Ponderosa, Ca

The 100th Cattle Drive For The Shannon Cattle Ranch

Posted on August 22, 2017 by Tenalu

The 100^th Cattle Drive For The Shannon Cattle Ranch
Written by: Kelsey Lane with the help of Toro Lane

For the love of family, land, history, heritage and tradition

The Shannon Cattle ranch just celebrated their one hundredth bi-annual five day cattle drive. Not only is this the longest cattle drive in all of California, but it is also one of the oldest running cattle drives in California. The Shannon Ranch is based in between Terra Bella and Porterville, California. Every summer in the first week of June the Shannon family pushes their cattle up from their ranch, through California Hot Springs, up the western divide, passing Ponderosa and finally settling in Grey Meadow in the Golden Trout Wilderness.

Reuben and his brother George Shannon first started their ranch in 1917 with the help of Reuben’s wife Ione. Around the 1960’s Reuben and Ione’s son, Jack Shannon, took over the ranch. Jack, and his wife Sandra, kept the family tradition alive until the day he died. Around 2012 Jack and Sandra’s sons, Bill and John Shannon took the reins on the ranch. To this day they run a full crew made up of mostly family. John is married to Carla and they have two twins sons, Blake and Jake, and a daughter Tabitha. Bill is married to Sherry and they have two daughters, Summer and Sarah. All of which work together on the Shannon Ranch. They also have three ranch hands, James Ward, Dan Shew, and Chuck Sandborg; who are all “just as close as family,” says Carla Shannon.

The Shannon’s believe in saving the land. Their cattle graze in the meadows along their drive which provides a fire safe forest. It also helps reduce the unnecessary vegetation within the meadows keeping these historical meadows the same as they were a hundred years ago. “It’s amazing to see a meadow that has been grazed by cattle for years…The cattle help the environment,” says Carla Shannon. The Shannon Cattle Ranch isn’t like any other cattle ranch. They are not only ambitious, hard working people that love what they do, but they also stand for something. They stand for preservation of land, history, heritage, and tradition. They have preserved the test of time and have made monumental strides in keeping our forests and home safe and healthy.

If you missed this spring’s cattle drive, on an early morning in the middle of September the ranchers will drive their cattle back home. I am sure that with their endurance the Shannon Ranch will surpass us all in continuing their way of life for the next one hundred years.

Posted in History | Tagged 100 years, California cattle drive, cattle, cattle drive, cowboys, golden trout wilderness, ponderosa, shannon ranch | 1 Comment

A note about fire safety…

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Tenalu

From the Ponderosa Property Owners Association (PPOA) Fire Brigade Leader:

With the Summer in full swing and the daytime temperatures reaching record highs, we need to ensure we are doing all we can to protect our properties from the threat of fire. Cleaning brush and downed wood within 100 feet from your home is a minimum standard that has been established and is followed by most of the residents on the mountain.

Clearing downed wood from the base of your trees and removing dead low hanging branches can also help prevent fire from climbing up into the trees (known as ladder effect) if a fire should occur. Of course you also want to be sure to clear any potential fuels from around your propane tank and out buildings. Maintaining a fire safe perimeter around your home, may be the single most important thing you can do in order to keep your home and property as safe as possible in the event of a fire.

Always use a fire ring with a live water hose when burning down wood for disposal. Always be sure you first check the County burn number : 1-877-429-2876 ext 7 (Tulare County) to ensure it is a legal burn day, as regulated by the local fire jurisdiction. Never burn on windy days, as the wind can carry hot embers away from your fire rings and enclosures and cause a wild fire.

There are special fog nozzles that fit your standard garden hose that can be purchased on line. Simply type into your computer the words “fog nozzles for garden hoses” and you will find many different manufacturers of these devices. They are not expensive and can also be found in many garden and hardware stores.

In summary, it is important to do all we can to eliminate fire hazards and sources of fuel that feed a fire in the unfortunate event a fire occurs in our mountain community. If you are not up to the task, due to physical or time restrictions, you can always hire local professionals to clear your lot and haul away the debris. Let’s all do what we can to keep our beautiful mountain community safe from the threat of fire. we owe it to ourselves as well as our neighbors.

Please also consider participating in our Fire Brigade Training. Future dates are here.

Dana Stewart
Fire Brigade