INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

GV Gals Donate to Camp Ronald McDonald 2

Hilltop Horsemen News 2

New Artwork at the Common 3

Newsletter Submissions 3

GVEA Vet Clinic Flyer 4

Halloween Party Flyer 5

Garner Valley Book Group 6

Nextdoor.com 6

Adopt A Highway 6

Moon Over Santa Rosa 7

Architectural Control Committee 7

Rattlesnake Clinic 8

Garner Valley Cowgirls Cross One Off the Bucket List 10

A Hunter’s Rest Millie Shaw

OCTOBER 2018

The Idyllwild Collection: “The Best of Times” Millie Shaw, our good friend and neighbor, will be participating in an upcoming art exhibit at Middle Ridge Winery! This art exhibit runs from October 24 through January 13.

An afternoon reception with the

artists will be held on Saturday, November 3,

from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., with live music. Wrap up the year with a celebration of memorable moments in a heartwarming tribute to good times, good friends, and the wonderful world of art!

Middle Ridge Winery offers a great variety of red and white wines. Their mainstays are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and a Meritage blend. Their reserve red wines are a special treat! They are produced in very small lots of about 25-50 cases at a time, aged at least 24 months in very high quality new French oak. Their favorite white varietal is the “Blue’s Creek” Pinot Grigio, “… crisp and mouthwatering with punchy aromas of apples and pears, and zesty acidity.”

Middle Ridge Winery offers three different wine club levels varying from 3 to 12 bottles per shipment. Wine club members have access to limited edition wines, discounts to winery events, complimentary tastings, and discounts on wines purchased in the tasting gallery. A variety of music is offered on weekends. Check the schedule on their web site, www.middleridge.com.

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Garner Valley Gals Donate to Camp Ronald McDonald Submitted by Pam Potter

Garner Valley Gals, a women’s group in Garner Valley dedicated to giving back to the community, presented a $1,000 check to Brian Crater, Associate Executive Director of Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times in Mountain Center.

The Camp is a 60-acre facility for kids with cancer, their sibling and parents, located off of Apple Canyon Rd. Originally Camp Roosevelt from 1947-1974, it became a camp for kids with cancer in 1994. The purpose is so kids with cancer and their families would be able to have a typical camp experience. What a great location for these families to have the same kind of experience and memories that families have had for generations.

Camp Ronald McDonald typically has 134 kids and 75 volunteers at summer camp. Twenty percent of the volunteers are survivors or their siblings. The children are transported to Mountain Center so the parents do not have to drive the long distance. Relationships begin and camp starts on the bus. Activities at the camp include horseback riding, fishing, dance, cooking and more. The children have everything they need in the way of support, including but not limited to their medications and appropriate care. This allows children who might not otherwise be able to get away, to have an opportunity not otherwise available to them.

Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times is a program of the Ronald McDonald Charities of Southern California. Their mission is “to provide comfort, care and support to critically-ill children and their families.” If you wish to donate, and you want to be sure your donation goes directly to the Mountain Center Camp, you can go online to their website or mail a check directly to them: Camp Ronald McDonald, P.O. Box 35, Mountain Center, CA 92561. Donations can also can be made online at www. campronaldmcdonald.org

If you would like to see the facility, contact the camp at 951-659-4609, Ext. 10. I guarantee it will pull at your heartstrings.

Hilltop Horsemen News Submitted by Kerry Manos

At the September Hilltop Horsemen meeting, after a great dinner of fajitas prepared by Carole Winch, Hilltoppers learned a new practical skill. Under the guidance of Sarah and Elizabeth Reisman, we learned to make our own rope halters. It’s not as easy as you'd think, but we all eventually figured it out. Plus we all took home written instructions so that we could make more if needed. We also began to take up a collection of any gently used tack to be donated to Martha at the Mountain Center Cafe, who lost her tack room and all its contents during the Cranston Fire. We will continue to accumulate stuff for Martha, so if you have anything you think she might use, please bring it to the next meeting. At the October 2 meeting, Hilltop Horsemen will have the chance to learn about, and practice applying, various types of leg bandages to protect your horse during travel, etc. The demonstration will be given by the Reisman sisters, Sarah and Elizabeth, who have extensive education and training in these skills. The meeting will be held at Susan Gonzalez’ home from 6 to 8 PM. Susan will be serving barbecued chicken, and attendees are asked to bring an appetizer, side dish or dessert to share. Even if you don’t have a horse to bandage, you’re welcome to join us for food and fellowship with a bunch of horse lovers!

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New Artwork at the Common Our Garner Valley Common now has many beautiful giclée fine art prints which were very generously donated by a Garner Valley resident. Each month, we will feature one or two of the prints as well as some information about the artists. We hope you will enjoy learning about them and then taking a moment to enjoy each print next time you are there!

Phil Paradise

Born: Ontario, OR; Studied: Chouinard Art Institute (Los Angeles); Member: National Academy of Design, American Watercolor Society, California Water Color Society. Phil Paradise spent his childhood in Bakersfield. After graduating from high school, he studied art with F. Tolles Chamberlin, Rico Lebrun and Leon Droll.

He worked in a regional style in the late 1920s and 1930s. These works received a great deal of attention and were part of many important watercolor shows including the California Group

exhibitions. By the late 1930s, he was actively selling his paintings in galleries in both New York and Los Angeles. After the mid 1940s, his paintings changed in both style and subject matter. He traveled and lived in Mexico, Central America and Caribbean countries drawing most of his subject matter from these areas.

Paradise taught at the Chouinard Art Institute and at Scripps College. He also worked as an artist in the motion picture industry and did some commercial illustration. In 1939, Paradise served as president of the California Water Color Society. During the 1940s, he set up a print workshop in the central California town of Cambria and began producing limited edition serigraph prints. In addition, he created metal sculpture, pottery and ceramic murals which he sold out of his studio-home in Cambria.

Newsletter Submissions Leslie Ingham, Editor

Do you have a great picture to share with the community? How about a favorite holiday recipe or a review of a local restaurant? Don’t be shy! Please send all submissions to gveditors@gmail.com or to inghamleslie@gmail.com.

The deadline is around the 28th of each month for the following month’s issue. Don’t forget to sign up for the email distribution list! Just send me an email. Also, please sign up on the Garner Valley website to receive important email bulletins from our management company, download GVPOA documents, read minutes of Board meetings, and more.

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Garner Valley Book Group Garner Valley Book Group, started in January, 1984, is an all women club which meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Our members read and share opinions on one book a month chosen by the host of each gathering. It is a great way to expand your reading into categories you may not normally choose. Everyone is welcome to join. Contact Carole Winch at 659-0214.

www.Nextdoor.com Submitted by Diana Fedder

Nextdoor was started a year ago when it was determined there was not an immediate way to keep the community informed in the event of an emergency, suspicious activity, or just needing assistance/recommendations. I know I am being redundant, but it needs to be said. Continuous ranting, pointing of fingers and rude behavior will NOT BE TOLERATED. A warning will be sent to you privately under personal messages in Nextdoor. If the behavior continues, then you will be temporarily suspended from posting on the site, but you can view activity. If it continues, permanent removal is the next step. I understand that we all have opinions and feel strongly about certain subjects, but if you have a problem with someone or something, do not post it on Nextdoor. Send a private message, or hash it out on Facebook or in person. Nextdoor is a DRAMA FREE environment.

Please review the community guidelines as stated on the Nextdoor website:

Be helpful, not hurtful: no disagreements or conflicts. No public shaming, discrimination or personal disputes and grievances.

Don’t use Nextdoor as a soapbox: No ranting, over-posting, no discussion of politics or campaigning, no controversial issues or dominating conversations.

Keep it clean and legal: no profanity, no threats and no violations of privacy.

Thank you!

Adopt A Highway! Please come out for a few hours this Saturday, October 6 and make a difference in our community by joining the highway cleanup! We will meet at the Common at 7:30 a.m. for a brief meeting, and will be working from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Wear long pants and sunscreen!

If you have any questions, please contact Jim Merson at garnerdoc@aol.com.

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Moon over Santa Rosa on September 21, 2018

Submitted by Kathy Bowman

Architectural Control Committee (ACC) Submitted by Diana Fedder When making improvements to your home or yard, please take the time to review the Architectural guidelines set forth in our governing documents. It may not be necessary to submit an application to the ACC, however, it is best to check so that a fine will not be imposed. For instance, if you are planning on putting up an exterior fence to fence in your entire yard, please reach out to the TRAIL committee, who will be more than happy to look at your property and determine where your fence will need to be located. There may be a trail easement you may not be aware of. This will help you determine which documents you need to submit to FirstService Residential (packet located on their website), who will forward to the ACC.

Our DOR’S are pretty lenient and follow the Riverside County guidelines. Our community is considered an RA-5 Residential Agricultural community. We can be more restrictive than Riverside County, but not less restrictive. Please note that the Board or the ACC can NOT enforce a County ordinance, only what is in our DOR’S. Otherwise, Riverside County Code Enforcement will need to handle the issue.

PRIVACY:

Please note that when submitting plans to FirstService Residential for ACC approval, those plans are not provided to the Board nor to the community. The ACC reviews these documents, which are not discussed outside of the ACC. If there is an issue, the ACC will bring it forth to the Board, and will be done without using names. The ACC will respect that privacy. The Board does not review copies of ACC applications.

The Board will take turns doing the DOR inspections (I personally don’t like the word violations, so for this article’s sake, let’s use the word “issues”), so there is a fresh set of eyes each month. The Board does NOT discuss any “issues” and to whom they belong. That is between the Board member and our property management company. If FirstService Residential sends a letter to a resident (for failure to pay HOA dues, “issues”, ACC related items or other concerns), the Board does NOT get a copy of said letter. This system, in my opinion, keeps personal matters, personal.

Lastly, if you receive a letter relating to a DOR “issue”, FirstService Residential does not keep a tally as to how many “issues” you have had as a resident. It is not a contest. If you feel you received a letter in error, PLEASE contact FirstService immediately. Yes, mistakes can be made. For that, we apologize, but we will be more than happy to come out to your property to verify and clear the mistake or issue. If the letter requests you fix something that will cost money, before spending money, we will be more than happy to come out and clarify so money is not being spent inadvertently.

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Rattlesnake Clinic Was a Striking Success Submitted by Kerry Manos More than fifty Garner Valley neighbors attended a comprehensive presentation on rattlesnakes on Saturday, September 28, at the Common. Three different speakers covered topics ranging from how to recognize different snakes that can be found in our area (including harmless snakes), how to avoid being bitten, and what to do if you are unfortunately bitten by a rattlesnake. The clinic ended with a wide-ranging question and answer session.

The morning kicked off with a presentation by Robert Schultz of our local Garner Valley Fire Station #53. Schultz was accompanied by the rest of the Station #53 crew. He described the role of fire paramedics in responding to snake bite emergencies, the first aid the paramedics are able to offer, and what snake bite victims should do while they wait for help to arrive.

We attendees learned that all the things we may have been taught decades ago as boy or girl scouts, such as making an incision in the fang marks and applying a suction cup, are no longer recommended. Today’s number one piece of advice is to get to a hospital as fast as possible with the aid of paramedics who can provide supportive care en route. Patients should be at the hospital within one to two hours of being bitten for the best outcome. For folks living in a more remote area, such as we do in the mountains, this often means a helicopter ride to the emergency room.

While waiting for the paramedics, the victim should draw a circle around the swollen area and note the time on their skin with a sharpie. This will allow doctors to subsequently judge the progress of swelling, which is one of the main reactions to snake bite, along with pain and respiratory distress. It can also be helpful to take two Benadryl tablets (50 milligrams total) to help counteract one’s allergic response to the venom. Some individuals may have a very severe allergic response and extreme difficulty breathing, in which case an EpiPen might be useful. However, this latter method of first aid should only be considered if the victim is in extreme respiratory distress, as epinephrine will also speed the absorption of the venom in one’s system.

At the hospital, a snake bite victim will receive antivenin as the primary treatment. Antivenin is extremely expensive, and the full treatment for snakebite can cost several hundred thousand dollars, depending on the amount of antivenin required, as well as the additional supportive care a patient might need.

Although a snake bite can be fatal, most people survive the experience. We were told that approximately 5,000 people per year are bitten, and roughly five die from it. So the odds are good that you’ll live, though one can still suffer permanent injury such as nerve or muscle problems.

After hearing about the consequences of being bitten, everyone was certainly eager to learn how to avoid it! Our subsequent speakers helped enlighten us on how to recognize dangerous (and harmless) snakes, as well as helping us understand the behavior of snakes so that we could better deal with them if we encounter them.

The second speaker of the morning was Ron Damp, who described himself as a “herpetoculturist,” or one who pursues the study of snakes as a passionate hobby. Ron grew up in the Idyllwild area, and has been studying our local snakes since he was a young boy. He presented a series of great photographs showing the variety of markings and colors that distinguish the different rattlesnakes that inhabit our local mountains and deserts. He also showed photos of snakes that are harmless so that we would be inclined to let them live if they were found in our yards.

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Dr. Hayes demonstrates handling of a live rattlesnake

Rattlesnake Clinic, Continued Finally, we heard from Dr. Bill Hayes, herpetologist (snake expert) and Professor of Biology at Loma Linda University. Among many topics related to snakes, Dr. Hayes is involved in studies of snake bites and snake venom. Loma Linda is a leading medical facility in the development of antivenin and the treatment of snake bite. Dr. Hayes was able to give us some insight in to both snake and human behavior that can lead to snake bites.

Dr. Hayes first noted that about 80% of snake bite victims are male. Often alcohol consumption is a factor in the snake bite accident. Furthermore, most male victims are bitten on the hand or arm, while most females and

children are bitten on a lower limb. So, the first thing to do to avoid being bitten seems to be to not try to pick up a snake!

Bites on the foot or leg usually occur when to victim accidentally steps too close to the snake. Dr Hayes noted that a snake can strike as far as half its body length, so two large steps back should get you out of striking range. A frightened snake will try to get away from you, but may actually try to get away in your direction. The snake is not chasing you, it’s just trying to escape. To minimize the chance of being bitten, avoid stepping into rocky or brushy areas where you can’t see what’s on the ground. Wearing tall leather boots should afford good protection. Studies have even shown that sturdy jeans will reduce the effect of a snake strike.

In the Q&A session, several questions pertained to how people should deal with snakes they find on their property, and if there are ways to keep snakes away. While both Ron Damp and Dr. Hayes, as snake enthusiasts, would like to discourage people from killing the creatures when they find them on their property, they acknowledged that people have justifiable concerns for children, pets, etc. Dr. Hayes had brought a live rattlesnake to demonstrate, and he showed how it could be picked up with a hook, contained and transported in a five-gallon bucket with a screw-top lid, and relocated to a remote area. Some folks in the audience reported that they had done this and the snake later returned to the location where it was caught. Dr. Hayes acknowledged that this can happen and that the snake must be taken at least half a mile away.

As far as keeping snakes off your property, Dr. Hayes noted that snakes are attracted to places with an abundance of food in the form of rats, ground squirrels and gophers, which in turn are attracted by easy access to such things as horse feed. Also, outdoor clutter that provides shelter invites snakes to move in. Most of us in Garner Valley despair of ever ridding our properties completely of ground squirrels and gophers, but to the extent they can be minimized, snakes might be kept at bay. Try to keep your property as clutter free as you can, and when you do need to reach into your wood pile or under your deck, beware that a snake could be there and watch your hands.

One additional note of caution from Dr. Hayes: although snakes can be seen on hot days basking on dirt roads and trails, their preferred temperature range is between 78 and 82 degrees. Thus snakes are most likely to be out and about at dawn and dusk during warmer months. Exercise extra caution at those times of day.

All of us who attended the Rattlesnake Clinic left feeling much better informed and prepared to deal with a rattlesnake should we encounter one on our property or on the trail. We also got common sense tips as to how to avoid being bitten, as well as the latest information on what to do if we did suffer a snake bite. It was a morning well spent.

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The mule drawn “sag wagon” accompanies Red

Rock Riders in Paria Canyon

Surefooted, fit animals make their way over challenging terrain in Bryce Canyon

Garner Valley Cowgirls Check One Off the Bucket List Submitted by Kerry Manos I recently returned from what has to be a horse person’s vacation of a lifetime. Along with my Garner Valley riding buddy, Helen Steenman, and a couple of her friends from out of the area, I did the Red Rock Ride, an organized horseback trip that featured chances to see three of the Southwest’s greatest national parks via our favorite mode of transportation.

The Red Rock Ride, which I discovered is on many riders’ bucket lists, is a week-long opportunity to ride extensively in Zion, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon North Rim, as well as other spectacular trails in the vicinity of these famous National Parks. Mounts, both horses and mules, are furnished by Canyon Trail Rides (CTR), which holds the trail riding concessions in all three parks. CTR partners with Houston Catering to round out the total vacation package, including meals, transportation to and from trailheads, and lodging and even some entertainment.

Our trip started in Las Vegas, where we congregated with other riders from around the country at the Fairfield Inn on a Sunday night. There we were greeted by our hosts and briefed on our upcoming adventure. Early Monday morning we loaded our bags into a waiting stock trailer, and boarded our bus dressed in our riding gear. We headed straight to Zion National Park, where we were assigned our mounts for the week and went on our first ride. Those who have been to Zion will attest to the unpretentious grandeur of the place. We climbed the Sand Bench trail and rode a big loop with the cliffs towering all around us as we made our way back to the Zion Lodge. There we had lunch before heading on to our base camp outside Tropic, Utah, a small hamlet below Bryce Canyon.

On the following day, we rode down into the Bryce Canyon amphitheater, winding around fantastical orange “hoodoos,” through arches cut in the rock and up switchbacks through narrow canyons. Some of us took an optional ride later that day that featured a challenging part of the trail called “Snowy River,” from a scene in the movie involving a steep descent. I reasoned that their insurance wouldn’t let them take us somewhere really dangerous, even if it seemed so. It was a scary bit of riding, but a thrill.

On a subsequent day we rode a trail blazed by the famous outlaw, Butch Cassidy, who had fled to the back country near Bryce Canyon with some of his gang and created several hideouts to evade Utah lawmen. We later rode Thunder Mountain, winding through canyons walled with red cliffs, and climbing high into the mountains where the views seemed endless. Thunder Mountain also featured another thrill ride, a “hogs back” where we rode a narrow, bridge-like stretch of trail with precipitous slopes on either side. Again, I told myself their insurance must have approved this bit.

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Red Rock Riders pause to appreciate the colorful walls of Paria Canyon

Bucket List, Continued

Our longest ride was nearly thirty miles through Paria Canyon, following a meandering river through an often used location for the filming of Western movies. Most of us had sore rear ends and knees by the end of the day, but were proud we made it!

On our last ride we were packed by mules down into the Grand Canyon from the North Rim. We descended nearly two thousand feet in two miles before we stopped at a rest area, where, due to new park restrictions, we were required to turn around. At the end of this ride we were given a tour of CTR’s stables and a chance to help put the mules away after their day’s work.

T hroughout the whole trip, our creature comforts were graciously seen to. While the living accommodations were rustic, they were comfortable. We slept in small wooden cabins, two people per cabin, and each with a platform type bed outfitted with a foam pad. We were asked to bring our own bedding, towels, etc. Bathrooms and showers were separate facilities at either and of the row of 25 cabins.

We took our breakfasts and dinners in a big barn, built to be a dining room and entertainment space. It had a small stage up front, and after our hearty dinners, we were entertained on various evenings by singers, a band and a cowboy poet. Each afternoon when we returned from the day’s ride, we were greeted with a table of snacks, plus cold beer, wine and soft drinks.

Perhaps the best part of the experience was the people we got to know. Folks came from all over the country to join the Ride. We all shared a love of horses and the outdoors, plus a sense of adventure and willingness to take on a challenge. It was comforting to us mature folks to find that most of the riders were

in the over 50 (sometimes well over 50) age range. Lots of folks had bad knees, backs, etc., yet were still willing to give the challenges of the ride a go.

If you’re a horse person who’s still got room on your bucket list, consider adding the Red Rock Ride. You can get more info at redrockride.com. Reservations must be made the year prior to the year you do the ride, and places sell out less than an hour after they begin taking reservations, so you need have your fingers on the keyboard the minute reservations are open to get in.

NEXT MONTH: Horse and Mule Rides in Our National Parks: An Inside Look