Grass Valley, California reminds us a lot our home town in Sussex County, NJ. Rolling hills, small town feeling and similar to the Delaware, it has the Yuba River. Passing through this town, our stay has sometimes been as short as an evening or up to a month long, we always find time to stop at the river. During the summer months you can find us spending an entire day here hiking and swimming until dark. Colder months I have come here to meditate along side the rushing water. 
Today is California Coastal Clean Up Day and I’ve partnered with California Growers Association for a packed schedule of fun and cleaning up the Yuba. CGA is a local organization (now statewide) that promotes and protects the independent farms and businesses in the cannabis industry and the protection of the public health and patient’s rights, the restoration of natural resources and watersheds, and to provide for the welfare of communities.

I woke up early and met over 100 other CGA volunteers and spent the entire morning picking up trash. I brought along today’s honorary gypsy, and local farmer, Sean, to help with the clean up. By day’s end he was a proud new member of the CGA, too.

The afternoon quickly felt like summer with temps easily in the 90s, so as a true gypsy cleaner I didn’t hesitate to get down to my skivvies to scoop up trash in the cold waters.

Afterwards we met at Pioneer Park for food and beer donated by local restaurants and breweries. Our large group this morning managed to collect 100 pounds of trash and 115 pounds of recycling.