MY VISIT TO JACK LONDON STATE PARK

THIS PAST WEEKEND I ATTENDED AN INTERPRETIVE WALK AT JACK LONDON STATE PARK. I LEARNED THAT 70 STATE PARKS WILL PROBABLY BE CLOSED THIS YEAR WITH BUDGET CUTS. THIS IS 25% OF THE PARKS IN CALIFORNIA. IT'S THE FIRST TIME IN 100 YEARS WE LEARNED THAT LONDON WAS BORN IN 1913 IN SAN FRANCISCO AND HAD BEEN MARRIED ONCE BEFORE AT AN EARLY AGE. HE LIVED HIS LIFE TO THE FULLEST EXTENT THAT HE COULD BY TRAVELING BY SHIP TO ALASKA. ON THIS TRIP HE AND SOME CREW MEMBERS GOT SICK WITH A GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASE AND STAYED IN A HOSPITAL FOR A MONTH. I GUESS THEY DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO TREAT SO HE RETURNED TO THE RANCH TO WRITE. HE ALSO BUILT A SHIP TO TRAVEL TO SAMOA AND THESE ISLANDS.

HIS MAIN PROJECT WAS BUILDING THE WOLF HOUSE USING BASALT STONES FROM THE LOCAL TERRAIN AND REDWOOD BEAMS. IT WAS A GRAND HOUSE WITH A REFLECTING POOL IN THE CENTER THAT WAS COMPLETED IN 1913. THE WORKERS WERE POLISHING THE REDWOOD WITH LINSEED OIL AND THEY THREW THE RAGS INTO THE FIREPLACE AND THE WHOLE HOUSE BURNT DOWN! WE SIGHTED A RATTLESNAKE CURLED IN A TREE LOG ON OUR HIKE. JACK NEVER GOT OVER HIS DEPRESSION FROM THAT EVENT. THEY LIVED IN THE FARMHOUSE COTTAGE AFTER THAT. HE WAS A HEAVY SMOKER AND DRINKER AND HAD DIFFERENT HOURS FOR SLEEPING THAN CHARMAIN SO THEY HAD SEPARATE BEDROOMS. CHARMAIN LIVED 40 YEARS BEYOND JACK AND HAD THE HOUSE OF HAPPY WALLS BUILT FROM HIS BOOK SALES. SHE PLACE A LOT OF WOODEN CARVINGS THEY HAD BOUGHT FROM [POLYNESIA AND TAPA CLOTH FROM SAMOA. HE HAD A PIG PALACAE AND THEY ENTERTAINED MANY GUESTS. JACK BECAME WORLD FAMOUS IN HIS SHORT LIFE OF 40 YEARS.

I HIKED TO THE LAKE ND AROUND THE COTTAGE AND THEIR WERE FEW HIKERS. IT WAS VERY HOT. WE TOOK A TOUR TO THEIR CEMETERY WHERE THEY BOTH WERE CREMATED. HE GOT VERY SICK FROM WITH OPEN WOUNDS ON ONE SHIP TRIP AND TREATED THEM WITH MERCURY MAKING IT WORSE.