I came here from Wyoming, like Fremont, in moccasins. And like Fremont I met some Native Americans along the way. I remember one laconic old warrior in particular. He gave me a ride on his…
Posts published in “Essays”
The history of Mendocino County is told in fits and starts, in family memoirs, old timer interviews and in whispered references to long-ago scandals only hinted at by the newspapers of the time. “The Nelson…
Watching the high school kids tottering up the hiking trail under ridiculous burdens I was reminded of the studies of GIs who jumped into the surf in the Normandy landings with 80 pound packs on…
During the early settlement of Anderson Valley there were two factions of cattlemen between whom there existed bad blood. Several men were killed. On one occasion both factions met in Boonville. Two members of the…
Growing up in my family was a trip. At any time I could be hauled off to an impromptu gathering overrun by urchins with names like Gaia, Tao, Cinnamon, and Raven. We once visited some…
As a lifelong vagabond, I grew up used to entering new worlds of local customs, identities, standards, and mythologies — never knowing how long each new encounter might last (Dad’s frequent transfers from one military…
Things I’m unable to comprehend: Greeting Cards I’ve never understood why greeting cards are so expensive. It’s a folded piece of cardboard with flowers or kittens on the front and inside something deeply deep, like…