Oregon Trail - Fresno, New Home for Wendy & Barth

We arrived from Mendocino by way of San Francisco, and dallied long enough a few points of interest that we called ahead to tell my sister Wendy not to plan on having dinner for us as we would arrive late.  When we had called ahead from Mendocino we got the sad news that Wendy's father-in-law had suddenly passed away the day before.  So we arrived, hesitant to impose or get in the way of arrangements that had to take precedence over hosting us.  But, Barth had already made arrangements to take several days off from work in order to make funeral plans in Modesto and attend to estate matters.  We were received more than graciously by Wendy and Barth, a credit to their Christian faith.

We had planned no special outings, just time to hang out for a day before we took the last 2 days to return to Texas.  We had a good time visiting and catching up on a multitude of family events.  They had only recently moved into their home in Fresno from Escalon due to Barth's new job as an industrial engineer and cost manager at dehydration onion and garlic plant in Firebaugh.  We had a guest room set up for us, though they were still in the process of unpacking from the move.  Otherwise you might believe that Wendy was decorating in brown cubist motif.  Maybe I should have taken the opportunity to buy some Fresno State swag (Class of 1981) or tour the ol' campus and perhaps taste some of the award-winning Fresno State wine from the oenology (wine making) department. 

The real obligation I had was to pick a California Desert Tortoise from Wendy & Barth's stock of 13 heads of torts.  I was given a tortoise by our neighbors in 1965 who could no longer really care for Sam.  I was far and away the best 8-year old herpetologist in town when I delightfully took Sam under my care - but immediately discerned that Sam should was actually Samantha.  A year later, the neighbors across the street found another tortoise which they could no longer keep once they turned their backyard into a built-in swimming pool.  Pokey was renamed Darin (remember the hit TV series Bewitched which ran in the mid-1960?).  We now had a breeding pair, and once we and the tortoises relocated to California's San Joaquin Valley, some years we would joyfully add hatchlings to our reptile ranch.

In 2006, on a California visit, Grant became infatuated with the herd of torts in Wendy's backyard, and since they were all males (except their mother Samantha) it was best to cull the herd.  Chomper was placed in a box with some greens and came to live with us in Texas.  Wendy and Barth's new home has a pool taking up most of the backyard, so again we were offered a tortoise as a way of freeing up some space for his brothers.  Sue was apprehensive about having two males that would act territorial, but Inga and Grant thought our side of the family should have at minimum two Desert Torts in order to avoid a bitter custody battle once Sue and I died.  I was haertily in favor of a second reptile to cruise our back 40.  Inga and Grant agreed the newcomer would be Isaac.

Chomper (Isaac's brother) tries on Inga's mortar board hat
Inga's High School Graduation 2009

After being treated to a  fabulous Chinese dinner.  We settled into bed before an early AM departure.  Bags packed, and Isaac in a cardboard box wedged between suitcases we left town passing vinyards and orchards as we drove down Highway 99.  Isaac was not pleased with his new travel arrangements, but I tried to comfort him by letting him know he was soon to be reunited with his brother Chomper.