I haven’t been able to celebrate Father’s Day with my dad since 1966, the year  he was killed in a helicopter accident in the ocean off of Carpenteria. Every year I miss him just the same. My sons didn’t forget the day because their mother made sure they at least got me a card. She is gone now,...

Saturday morning and here you are on the computer, reading this. Just remember, I was writing it Friday night. The weather forecast shows it could be a great day to do some hiking because the morning should be cool, so you can get back home before the heat affects you. I’d like to suggest any of the...

I love it when someone uses a bunch of statistics to explain why something did or didn’t happen in an election. I just read one of those about why the Democrats didn’t win one of the top two slots in the 25th Congressional District in the recent primary election. After all I read, it comes down to...

I’m angry. I’m also extremely sad. Our country is once again divided in the worst kind of political battle. And worse, our president has violated the law. At the end of the American Revolution, representatives of England and the Untied States of America assembled and hammered out the terms of peace....

Nearly 20 years have passed since Mentryville and Pico Canyon were deeded to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. Part of the agreement was to restore the buildings and open them for tours to the public. Like I said, it has been 20 years. It appears the public has been treated to the...

Humans seem to love erecting monuments to themselves or for themselves. I remember reading that when some archeologists were excavating some buildings near Rome, they found a funny-shaped altar.  It was a carved piece of marble with a hole in the middle. The edges of the hole were rounded. At first...

There are a lot of events happening this weekend here in the SCV, and I’ve decided to miss many of them. I think my recent trips to Kentucky and other problems have finally taken their toll. While I think I’m tired, I consider those men who were on the beaches of Normandy 70 years ago today. They...

Sometime in the early 1980s when I was stationed at Mare Island Naval Shipyard up north in Vallejo, we came up with what we called a “buzz phrase generator.” It consisted of three columns of 10 words each. Each row of words was numbered 1 through 10. The idea was that you could pick three numbers...

In 1876, rails were joined right here in the SCV that linked the northern and southern halves of California. The event took place in a spot now long forgotten, called Lang Station. There is a historical marker that last seen was covered in weeds. For many years, California had the lead in mass transit...

The Kentucky State Policeman asked the driver of the car he pulled over: “You have any ID?” The driver responded, “’bout what?” I went and applied for work today. Made it through the whole process. I’m drug-free and my background investigation is clear. I’m all ready to be hired. I even...