The Yew Tree And Other Pluckers

Understanding of words is critical to successful communication. On any level, it is smart to know what is being said. That also must include recognition and comprehension of some unpleasantries we all experience, sooner or later, in the daily societal combat we call life. More specifically, there is a two word instructional phrase, that carries […]

I’m Zsa Zsa, I’m Ugly, And I Win

Here she is, Miss World’s Ugliest Dog, 2018! Yes, Zsa Zsa, a 9 year old English Bulldog has won this year’s World’s Ugliest Dog contest, earning her owner, Megan Brainard of Anoka, Minnesota, $1,500 prize money in the process. Zsa Zsa won her title Saturday night at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds in Petaluma, California. The contest […]

It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s ———

There is a common saying attributed to the FBI; “When in doubt, cross it out”. In response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, and subsequent lawsuit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation finally forwarded requested records; however, they redacted a reporter’s name, thus proving the Bureau’s strict policy of protecting identities is still very […]

Of Orchards, Smudge Pots, And Friends

If you lived near fruit groves in California or Florida way back when, you probably remember smudge pots and smudging. I believe the practice fell out of favor in the 1970s, but for any of us who grew up around orchards in the 50s, smudging was a part of our cold weather experience. It was […]

Life In The Time Of Cruising

December days in California’s San Joaquin Valley are cold, overcast, and often foggy. Tule fog, foggy. That is the fog where visibility can go from 600 feet to zero feet with little or no warning; there just is no way of knowing where it is going to be at its worst, and danger is the […]