This morning my family happened to be on I-5 heading north through the city to the I-80 Westbound. I looked over my shoulder into the left lane, and there was a classic-style fire engine, ornate and gleaming, leading a convoy that stretched at least half a mile down the highway. All the vehicles in the convoy were different sizes of firefighting trucks and vehicles. My daughter called out Arizona plates on one of the vehicles. They appeared to be traveling north—to either the Butte or the Shasta-Trinity county fires.

I couldn’t help but feel some sort of relief in seeing these folks. Based on the air quality and the fire-marathons we’ve been observing, their help is much needed. I hope this convoy and the international groups coming in can make some headway. It has been a long, smoggy summer so far.

I’m crossing my fingers for containment.

The Sacramento French Film Festival will arrive this Friday night in a bluster of wine and baguettes at the Crest theater. While Opening Night is on the 18th, you can attend a number of les films as the fest will run for deux weekends (deux means two). A single ticket is $10, but the party and all-you-can-watch passes are a bit more.

If you don’t speak the language of love (no not, “charge it!” but French!), no worries. All films have subtitles in English. Et c’est merveilleux!

The Russians are coming…oh wait, they’re here. I just love saying that. Saturday, May 17 from 10 AM to 8 PM, there will be a YARMARKA (fair or festival) at Southside Park downtown. The park is just off Hwy 50 at 6th and W Streets. Free admission.

I’m told the event is kid friendly with food, performances, and souvenirs. There will be several music performers, including at least one Christian rock group. Oh yes, and a Ukrainian female rapper “Verka” should be there as well—it looks like she raps in English—non-religious, as far as I can tell.

If you want more info, here’s a mini-video of last year’s event. Caution: it’s all in Russian, but can give you an idea of what went on last year. I particularly like the “Russian Biker Club” segment where one guy wears a leather jacket in the video that says “Russian by Birth, U.S. Marine by Choice.”
Hoo-Rah!

There’s a brand new building rising at 30th and Q that I mentioned in a previous blog entry. This new building, a Mercy Hospital satellite, sports a dark New Mexico orange tint. Nearly every new building going up lately in and about town is wearing a similar shade of burnt umber / tequila sunrise orange. Why? We’re not New Mexico; this is not the desert. We aren’t trying to color coordinate with red rock formations. Sacramento is a river city, and if anything, shouldn’t new buildings be in a complementary shade?

Or perhaps “they” know something I don’t know? Maybe the water crisis is worse than we think and river city will become dry creek. I hope not. Meanwhile, the backdrop for a bad western is out there, already. Get yer lassos ready, cuz we’re ropin’ some cattle this weekend, y’all.

Time for a picnic! Tomorrow is picnic day at UC Davis; parade starts downtown at 9 AM.

As you may remember, last year’s weather tanked, with rain spoiling the day…this year? Looking good for an early tan. Just remember to dose up on your Claritin/ Benadryl though. The pollen count is high. Although I suppose if you’re imbibing, it won’t matter to you anyway.

Picnic lovers, enjoy!

Ever wonder where all those high school flag and rifle twirlers go when school is over? Well, I think I do. They become sign-twirlers. A neon yellow-mohawked guy was twirling a sign on I Street yesterday, about 5 PM. He was doing an incredible twirl-job, around and over and up again.

If I didn’t have a place I had to be, I would have pulled over just to watch this guy twirl. He was that good. As it was I had one eye on the road, the other on the performance. There is life after graduation.