A Genealogy Post

A while back I had an epiphany. My genealogy partner and cousin Dan back in Wisconsin and I have been racking our brains (small as they are) trying to find a connection between our family (He's descended from my Great-Uncle Christoph) and the family I created from several DNA matches on Ancestry.com.

When we backtrack our family it comes to a screeching halt at Great-Grandfather Gottlieb and Great-Grandmother Auguste Louise Albrecht. 

The old guy in the front row on the left is Great-Grandfather Gottlieb.

So here's what the epiphany was. If we can't make a connection by going backwards from our family, maybe I can make a connection coming forward from the DNA family and maybe stumble across our great-Grandfather that way.

Now, you have to remember these old German families, for the most part, had 12 kids in the family and their families had 12 kids and their family had 12 kids etc.

So I've come to the conclusion that we're related to every Kautz/Kaus/Couts (that's a whole nuther story) ever born with the exception of the Kautzes at Ironstone Winery in Murphys. Either that or I just haven't connected them yet.

I'm still researching all the families and have a current Excel Spreadsheet and I'm at line 5545 and still haven't found Gottlieb. It's getting so we're starting to call him "The Ghost".

Dan continues to look from our family side, but isn't getting any further than I am.

So, just for an update, here are the numbers of people on each tree.

Kautz Family Tree - 1279
Kautz DNA Linked Tree - 2486

One would think, "How can I be related to so many people?" My wife keeps telling me, in the long run we're related to everyone.

Anybody who wants some help finding your relatives, let me know. I think I qualify as Medium to Expert at this searching thing.

Stay Tuned.

Fishing soon.

Let Me Try This Again

For those of you that have read the last two posts that I deleted, I apologize. I attempted to make those a story, if you will, but in my opinion failed miserably.

Here's the facts:

We have a leader in the White House that's a racist, misogynist, a bigot, a liar, a prefabricator, and so many other things.

We have a congress that has been sitting on their asses and doing nothing about the person in the White House until yesterday. Unfortunately too little, to late.

I just hope that when our "leader" is done playing Kissyface with Kim Jong Un who is never going to give up his weapons, that Kim doesn't start lobbing them into California. That would definitely ruin my day. 

And I hope that when he's done playing Kissyface with Vladmit Putin so he can put one of his "Towers" in Moscow, that we still have an ally or two left in the world because as of now, we don't have any.

My last hope is that in January 21, 2021 that there is someone else being sworn in. That is if I'm still alive then.

That said, this is the end of politics on NCT.

Stay tuned.



 

The Future Of Northern California Trout

You will all be pleased that Northern California Trout will be around for at least another two years.

BUT, there's always a but, some of the format is going to change. It will still be about fishing for the most part, but I'm adding a few different items to talk about.

In the next week I'll be changing my description. I'll be adding what the focus of the blog will be and what I'll be writing about.

In deciding whether or not to keep NCT, one of the thoughts I had was to start a political blog over on Blogspot. Naw, there are hundreds of them out there, BUT (there it is again) I have an opinion that I've been keeping to myself and the more and more I see what is going on in this country, the more and more I get agitated.

I'm going to say some things that some of you might not like. I'm not doing it to start a pissing contest because according to the First Amendment of the Constitution,

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I have a right to speak my mind. For those that object, I apologize in advance. BUT I need to get it off my chest. I can't discuss politics with my wife because she won't. I will do my best not to name names. If you choose not to read about politics on this blog, I will, at the start of such a post, let it be known that there will be some political slamming in it so you can pass by if you wish. 

I'm also going to touch on other subjects like I've done in the past. Genealogy, local history, my "Out of Control" garden, and general things going on in the State of California.

I hope you'll continue to follow and I hope you'll find my musings interesting.

WARNING... There will be times I use terms not suitable for younger readers (R rated if you will), but I will do my best to keep my language under control. They say and show almost everything in the movies. I say go for it.

So thank those of you that have stopped by all 739074 times. I hope you will stay a follower and if I offend you, I hope I don't do it too badly.

Stay tuned.

The Out Of Control Garden

Bill Trussell asked if I could share some pictures of tomatoes in the cage.

Last year we planted 11 tomato plants. We supplied the whole neighborhood with tomatoes and froze a bunch. From those frozen ones, my wife made Tomato Jam this year.

This will give you some idea of what it looks like:

Tomato Jam

It's not jam you would put on toast for breakfast, but on a hamburger or scrambled eggs. WOW. Nothing can top it.

I made 4 boxes out of 2x12 Redwood boards and some wire cages to hold the plants up. Those wire things you get at Lowe's don't even come close to hold up these plants. 

In the back left box, on the left is Cupcake Squash. Next to it is Poblano peppers and on the right is Jalapeno peppers. Left in the front is Winter Squash. Right side back (that you can't see) is Roma tomatoes and Japanese Eggplant. Front right has 3 tomato plants (you keeping track? that's 4 tomato plants). Yellow, Beefsteak, and Chocolate Sprinkles (a cherry tomato).

The beginning June 19th

Then we'll move along to July 10th.

July 10th. 

By then we were into squash, tomatoes, and peppers.

Cupcake Squash same day 7/10

Interesting squash. Cut it in half, dig out the seeds, coat the inside with salt and let it drain. Wash out the salt and then fill it with hamburger or as we like to, sausage (of various flavors) and bake in the oven or on the BBQ. We have 2 Cupcake squash plants and we've harvested (I haven't kept count) maybe 35 and I have another half dozen to pick this morning. Yes, the neighborhood has been "squashed". 

8/19

8/19

8/19

Wanted you to see one days take (in the basket) there are all 4 types mentioned above. But on that date, this big yellow one showed up. The red one next to it is a normal sized Beefsteak. This one was about the size of a softball and a half. Huge by yellow tomato standards.

Yesterday Morning

While we were gone over the weekend, our neighbors across the street (who mind the cats) picked everything ripe in the garden. Yesterday morning there was another basket full. 

We've been eating tomatoes with Mozzarella cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette for almost every meal. You can't top fresh tomatoes right from the garden. 

This morning

This morning I took the shot above. That's after I trimmed a bunch off the top of the tomato plants. The cage is 2 ft x 4 ft x 6 feet tall. All that growing into the back yard is the Winter squash. Three types, Butternut, Acorn, and Buttercup. We found the key to Winter squash is when the stem is brown the squash is ready for picking. Soon, very soon. 

The peppers, wife made pickled Jalapeno's and bread & butter Jalapeno's. A hit by all who were lucky enough to get a jar. The Poblano's ? She done something with them because they're gone, but I don't know what.   

So that's the Out Of Control Garden. Oh yeh, what's out secret? We use the same dirt as the Pot growers upcountry use. Very good stuff although you won't find any pot here. Coincidentally the dirt has a very heavy cow shit smell. 

Fishing one of these days, 

Stay tuned.    

This Post Isn't About Fishing

In years past, I've talked about our trips to Hendy Woods State Park in the beautiful little town of Philo, California. OK, maybe not so beautiful, but it is little.

This trip isn't about fishing, it's about wine tasting. The Anderson Valley is one of the premier wine producing areas of California. They tend to lean more toward red's than whites. 

I, myself, don't drink wine so I'm the DD.

Here's a little story about the DD:

Cop comes up to a bar and says "I'm going to nail one of those drunks when they go home for the night." Out the door comes one guy, staggering, falling down, and can barely make it to his truck. Cop thinks, got him. I'll nail him when he leaves. Over a period of time, person after person leaves the bar until the only vehicle left in the lot was the first guy. Finally he sits up, starts his truck and drives out of the lot.
Cop pulls him over and gives him a sobriety test. Stone cold sober. "But I watched you stumble out of the bar drunk as a skunk. What's the deal?" "I'm the DD, the guy says. Designated Decoy."

In my case DD is designated Driver.

We visited several wineries and purchased wine (I'm also the financier) that one can only get at the winery. They don't sell to stores.

By the end of the second day, I was feeling like I needed to take out a second on the house to pay for the wine. That stuff ain't cheap. This is not Ripple we're talking about here.

Just so you don't feel left out, here are some of the shots we took a couple years ago. You've seen it once, that's pretty much all you need. With these kind of trees, to see change, you'd have to come back about the year 2525. Don't forget to listen to that song on YouTube. 

The forest

More forest

That tree was there when Columbus discovered America. 

Little plaque

Hobbit house

Last trip of the year. It's supposed to start raining this morning. How's that for timing?

Now I can get down to fishing again. By the way, our "out of control" garden is producing some interesting Winter Squash. More on that another time. Tomatoes are in a wire cage 2 feet wide and six feet long. The cage is so full you have to thin it out to find the tomatoes and trim the top of the plants as they have reached the 6' high mark and growing higher. 

That's it for now. 

Stay tuned.