An Open Letter to Firehouse 50

Sac Metro Fire Station #50

Dear Captain Kurt Hudnall,

It has come to my attention as of late that the men assigned to your station, B shift, have been up to something that I think I should make you aware of. It may come across as sort of "dirty", but you will soon see that for me, that's a good thing!

In addition to the skill sets of rescuing, training, fire fighting, bbq-ing, inspecting, shopping, cooking, more training, eating, and being "clowns" in general...they also do several good deeds outside of the work place.

Hence, the dirt picture to the right...

One of your crew members took time out of his pre-work time and found it in his heart to collect me some of the dirt outside your station. How nice! It even inspired my daughter and I to come make a personal visit to see for ourselves, just what goes on down there.

While visiting, we were greatly impressed; not only with the professionalism displayed by all the individuals there, but we sensed a genuine gratitude as well.

Could it be that chocolate pudding cake was a good choice to bring? Regardless, know that the great spirit at the 50 was appreciated, as is the job that you and your crew do everyday for the community.

The dirt, was just the icing on the cake. (no pun intended)

Much thanks from,
Brenda

Land Lover, Sand Saver, Dirt Digger

Shasta Lake

Thank you Mr. Reyes for yet another great sampling of dirt.

Although he thinks the fish was the best "catch" on the trip, I beg to differ.

He and a buddy, Art Gonsalves went to a tournament recently and in their adventure remembered to "catch" some dirt for me! It is very, very dark and quite woodsy, for lack of a better word.

Information on Shasta Lake can be found at www.shastalake.org. It is a beautiful lake located at Mt. Shasta in California and has a tremendous amount to offer. The fishing is great...if you are into that sort of thing. But...

with a catch like this, who wouldn't want to go fishing? (for a little more dirt!) Thank you again!

And for the record...It's a 3lb. spotted bass. He caught it with his lucky bobber I am sure!

Nicaragua-Masaya

Continuing on the cruise, the Doxey family also returned with this sample from Nicaragua. Although, it seems much more of a ROCK sample, than dirt. But don't get me wrong! It's all coming from the ground, and it's all appreciated! What an interesting addition to my collection. Nicaragua is located between 11 and 14 degrees North of the Equator. for more information on the Tourism side of Nicaragua:

Tourist Office
Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism, Managua, Nicaragua: +505 222-3333 or www.intur.gob.ni/

Many cruises now tour the Panama Canal and include Nicaragua as part of that package. Thank you again to the Doxey family!

Costa Rica

Beautiful places bring beautiful sand, and in this case, beautiful dirt. The sample to the right was dropped off to my house quite some time ago, and I apologize that it didn't get posted sooner than this. But...that having been said, it has quickly become one of my favorite to look at. It's deep, rich colors fascinate me. *insert funny phrase here. (something shiny!) Thank you Lynette Doxey and family for once again, going on the trip of a lifetime and sharing part of it with me. You are always appreciated! I can only imagine what traveling through this country was like. According to Wikipedia, Costa Rica (Rich Coast) ranks first in the Happy Planet Index and is known as the "GREENEST" country in the world. Sounds like we could all use a trip there to learn how it is done the right way!

Horsen' Around in Loomis

A visit to my hometown for Father's Day achieved a number of things. Father's day greetings to 2 great men, and... more dirt samples! This friendly guy donated some of his "pasture" to help in my quest for dirt. Anita and Peyton, thank you for allowing me to present to the world, Lucy,( I mean) Thunder, (or was it) Nick?; your beautiful horse! Which ever pony it was, they didn't seem a bit camera shy. This dirt was fun to collect. I was also very pleased to hear a few stories from your childhood and even more pleased that the gopher agreed to let me sneak some of his homeland! Thank you again to your entire family for great food, great conversation, and of course, GREAT DIRT!