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Posts published in “Essays”

A Run to Town

I wanted to break quarantine and make a run up to town for my mail and the Saturday New York Times even though it was an unnecessary trip. I got my street clothes out of…

A Gruesome Tale, 1880

A grue is a grisly, short comic poem, with a sadistic bent to it and a twist of some sort in the final line or two. Grues were often called “Little Willies” after the central…

AV Land Trust Sues Peachland Family (Part 10)

I think you can file my experience of being sued by the Anderson Valley Land Trust in the category of “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.” You could also file it as the most wasteful lawsuit…

Biloxi Days: Chief Johns vs. Major Smith

Biloxi, Mississippi in 1970 was the 3380th Field Maintenance Squadron. We had about 20 separate specialty and trade shops for the various aircraft systems — fuel systems, hydraulics, airframe-structure, while and tire, propulsion, propeller, ground…

NYC Pigeon Spotting in the 1950s

To even an unpracticed eye the kid would have looked out-of-place, walking alone in a dawdling way, generally up toward the Park. It was cold, but he wasn’t wearing an overcoat; might not have even…

Pears in Kelseyville

Kelseyville is called the Pear Capitol of the world. I have done a vast amount of business in the pear industry in Kelseyville. Starting in 1965 I sold agricultural pesticides and fertilizer to pear growers…

The Valleys of Mendocino County

About 40 years ago the Mendocino County Historical Society was producing monographs on several subject areas. In the “Stories of Mendocino County” series #14 was Ray Shultz and is “Valleys of Mendocino County.” He tried…

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