Peter Lassen

Susanville, CA is the county seat of Lassen County. Emigrant trails leading west to the gold fields were established in this area in the 1850's. Going through Donner's Pass was very difficult, and the journey through the Honey Lake Valley was easier. The emigrant trails took pioneers to Shasta City on the northern top of the Sacramento Valley.

The first residents of Lassen County tried unsuccessfully to declare themselves a separate Republic. The US Government didn't allow that. To read more about the beginning of Lassen County, visit the Lassen County Historian's site:

http://www.cagenweb.com/lassen/his.htm

This photo is the monument to Peter Lassen. He was one of the first settlers in the Honey Lake Valley/Susanville area. More information about his life can be found by clicking on the above link. He was a pretty interesting man.

Road to Susanville

There are a few highways that lead to Susanville. This is a shot of Highway 395 near the Red Rock turn off between Reno, Nevada and Susanville. Its very desolate area. There are cattle ranches and a few TINY towns between Reno and Susanville. We always laugh that this our 'Hills Have Eyes' area for anyone who has seen that movie.

More snow!

The last week has been odd. Temperatures earlier in the week were 59 degrees during the day. It was a welcomed change. But, we had snow again by Friday. Yesterday it snowed on and off most of the day.

My kids played outside in the afternoon. We shoveled the driveway, but it was covered again before we went inside. You can see the snow pile up in the bushes outside. I was glad to see little buds on the branches. Hopefully spring will be here soon!

Snowy Road

This road is at the edge of the city limits. It looks a little lonely, but directly on the left is the Indian Rancheria housing.

Girl Scout Cookie Time

If there are Girl Scouts in your community, prepare for cookies! The cookies for my troop arrived today. Tomorrow I will sort them out for the girls in my troop so they can start delivering their pre-orders. The site sales in front of stores should start next weekend! Yum Yum!

Out in a pasture....

This photo was taken just outside of town last summer or early fall. It was one of my favorites from last year.

Lassen County is home to dairy farms and many, many, many cattle ranches.

Another sunset

Here is another sunset photo from a few days ago. I had hoped to catch a sunset tonight, but the storm clouds had rolled in again. Maybe in a few days.

Sunset

A few nights ago the kids and I took a walk at Skyline Park. It was just before sunset and we had an excellent sunset.

View from Skyline Park

This is from late December before the snow started for the winter. Its a much nicer view in the spring, summer, and fall.

The Diamond Mountians are in the background.

Skyline Park Monument

There is a small monument at the top of Skyline Park. This is a beautiful spot, it overlooks the entire town.

Skyline Park

Skyline Park in Susanville has a nice paved walking path. A dirt path leads to the top of a good sized hill. This hill looks out over the north end of town. There are great views of the college, hospital, and newer subdivisions. This is the park that I took a photo of the Lassen 'L' on a neighboring hillside.

At the top of the dirt path are benches, a flagpole, and a small monument for the native sons and daughters who lost their lives in defense of others. I will post that photo tomorrow.

This small plaque is on a park bench. Too bad its so marked up.

Susan River

This is a photo of the Susan River along the parkway. Its a small river, but will be full in a month or two once the snow really starts to melt. It reached flood stage a few years ago, but there wasn't much flooding.

I was really trying to get a great reflection shot. My 5 year old son just couldn't stop tossing rocks in the river, lol. I told him to stop, but he 'thought' it would be ok to toss the rocks in a different direction. LOL He had a great time, so that is what counts.

Another Susan River Parkway Photo

Here is another photo of the Susan River Parkway. Luckily most of the snow has melted away and the pathway was cleared by the city. It was a very nice walk and we passed a few others out enjoying the heat wave of 44 degrees, lol. This is a great walk in the spring and early summer when all the trees and bushes are full of leaves. It's also great in the fall when the leaves are just starting to turn colors.

Yesterday we saw some woodpeckers that were very colorful. My chatty 5 year old scared them off before I could snap a good photo.

Susan River Parkway

Today we took a walk on the Susan River Parkway. Its a nice paved walk way along the Susan River. The city must have plowed it, it was nearly clear of snow. The river was pretty high. The snow is melting off. It was nice to see buds on the trees and bushes.

Along the way I saw this reflection in a pool of water along the snow.

The Lassen 'L' on the hill.

On the northside of town a large L is painted each year. The hill overlooks Meadowview School and the surrounding homes. From what I have heard, Lassen College students paint the L. I am pretty sure its on the Susanville Indian Rancheria land.

This photo was taken in December at Skyline park just a week or so before the snow came. When the weather is better, I will take a closer photo.

My little Boston Terrier

Today's photo is of my dog, Zito. He is named after the baseball pitcher, Barry Zito. My daughter REALLY wanted his photo up on the blog today. How could I resist? Zito is 1 1/2 and has been a great addidtion to our family. For a little dog, he sure is tough. My kids drag him around, rough house with him, sit on him, dress him up, etc. He is a really good sport about it.

Red Barn

This red barn sits just outside the Susanville City limits. There are a number of old barns just outside town. I love taking photos of old barns.

I had to take a few days off. Everyone here has been sick, not much fun.