Opinion

I have written before about why I believe in Santa Claus. Perhaps more than you want to read, but there are many reasons I love this time of the year. The whole idea that we greet each other with a smile, even if it’s...

Have you noticed that we have a bunch of folks that have too much time on their hands? It wouldn’t be so bad if they used this extra time to do something good, but they seem hell-bent to destroy neighborhoods. By the way, they...

The definition of the word “volunteer,” according to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, is a person who does a job without being paid for it. That’s pretty straightforward, but in my opinion it falls a bit short of the mark; if one takes the...

To the Editor: The free Lockwood and San Lucas Community Drop-Off Event, recently provided by Waste Management and Monterey County, offered a huge bonus to our rural area. Many services available in urban areas are not repeated rurally, largely because of higher costs and lower density....

“Darling, darling, we have to stop! This is my cousin’s house!” Car comes to a screeching halt, dust flying. We unload, remove our shoes at the door. Everyone sits in the family room. Boiling hot chai tea is produced in tiny glass cups with...

Garden serenity is getting difficult in the afternoons with the dual challenge of ever-rising temperatures and afternoon winds that seem like they’re powerful enough to give Dorothy another trip to Oz. The morning and evening calms, however, make it all worth it. For those who...

Let me tell you about a local organization. They number upwards of 70 members who sponsor or involve themselves in everything from maintenance of forest trails to acting as parking monitors for Laguna Seca races to assisting Santa Claus and his helpers in making...

My friend from Salinas works for Monterey County and is a proverbial animal nut like me. She contacted me one day and told me that her husband had been working out on Metz Road and the residents there had told him about a stray...

“Come on, Honey, I promise you will like it. You know how you love swimming.” Her tones were soft and inviting. I had been listening to her try and get me out of the house by going to the city swimming pool. It seems that the...

I don’t know if I have ever told you how much I hate seeing or hearing someone crying. I don’t mean to tell you that crying is bad, it’s just the only thing I can say without blinking that I absolutely hate. It’s not...