Indian Point Ostrich Ranch - Tehachapi, California

DATE:  July 11, 2015

SITE:  Indian Point Ostrich Ranch

LOCATION:  28101 Giraudo Rd., Tehachapi, Kern Co., California

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS: 

The Indian Point Ostrich Ranch had been on my “to do” list when Dana and I were driving to Missouri but because of timing, it didn’t work out. It's quite a ways off the freeway so I was planning on skipping it but Dirk knew it was high on my list and because he is pretty much game to do anything, off we went. Besides, I promised Dirk an ostrich burger when we were done.

Indian Point Ostrich ranch was started in 1992 on the site of a previous cattle ranch.  Our guide, a World of Warcraft aficionado we found out later, walked us around the ranch explaining how they are raised and what they are raised for.

We were first introduced to a male/female pair and were told the females mate for life while the males…well, not so much. Mating season goes from March/April to just before September.  The males spread their wing feathers and make a “Pahrump” sound, one of the very few sounds an ostrich makes.

Once they have mated, the hens lay 50 or more eggs a year. In the wild, the male will mate with several females but all the hens lay their eggs in a communal nest. The dominate female will lay her eggs first and once all females lay, the dominate female will remove the eggs from the “weak” females.

The eggs weight about 3 pounds each and equal 18 to 24 chicken eggs. Once the chicks are hatched, they are fawn in color and the sex isn't known for about a year. Chicks grow about 1 foot a month.

Females and young males are a greyish brown and white while full grown males have beautiful plumage in black and white. We're told that ostriches live to be over 50 years old, weigh up to 300 lbs., and can run 40 MPH.

They have the largest eyes of any land vertebrate which allows them to see predators from very far away. They can run from predators but will also lay with their heads and neck flat on the ground, appearing in the shimmering heat, to be a mound of dirt.

They are also the closest living relative to the dinosaur and drawings have been found on pottery and in petroglyphs.

Our guide tells us that ostriches are curious and friendly. Curious we saw...they came straight to the fence when we walked over.

A kid asked if they could touch the ostriches and she said she would only touch the young male as the female tends to bite harder. But of course, no one in that family would try so I figured, why not? When am I going to have another chance to let an ostrich bite my hand. The guide was right, it didn't hurt, but it did startle me the first time.

But friendly though they are, we are told they have a memory span of about 15 seconds. I'm reminded of the character Tom in 50 First Dates. He has a brain injury and can only remembers things for 10 seconds so he goes around introducing himself and then introducing himself and then introducing himself.

 

Next we are shown Ralph. This ostrich is a beautiful full grown male and has been in several commercials, movies and even one Megadeth music video.

They make no secret that some of the ostriches are raised for their meat, but it was how they determine who becomes steak and burgers and who stays on as breeding stock that is interesting.

There are 3 species of ostriches…The North African ostrich, also known as “red necked” – they are the largest and most aggressive. It is this species that gives the ostrich its bad reputation. Then comes the Southern ostrich and the Masai ostrich.

The goal is to raise very large yet gentle ostriches and they've come upon a way to determine that trait. Once chicks are a year old, they are separated by sex and then the "pecking order" starts. One ostrich will be the dominate and will peck the feathers off the others, the next dominate will do the same and on down the line until the poor docile one is without feathers.

But here is where being last to be picked for the team works out. The ranch sends the most aggressive, dominate ostriches to the hamburger making place. As Dirk said..."its good NOT to be King here".

P.S. The place to go to get the Ostrich burger is a little place called The Burger Spot. Dirk had one and said it was very good. No, I wasn't brave enough.

The Petrified Forest & Painted Desert - Apache & Navajo Co., Arizona

DATE:  July 6, 2015

HISTORICAL SITE:  Petrified Forest National Park

LOCATION:  Apache & Navajo Co., Arizona

MARKER #:  75000217 & 76000185 & 87001421 & 05000284

DEDICATED:  October 10, 1975 & July 12, 1976 & May 28, 1987 & April 15, 2005

"This property has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior   1976   Newspaper Rock Petroglyphs Archaeological District"

"Painted Desert Inn has been designated a National Historic Landmark   This site possesses National significance in commemorating the history of the United States of America   1987   National Park Service   United States Department of the Interior"

"This property has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior   2005   Painted Desert Community Complex Historic District"

MARKER PLACED BY:  National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS: 

I was surprised to find out that although Dirk was born and raised in Arizona, he has never visited the Petrified Forest or Painted Desert. I remember my parents taking us as little girls and for some reason that has stuck with me and is the driving force behind my desire to see this area again.

While not as breathtaking as the Grand Canyon, you can see similarities and this place can still stop you in your tracks with its beauty.

At one point, Dirk and I were just standing and looking. We'd said all the oooh's and ahhh's and were quiet. I looked over at Dirk and he had this look on his face I have seen before and am in awe of. I'm not sure how to describe it other than to say it is joy and the quietness of a soul...if that makes sense. He then looked at me and said "God did good".

While it's officially the Petrified Forest National Park, the northern end extends into the Painted Desert and is known for fossilized trees from the late Triassic period, about 225 million years ago.

In the late 1800's, concern grew over the number of tourists visiting and removing artifacts. Arizona asked the U.S. government to create a Petrified Forest National Park.

Like the Grand Canyon, the journey to national park wasn't easy and like the Grand Canyon, Roosevelt had to use the Antiquities Act of 1906 to create the Petrified Forest National Monument in 1932 and finally it became a National Park in 1962. Several successive presidents have signed legislation to acquire additional land where the size is currently 218,533 acres.

As part of the super continent of Pangaea, this area was near the equator and had a sub-tropical climate.

Paleontologists have been working in the park since the early 20th century, finding Triassic plants, but also giant crocodile like reptiles called phytosaurs, large salamander like amphibians called Buettneria and early dinosaurs.

It is the same sediments that buried the tree's so they could fossilize, that has caused the Painted Desert is be so colorful and that sediment is estimated to be up to 800 feet deep.

There have been nine species of fossil trees identified here...all extinct. Driving through the park, you can see remnants of the tree's all over the place, some denser than others.

The sediment is also easily weathered giving the landscape its cliffs, gullies and rounded hills.

The earliest humans arrived at least 8,000 years ago. Mostly nomadic until about 2,000 years ago when humans built pueblos and were growing corn here.

As the climate changed, people moved out but more than 600 sites have been found to be archaeologically significant, including the petroglyphs site called Newspaper Rock.

The Hopi nation call it "Tutuveni" and the petroglyphs show the history of the Hopi Indian tribe carved into stone. The area contains about 5,000 petroglyphs estimated to be between 650 and 2,000 years old.

In 2008, Newspaper Rock was included on the Worlds Monument Watch List of endangered cultural sites. Sadly, along with the ancient petroglyphs is the graffiti of today. $100,000.00 later, the site is surrounded by a chain link fence and monitored by hidden cameras.

 
Until the 16th century, the only inhabitants were indigenous people. Then the Spaniards discovered this area while exploring Mexico and the southwest.

The first U.S. survey was in 1853, made by American explorers looking for good east to west routes. Soon a wagon trail was "built"...is that the right word? What do you call it..."carved" a wagon trail?

Homesteaders settled in the area and their cattle grazed within the borders of the park until the mid-20th century. Next came the railroad and finally, constant car traffic on Route 66 and now Interstate 40.

There are 3 sites designated as historical, the main complex, the petroglyphs and finally...the Painted Desert Inn.

Back in the 1920's, Herbert Lore built a tourist shop, lunch counter and trading post on the Kachina rim. In 1932, the U.S. government proclaimed the Painted Desert a national monument. Lore negotiated $59,400.00 out of the U.S. government for his land and building. $60k in 1932? Not bad at all.

The original inn was built using the petrified wood from the park and was called Stone Tree House. Using the parks natural resources was a bit frowned upon so they rebuilt the inn; that being completed by the Conservation Corps in 1937.

Ok, this is strange to me but they didn't want to use the parks resources that were ALREADY being used so they tear it down and use other natural resources. Maybe less scarce but I bet that petrified wood was going to last forever.

Hopi artist Fred Kabotie was hired to paint scenes of everyday Hopi life and ceremonies on the walls of the Inn. 

There was a bit more remodeling right after the war and it was used as a railway hotel from 1947 to 1963 and finally destruction was discussed in the mid-70's.

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and after major renovations, the inn reopened in 2006 as a museum. You walk through the building and can appreciate the craftsmanship and the painting, but then you look up and there is a beautiful stained glass ceiling.

I'm really glad we got the opportunity to see one of the U.S.'s beautiful National Park.