Worst Dog Sitting Ever

(re=run) When I was a newlywed, living in San Diego, my next door neighbor, Doreen, befriended me. She noticed I was home alone a lot, since my teaching job ended at 3:00, and my new husband didn’t come home from work until 7:00 or so. Doreen invited me over for food and chit chat. Once,… Continue reading Worst Dog Sitting Ever

Rattlesnake Season

(re-run) It’s rattlesnake season here in the West.  Snakes are cold-blooded and love warm surfaces like rocks or sunny trails when they are cold, and dark and shady places when they are hot.  At night they curl up in the strangest locales – in coiled-up garden hoses, under the edge of pool covers, and now… Continue reading Rattlesnake Season

Weed Whacker Workout

(re-run) I’ve never owned or used a Weed Whacker. I’m an Iowa girl who pulls weeds by hand so they don’t come back. But this year is the exception.  With record rainfall, the weeds are on steroids this spring. See photo. I ordered an electric weed whacker from my local hardware store since I didn’t… Continue reading Weed Whacker Workout

Be Careful Who You Hike With

(re-run) First of all, the title should be Be Careful with Whom You Hike, but I figured only English teachers would read the post if I did it that way. An old bf asked me to go on a hike with him. I said yes a little too quickly. Looking back, Bob (not his real… Continue reading Be Careful Who You Hike With

Afternoon Delight and Boater Safety

(re-run) Really, folks. You can’t make this stuff up.  My fisherman friend, we’ll call him Pete, took a buddy and his boat and spent a day on the Delta (San Francisco Bay) where the Sacramento River meets the ocean, and the delta, a mixture of fresh and salt water and just as cold as the… Continue reading Afternoon Delight and Boater Safety

April 6th, a Popular Date

(re-run) It seems that everything is happening on April 6th.  There is a fashion show, a Beatles tribute band playing, a piano concert, two big sales at my favorite thrift stores, and a girlfriend’s afternoon wedding. Guess which one I am going to do. She is thrilled to be getting married to her guy, two… Continue reading April 6th, a Popular Date

Chihuahua Vs. Foxtail

(re-run) Foxtail weeds are dangerous for dogs. That’s why they make a mesh face and ear guard for dogs that venture into the open space on hikes. My adult child had taken the Chihuahua terrier mix on hikes daily since April. He never had a problem, until the other evening . . . Suddenly he… Continue reading Chihuahua Vs. Foxtail

Sorry About That

(re-run) Aileen, in her early 50s, had a date that neither she, nor the guy, will ever forget. They met online. He suggested a hike out to the Black Diamond Mines in Antioch. She agreed, although she wasn’t much of a hiker. During the hike and while climbing in and out of the mine tunnels,… Continue reading Sorry About That

Neighborhood Watch and Biting Dogs

(re-run) Nine years ago, burglaries were happening all over my neighborhood. The burglars’ M.O. was to ring the doorbell, wait, then kick in the front door, find the jewelry, cash and drugs and get out in two minutes. They’d use a pillowcase from the master bedroom, where the jewelry was most likely to be. It… Continue reading Neighborhood Watch and Biting Dogs

Love Again

(re-run) K.T. and her friend Toni, both divorced, joined the singles’ ski club in the fall. When they found out about the Snow Ball, where five ski clubs came together for dinner and dancing to live rock and roll music, they decided to go together. Rex had been in the club for years. He had… Continue reading Love Again