Opinion

America may have a great multitude of blemishes on our record, but our existence stands as a testament that diverse groups united can accomplish greatness. Which is why it’s so strange to watch the developing national news about how we’re coming apart with a...

I cannot recall the first time I learned about The Great Depression of my parent’s generation, but I do remember their stories of that time in American history. As early as elementary school we watched period newsreels depicting unemployed workers in soup kitchen lines,...

Today I would like to tell you that the emergency is over. I’d like to say that you can go anywhere and be with whomever you want. No more masks and spacing to worry about. I’d like to tell you that a couple of...

When you meet someone for the first time, do you ever notice a person’s shoes or boots? I always do. Not just a man’s footwear, but women’s shoes and boots too! In my family we polished our shoes because we didn’t get a lot...

I love this time of year, when the “storm window” opens, the water possibilities increase ten-fold and the population of our desiccated West Coast becomes transfixed by weather and all her whims. “We are on the storm watch,” the forecaster whispers in spooky tones....

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I know that I have mentioned my good buddy Jeff before. He and his wife Brenda took a few days off to accompany my bride and I as we had a few days to do some exploring of the Mighty Mississippi River and the...

I’m a brat. There, I said it. I think my mother was the last person who said it to me many years ago and she wasn’t wrong. I have lived and traveled freely all my life. I have cruised back and forth at will...

It has been a long time since we had a pig in the family. You read that correctly. Back in 2011, when my daughter was young, she raised an award-winning pig for the Salinas Valley Fair through the high school 4-H Club. For rookies...

I woke up this morning wondering who was going to get up and turn on the furnace. I had a secret card with me as I had put our dog Ranger on my side of the bed before we went to sleep. So all...