I Didn’t Blink & There Was Chester

California that is.

I spent a wonderful afternoon in the little town Chester, Ca. It started at a quaint little bookstore/local art gallery B & B Booksellers. There I used their WiFi and drank their gourmet coffee. Lee filled me in on some of the local history and pointed me to the Knotbumber eatery for some more interesting facts. The menu items are named for logging terms which are defined on the back. I bummed a menu from the Knotbumber so I could pass on my newly acquired knowledge. Here’s what’s on the menu.

It’s Knot News

Historically Chester is a logging Town. The logging profession has is own jargon for job titles. The “Knotbumber” is also a job in the woods.

Whistle Punk; he no longer sounds the whistle, it’s a radio now.
Steam Donkey; a winch used to move logs
Timber Beast; any logger.
White Hats; the folk representing the company.
High Climber; tops the tall trees.
Faller; the fella that falls the trees.
Bucker; trims branches and cuts the felled trees to length.
Chocker Setter; places cables around the logs.
Skidder; grabs the cable and skids the logs to the…
Landing; where logs are stacked in the…
Deck; a pile of logs.
Knotbumber; removes any remaining branches and knots
Peeler; debarks large trees.
Hook Tender; hooks the hauling cable to the chocker.
River Pig; keeps the logs moving on waterways.
Greasers; lubricate skid trails.
Sniper; chamfers leading edges to keep the logs moving down the skid trails.
Skinners & Bull Punchers: handled the work animals.

I had the Chock Setter and it was great.

So if you’re cruising through Chester Ca., stop at B & B Booksellers. The second Friday is artists’ night when you can meet the local artists. There are some exquisite carvings (I thought they were porcelain), paintings and more. Then head on down to the Knotbumber for a River Pig sandwich with the local Timber Beasts.

Until the next post: Remember Knotbumbers are people too!

OR_Maverick
4 Trees Sno-Park, Ca N 39° 48.85’ W 121° 19.29’ Elevation - 5,190 ft
Sierra Nevada Mountains