The Red-tailed Hawk and the Toddler Fence

Posted in birds, California, children, humor, hunting, Lindsay Wildlife Museum, memoir, Mount Diablo State Park, nature, outdoors, relationships, toddler, worst1 Comment

I am a bird lover. I feed the song birds and the finches. I have an ongoing water supply in the form of a fountain in my back yard. I’ve planted native plants for the hummingbirds. When I hike, I am thrilled to find a hawk feather to add to my hat. Twenty-odd years ago,… Continue reading The Red-tailed Hawk and the Toddler Fence

Pavlov’s Perfume

Posted in animal adoption, animal rescue, animal shelter, ARF, Belgian Malinois, California, dogs, Houdini, humor, Jack Russell terrier, memoir, Pavlov, pet, relationships2 Comments

My girlfriend, who shall remain nameless, lest someone recognize her on this page, has a three-time rescue dog like me. Hers also started out as a voluntary surrender puppy after his owner first lost a home in the Redding fire. Or possibly he was at the Redding shelter and got shipped out to make room… Continue reading Pavlov’s Perfume

A Donner Party Winter

Posted in Donner party, Donner Summit Museum, Hastings Cut-off, history, pioneers, Sierra Nevadas, survival, Tahoe, winterLeave a comment

Lake Tahoe has had record-breaking snowfall this year. Snow is falling so fast that the ski resorts have had to close some days because of the chance of avalanches. When was the last time Tahoe has seen twenty-five feet of snow in one month? I am not a meteorologist, but one equally snowy year comes… Continue reading A Donner Party Winter

How to Train your Dog so He Won’t Bite You

Posted in animal adoption, animal rescue, animal shelter, animal training, California, humor, memoir, pet, relationships, worstLeave a comment

Yesterday at the natural stone store where I went to look at their granite, the guy that helped me mentioned that his friend’s German Shepherd puppy kept biting his owner.  Puppies do that because they are exploring their world. They are babies using everything as their personal teething rings. When my lab mix Pepper was… Continue reading How to Train your Dog so He Won’t Bite You

Drinking, Dancing and Driving

Posted in California, dancing, drinking, DUI, girlfriends, memoir, police officer, relationshipsLeave a comment

I am a happy version of a designated driver. Instead of abstaining completely, I drink two glasses of wine per dancing event.  I drink early and then stop.  I do this for two reasons. #1 — I am a lightweight with alcohol. #2 — I need to drive friends that drink more than I do.… Continue reading Drinking, Dancing and Driving

To Dye or Not to Dye

Posted in aging, blondes, California, dancing, divorce, memoir, menopause, relationships, romanceLeave a comment

Driving to Monterey today, looking at the velvety green hills and the occasional sprinkles of white on the tallest ones, my mind started composing this blog post. I thought about how everyone in California dyes his or her hair – menopausal women (no surprise there), old guys, young women, teen-aged boys. Everyone, at least it… Continue reading To Dye or Not to Dye

A Great Personality

Posted in blind date, boss, co-workers, fat shaming, joke, mean, restaurant, Uncategorized, worstLeave a comment

When George was twenty-three his boss set him up on a blind date with a woman who was a good customer for their auto parts business. George had been talking with her on the phone for over a year. The boss thought he should meet her in person. “Dinner’s on the company,” George’s boss said.… Continue reading A Great Personality

How to Relax for Bed

Posted in ASMR, best, California, cleaning, humor, ironing, laundry, memoir, relationships, relaxation, shop owner, vintageLeave a comment

I closed my online costume shop last summer. I donated 500 dresses to a charity for third world girls and sorted through my aprons, pulling out all the hostess ones, the sheer ones not for cooking. I had 150 of them. I gave them to my local thrift store, the one that knows vintage stuff.… Continue reading How to Relax for Bed