Oneirology is the study of dreams. Just what are dreams? Are they mere images and involuntary sensations that occur in the mind of the dreamer? Or do they have deep-seated meanings? Are they warnings of things to come? Dreams have been studied scientifically, but we still do not completely understand...

I love adventure. I’m happiest when I’m climbing a mountain, scuba diving, hiking or spelunking. There are lots of caves in California to explore. I’ve narrowed it down to Southern California, or this article would be 100 pages long. Once you’ve discovered caving, the Internet is a great source...

Gingerbread houses, so common to see in America during the Christmas season, were made originally in Germany in the early 1800s. These houses were first described in Grimm’s fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel. In the story, these two children, alone in the forest, left bread crumbs in the path along the...

Baijiu is the best-selling liquor in the world. And probably only two of you out there have even heard of it or tasted it. Baijiu has commanded 31 percent of the global market. The translation of the word “Baijiu” (pronounced “bye-joe”) is “white wine.” But it is not a wine; it is a hard...

In pagan times, people brought evergreens into their homes to keep away evil spirits, ghosts, witches and sickness. They would hang evergreen boughs in their windows and over their doors for protection. They celebrated the winter solstice, and many people believed in a sun god. They believed that during...

We need wildlife corridors. Why? Because in the United States, an animal is hit by a vehicle every 26 seconds. Predators need a lot of space. As an example, a male mountain lion needs at least 100 square miles to roam. This much space will provide him with enough game to keep him fed. He roams territory...

The strongest-ever El Nino is on the way. California is supposed to face major storms and quite possibly the wettest winter we’ve had in recent history. Climate scientists say this year’s El Nino will not just be another “has-been” weather possibility. It’s far too strong for that. It cannot...

Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my maternal grandparents. They lived within the view shed of the San Gabriel Mountains. The mountains were just beautiful, and my grandparents gave me my first introduction to the lovely mountains, so close to their home. They told me about the times they spent...

Every year when November rolls around, I think of the stories my parents told me and those I learned in grammar school about Thanksgiving, especially the first Thanksgiving when the British colonists and the Native Americans shared their harvests. This always makes me sentimental about my Native American...

Rose Dunn was born Sept. 5 in either 1878 or 1879. Rose was born to poor parents, but she was lucky enough to have had the opportunity of a formal education in a convent in Wichita. She was a beautiful young girl, by all accounts. She was known as “The Rose of Cimarron.” Rose had two older brothers,...