A century back, and then on back into the century before, the sun shone on huge redwood and fir that had not yet been felled. Back into the first half of the 1880s, when the…
Posts published in “Essays”
If you’re a long-time Alamedan, you know him. He might have been your teacher, therapist or coach. Perhaps you recognize him as a two-time City Council candidate, a competitive master swimmer or abstract painter. If…
It was the time of year when the sidewalks of Garberville were crowded with pretty young women (and men I suppose) looking for work...
For many years a Junior Livestock Auction has been held during the Redwood Empire Fair in Ukiah. The community supports the auction buying all sorts of species of livestock that are raised by 4-H members,…
Even before COVID, the US was experiencing a shortage of healthcare workers, including nurses, pharmacists, and technicians. Rural communities have always had greater difficulty attracting healthcare professionals, especially physicians. Now, all healthcare jobs are under-staffed…
The playlist of life follows patterns, tends to the familiar. We don’t need Silicon Valley algorithm makers to seduce us into routines. We fall into them ourselves. Once these tastes are formed, we continue to…
After a summer’s absence, I am back in The Valley, adjusting to drought- and-fires life here at the vineyard, and going through my list of Boont fables possibly worth telling. This one has been wandering…
One of the first people we met in coming to Westport almost fifty years ago was Lyle Standley. He had heard we had bought the old Kruger Place (then the only house on the west…
Other than the weather, the homeless and the Giants, the most popular topic in Ukiah is our lack of affordable housing. But unlike the weather, the Giants and our ever-swelling homeless population, at least someone…