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Posts published in “Essays”

The College Kid Runs the Auction, Part 2

Last week I recounted how, with  a mere half dozen years of sheep farming experience, I undertook the job of managing the weekly sheep sale at the Ukiah Livestock Auction. The time of year I…

River Monster

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…

Ashley Jones

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…

Hippie Days

It was the time of year when the sidewalks of Garberville were crowded with pretty young women (and men I suppose) looking for work...

Fur & Feed

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,…

A Staffing Crisis in Healthcare

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…

Big Sky Over Ithaca

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…

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