I have satellite TV, and I was watching a program when a commercial for Florida oranges came on. Perfect timing, because I was sitting there eating a big, fat, juicy and delicious California navel orange.

I’ve never figured out the allure of the orange things from Florida. How do they allow fruit with ugly patches of odd colors be sold as an orange? Oh, well. I’ll have another California orange.

I had taken a drive to Fillmore so I could buy some fresh oranges. Sure enough, a truckload of some that had just been picked a mile up the road from the fruit stand pulled in right before I did. I knew it was some fruit fresh from the field. I watched it pull out of the grove and on to Highway 126. I swear I could smell the oranges ahead of me.

Of course, while there, I got some avocados and lots of other veggies. I’ll send a letter or email to friends in the East and tell them how great the fresh fruit and veggies are in December. Funny how many folks say things that polite folks don’t normally say.

Last I heard yesterday, the Cemex issue isn’t dead yet. Not sure what is happening, but a couple of very senior senators from this state are going to make a certain senator’s life miserable. I, for one, sure hope so.

There is some very good news about the chloride issue with respect to our treated water heading down the Santa Clara River. Seems the United States Environmental Protection Agency – the dreaded EPA – is on our side and says the plan we have is the best.

Just to let you know, our sanitation board members – some of our City Council members and the supervisor – have worked long and hard on this, so the liability with the new plan we want is only one quarter the cost of what it could be. The EPA loves our plan. I love it, too, because the savings over the previous plan are in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Now if only the BLM would love our plan for Cemex. Maybe the EPA should get some armored personnel carriers like the BLM has. Just why does the BLM need all of that armor and guns? Does anyone have a reason for that? Does land management require heavy weapons? I’m almost afraid to drive down Soledad Canyon Road now. Well, not yet, but when they recognize the people want Cemex to leave, I wouldn’t be too alarmed if we saw some more BLM agents in full body armor and driving those heavy armored vehicles.

Arming BLM agents may be the natural outgrowth of years and years of having federal agencies doing things that doesn’t seem like they should do. For instance: The Army Corps of Engineers builds dams and flood control systems all over the country. They are really good at it.

The Navy has more aircraft then the Air Force, and the Army has more than both of those services, combined. Just so you know, the Army has more ships, too.

The Naval Construction Battalions, or Seabees, build all kinds of things ashore and nothing at sea. They are pretty good at it, too.

So, as an old sailor like me would think, I’m glad the Marines are staying true to what they do. Maybe that one inane senator from New Mexico would like to get them to do something besides being the most awesome military ground force in the world. Imagine, the Marines being put in charge of building and equipping libraries. Makes a little more sense then the BLM having those armored vehicles and heavy weapons.

I was looking at the weather radar last night and noticed we had yet another flash flood warning from the National Weather Service. After years of drought, I’m sort of happy about that. Have any of you noticed that our hills have hints of green popping up all over? Back East, in the land of bad produce and cold, they can’t even think of green hills until Spring. I had a case of California navel oranges shipped to some of the folks I know back there. The package arrived at the same time a case of Florida oranges arrived at the same house.

Yesterday I found myself not really in the spirit of the season. Some problems were weighing heavy on me, and I was just a little depressed. A friend helped solve the biggest problem, and other friends opened their ears and listened to me. They didn’t have all of the answers, but they had a way of allowing me to see the solution when they said nothing. They took the time to help and in so doing, gave that priceless gift. Time. They gave me some of their time.

In all of the commercial activity of buying gifts and spreading a little joy around, we forget that greatest gift of all, the gift of our time.

I am going to make sure I give some time to the people I love and maybe some I don’t even like. I’ll make an effort to listen to an opinion I can’t stand to hear. I may provide a shoulder for those tears that may need to be shed. I don’t know.

Once I give the time, I can’t get it back. Those who receive such a gift can’t return it, either. Yesterday I got a multitude of those gifts. I shall spread the same gift as much as I can.

Isn’t that the real meaning of this and all Christmas seasons? We were given a gift in a little baby. He gave us a gift that we can never attempt to repay. Ever since then, we forget all too often what the gift was. His gift is still in my heart.

Spending time with children and parents and friends. Hugs given and received as we greet each other and spread the joy we feel. It is in giving that we receive, and in the receiving we get more to give.

A miracle each year, just spending that little bit of time, which becomes our gift to each other.

Can’t buy that at the mall, can you?

Darryl Manzer grew up in the Pico Canyon oil town of Mentryville in the 1960s and attended Hart High School. After a career in the U.S. Navy he returned to live in the Santa Clarita Valley. He can be reached at dmanzer@scvhistory.com. His older commentaries are archived at DManzer.com; his newer commentaries can be accessed [here]. Watch his walking tour of Mentryville [here].