Join your favorite locals for Thankful Thursday, July 16, at Rick’s Saloon. This week the menu is enchilada casserole, my favorite! Buy yourself a cold adult beverage and receive this delicious meal for free. Dinner is served from 5pm-8pm.
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Summer is in full swing in Knights Ferry. The parks and parking lots are full, traffic through town is abundant, and the river is teeming with out-of-towners. I hope the businesses in town are benefiting from the influx of tourists!
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Although the town is busy, things to write about are few and far between. That’s why I continue to enjoy the book Touring Knights Ferry with Tom. On these slower weeks, I like to sit with a cup of coffee and peruse its pages, looking for interesting tidbits to share.
One thing I love about Knights Ferry is the consistent presence of the majestic turkey buzzards. I think it’s quite a sight to see dozens upon dozens of them circling overhead or sunning themselves high up in the trees on a cold day. Sometimes they’re perched nearby, and I know they’re eyeing breakfast.
So today, I bring you an excerpt from the above-mentioned book all about the turkey buzzards.
“The Turkey Buzzard, the rancher’s friend, is restless this year, according to Clifford “Red” Lewis, dam master at Goodwin Diversion Dam on the Stanislaus River, four miles northeast of Knights Ferry. Last year (1975) Lewis clocked the birds as gathering and migrating south about three weeks ahead of the usual mid-October departure date. Ranchers, who recall that the rainy season came early last year, view the buzzards restlessness this late summer as hopeful signs of another “early grass” year. Lewis, who has watched the habits of the buzzards for the past 16 years, adds to a total of 48 years the span that the buzzards have been under observation by dam personnel. Before Lewis, Wesley Johnson resided at Goodwin Dam for 9 years, and before him, the late James Dunning for 23 years. All three men place the buzzard’s departure close to October 15th.
A special thrill for Dunning each year in those 23 years was the annual “leadership” ritual. Prior to departure, the restless flock gathered for several days, then had “play-offs” to select the very strongest leader for the journey south. The buzzards lined up about five in number and hung suspended in mid-air, apparently motionless. The one able to hold this position the longest was declared the leader, and off he went followed by some 200 followers.”
I hope you enjoyed this little peek into the ways of Knights Ferry’s unofficial bird, the turkey buzzard. I’d love to hear your own stories about the wildlife we share this land with—from the mountain lions to the turkeys, from the lizards and snakes to the Zonkey and old Joe the camel.
If you have a memory or story to share about Knights Ferry’s animal neighbors, I’d love to hear it and print it here for the community to enjoy. If you’d like to share an animal story, please feel free to email me at knightsferrynews@gmail.com.
Ongoing Events:
Odd Fellows Breakfast - 1st Sunday of the month @ The Odd Fellows Lodge
Free Market - 2nd Tuesday, 3:30pm @ The Odd Fellows Lodge
Taco Tuesday - 5pm-8pm @ Rick’s Saloon
Thankful Thursday - 1st & 3rd Thursdays of the month. Free meal with drink purchase 5pm-8pm @ Rick’s Saloon
Knights Ferry Community Church Services - Sundays, 9:30am-10:30am
Upcoming Events:
Water Board Meeting - July 16, 7pm @ The Miller’s Hall
Odd Fellows Potluck Social - July 22, 6pm @ The Odd Fellows Lodge
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Do you have any exciting Knights Ferry local news, upcoming events, historical facts about the area, jokes or recipes to share? Contact Mary Turner at knightsferrynews@gmail.com
