folks at the National Weather Service predicted, temperatures did rebound a bit today, and are expected to continue to warm over the next several days. Tollhousians saw a high of 72 today, well beyond the predicted 68. While most blue skies prevailed, that left the community with near perfect conditions for the day. The computer models used to predict the weather tell us that no further rain is currently in the forecast, but given their track record of late, we'll hedge our bets a bit on that one. In the meantime, we'll continue to enjoy the pleasant days that Mother Nature has been giving us. TRAFFIC ROUNDUP: A group of wandering bovines didn't fare too well yesterday evening while trying to take an evening promenade along SR 168 between Sample Road and Academy. About 5 or 6 of the animals according to reports decided that the middle of the road was the best place for seeing the sights. Unfortunately this caused a conflict of interest with the internal combustion powered 'beasts' that also wanted to make use of the right of way. Unfortunately, the driver of a black Ford F150 pickup was unsuccessful in avoiding a collision with the animals. While on the human side, no injuries were reported, the same cannot be said for one of the cows and for the truck. Authorities had to put down 1 of the cows due to the extent of it's injuries. OTHER NEWS AND TIDBITS: There is one thing that we always enjoy about this time of the year, and that's the weather. We actually get to have some. While we may like to take pictures of blue skies and mountains, there's nothing to tickle the lens of amateur photographers such as ourselves as to have the sun in the foreground and a good storm over the mountains to provide something different to capture through our viewfinder. We hope that you are enjoying our efforts at providing you with a glimpse of what we get to see everyday and our attempts, small as they are to share them with you.

This afternoon's double rainbow over Tollhouse

Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Sunrise:	7:07 am - Sunset: 6:18 pm
Today:	High: 61/Partly Cloudy
Tonight:	Low: 39/Partly Cloudy

WEATHER DISCUSSION: The weather forecast was a bit off for today, as we reached 68 degrees instead of the 61 forecast, and as we were weren't supposed to get the rainstorm that we ended up getting late this afternoon as a chance of rain wasn't in the forecast. We only got the edge of the storm with a small amount of measurable rain, but word is that Shaver got about 15 minutes of good, solid hail, and enough snow supposedly fell at Sierra Summit for them to start thinking about an opening day sometime in the near future. If the weatherman knows what he's talking about, we can expect the weather to continue to warm in the coming days. Also if the weatherman knows what he's talking about, we can expect to see some high 30's during the next couple of nights. Brrrrr. There is still no mention of rain in the current long-term forecast. TRAFFIC ROUNDUP: The only traffic incident that we've heard about today is one in which a solo vehicle went off the road and overturned on SR 168 near Sierra Summit this afternoon. Minor injuries were reported as a result of the accident, but no further details are available at this time. OTHER NEWS AND TIDBITS: While driving back from Prather today, a couple of us happened to see the storm that moved through the area in the late afternoon. With clear skies and sunshiine to the west and the dark clouds of the storm to the east and also the edge of the rain. This created one of the most spectacular rainbows that any of us ever remembered seeing, or that anyone that we spoke to had remember seeing. For a brief period of time, the rainbow was a complete double one, going from one side of the sky to the other, with the colors reversed on the second rainbow. It was quite a spectacular sight to behold.

A composite photograph of today's rainbow as seen from the Tollhouse Post office late this afternoon.

The Tollhouse Post Office sits quietly during recent rains.

Monday, October 16, 2006
Sunrise:	7:06 am - Sunset: 6:20 pm
Today:	High: 68/Mostly Sunny
Tonight:	Low: 43/Mostly Clear

WEATHER DISCUSSION: We easily got past our predicted high of 68 for today, reaching a high of somewhere in the low 70's for quite the pleasant day in Tollhouse in spite of mostly to partly cloudy skies depending on exactly where you were located in the foothills. Breezy conditions also prevailed at many locations in the foothills. The outlook for tomorrow, is not as pleasant, however, as the current forecast calls for a marked cooldown for Tuesday, with the Weather Service telling us that we'll be lucky to make it to 60 degrees. BRRRR!!! Then again, by the time December rolls around, we'll probably looking back with fondness at that temperature, especially during those cold, cloudy December and January days that we can sometimes have when the frost doesn't completely disappear until 10:00 in the morning. Speaking of frost, the overnight low for tomorrow is also expect to dip in the upper 30's, even cooler as you rise in elevation above Tollhouse, reminding us that the frost will not be long in coming. These cooler overnight temps should also start bringing out more of the Fall colors as well. TRAFFIC ROUNDUP: An early evening accident near the intersection of Auberry and Frazier Roads at about 5:15 pm, left a motorist suffering what were major injuries according to reports. According to those same reports their vehicle was severely damaged, and was left partially blocking the roadway, while the motorist was transported to UMC for medical treatment, where they remained.

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October 16-31, 2006

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